Keg purging

[grs]

I'm currently cleaning kegs manually - no fancy keg washer here - and was wondering about purging with CO2 prior to filling. For those of you manually doing it, what method do you follow for this? I've currently just been venting the gas while blowing in CO2 for a period, then pressuring up the keg and am thinking I'm probably purging too much, wasting time and CO2. Any thoughts?

[NYSBrewer]

If you are pushing your cleaning solution and rinse water with co2 there is no reason to purge at the end, your keg is full of co2 anyway. After the clean and rinse cycle, close the outlet valve and fill the keg with co2. I push at about 20 psi, and with the outlet valve closed, fill the keg with co2 with a 12 count. That seems to have worked for me, I end up with a keg pressured at about 12-14 psi. You need pressure in the keg, so when you fill your co2 wont be knocked out of solution, and to limit foaming.

[JoeV]

Manual purge

We purge with gas going in through the spear and out through the normal gas in valve of a tavern coupler with a few valves on it. Just purge until you smell C02 coming out of the keg and note the time. Incidentally it takes around 15 seconds for us with around 20psi of pressure. Then when purged close the valve and let the keg pressureize. The Co2 is heavier than air and filling from the bottom of the keg to the top purges air out pretty well.

[Woolsocks]

CO2 vs. caustic

If you're pushing the cleaner out with CO2, won't that partially neutralize it? We have a manual washer also but it accepts an air compressor and a CO2 line. We first push out the CO2 already in the keg, displacing it with air, clean with caustic, push caustic out with air, rinse, push rinse water out with CO2.

Is there a good way to test the oxygen level in your keg after cleaning?

[grs]

With my setup I use gravity to empty the kegs of rinse water, caustic, etc. so I do it the way JoeV does but I think I was purging longer than necessary.

The comments bring up another question: What does your manual cleaning cycle look like? Mine currently is: Depressure, rinse, caustic wash, rinse, sanitize with PAA, CO2 purge, fill.

Do I need the initial rinse? Is there a reason you guys aren't sanitizing?

[Woolsocks]

The initial rinse will reduce the soil load, making your caustic more effective. I don't use a chemical sanitizer because 1) we're not set up for more than 2 inputs (caustic and water) into the keg cleaner gadget and 2) we use 180° chlorinated caustic -- the heat and chlorine offer lots of sanitation.

[JoeV]

our manual clean

depressurize/de-ullage
Remove spear
Cold water rinse
hot caustic
hot water rinse
drain
PAA sanitize
replace COP'd spears
Co2 purge and pressureize

ready to fill...ohh how i wish i had an automatic keg washer...

[oppigards]

I have been told not to use clorine + caustic above 150deg F. Above that temp you might get clorine gas which is no good for the stainless steel.

Please tell us if I am wrong.

[beertje46]

depressurize/de-ullage
Remove spear


ready to fill...ohh how i wish i had an automatic keg washer...

Are you removing the spear on every cycle? How are you cleaning your spears? At what point do you reinstall the spear?

[tsewong73]

GRS,
Your cleaning cycle is just like ours, except I hook up our air compressor to purge chemicals and rinse water. I also sanitize. After the santizer cycle, I fill one clean, sanitized keg with water. We have a rig with two modified keg couplers hooked up to our CO2 line. With this rig, the CO2 pushes the water out of the first keg and into a second one. I simply push water from keg to keg with CO2. Works awesome. The keg is pressurized enough for filling off of our brite tanks without a lot of foaming.