I made my own carboy/keg cleaner a few weeks ago and decided to post on here the instructions. Real simple build that took me maybe an hour total:
Supplies Needed:
1- 5 gal bucket with lid
1- submersible pump with 1/4 hp or more (some use 1/6 but I find thats a little weak to do the kegs)
PVC piping
PVC Glue
2- 1/2" threaded to 1/4" barb
2- 3-4' of tubing
1- set of keg connectors either ball or pin
1- carboy dryer
Tools Needed:
PVC cutter or hack saw works good
Drill with small - medium bits
Steps:
Build the pipes. This depends on your pump, but my pump had the output at the top, slightly offset buy not enough to matter so I built a straight pipe. Some pumps are at the bottom and have seen similar designs with a bend to put the pipe out the top. Heres a pick of the final product minus the barbs (those are in the mail)
- What you are going to do is get a female threaded PVC connector that fits your pump, mine was a 1-1/4" for the threads
- Connect that piece to a adapter down to 1/2" PVC pipe.
- Now I didnt need anything extra here but you might need extra pipes to get the next section above your pump.
-Connect a 1/2" cross to the end and then a straight 1/2" by mines about 15" long, didnt measure just stuck the carboy on and marked where i needed, you want it about 4" below your shortest carboy/keg when on the stand, on the opposite cross output
- Put a cap on the end of the pipe
- on the two horizontal put a 1/2" female threaded connected and then attache the two barb adaptors
- Next set up your system with your carboy on there and get an item where your trub line from fermentation will be and drill a series of small holes we did 1/8" around the pvc pip about 2" long on the pipe slightly higher than the trub line(this allows a range and gravity will pull water down some by the time it gets to the walls so you want to go about an inch above)
- drill a four hole pattern with a fifth hole in the middle on the top cap, make the middle hole bigger I think we did 1/4"
- attach lines to barbs and the disconnects and that parts done
-Next cut a hole about 3" in diameter in the middle of the bucket lid, also cut a hole big enough for the power cord on the edge of the lid and two holes big enough for the disconnects on the side as well.
The setup:
Pump in bucket, pipe on pump, fill with water/cleaning solution/sanitizing solution, put lid on, put carboy dryer on for carboys put carboy/keg on upside down, connect keg connectors if needed, plug in pump.
The water will shoot up through the pipe and connectors if they are connected and clean the container. As you run it the water will heat up some as its cooling the pump. Also it may take a little bit to get all the trub, but for plastic carboys its better than scrubbing. Hope this helps
Supplies Needed:
1- 5 gal bucket with lid
1- submersible pump with 1/4 hp or more (some use 1/6 but I find thats a little weak to do the kegs)
PVC piping
PVC Glue
2- 1/2" threaded to 1/4" barb
2- 3-4' of tubing
1- set of keg connectors either ball or pin
1- carboy dryer
Tools Needed:
PVC cutter or hack saw works good
Drill with small - medium bits
Steps:
Build the pipes. This depends on your pump, but my pump had the output at the top, slightly offset buy not enough to matter so I built a straight pipe. Some pumps are at the bottom and have seen similar designs with a bend to put the pipe out the top. Heres a pick of the final product minus the barbs (those are in the mail)
- What you are going to do is get a female threaded PVC connector that fits your pump, mine was a 1-1/4" for the threads
- Connect that piece to a adapter down to 1/2" PVC pipe.
- Now I didnt need anything extra here but you might need extra pipes to get the next section above your pump.
-Connect a 1/2" cross to the end and then a straight 1/2" by mines about 15" long, didnt measure just stuck the carboy on and marked where i needed, you want it about 4" below your shortest carboy/keg when on the stand, on the opposite cross output
- Put a cap on the end of the pipe
- on the two horizontal put a 1/2" female threaded connected and then attache the two barb adaptors
- Next set up your system with your carboy on there and get an item where your trub line from fermentation will be and drill a series of small holes we did 1/8" around the pvc pip about 2" long on the pipe slightly higher than the trub line(this allows a range and gravity will pull water down some by the time it gets to the walls so you want to go about an inch above)
- drill a four hole pattern with a fifth hole in the middle on the top cap, make the middle hole bigger I think we did 1/4"
- attach lines to barbs and the disconnects and that parts done
-Next cut a hole about 3" in diameter in the middle of the bucket lid, also cut a hole big enough for the power cord on the edge of the lid and two holes big enough for the disconnects on the side as well.
The setup:
Pump in bucket, pipe on pump, fill with water/cleaning solution/sanitizing solution, put lid on, put carboy dryer on for carboys put carboy/keg on upside down, connect keg connectors if needed, plug in pump.
The water will shoot up through the pipe and connectors if they are connected and clean the container. As you run it the water will heat up some as its cooling the pump. Also it may take a little bit to get all the trub, but for plastic carboys its better than scrubbing. Hope this helps