How to get BLC to stay in lines for cleaning

[buckrogers71]

I usually clean my lines after each keg, but i have noticed that my clear lines have become cloudy (like a yellowish color).

I have used the search function here and I have seen that most people say to leave the BLC mixture in the lines for about 15-20 min then rinse several times.

I cannot get it to work. I suppose that I doing something wrong and could certainly use some help. My cleaning tank is a gravity fed thiny

Here's what I do:

Take off faucet, take off tap, put line w/ coupler into bucket, attach beer line bucket to faucet, invert and the solution runs through to the bucket in the meister.

What am i missing?? Seems that the tap has a ball in there to prevent backfeed.

Anyone??

[I'mRocketMan]

I connect a keg with the BLC (or sanitizer...) to the line and pressurize the keg. Then open the faucet and let the solution flow for a few seconds. Then close the faucet and let the solution sit in the lines for the time specified.

[corkybstewart]

Rocketman is right. I keep one keg separate just for sanitizer. I dissolve the beer line cleaner in very hot water, pressurize the keg and hook each tap to it. As I flow the hot cleaner through the tap, I take my fauset brushes and give the faucet a good cleaning. After a half hor, I rinse the lines and faucets with hot clean water and leave the water in the line until I'm ready to re-tap each keg. I try to do it every 2 weeks, not wait until the keg is empty.

[buckrogers71]

could i do that w/ the pressurized kits that they sell? I think that you pump air into it and i guess it does the same thing.

i pretty much put commercial micro's in there so I dont have another keg sitting around.

although i did see a beer line brush on a web site. maybe i will try that.

[I'mRocketMan]

I would be careful about using brushes for the plastic lines as the probability for scratching the insides of the tubing is very high. The scratches will harbor nasties and will be difficult to clean.

I forgot to mention that after I clean the lines and let the sanitizer sit in the lines, I remove and clean the faucet and the QD before I reconnect them.

[buckrogers71]

Even if it was a nylon brush? here is the link for the one i found:
http://www.beveragefactory.com/draftbeer/cleaning-equipment/tools.shtml

what about the air forced cleaners?

[corkybstewart]

I got lucky and someone from our high school band dumped 10 pin lock kegs at the county dump because the soft drink company that owned them had not picked them up for 3 years after the concession stand switched companies so I have plenty of kegs. I have hose brushes but I've never used them for the same reason rocketman mentioned. You may be able to find a 2 1/2 gallon keg to use for sanitzers or other non-storage uses. If you are out of beer you can clean the empty keg and use it, it never hurts to force sanitizer through the dip tube and fittings.

[corkybstewart]

Forced air would not work. You wouldn't rinse your dishes with forced air, or would you? You could try something like a very small bore rifle cleaner with soft cloth tied to very strong string, but thats a lot more work than just pumping hot liquid thru the entire system.

[buckrogers71]

Oops. I didnt mean just forced air, but something like this:
http://www.beveragefactory.com/draftbeer/cleaning-equipment/img_ck-1001.htm

put the BLC into that and then force it into the line and do it like rocketman said.

kinda like using a keg w/ the co2.

[corkybstewart]

I'm sure it would work, but why go to the extra expense? I've haven't bought a commercial keg in 25 years and I have enough kegs to dedicate on just for sanitizer-I also have one just for iodine. It is the same concept and it looks smaller than a keg so it should work and be space efficient.
I'm lucky because I have an 8' X 8' room in my garage just for my beer stuff, plus room for my brew system and my kegerator, and I forget most people have space issues. My wife figures if I keep making beer I'll stay out of bars so she encourages my obsession, although she has no idea how much money goes into it.

[corkybstewart]

A keg can also withstand 150 degree water, I'm not sure about the device you showed me. If your beer lines are very dirty try 5 Star PBW to clean them, and use the BLC (after a good hot rinse) as a sanitizer. Or periodically change the lines as they start looking grundgy and won't come clean.

[buckrogers71]

here's the thing though, my current method (taking a container filling it w/ hot water and BLC, attaching it at the faucet and inverting it) just allows the the solution to run through the line and into a bucket.

It safe to assume that the cleaner REALLY isnt doing its job. Hence the build up in the past year. I would guess that I would have to use the brush to get all the crap out now and then use the pump to clean the lines after each keg.

[corkybstewart]

It may be time to change the line if it is really nasty and then be more diligent with the new line and clean it more often. To keep the BLC in the line longer just raise the end of the line going into the bucket to the same level as the bucket you're pouring from and the BLC will stay in the hose, but I don't think anything will remove a nicely built up crud. On the other hand not all discoloration of plastic tubing is harmful-I've been using iodine stained tubes for years with no problems, except for an occasional rude comment about the color of my beerlines. I do get some black crud in my faucets if I don't really stay on top of them. Then I have to dissasemble them, soak the parts in PBW and reassemble them. Pain in the ass. Now I keep a spray bottle of water handy and spray the inside of the faucet after every draw. This stuff is much easier to keep clean than to get clean.

[HarkJohnny]

Originally posted by corkybstewart
although she has no idea how much money goes into it.

yeah, at some point in our hobbies, wasn't one of the good spousal excuses something like "because I can make it cheaper than I can buy it!" ???? :D

[buckrogers71]

i cleaned a little of it today w/ a pipe cleaner. it worked out fine. problem is, i cant find a pipe cleaner that is 60":D

Talked w/ a guy at the beverage factory, he said that the pump that they sell basically does the same thing as the inverted one that I have. So I went w/ the brush. Man they really rape you on the s/h. The brush was 4.00 or so and s/h was about 6

I have to confess (after thinking about it) I didnt clean my lines as faithfully as i should have this summer. I stuck w/ 2 brews that i really liked and didnt change to another type.

Oh well, 10.00 spent, i waste that on lots of other crap, why should this be different

[corkybstewart]

as long as I have one tap dedicated to "Happy Wife Beer", my most generic cream ale, my wife is happy. She's actually the one that bought me my first kit and told me to get started. We spend Friday nights in the yard drinking our favorite beers and unwinding from the week. I am lucky she enjoys beer wven though she usually drinks wine. She has a 75 bottle wine cooler that I keep full for her so we can share each other's beverage of choice. And let's face the awful truth-there are some times or meals wine is better.

[bruin_ale]

Blasphemy!! :D

[corkybstewart]

My wife is French, from a very excellent wine producing village and she has introduced me to fine wine. At the same time, her father enjoys beer and he has introduced me to many strange and wonderful(some truly awful)European beers. So I consider myself on an even keel. Besides, I am an equal opportunity drunk.

[brian92]

Originally posted by buckrogers71
here's the thing though, my current method (taking a container filling it w/ hot water and BLC, attaching it at the faucet and inverting it) just allows the the solution to run through the line and into a bucket.

It safe to assume that the cleaner REALLY isnt doing its job. Hence the build up in the past year. I would guess that I would have to use the brush to get all the crap out now and then use the pump to clean the lines after each keg.

Maybe I missed something here (it's late), but I use the standard cleaner bottle that buckrogers listed (http://www.beveragefactory.com/draf...img_ck-1001.htm) and the cleaning solution will not flow through the coupler unless I put the nylon brush up the coupler to move to the backflush ball towards the beer line. So, I put the brush in the coupler, pump the cleaner tank a few times, wait for the solution to start pouring out of the coupler, then I remove the brush. The backflush ball stops the flow. I leave it for 15 minutes, then put the brush back in, allow the cleaning solution to empty our, and then I flush with clean water. Maybe your backflush ball isn't working on your coupler?