Beer Line Cleaner

[buckrogers71]

I just ran out of the powder stuff that came w/ my meister. I need to get some more. What type do you guys use (powder or liquid), name of it, and a good place to get it?

thanks

[Stodbrew]

This is what I use in both the brewery and at home for my kegerator: http://www.superprod.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&productId=351648&langId=-1&parent_category_rn=88319

It's main, active ingredient is potassium hydroxide, so it is some pretty nasty, but very effective, stuff. The only problem I can forsee, is they might have to add an extra charge due to the fact that its a hazardous material. On the other hand, I've seen homebrew shops carry it, too.

[buckrogers71]

thanks for the link. when you say pretty heavy duty stuff, do you it could put a hurtin on you? I have 2 little ones and i get worried about stuff like that. moreover i worry about me getting hurt :eek:

[Stodbrew]

It is pretty heavy duty, and can certainly burn your skin in its concentrated form. When it's diluted, it is still pretty nasty. It is very highly alkaline, around 11 pH, if I recall. So it is pretty dangerous. Since you have little ones around, and were happy with the old stuff, I'd say keep using it. It looks like you can get it at www.bannerbeer.com.

Actually, it looks like it only comes packaged with the cleaning bottle you already have, but if you give them a call, they could probably hook you up with just the coil clean.

[buckrogers71]

i guess if i am careful, i could do it. whats the ratio for dilution? do you wear gloves when cleaning your lines?

thanks for both the links. i appreciate it.

[Stodbrew]

I think the suggested ratio is about 1 oz. per gallon. Honestly, I just kind of eyeball it. It's not a bad idea to wear gloves, but my hands are in so many chemicals throughout the day in the brewery, I usually don't, unless I'm handling it in its concentrated form.

[Tom C]

Relax, have a home brew, clean your lines and don't leave the bottle in a place the little ones can get. I use it as well and have little ones...have yet to do anyharm to myself and if anyone was going to harm themselves with something it would be me!

Just be sure to flush the lines with cool water after letting the diluted solution sit in the lines for about 10-15 minutes.

Tom C

[buckrogers71]

tom, when you say let the beer sit in the line, how do you mean? leave the lines connected to the shank? usually i disconnect the whole system, clean the line by gravity (hold the bottle upside down and let in drain through the lines into a bucket and then flush w/ cool water) I take the shanks and clean them w/ some of the mixture that i made w/ a brush and the same for the taps.

I have a feeing that I am doing soemting wrong :(

Could you elaborate?

thanks

[Tom C]

The BLC requires for the solution to sit in the lines for a period of time (10-15 minutes. Since I keg this is easy. I make a cleaning mixture in an empty keg fill with co2 and run it through my lines, let it sit then flush it with cold water in another keg. I clean my shanks seperatly after I have done the lines.

Tom C

[Fast_Eddy]

PBW, made by five star, is also a very effective alternative to KOH-.

http://www.fivestarchemicals.com/tech/pbw.html

[BucksBrew]

I made myself a Kegerator and am at the end of a 1/2 keg. I started to see little black things floating in my beer! uggh!

I have Corneys as well as a sankey tap.

Looks like I'll buy some PBW and mix it in a corny and flush my lines.

Do you guys take the taps off or just run cleaner through it?

I just realized I forgot to buy a long skinny brush to wash out the taps!

Anyone have available cleaning instructions for corny & Sankey taps?

Thanks!

[brian92]

I would definitely not recommend running BLC cleaning through lines that are still tapped. I'm not even sure how you would do that though since the tap has a backflow preventor built in. Anyway, the beer line cleaning kits attach directly to the shank and include a pump, so all you have to remove is the coupler from the keg and the faucet. There are instructions included with the kit. If you are cleaning without the kit, just make sure you can let the solution stay in the lines for 10-15 minutes as Tom says. Then run plain water through the system twice.

And I wouldn't worry too much about wearing gloves. I've handled the stuff directly and haven't had a problem, but everyone's skin is different I guess. Just wash off your hands when you're done. If your bar is wood and you have a varnish on it, lay a towel down since the BLC will burn right though the varnish.

[buckrogers71]

[i] If your bar is wood and you have a varnish on it, lay a towel down since the BLC will burn right though the varnish. [/B]

Thats good to know! Thanks!

[BucksBrew]

I would disconnect my lines from the kegs and attach to a water filled corny to flush.

Then I would run PBW out of one corny through the lines through the tap.

I saw online that one manufacturer says to remove and disassemble the entire tap/faucet/shank and soak for 10-15 minutes.