Yet ANOTHER DIY Keg Wash and Kettle/Fermenter Heated CIP build

[jeffalanmcclain]

I finally finished my version of a cheap (relative) self contained recirculation pump to flush and sanitize kegs as well as use for CIP work on my kettles and fermenter unitanks. I have 1/2" tail pieces in my wash Sankey keg tap and the whole system uses 1.5" TC fittings for the supply and return connection (makes it easy/universal for the fermenter/kettle/sankey use). I have three 5 gallon reservoir buckets with a dump outlet and fresh hose BIB water inlet in addition to the 3 bucket station reservoirs (used for PBW mix, StarSan mix, and possibly DI Water or just to have heated soft rinse water to recirc before dumping). This integrates a VERY high flow 1.6hp lawn pump and I attempted to keep everything large on the flow (3/4" ID PVC and valves and 1.5" TC connections). It also has a 5500W 240v RIMS tube DIY built to allow heating of the various buckets and the entire thing is mounted on a cheap metal cart and fully grounded. I've done this RIMS setup mounted on my brew frame to help with HLT steps when I want to heat as I recirc or initial flow in water to start my brew day, and it really works well once you have the proper 30A GFCI supply circuit. Full project details on link below.

DIY Keg Wash and CIP cart

I have to thank all the folks that have posted their experiences and design threads here so I could learn and think about what I need/use most as I clean my 1BBL electric/gas HERMS brew setup and my 1BBL unitank fermenters. Merry Christmas!!!

Jeff

 

[jeffalanmcclain]

 

[IslandLizard]

Wow, I'm almost speechless!
Homebrewers are known for some overbuilds, but this one takes the cake on serious keg washers!

Sorry, it's probably me. I can't figure out, where does the keg go, is there a riser tube that goes inside? And where is the catch basin?

 

[jeffalanmcclain]

Wow, I'm almost speechless!
Homebrewers are known for some overbuild's, but this one takes the cake on serious keg washers!

*chuckle* Thanks. Yes, it is a bit of overkill, but it should make my kettle and fermenter unitank cleaning much easier and less wasteful.

Sorry, it's probably me. I can't figure out, where does the keg go, is there a riser tube that goes inside? And where is the catch basin?

Right now, I'm just doing a loop back test and heating the water and testing the pump. The final keg (keep in mind, this will be a Sankey keg with the keg upside down and not the open corney kegs) will be basically in place of the red hose that is just connecting the outlet to the return in the video. I have connections that flow into the keg through the draft line and flows up the stem showering the inside with hot PBW and eventually flowing back down the keg wall to flow out the inverted keg from the gas line flow out and back into the drain bar and ultimately back into the buckets. This should be pressurized flow, as the inlet flow will push the liquid out the gas. For final purge, you just turn off the pump, shut off the ball valve supply to the pump and open the air chuck at 20psi that will help push the remainder of the liquid out the lines and out of the keg back into the buckets.

The other application is that the red hose goes to my fermenter's CIP ball and sprays that, with the bottom of it being routed back up to the return bar.

BR,
Jeff

 

[HB2 HughBHomeBrew]

Wow. Very cool!

 

[Cogswell]

How is that 1.6hp lawn pump holding up after almost a year of use?