entry level keg cleaning/filling

[Supernaut]

Hello All

We're going to be serving our brewpub from tanks at startup but we'd like the option (and have been asked by local businesses) to offer kegs to restaurants. What is the most basic setup we can get for keg cleaning and filling? Can it be done manually if we're only doing a small number?

I've seen some bigger kegging lines (including some freakin' giant ones) but I've never really seen anything small and searching leads me to the big boys. Keg cleaner/fillers seem to be made of unobtanium on the used equipment sites.

Suggestions for small keg lines? Styles? Manufacturers?

Thanks,

JB

Edit: I know I can remove the spear and lock ring by hand, I'm just not sure how I would fill the keg from a tank after doing this and cleaning it.

[CopperKettle]

http://www.premierstainless.com/kegwashers.html

I've used the two station semi-auto in a 15BBL production brewery and was impressed with the ease of use and speed. I have a single station manual machine being delivered to my new 3BBL nano-brewery in a few months. As with most things you can get as many bells and whistles as you like if it's in your budget.

[Supernaut]

Great - thanks CopperKettle.

I specifically don't see a filling option in the feature list (nor in the pictures) - clean the keg on the machine and then fill it elsewhere?

JB

[kugeman]

I have a premier stainless 2-keg manual keg washer that I'm very happy with (so far). I previously had a more "homemade" 3 keg washer that was effective, but WAY more labor and time intensive.

For most small breweries it's common to have a keg washer that only washes & sanitizes kegs, and then to have a separate system for filling kegs off of the the serving tanks.

You definitely can both wash & fill kegs manually, it just takes a little longer...

[Supernaut]

For most small breweries it's common to have a keg washer that only washes & sanitizes kegs, and then to have a separate system for filling kegs off of the the serving tanks.

Thanks, Hutch. That seems to be the way it works now that I look into it.

PS: My sister and her family just moved to Athens - I may be in your neck of the woods occasionally - maybe I'll show up in your tasting room!

JB

[jvandenbrink]

The simpliest way

This is what I did for about 6 months. It's slow, but if you only want the ability to clean a handful of kegs then it works.

I bought a couple of these

http://breweryparts.com/index.php/equipment-and-supplies/beer-kegs-amp-kegging-equipment/keg-coupler-amp-filling-head/stainless-steel-coupler-filling-head.html

(if having an all stainless coupler isn't important to you then any coupler with do if you take out the stoppers...but the caustic will erode non stainless couplers)

Bought some hoses, some pumps, and used my pilot system as reservoirs. Had one assembly connected to a rinse station, another to a caustic station, and a third connected to sanitation.

I would simply put the keg upside down on top of two other kegs and then run it through each station.

If you want something that is even simplier, but takes longer you can just have one assembly and one reservoir. Rinse all your kegs, then fill your reservoir with caustic and caustic all your kegs, then rinse them all again, then sanitize.

[yap]

for filling try this...

http://breweryparts.com/index.php/equipment-and-supplies/beer-kegs-amp-kegging-equipment/keg-coupler-amp-filling-head/manual-keg-filler.html

I have used this to fill kegs at a small local brewery that I have been helping out at periodically. Not the most efficient labor wise, but it seems to work OK.

There's also a super German version, but I've never used it...

http://breweryparts.com/index.php/equipment-and-supplies/beer-kegs-amp-kegging-equipment/keg-coupler-amp-filling-head/manual-keg-filling-head.html

[Supernaut]

jvadenbrink and yap - thanks, this is exactly what I needed.

JB

[farmbrewernw]

While I don't recommend it for quite a while the brewery I worked for just pumped really hot water with our transfer pump into our kegs from the kettle and then purged them with C02. This kills all the nasty things but really doesn't get beer stone off so don't do it for too long otherwise you'll have a hell of a time getting your kegs really clean again. As far as filling kegs just get a sanke connector a piece of nylon hose and a tri clamp fitting, rack straight out of your bright tanks by pushing with CO2.

[Jephro]

DIY Solutions

I know there was a thread a while back on DIY keg washers but i cannot seem to find it.

If you dont have many kegs to clean it is a pretty simple build a manual washer if you understand how kegs are cleaned. A large tripple sink, 1 for hot rinse, the other 2 plummed with "Little Giant" fish pond pumps- one for your caustic or acid and one for your sani. The sinks double for soaking and sani and the pumps are really handy for cleaning carb stones, running loops on any of your hoses (from gas lines to brew hoses).

Kegging can be done with any keg coupler assuming you remove the backflow devices and put on valves to allow for counter-pressure filling. The "kegging" couplers just have a larger bore for faster filling and are usually all Stainless.

PM me if you want some details on the DIY setup.

[Poc]

...it works but...

We set up a manual system while getting our keg washer up and running. Just used the transfer pump connected onto an upturned keg, filled a spare tank with caustic and washed the kegs that way. We then repeated the procedure for the rinse and sanitation cycles. It's a lot of extra work but got the job done.

[rudge75]

If you have a hot liquor tank, this can be easier, but here's how I've done it in the past:

Heat your water in the kettle, then once boiled, shoot it into your sparkly cleaned mash tun for holding, leave enough water in your kettle to go above the outlet, but below the whirlpool arm.

Add caustic to your kettle.

Flip the keg upside down, when it's done blowing off pressure, rinse the kegs with your mash tun hot water, and send the dirty water direct to drain.

Set each keg aside as you work. the kegs will cool down between cycles.

flip the rinsed keg upside down and blast caustic hot water from your kettle, thru the high speed pump, then back into your kettle's whirlpool arm - thereby reclaiming the caustic and being able to keep it hot.

Re-rinse the kegs, then store them empty - when they cool, they're under a vaccuum, so chances are less that they'll have bugs growing in them.

Fill with co2 prior to filling with beer.

Fairly simplistic, but easy to do if you're prepped. Get yourself 2 keg washing heads, and make yourself a filling head for direct from the brite tank filling. It's hot work, but should only take a couple hours to do 50 kegs.

[Supernaut]

Thanks for all the information, all (sorry been afk for a while). Jephro - love the idea of using a triple sink, hadn't thought of that (and we'll have one).

[beermkr]

http://probrewer.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=16170

My setup for now. Works well.

R/

[RonOTG]

keg cleaning

Ozone (O3) in water is an excellent means to santize after cleaning. Equipment comes in all sizes to include those that can be utilized on small keg cleaning equipment.

The ozone can also be used throughout your facility to improve sanitation; Fermentation and “Brite” Tank Sanitation, bottles, bottling and can line sanitation, keg, keg washer/rack sanitation,surface sanitation and air sanitation and mold control.

Faster, cheaper and no bacteria mutations