Keg/Carboy CIP Rinse Cycle?

[makisupa]

Can someone point me to a thread or article that might demonstrate how to automate a CIP rinse cycle? I've read a bunch of threads about CIP keg and carboy devices but nothing about modifying them for the rinse cycle. It appears people simply rinse them with another device (like a hose with spray nozzle).

Even though I plan to build a CIP keg/carboy cleaner, I really don't need one. I do overnight soaks with Oxyclean, dump, and then rinse with my hose and spray nozzle; however, I'd really like to automate the rinsing component of cleaning as that is the most time consuming for me. It might also be a good idea to conserve water when cleaning. So I figure...

If I'm going to build a CIP rinser, I should build the CIP cleaner and modify it to include a rinse cycle. Has anyone done this? My guess would be I could add a valve to stop flow from the pump and intake clean water from a hose and use the hose pressure to clean.

Any thoughts? Any other ideas?

 

[Randar]

If you are going to use a pump, you can get away with a lot less water/cleaner chemicals vs a soak and IMO it works much more effectively. Gunky Sanke fermenter on 2.5 gal of oxyclean via pump and it's clean as a whistle in 15 minutes. I wash all my dirty junk and then fill with clean hot water to rinse each in turn with clean hot water on the keg washing station. Then I just use my slop sink to rinse out with cool water and good to go.

 

[makisupa]

I wash all my dirty junk and then fill with clean hot water to rinse each in turn with clean hot water on the keg washing station. Then I just use my slop sink to rinse out with cool water and good to go.

So you're doing a cycle on the CIP that uses fresh water? In other words, you're doing one cycle with cleaner. Then, you remove the cleaner and do a cycle with fresh water that re-circulates? And, then you rinse again?

I'm looking for a way to CIP with cleaner, then change a valve or QD, etc and have fresh water come in that doesn't recirculate. Seems to me that the fresh/rinse water needs to drain as it will become filled with cleaner after a few round of recirculation.

 

[cascadia]

I have thinking about how to do this same type of thing. In addition, I am going to include a reservoir for sanitizer. It will be constructed from two buckets, a pump below, and a basin above the buckets with the spray wand. A series of valves can toggle between hot oxy, sanitizer or cold water. Another set of valves below the basin will return the solution to their respective containers and the rinse water to the drain.

 

[Budzu]

The way I do that is to have 3 containers in which I set the sump pump into, with one slotted top to set the keg/fermenter on. Fill up one with hot cleaner, one with hot water, and one with sani-clean. After the wash cycle, I remove the pump and lid and switch everything to the rinse container, then finally to the sanitizer container.

 

[Randar]

So you're doing a cycle on the CIP that uses fresh water? In other words, you're doing one cycle with cleaner. Then, you remove the cleaner and do a cycle with fresh water that re-circulates? And, then you rinse again?

I'm looking for a way to CIP with cleaner, then change a valve or QD, etc and have fresh water come in that doesn't recirculate. Seems to me that the fresh/rinse water needs to drain as it will become filled with cleaner after a few round of recirculation.

If using a pump you could have valves on the inlet side to swap to clean water. You might also have a valve on the drain of the container so you can keep it closed when cleaning and open during rinsing.

 

[makisupa]

If using a pump you could have valves on the inlet side to swap to clean water. You might also have a valve on the drain of the container so you can keep it closed when cleaning and open during rinsing.

I dig it! But just to be sure I understand, can you explain the "inlet side" or point me to a photo. I think I get it but I want to be sure. Also, you talkin' sub pump or March?