Cleaning products for Keg lines

[RRL]

Hey guys,

New to this and was wondering... is there any house hold products / cleaners I could pick up at a wallmart and or Canadian Tire to use to clean out my beer line and tap with?

I don't have much options for home brewing equipment without paying for shipping so trying to avoid that.


I plan on building my own line cleaner using this with a fitting on the end and a line that would just slip on top of my tap and using a simple "pinch" style clamp and just disconnecting the fitting from the sanke and drain into a bucket.

would a mix of warm water chlorine work? or other products like MR clean multi purpose cleaner antibacterial all purpose cleaner. mixed with water.



Thanks!

 

[dschoemaker]

PBW or Bar Keepers Friend are the standards.

Dave

 

[RRL]

thanks!

So there really isn't just a regular house hold product like I mentioned that I can use?

 

[IslandLizard]

PBW is 70% Oxiclean (fragrant free) and 30% Sodium Metasilicate. Those you should be able to obtain in dollar, discount, grocery, and hardware stores. BLC is simply a solution of this from what I've heard and read. Nothing magical about it.

Barkeepers friend is a polishing powder/cream not to be used inside beer lines. It's one of the best products to clean SS though, and it passivates it too. I prefer the powder and it's relatively cheap.

 

[porterpounder]

BLC is the way to go on lines. Oxyclean is OK in a pinch. Don't use chlorine chemicals on faucets as it can pit the metal.

 

[RRL]

sounds good! looks like Ill try and get my hands on some BLC or PBW and play it safe

 

[RRL]

actually just looked now knowin what people use... BLC is heavily recommended over PBW!


Well looks like I cant get BLC here or atleast cant find it (would have to find a beer shop) also BLC suppliers wont ship international.


PBW is the route to go I guess... I'll just replace my lines every couple of kegs.. cheap expense.


I might end up being stuck using a pinch of oxy clean to clean my lines... only really readily available product without the need to order / ship. or atleast until I order the good proper stuff.

 

[helibrewer]

I have used OxiClean then follow it by blasting a Q-tip through my line with an air compressor, works fairly well. If you can't get BLC just get straight NaOH (lye, caustic soda) and make it up as a 2% solution. Rinse it well, then a final dunk in Starsan or even vinegar, to neutralize the caustic.

 

[RRL]

thanks... Ill have to order some BLC so for the 1st go I just used a small pinch of oxi clean in about 1/2 gal of warm water

then did a solid rinse of warm water... the lines where brand new so werent overly dirty just needed a good rinse / sanitation...

 

[SaraBush]

I suggest you to use 16 oz. all purpose degreaser. I buy this cleaner from filling factory and it dissolve the toughest dirt, oil, grease and grime.

 

[IslandLizard]

I suggest you to use 16 oz. all purpose degreaser. I buy this cleaner from filling factory and it dissolve the toughest dirt, oil, grease and grime.

Is that stuff fragrance free?

I have a Heavy Duty Degreaser I get from Sam's Club, but it has a very distinct odor to it. It's purple. It works as it is supposed to, but the scent is very lingering. Not something I would put in a beer line.

NaOH/KOH are excellent degreasers, but in cleaning applications benefit from an added detergent to bind the loosened crud for easier solvency and transportation.

BLC contains (from their MSDS):
Potassium Hydroxide
Nonylphenol polyethylene glycol ether
Silicic acid
And some proprietary undisclosed non-hazardous ingredients.

So BLS is not dissolved PBW, although PBW may work just as well.

The problem with line cleaning is the lack of friction/scrubbing. There are rubbery/spongy cleaning balls that can be send through the line to provide that needed contact with the line walls. I guess a wad of some fabric could provide that or as mentioned before, a Q-tip.

 

[maierhof]

I just recently had a conversation about this subject with the guys at KegConnection and they made their own cleaner - I think it has some sort of Oxyclean in it - and it is not bad - but it is cheap.

Take a look:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/nl8c8sf3fr...2_112.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/84b6yqwefn...7_912.jpg?dl=0

 

[solbes]

I've always just used oxyclean, hot water rinse, and starsan. No issues that I know of. I do use the DIY cleaner as shown on the first post for the hot water and star san. The Oxi I get from just pushing it out of the full keg I am cleaning at the same time.

 

[Brettomomyces]

The problem with line cleaning is the lack of friction/scrubbing. There are rubbery/spongy cleaning balls that can be send through the line to provide that needed contact with the line walls. I guess a wad of some fabric could provide that or as mentioned before, a Q-tip.

Maybe some ground pumice mixed into the cleaning solution?

http://www.amazon.com/Pumice-Stone-Coarse-2F-lb/dp/B003CMO31U/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1422660369&sr=8-3&keywords=pumice+powder

420 cleaner uses pumice IIRC

 

[IslandLizard]

Maybe some ground pumice mixed into the cleaning solution?

http://www.amazon.com/Pumice-Stone-Coarse-2F-lb/dp/B003CMO31U/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1422660369&sr=8-3&keywords=pumice+powder

420 cleaner uses pumice IIRC

I don't think pumice will give you resistance on the line walls to scrub them.

These are the Sponge Balls I was talking about.

 

[RRL]

interesting read....


now with all the expensive of hose cleaning and what not... at what point would it be cheaper to just have a crap ton of new beer line on hand and just a simple "detox" rinse to replace the old one....

I know for most of you that brew your own beer you need to have most of the cleaner on hand for other stuff, but for myself for example that out sources kegs of beers at microbreweries I just spent 20 bucks on cleaner and a DIY line cleaner pump/ spayer

Should last me a long while however without "fiction" in the lines as mentioned you wouldn't get a solid good clean.


On a side note... do you guys cap your faucet when not in use? I find that im starting to get a gummy residue build up in between use from weekend to weekend thinking a small plastic cap or something might help prevent that?

 

[solbes]

Regular faucets tend to stick if they are not constantly used. I'm assuming you have one of these? Perlicks have the seal in a different location and do not stick. Downside being they cost more.