Keg & Corny Cleaner

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Keg & Corny Cleaner

Post by bluenose » Thu Nov 29, 2012 1:35 pm

I'm thinking of doing something like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9q-DHkeM1Xk
that can do double duty as something like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=en ... yIy_g&NR=1

Has anyone built these or anything similar?
Any comments or tips you can think of?
Where's the best place to get a sump pump?
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Re: Keg & Corny Cleaner

Post by mr x » Thu Nov 29, 2012 1:49 pm

Maybe princess auto.

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Re: Keg & Corny Cleaner

Post by RubberToe » Thu Nov 29, 2012 2:43 pm

I have.

I got a pump from Princess Auto, attached a ball lock fitting via hose to the output, put pump in bucket of cleaner or sanitiser, plug ball lock into gas side, plug beer line ball lock into beer side, turn on pump, place bucket under perlick faucet, open faucet, recirculate. That way I can clean my lines and a keg at the same time.

I am going to also make it so I can invert a keg over the bucket and just clean the keg, or carboy, in that fasion as well. In that case I'd have 3 outputs from the pump, one for each ball lock, and a pvc or copper tower to extend up into the keg to spray the inside.
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Re: Keg & Corny Cleaner

Post by bluenose » Thu Nov 29, 2012 3:32 pm

RubberToe wrote:I have.

I got a pump from Princess Auto, attached a ball lock fitting via hose to the output, put pump in bucket of cleaner or sanitiser, plug ball lock into gas side, plug beer line ball lock into beer side, turn on pump, place bucket under perlick faucet, open faucet, recirculate. That way I can clean my lines and a keg at the same time.

I am going to also make it so I can invert a keg over the bucket and just clean the keg, or carboy, in that fasion as well. In that case I'd have 3 outputs from the pump, one for each ball lock, and a pvc or copper tower to extend up into the keg to spray the inside.
exactly what I'm thinking... do you remember what you paid for the sump pump?
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Re: Keg & Corny Cleaner

Post by RubberToe » Thu Nov 29, 2012 4:26 pm

This one. They were on clearance a couple months ago for 50% off because it was at the end of the season. I'm not sure what they have left.
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Re: Keg & Corny Cleaner

Post by RubberToe » Thu Nov 29, 2012 5:00 pm

And now I feel like building a bottle washer to do a dozen bottles instead of spending $50 for a bottle tree and vinator.
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Re: Keg & Corny Cleaner

Post by Jamie D » Thu Nov 29, 2012 8:31 pm

I bought this one from Princess Auto a few weeks ago when it was on sale for $39.99. I haven't bought the fittings to put a keg washer together yet.

http://www.princessauto.com/pal/product ... ility-Pump" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

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Re: Keg & Corny Cleaner

Post by RubberToe » Thu Nov 29, 2012 8:37 pm

Nice.
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Re: Keg & Corny Cleaner

Post by chalmers » Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:55 pm

Think either/both of those can handle caustic or other good cleaning chemicals, and/or heat? Only one of them has specs, and says 50C. Keggermeister's got a killer keg cleaner, and he is using a SS March pump that uses a reservoir of heated caustic.

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Re: Keg & Corny Cleaner

Post by Jimmy » Thu Nov 29, 2012 9:56 pm

Nice little setup, though I've never had an issue with the 5 minutes it takes to clean a keg & fermenter.

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Re: Keg & Corny Cleaner

Post by mr x » Thu Nov 29, 2012 10:04 pm

I've been running hot 11% caustic through my little giant, and it hasn't died yet. But maybe it will lol...

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Re: Keg & Corny Cleaner

Post by bluenose » Fri Nov 30, 2012 9:58 am

RubberToe wrote:This one. They were on clearance a couple months ago for 50% off because it was at the end of the season. I'm not sure what they have left.
Do you find that the little fountain pump has enough bollocks to do the job? It'd be cool if they did b/c they're like $15 some places

I have some copper lying around from the apartment I'm renovating, otherwise I wouldn't bother with the bottle washer. I also have a fermenting bucket that I'll no longer use for fermenting, so I really just need the sump pump and it looks like home hardware has the best regular price

I have no experience with using caustic. Is it necessary if I'm cleaning the kegs/carboys right after I empty them?
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Re: Keg & Corny Cleaner

Post by RubberToe » Fri Nov 30, 2012 12:07 pm

It's got plenty of power for what I'm doing now but I haven't tried it with an inverted keg / carboy yet. I can see me wanting to upgrade though, especially if I build a bottle washer.
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Re: Keg & Corny Cleaner

Post by mr x » Thu Dec 06, 2012 11:31 pm

First rinse.

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Re: Keg & Corny Cleaner

Post by mr x » Thu Dec 06, 2012 11:33 pm

Caustic wash with little giant pump. Cleans too easy.

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Re: Keg & Corny Cleaner

Post by RubberToe » Fri Dec 07, 2012 12:01 am

Got any pics of your spray ball or whatever?
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Re: Keg & Corny Cleaner

Post by mr x » Fri Dec 07, 2012 7:38 am

Just a 3/8" ss tube with a slit in the end. Not even by design, just used a piece from the scrap heap.

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Re: Keg & Corny Cleaner

Post by erslar00 » Fri Dec 07, 2012 9:44 am

So X is the pump drawing caustic from the bucket and spraying it into the carboy and it's like a continuous spray of caustic into the carboy... and are you using PBW as your casutic?

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Re: Keg & Corny Cleaner

Post by bluenose » Fri Dec 07, 2012 10:26 am

so you could just flatten the end of the tube, or partially pinch it closed so it fans out
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Re: Keg & Corny Cleaner

Post by mr x » Fri Dec 07, 2012 10:43 am

erslar00 wrote:So X is the pump drawing caustic from the bucket and spraying it into the carboy and it's like a continuous spray of caustic into the carboy... and are you using PBW as your casutic?
Yup, but I'm using caustic, not PBW.
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Re: Keg & Corny Cleaner

Post by mr x » Fri Dec 07, 2012 10:48 am

bluenose wrote:so you could just flatten the end of the tube, or partially pinch it closed so it fans out
There's many ways to do it, that wasn't by design and will likely be changed.
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Re: Keg & Corny Cleaner

Post by mr x » Fri Dec 07, 2012 7:22 pm

These were the kegs before cleaning, and they came out spotless without using a brush.

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Re: Keg & Corny Cleaner

Post by bluenose » Fri Dec 07, 2012 9:49 pm

see through kegs? :?
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Re: Keg & Corny Cleaner

Post by mr x » Fri Dec 07, 2012 9:57 pm

carboys :D
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