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How to store sanitized kegs ?

 
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hennesse




Joined: 04 Feb 2011
Posts: 38
Location: United States: Virginia

Drinking: On Tap: Quickie ESB

Working on: Primary: Body, Body, Body IPA, 2ary: Paducah Pale Ale


PostLink    Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2018 12:15 am    Post subject: How to store sanitized kegs ? Reply with quote


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How best to store sanitized Corny kegs for future use?

I use Cornys for secondary fermenters and serving. I use a homemade carboy/keg washer to clean the keg with HOT water, then sanitize with Iodophor in COLD water. The washer has extra "arms" that attach to the keg posts via ball-locks, so the dip tubes inside the keg are thoroughly cleaned/sanitized as well as the keg body.

I drain the Iodophor out of the washer into a bucket, and then drop the lids/o-rings/relief valves in the bucket. After draining, I reassemble and store until next time.

I don't really want to sanitize it again before use. Should I:

1) Leave a few cups of iodophor in the keg ?

2) Pressurize the keg with CO2 ?

3) Both ?

4) Skip the above, don't be lazy, just sanitize again before next use ?

What do you do / think ?

P.S. The carboy/keg cleaner wasn't my idea, I saw on it on homebrewtalk or somewhere like that. What was my idea was to tap a hot water line in my garage, adding a tee, ball valve, and garden hose QuickDisconnect. HOT water makes cleaning the mash tun, boil kettle, and everything else sooo much easier.
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kal
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Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Thu Jun 28, 2018 12:33 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I only used kegs for serving. When one blows I just put it aside as it's full of CO2 and nothing will happen. I only clean it a day or two before refilling by soaking in Oxiclean (one scoop and fill with hot water and let soak for 1-2 days and then rinse and sanitize right before filling). See: https://shop.theelectricbrewery.com/pages/oxiclean-baby-or-free-oxygen-based-cleaner

Kal

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Last edited by kal on Thu Jan 14, 2021 1:09 pm; edited 4 times in total
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rcrabb22




Joined: 23 Dec 2010
Posts: 462
Location: Illinois


PostLink    Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2018 7:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I clean but do not sanitize my kegs until I am ready to fill them. I keep the parts in a ziplock, put the long dip tube inside the keg via the lid opening and cover the mouth of keg with a paper towel and put the parts bag on the paper towel.
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Ozarks Mountain Brew




Joined: 22 May 2013
Posts: 737
Location: The Ozark Mountains of Missouri


PostLink    Posted: Sun Jul 01, 2018 12:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I leave mine pressurized but unhooked just like Kal until the day I keg again, then do a good cleaning
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mvakoc




Joined: 19 Sep 2011
Posts: 152
Location: Evergreen, CO


PostLink    Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2018 3:41 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I use the relatively new Ss keg cleaner and love it. I have enough kegs that a keg cleaning day usually doing 6-8 kegs. The Ss cleaner is a CIP like pump that attaches directly to a keg. Once a keg is attached you move it from the cleaner to a rinse and then to a sanitizer (non foaming -- I use saniclean).

Each is done in a separate bucket and the keg is moved through each stage.

I rinse a dirt keg with a powerful spray hose and dump. I attach the Ss cleaner and do stage 1 cleaning for 20-30 minutes (using 45g of PBW in 2 gallons). I then rinse for 10 minutes, then do stage 3 sanitizing for about the same amount of time. The corny lid follows the keg through the three stages.

When this is all done I fill the keg with CO2 and attach a ball lock connector to the liquid out post a few times to get as much sanitizer out as posible. A tiny bit remains but it seems to have no effect on the beer. I then store the kegs, sometimes for many months, in this state before filling them. I do no more sanitizing or anything beyond opening the lid (after purging the CO2) and transfer the product in.

I do use a bucket heater on a temperature controller to keep the cleaner (stage 1) or rinse water (stage 2) at 140F. While I am cleaning I am heating the rinse water, and while I am rinsing I am heating the next stage 1 cleaner.

Works like a champ with zero issues thus far. I love the Ss keg washer.
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kal
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Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2018 12:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

mvakoc wrote:
When this is all done I fill the keg with CO2 and attach a ball lock connector to the liquid out post a few times to get as much sanitizer out as posible. A tiny bit remains but it seems to have no effect on the beer.

What sanitizer do you use? Some (like StarSan) are no-rinse so no concerns at all if some stays behind.

Kal

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itsnotrequired




Joined: 15 Sep 2015
Posts: 177
Location: central wi


PostLink    Posted: Mon Jul 02, 2018 1:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

i'm a big fan of sanitizing equipment right before use. kegs, starter flasks, conical, you name it. i don't want to worry about potential contamination issues with equipment sitting around for days, weeks or even months after being sanitized. i definitely clean everything before storing but a simple water rinse is the last step i take before storage.
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brewmaster




Joined: 12 Jan 2019
Posts: 31
Location: Oscoda, MI


PostLink    Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2019 11:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I clean my kegs as time permits, when several of them stack up for cleaning, and I get the motivation to do so. Basically I'll throw about an ounce of oxyclean in and fill about 1/4 to 1/3 full with water, shake the crap out of it and let it sit anywhere from a day to 2 weeks (motivation thing). Then I'll do a thorough rinse, fill one to the brim with sanitizer (star-san), cover, and sequentially use CO2 pressure to push out the sanitizer to the next clean keg...and repeat. Once sanitizer get's pushed out completely, there is only CO2 under a small amount of pressure in the keg. The kegs will stay that way until the next beer is ready for kegging (sometimes months away, but never had any issues). When kegging time comes, there is always a little pressure in the keg to confirm that seals are good to go....if not, then I clean/sanitize that particular keg immediatly and check all seals.
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dp Brewing Company




Joined: 08 Jul 2013
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Location: Midwest

Drinking: Chocolate Taco, Raspberry Mango Cider, American X, Sandy Dunes

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PostLink    Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2019 1:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I used to clean the kegs as soon as they blew but now I tend to just pull the kegs from the fridge when they blow and store them until I need to use it again. Once I need an empty keg I just clean, sanitize and use it.
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kal
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Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2019 1:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

dp Brewing Company wrote:
I used to clean the kegs as soon as they blew but now I tend to just pull the kegs from the fridge when they blow and store them until I need to use it again. Once I need an empty keg I just clean, sanitize and use it.

Older thread but this is what I do as well.

Reason being that if you clean/sanitize and then store it full of atmosphere, you're just going to have to re-sanitize it again right before you fill it. So why the extra work? Leave it full of CO2 until you're ready to use it and clean/sanitize it right before. Less work that way. You could fill with CO2 after sanitizing and then store I suppose as the odds of something growing is much lower to next to impossible. Cleaning/sanitizing right before use is definitely the least amount of work and the risk is the lowest, so that's what I do. I don't find kegs are harder to clean when they've been sitting sealed with CO2 after use for 6+ months as compared to cleaning them immediately. The stuff doesn't dry out as there's no way for that to happen as the keg is sealed. Whatever moisture is in the keg has nowhere to go.

Kal

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Last edited by kal on Thu Jan 14, 2021 1:11 pm; edited 1 time in total
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dp Brewing Company




Joined: 08 Jul 2013
Posts: 664
Location: Midwest

Drinking: Chocolate Taco, Raspberry Mango Cider, American X, Sandy Dunes

Working on: Nothing


PostLink    Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2021 12:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

hussay873 wrote:
A sealed keg should stay sanitized indefinitely. Go nuts.


I like that you used the word "should"

Not worth the chance for me. Being either way you are only cleaning it once. Why not just wait to do it right before you want to use it.

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kal
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Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2021 1:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Agreed dp - that's what I do.

Kal

P.S In case you're wondering, the user hussay873 you quoted is a spammer who's been nuked. His post may appear legit but his spammy signature gave him away. What spammers do is look use automated tools that look online for similar discussions and then throw in a comment that appears to fit so that it doesn't get nuked. Taking their exact wording and Googling it will usually find it somewhere else. Often it's a comment in the same thread. In this case their post "A sealed keg should stay sanitized indefinitely. Go nuts." was taken from here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Homebrewing/comments/98bj77/how_far_in_advance_can_i_sanitize_a_keg
Silly spammers!

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nickey




Joined: 07 Feb 2022
Posts: 31
Location: Kentucky


PostLink    Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2023 7:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi,

When I am preparing to fill my tanks I fill them with starsan and then use Co2 to push the starsan out. I have taken to just opening the top lid and filling from there as I believe that any headspace will be Co2.
How do others purge their tanks?
Could you just put an open line into the tank and run for a period of time? Co2 is heavier than air correct? Just trying to save a little Co2.

Thanks
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Tungsten




Joined: 06 Dec 2014
Posts: 318
Location: Buffalo, NY


PostLink    Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2023 8:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

nickey wrote:
Could you just put an open line into the tank and run for a period of time? Co2 is heavier than air correct? Just trying to save a little Co2.

Thanks


This is what I do. I don't use a ton of CO2 either. Somewhat low flow, probably 20 seconds or so, and that's it.
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kal
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Joined: 12 Dec 2010
Posts: 11116
Location: Ottawa, Canada

Drinking: Pub Ale, Electric Creamsicle, Mild, Pliny the Younger, Belgian Dark Strong, Weizen, Russian Imperial Stout, Black Butte Porter


PostLink    Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2023 8:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Same way I purge a carboy or brite:

I use a bare gas hose attached to a CO2 manifold with its own shutoff valve. The hose end is dropped to the bottom of the keg through the lid opening then the valve is opened until the entire vessel is purged of atmosphere. You can tell when most of the atmosphere in the keg has been displaced as at high concentrations CO2 has a sharp and acidic smell. CO2 is also cheap, don't be stingy! Once purged remove the still flowing gas line and replace the keg lid in one motion, then turn the gas off.



Some brewers prefer to instead fill the keg with water, replace the lid, and then push the water out with CO2 using the gas and liquid disconnects connected to the posts the same way that beer is served. This method ensures that close to 100% of the atmosphere has been removed. If kegging outdoors or anywhere with lots of air movement, this displaced water method is recommended as it's completely closed. Try both and see if you have a preference or notice a difference with your beer. I've tested both methods extensively through split batches, and tend to use the simpler open lid approach most of the time as all transfers are done in our basement brewery that has little to no air movement.



Kal

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