Household ways to clean keg equipment

[shurguywutt]

Does anyone know of any household ways to clean keg equipment? One of my friends told me to put some bleach with hot water and just let the lines, faucet, and coupler soak for a while, then just rinse them really well and that should be sufficient. I've also her distilled vinegar works too. I just don't want to buy the expensive cleaning kits and supplies; there has got to be an easier way to get it done.

Cheers!

Brandon

[Scott Zuhse]

There is always an easier way. Depends on if you want your beer to have either a bleach / chlorine or vinegar off taste. Stick with what the industry recommends, invest in the right equipment and cleaner - enjoy your beer.

[Sammy1759]

hey scott after soaking and cleaning equp. i get a white haze/film on the pieces. this film wipes off with a towel but i wonder am i using too much cleaner or what? i fill my sink and pour a little cleaner in the sink and the water turns cloudy white.

[Scott Zuhse]

What type cleaner are you utilizing? If you are not acquiring an off taste after cleaning, do not be concerned.

[Sammy1759]

not sure af the brand i dont think it is mm but almost gone and i plan to buy stuff from mm only in the future. no funny tastes or smells the beer tastes great! thank you for help

[cubby_swans]

Does anyone know of any household ways to clean keg equipment? One of my friends told me to put some bleach with hot water and just let the lines, faucet, and coupler soak for a while, then just rinse them really well and that should be sufficient. I've also her distilled vinegar works too. I just don't want to buy the expensive cleaning kits and supplies; there has got to be an easier way to get it done.

Cheers!

Brandon

Well, I don't think $50 is expensive considering the supply of cleaning detergent that comes with it is enough for 32 cleanings. It will last you quite a while. After that a replacement detergent supply is under $10.

[shurguywutt]

Sorry, I am a college student and my roomates and I don't have money to be throwing around. Everyone keeps saying to buy the cleaning solution but the question was has anyone used any household methods to clean their equipment? If you have please share your experience. For clarification, I would have probably been an idiot if I didn't at least consider commercial cleaning solution; do not post anything else about buying cleaning solution on this thread please. I am not being a **** or anything, I am just annoyed that everyone keeps avoiding the original question and talking down to me because I mentioned thinking about cleaning my equipment with things around the house.

Cheers!

Brandon

[PointPleasantNJBeerguy]

Not to sure about using household chemicals but cheapest fix if you have stuff in the lines to clean get the 3/16 line brush that you can snake through the line for $7.15

[bg44]

What if you buy the 7 dollar cleaning powder and submerge your coupler/faucet in it and take your beer line apart and submerge it in the water solution as well. Or you can buy new beer line for less than a dollar per foot.

I bet most bars in your college town have beer lines that have not been cleaned in years...

[shurguywutt]

Points well taken, you see, these are the type of answers i am looking for, keep them coming.

[cubby_swans]

Sorry, I am a college student and my roomates and I don't have money to be throwing around.

Says the guy with roomates who buy kegs of beer..... I bet if you all skipped White Castle or Pizza Hut or wherever a night or two after all night beer pong you would have enough saved up to buy the cleaning kit.

I don't think I was talking down, just saying that the $50 for the cleaning kit is worth the investment for as long as it will last you. I would definitley at least buy the 7 buck cleaning detergent designed to battle the bacteria left behind by the beer. You really do want the solution to run through the lines, so without the pump, I would mix up the solution in a bucket, let my stuff soak in it for 10-15 minutes, and then gravity drain it through the equipment into another bucket. Without the cleaning kit to pump the solution through the equipment, you'll want to remove the shank to clean that as well.

[shurguywutt]

I already figured out that I am just going to buy the cleaning solution for 7 dollars, the hose brush for 7, and the faucet/coupler brush for about 3 dollars. Ill just mix the solution get it in all the parts scrub/repeat and rinse.

[Scott Zuhse]

Be very careful with snaking anything through a beer line. The premise behind cleaning a system is to keep the bacteria film level as low as possible. If you snake a brush through the line, you may risk scratching the surface creating bio traps for this bacteria film. Then the bacteria becomes very difficult to remove.

Beer line cleaners are quite sufficient in cleaning the lines. If the beer line is such that you would require scouring, replace the line.

[psychodad]

Bleach wouldn't leave an aftertaste used in the proper concentration. It takes less than a tablespoon per gallon to kill most bacteria.

Other than bacteria, what you are going to want to remove is the beer stone. That is what you would want the Clean Flo powder for. Mayhaps the vinegar would remove that, I'm not sure.

Some day when you have the extra cash, get the pressurized bottle or pump and make it easier.