keg disappointment

[Big_Cat]

Is that safe? I thought Corny kegs were only rated to around 60 psi. Isn't some kind of failsafe valve supposed to blow after that?

Are you really pressurizing your kegs to 100 psi? Isn't that excessive?

Kombat i will answer that for you...Corny kegs are rated at 130 psi

 

[Yooper]

I don't clean my lines as often as I should but I do it occasionally when a keg blows. Since I don't do it as often as I should, I use BLC to clean them and it works great.

Instead of cleaning often, I just change out the lines about every year or two. I have three taps, with 10' of line on them, so for $15 I just change out the lines.

I haven't ever changed out my gas lines, but I'm going to do that this summer sometime. I know I've had some backflow in them in the past.

 

[skullface1818]

Id agree with the people above: take it apart and clean it good (or replaces the O-rings and Gaskets)

I argue that taking it apart and putting it back together is 1/2 the fun!

 

[nolabrew85]

Ok. So it sounds like I don't have to detach the picnic tap beer line and clean it at all during the month or so that the keg is actually pouring beer. I guess I was just wondering because it does not seem like the picnic tap necessarily seal airtight, and I was wondering if stuff gets up in there. I just wanted to make sure I won't get off flavors from the beer line on the second or third weekend I drink out of it because stuff is growing in there during the week when it is not in use. But I guess the fridge is cold and the tap seals pretty well so nothing is really growing in there.

 

[DrunkleJon]

With the same keg its not so much of an issue. So long as there is nothing growing in the tap (you may want to dip the tap itself in sanitizer every now and again to prevent this) you should be ok. I personally would clean the plastic picnic taps more often than the metal shank and tap versions, but you should be good for the life of the keg. Unless you let it sit in a nasty bucket of beer water like fraternities do with BMC kegs.

 

[SleepyCreekBrews]

Hi all! First post here but I've read a lot of great stuff prior to posting.

Some really good info on keg cleaning but there's some other variables not mentioned:
1. Don't forget to clean beer lines

X2
beer line can make a beer smell quite foul if they develop some funk in there.

 

[Yesfan]

In the future should you decide to buy more used kegs, look to McMaster-Carr for the O rings. I got 100 O-rings for the dip tubes, 100 for the disconnects, and 10 O-rings for the lids for about the same price as those "reseal kits" that's offered.

There's a sticky in the Equipment/Sanitation section that tells you the part numbers so you get the correct O-rings for your kegs. (link)

 

[Genuine]

When I got my keg, it had a small amount of beer left at the bottom for the past 3 months. I gave that thing a full cleaning, inside and out. Took it all apart, replaced gaskets, poppets...soaked in oxyclean, scrubbed with a sponge, rinsed well and then sanitized with starsan. I will never go back to bottling - kegging is very easy and there is nothing like pulling a pint of your own homebrew from the kegerator.

Give that keg a full cleaning and I'm sure you'll be much better off.

 

[nolabrew85]

I tried putting the following in a different post, but got no responses, so since it is on basically the same subject, I am reposting it here to see what I can get:

I need new beer line and do not feel like making a special trip across town to the LHBS. Lowe's and Home Depot are near my house. Can I just get beer line there? Is it just standard clear PVC tubing? thanks.

 

[Dolomieu]

you can get tubing there. i do think its vinyl. just look and make sure it's food grade or food safe. I got two of my lines from my lhbs and one from lowes. there isn't and difference that i can tell.

 

[cjb]

Home Depot does have 3/16" vinyl tubing, and I've used it before in a pinch. The stuff I got was much thinner-walled than the beer line you'll get from your LHBS.

 

[DogFace_Brewing]

Home Depot does have 3/16" vinyl tubing, and I've used it before in a pinch. The stuff I got was much thinner-walled than the beer line you'll get from your LHBS.

+1 on this...just dont use it for a long time. The lines gets very stiff and is a pain in the arse to deal with if you have a bunch of kegs in a keezer...trying to move around a huge lump of stiff vinyl lines to get you kegs in and out sucks...trust me i know. But in a pinch it will work.

 

[stratslinger]

Everything I've read has indicated the tubing at Home Depot and Lowe's is not food grade tubing. Check out whatever labeling they have very closely - if you can find some indication that it is indeed food grade, you're in business. If not, err on the side of caution and either go with your LHBS or order some online.