Tap and line cleaning

[YeastFace]

How often do you clean your lines and taps?

I've probably been a bit lax and just run some starsan through the line and tap after use.

I've only had one beer on at a time since Christmas, so last gave the unused ones a clean then.

Today I discovered some slime (assume this is some kind of lactobacillus) in the shanks of the two unused taps.

I have used one of these for bottling recently. The bottle wasn't kept refrigerated and feedback I received was critical of diacetyl. I'd struggled to recocile this with my own assessment from keg (from the regularly used, "clean" tap), but think I've now found the culprit.

I'd used one of the "unused" taps with my bottle filler. Lactobacillus can create diacetyl, and with the warm storage conditions this could have happened during the 8 days it was in transit/storage.

I now want to improve my cleaning regimen and am after some guidance/best-practice.

I've heard the purple line cleaner is good, but this shouldn't be used with stainless, which my taps and shank are.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

I clean my lines every two weeks. Industry best practice is weekly with two-weekly as the outer limit.

I use purple colour changing beer line cleaner. I run the cleaner through, leave the pipes full of cleaner for 30-40 minutes, run through again and repeat until I see no colour change. I then flush with water.

After cleaning the lines I remove the beer ball-lock connectors and boil those for 5-10 minutes. I then rinse these in Starsan before reassembly.

I wipe over the beer out posts with a clean cloth soaked in Starsan before plugging the ball-lock connectors back on.

I know there are many that don’t do this and frankly I’m surprised they don’t have awful problems. I can start to tell the difference in the way my beers taste after a few days beyond the two weeks.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Here’s a post of me doing the cleaning and a short video clip of the colour change.

My next task was to clean all my beer lines, which I’ve decided will be done every two weeks in line with best practice. It’s at times like this having 7 taps is a bit of a chore!

View attachment 64210 View attachment 64211

For each tap, hook over a bucket, remove the gas and beer line from the keg and connect them to the bottle of cleaner. Open the tap and let the cleaner flow, leave it for a while to work on anything not immediately cleaned out. Here, all 7 beer lines are full of cleaner.

View attachment 64212
Connect up the water bottle to flush through. At the end of the flush invert the water bottle so gas pushes all the water out the tap leaving the pipe empty. At this point remove the disconnects and give them a boil for a couple of minutes.

View attachment 64213
Refit the disconnects, reconnect the kegs, open the tap to fill the line with beer. Taste each just to make sure

While I was at it I connected up my new batch of Raspberry Sour. This one used half as much fruit (I though the last batch had too much) and I used pectolase (I thought the last batch was too murky). I thought the new batch was better and it was clear. Unfortunately I didn’t take a picture but I did bottle some for someone so I can show you that…
View attachment 64214

I’ve been cleaning my beer lines every two weeks and been enjoying clean crisp beer ever since. Although I’m not tasting any off-flavours it’s clear that the lines do need cleaning every couple of weeks. Take a look at this short video clip. In the clip I’ve pushed beer line cleaning solution into the beer line and left it for 20 minutes. I’m about to flush it through with some fresh cleaning solution. The solution is bright pink when there is no contamination and goes blue/green when there is contamination in the line.


View attachment 66448

 

[tigertim]

Related to this, how do others store their party tap/line assemblies when not in use? I have a party tap attached to about 2.5m of 3/16 pipe with a ball lock disconnect on the other end which I use periodically. When I finish using it, I don't like the idea of storing it "dry" because, realistically, it's almost impossible to get it completely dry, so I tend to flush it thoroughly with StarSan and then leave it stored with StarSan in it until I next need to use it.

I should probably add proper line cleaner to my arsenal as well - I've been making do with StarSan since forever and, whilst I've never had any infections or yeast cross-contamination that I'm aware of, I do have an old "Old Speckled Hen" tap (now disused) which has always made the first pint of the day taste a bit like floor cleaner!

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Related to this, how do others store their party tap/line assemblies when not in use? I have a party tap attached to about 2.5m of 3/16 pipe with a ball lock disconnect on the other end which I use periodically. When I finish using it, I don't like the idea of storing it "dry" because, realistically, it's almost impossible to get it completely dry, so I tend to flush it thoroughly with StarSan and then leave it stored with StarSan in it until I next need to use it.

I should probably add proper line cleaner to my arsenal as well - I've been making do with StarSan since forever and, whilst I've never had any infections or yeast cross-contamination that I'm aware of, I do have an old "Old Speckled Hen" tap (now disused) which has always made the first pint of the day taste a bit like floor cleaner!

That first pint tasting bad is a sign of infection because the bacteria in the line have had time to produce quite a concentration of diacetyl or other off flavours. After pouring it away subsequent pints are not bad until the infection becomes more serious.

If any of my lines are unused (eg while I’m on holiday) I give them a good clean and then empty them by blowing gas through. I then clean them again before use.

 

[Druncan]

For all my taps and triclamp fittings and carbstones I use PAA in a ultrasonic bath VEVOR VEVOR Ultrasonic Cleaner Machine 3L Stainless Steel Ultrasonic Cleaning Machine Digital Heater Timer Jewelry Cleaning for Commercial Personal Home Use (3L) | VEVOR UK that one heats as well when I use the caustic. Then I occasionally use dipslides on cleaned equipment and grow the dipslide in my little yoghurt maker. No significant colonies of bacteria found so far

I thought you had to be really careful using the purple LC with anything stainless?

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

I thought you had to be really careful using the purple LC with anything stainless?

It is a strong alkaline solution so it is corrosive for all metals and you wouldn’t leave it in the lines(taps) for longer than required but I’m not aware of any specific issue for stainless steel.

 

[YeastFace]

Here’s a post of me doing the cleaning and a short video clip of the colour change.

Is it ok with stainless? I thought it could pit it? Or is it not in contact with the shank/tap long enough?

Edit - should read the full thread before replying

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Is it ok with stainless? I thought it could pit it? Or is it not in contact with the shank/tap long enough?

Edit - should read the full thread before replying

As I said above, the beer line cleaning solution is corrosive to all metals and I’m not aware of any greater risk with stainless steel.

 

[DocAnna]

@Hazelwood Brewery - you are a shiny beacon of brilliant practice.... and a reminder of things I should do. So far I've always rinsed and stored my lines with starsan solution. I have though on the basis of this thread, just ordered some purple pipeline cleaner from Amazon, since I haven't cleaned my lines like that since building the kegerator!

A

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

@Hazelwood Brewery - you are a shiny beacon of brilliant practice.... and a reminder of things I should do. So far I've always rinsed and stored my lines with starsan solution. I have though on the basis of this thread, just ordered some purple pipeline cleaner from Amazon, since I haven't cleaned my lines like that since building the kegerator!

A

I’ve been called many things, that’s one of the nicest. Thank you!

 

[jayk34]

I clean my lines every two weeks. Industry best practice is weekly with two-weekly as the outer limit.

I use purple colour changing beer line cleaner. I run the cleaner through, leave the pipes full of cleaner for 30-40 minutes, run through again and repeat until I see no colour change. I then flush with water.

After cleaning the lines I remove the beer ball-lock connectors and boil those for 5-10 minutes. I then rinse these in Starsan before reassembly.

I wipe over the beer out posts with a clean cloth soaked in Starsan before plugging the ball-lock connectors back on.

I know there are many that don’t do this and frankly I’m surprised they don’t have awful problems. I can start to tell the difference in the way my beers taste after a few days beyond the two weeks.

Does the one you have contain chlorine ? I was looking at this one from nisbets and it appears to contain chlorine. Puts me off a bit as I wouldn't want to get any off flavours.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Does the one you have contain chlorine ? I was looking at this one from nisbets and it appears to contain chlorine. Puts me off a bit as I wouldn't want to get any off flavours.

No. I use this one…

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Link to the site I got it…

https://www.buzzcateringsupplies.com/entirepro-purple-beer-line-cleaner-5-litre.html

 

[user 4749]

I use this along with Purple beer line cleaner every 2 weeks

 

[jayk34]

No. I use this one…
View attachment 72353

Thanks. Will have a look for that one

 

[Branny]

Would an oxy soak, rinse and then starsan be sufficient? So far I've merely been flushing and holding with starsan.

 

[Baldbrewer]

I use something like this but with a ball lock type fitting, remove disconnect from corny keg, fill with cleaning fluid and pump through by hand.
once 5 litres has gone through use again to rinse and then fill with starsan and pump through.
saves my CO2 and gives me a workout lol.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Pbw 5litres pushed through as above. Then starsan. Occasionally caustic line cleaner.

 

[Branny]

Pbw 5litres pushed through as above. Then starsan. Occasionally caustic line cleaner.View attachment 72397View attachment 72398

Do you have links to the connectors please? Thanks.