Corny keg cleaning

[user 40634]

Hi, Quick question: when cleaning and sanitising a corny keg is it necessary to dismantle the gas and beer fittings or can I simple fill the keg to the brim with sterilising Solution?
Thanks in advance for any advice

 

[MickDundee]

I fill mine to the brim with Oxy cleaner, put the lid on and poke the end of a fork handle into the disconnects to get the cleaner into the fittings (a tip I picked up on here).

After I empty it I rinse with water, then fill with Starsan. Empty the keg of the Starsan using CO2 and then leave the empty, pressurised, keg ready for filling.

 

[The Baron]

You do not need to dismantle the gas and beer fittings only when you think it requires it say every 5 or more uses unless you have had a problem with blockages in the dip tube etc.
The reason not to over dismantle is that it is easy to strip the threads on the corny and obviously the more times you do it the more wear and chance of it happening hence only when you think it is essential.
I too rinse out my cornies then put a kettle of boiling water in, let it stand for 20 mins or so after shaking then rinse out again and store with a litre of Starsan in it.
Micks way is probably the better way but I do not pressure transfer so I simplify it for me

 

[MmmBeer]

Similar to @MickDundee method, but I just over half fill with hot water and Oxy, seal, invert every 5 minutes to get the top cleaned too, after about 20 mins, attach your beer disconnects and lines and add some C02 to clean the lines and taps as well. Repeat with rinse water and Starsan, but with shorter standing times.

 

[Leon103]

I use the hosepipe to clean mine. Use a long handle scrubbing brush on any stubborn marks. Put 5l of starsan in and give it a good shake, let it settle and pull through the tap so the lines and tap get a clean the same time. The used starsan goes back in its container to reuse

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

I’ve never stripped down my cornies to clean them. Like many others I use very hot sodium percarbonate and push some through the beer dip tube.

Only strip them down for maintenance is my view, or if you ever have an infection (I never have).

 

[Rodcx500z]

A good wash with hose pipe then percarbonate and as above on the gas and clean the lines i also leave the line on the party tap full until i fill with ale then run it until beer comes through

 

[MickDundee]

Only strip them down for maintenance is my view, or if you ever have an infection (I never have).

Or if you decide to stick a screwdriver in the ball lock instead of the end of a spoon, catch the o-ring and rip it out.

 

[user 40634]

I fill mine to the brim with Oxy cleaner, put the lid on and poke the end of a fork handle into the disconnects to get the cleaner into the fittings (a tip I picked up on here).

After I empty it I rinse with water, then fill with Starsan. Empty the keg of the Starsan using CO2 and then leave the empty, pressurised, keg ready for filling.

Thanks that’s easier than dismantling

 

[user 40634]

You do not need to dismantle the gas and beer fittings only when you think it requires it say every 5 or more uses unless you have had a problem with blockages in the dip tube etc.
The reason not to over dismantle is that it is easy to strip the threads on the corny and obviously the more times you do it the more wear and chance of it happening hence only when you think it is essential.
I too rinse out my cornies then put a kettle of boiling water in, let it stand for 20 mins or so after shaking then rinse out again and store with a litre of Starsan in it.
Micks way is probably the better way but I do not pressure transfer so I simplify it for me

Thanks Baron

 

[gyurmaember]

It's not expensive to make a kegwasher either. I tend to wash 30mins -1 hour, and the same with the rinse. Then sanitise, and leave the starsan in until I'd use it.

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Hi, Quick question: when cleaning and sanitising a corny keg is it necessary to dismantle the gas and beer fittings or can I simple fill the keg to the brim with sterilising Solution?
Thanks in advance for any advice

Good question.
I have never dismantled mine, but when I do wash the Corny out I run a good quantity of cleaning solution (Sodium Percarbonate) through them using a spare disconnect and then rinse carefully.

 

[dcbrookes]

I use the 23 litre Chinese Corny copies and the connects are very easy to unscrew, so I usually remove everything except the long dip tube and soak them in percarbonate while the rest gets 30 minutes or so on the keg washer, filled with more oxy. The long dip tube drops onto the screen of the keg washed, so gets a good spraying along with everything else.

 

[HarryFlatters]

It's not expensive to make a kegwasher either.

Can confirm. I made one from a pond pump and some JG connectors and other bits I had lying around.

 

[Hoddy]

A total strip down and detailed clean with hot water and washing up liquid after every use for me. All the posts off and I have a home made long brush to do the dip tubes.

Rinsed out and then add a kettle of boiling water with about 8ml of starsan. Tossed around for an hour and a quick press of the beer out fills the beer out post and tube.

You can never be too clean with your brewing equipment. No one wants to lose a whole keg to not spending an extra 10 minutes.

 

[Gwen]

I have my first 2 kegs in the kegerator and am feeling a little more relieved reading the above. I got a second hand keg locally that I was able to completely strip down but the 2 I got from K2T I just could not get the posts off. So I just cleaned and sanitised the life out of them. I was very nervous about not stripping them down but all ok still.

 

[MmmBeer]

The posts aren't exactly designed to be removed easily and the refurbishers/suppliers do them up very tight. You need a ring spanner, I think its 22mm, but don't quote me on that. When I bought my 2 from BKT I had to put the spanner on and hit it several times with a hammer to get it to start moving. I only remove them occasionally now, for a full soak.

 

[Rodcx500z]

I have my first 2 kegs in the kegerator and am feeling a little more relieved reading the above. I got a second hand keg locally that I was able to completely strip down but the 2 I got from K2T I just could not get the posts off. So I just cleaned and sanitised the life out of them. I was very nervous about not stripping them down but all ok still.

Hi Gwen, I use this 22mm deep socket on a big rachet

 

[Rodcx500z]

Sorry Gwen forgot the pic

 

[HarryFlatters]

I had to use a rattle gun to get the posts off of three kegs I bought from The Homebrew Company, there was no shifting them by hand.