Easy Clean Residue

Hi all -

I just washed out my keg with Easy Clean and noticed it left a residue of pieces of the powder that didn't dissolve and stuck to the side of inside of the keg. I am starting to wonder (because you are supposed let it air dry, no rinse) if it perhaps left a residue in the fermenter.

Can you get sick from drinking beer that may have particles & residue from Easy Clean?

Letting anything "air dry" is anathematic to sanitation. So I wouldn't worry about it much, because you're going to need to use an actual sanitizer before you use that keg.

If you brew frequently, I suggest investing in a container of Star San, a 5 gallon bucket and lid from Home Depot, and four gallons of distilled water from your local supermarket. Mix it up in the prescribed ratio, rinse things off before immersing them in the Star San mix, and it will be good for many many months to come.

I mixed up my latest batch in September. I keep it in a glass carboy between use, add another gallon of mix when needed, and test with a pH meter every so often to make sure it stays below 3 (I've actually never had it rise above 2.5).

The key is the distilled water, and not loading it up with a load of organics. I bet I haven't used more than two ounces of Star San concentrate since September, which makes it pretty darned cheap, and I come close to the Federal limit every year.

Cheers!