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Clean your beer lines!
Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2017 7:30 pm
by alb
I've been using this set-up and it's da bomb. Total cost just under $25, over half of that was the special Firestone liquid out ball lock post.
EASY PEASY BEER LINE CLEANING
Re: Clean your beer lines!
Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2017 10:51 am
by BlackDuck
That's a great idea. Thanks for posting this.
Re: Clean your beer lines!
Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2017 11:30 am
by Kealia
That's interesting, but I clean my beer lines when a keg kicks. At that point I'm also cleaning my keg so I just push some PBW and then some StarSan through the lines with minimal CO2. This seems like extra work FOR ME, but kudos to anybody it helps.
Re: Clean your beer lines!
Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2017 2:52 pm
by ScrewyBrewer
Kealia wrote:That's interesting, but I clean my beer lines when a keg kicks. At that point I'm also cleaning my keg so I just push some PBW and then some StarSan through the lines with minimal CO2. This seems like extra work FOR ME, but kudos to anybody it helps.
I use Beer Line Cleaner and pump it through the lines and tap. I used OxiClean, but once I saw the crud that BLC washed out of what I thought were clean beer line, I'll never use anything else.
Re: Clean your beer lines!
Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2017 3:00 pm
by FedoraDave
Kealia wrote:That's interesting, but I clean my beer lines when a keg kicks. At that point I'm also cleaning my keg so I just push some PBW and then some StarSan through the lines with minimal CO2. This seems like extra work FOR ME, but kudos to anybody it helps.
This is what I do, also. Two jobs done in one swell foop. And the CO2 required to run liquid through is minimal. This method might be preferable for some folks, though. I won't knock it, since I can definitely see it working, rather than some crackpot idea.
Re: Clean your beer lines!
Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2017 4:53 pm
by Beer-lord
ScrewyBrewer wrote:Kealia wrote:That's interesting, but I clean my beer lines when a keg kicks. At that point I'm also cleaning my keg so I just push some PBW and then some StarSan through the lines with minimal CO2. This seems like extra work FOR ME, but kudos to anybody it helps.
I use Beer Line Cleaner and pump it through the lines and tap. I used OxiClean, but once I saw the crud that BLC washed out of what I thought were clean beer line, I'll never use anything else.
I do the same each and every time a keg kicks. It's worth it.
Re: Clean your beer lines!
Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2017 5:29 pm
by Kealia
Especially with YOUR beers........haha, sorry I couldn't resist.
Re: Clean your beer lines!
Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2017 8:17 pm
by alb
ScrewyBrewer wrote:Kealia wrote:That's interesting, but I clean my beer lines when a keg kicks. At that point I'm also cleaning my keg so I just push some PBW and then some StarSan through the lines with minimal CO2. This seems like extra work FOR ME, but kudos to anybody it helps.
I use Beer Line Cleaner and pump it through the lines and tap. I used OxiClean, but once I saw the crud that BLC washed out of what I thought were clean beer line, I'll never use anything else.
Yep, That's why I use a separate system now, and the otherwise unexplained funk I was getting in my brew is gone.
Re: Clean your beer lines!
Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2017 9:11 pm
by John Sand
I use the sprayer described in the video. Mine took some tinkering to fit the post to the sprayer. It works well, I use One-Step.
Re: Clean your beer lines!
Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2017 10:11 am
by Tabasco
FedoraDave wrote:Kealia wrote:That's interesting, but I clean my beer lines when a keg kicks. At that point I'm also cleaning my keg so I just push some PBW and then some StarSan through the lines with minimal CO2. This seems like extra work FOR ME, but kudos to anybody it helps.
This is what I do, also. Two jobs done in one swell foop. And the CO2 required to run liquid through is minimal. This method might be preferable for some folks, though. I won't knock it, since I can definitely see it working, rather than some crackpot idea.
Me three!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Re: Clean your beer lines!
Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 9:29 pm
by FedoraDave
I also use Five Star Liquid Line Cleaner to get the scale and other crap out, but not every time a keg punts the pail. I just don't think it's necessary every single time. To me, that's sort of like clipping your fingernails every single day.
And when I use the Five Star, I run it through same way I do the OxyClean and Star San. I just let it sit in the line for 15 minutes before flushing it like crazy.
Re: Clean your beer lines!
Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2017 12:20 am
by bpgreen
I'll confess that sometimes, when a keg kicks, I'll just swap to the next keg and start running that beer through.
I have two reasons for this: 1. I figure that there's not enough time for anything to happen to the beer lines and 2. I want to finish pouring my beer.
Re: Clean your beer lines!
Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2017 6:56 am
by RickBeer
I know an expert in this area and she says that the #1 thing that bars, and homebrewers, should do more of is frequent line cleaning. I sent back beer last month when it clearly had off flavors from the lines not being cleaned. Bartender had no response when I told her to give me two bottles instead.
I have not taken up kegging at home for this reason. If we drink 72 ounces a week, it would take 4.4 weeks to empty a keg IF I only drank that one type of beer. With bottles, I have a dozen to pick from and like that.
Re: Clean your beer lines!
Posted: Sat Aug 12, 2017 7:07 am
by FedoraDave
RickBeer wrote:I know an expert in this area and she says that the #1 thing that bars, and homebrewers, should do more of is frequent line cleaning.
I would say there's a difference between line "cleaning" and line "purging." Every time a keg quits, I follow the same procedure: 1. Clean the keg with OxyClean Free. 2. Run OxyClean Free through the line/tap. 3. Rinse keg with clean water. 4. Run clean water through line/tap. 5. Sanitize keg. 6. Run Star San through line/tap. I usually have another keg ready to hook up to that line, so there's no down time. I will use the Five Star Line Cleaner every fifth keg or so.
RickBeer wrote:I have not taken up kegging at home for this reason. If we drink 72 ounces a week, it would take 4.4 weeks to empty a keg IF I only drank that one type of beer. With bottles, I have a dozen to pick from and like that.
I also like variety in my pipeline. I keg every five gallon batch, but I bottle a good number of my 2.5 gallon batches. While I'm able to fit 3 kegs in my keeper, I only have two taps. Even so, I usually have about four or five different styles to choose from.