CIP ball vs Straight Stream?

[Gizzygone]

I’ve been drooling over the SS Brewtech Keg Wassher for a bit... but I’m finally coming to my senses and considering making my own DIY washer.

I DO have a Mark II washer... but I’m not thrilled by the power going through the posts... Plus it gets a bit messy when it comes to dumping the old water.

I like the 5gallon bucket/pump idea... where I can either

1: make two pumps, one for cleaning, one for rinsing. Or
2: make one pump, and transfer it bucket to bucket

(I wont do the 3 bucket system for sanitizing: I’ll just convert my keg-line cleaner to ball-lock so that I can pump star-San from keg to keg, sanitizing the posts/tubes as I go).

While I look through my options: is there a clear benefit to designing my setup to include a CIP ball? Or am I okay with just doing what others do (Drilling holes in a PVC cap... the Mark II way)?

 

[postalbunny]

I went the route of bucket-to-bucket... i got a couple of 7gallon buckets. Original thought was to move the pump from one to the other. But later it seemed easier to just run them all through PBW first. Then when done drain and mix up saniclean and run them through again. It's actually quicker (no time wasted moving containers), and you don't risk mixing PBW + SANI that is residual in the pump.

* I put the adapter on a 1/3 hp sump pump that has a "T" that helps keep it stable and not fall over
* Off the "T" I and ran a 1/2" NPT to barb so i can run a length of 5/16" hose to another t and do liquid/gas ball locks for when cleaning kegs
* I cut a hole in the top of two different lids. One lets the keg sit on top and has holes for the gas/liquid post to sit down, and the other has a larger hole for my fermenters