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I am considering the premier manual 2 head keg washer. Anyone out there have any experience with it or thoughts on it?
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We bought one approximately three years ago, and are generally very pleased with it.
We do have the occasional issue with (we assume) vacuum locks on the detergent pump, and a lot of wasted CO2 because of an overly sensitive drain sensor with no "throttle" ability. Perhaps they've changed some of that.
Otherwise, very pleased- does a good job, user programmable, nice.
Cheers,
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I have the 2 head manual. We're a new brewery so the machine has been in service for about 6 months. I'm fairly pleased with its performance. It's certainly a major step up from the "homemade" keg washers I've used in the past. My only complaint is I wish the keg hoses were a bit longer. They're not long enough to attach to the kegs while the kegs are still on the ground. Not a huge deal, but kind of a pain.Hutch Kugeman
Head Brewer
Brooklyn Brewery at the Culinary Institute of America
Hyde Park, NYComment
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The keg washer is designed to work with the kegs upside down, it won't work properly with the kegs upright on the ground unless I am mistaken.
I've used a 2 head semi-auto from Premier and it was a breeze to operate once setup properly.Comment
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Originally posted by CopperKettle
I think kugeman means to hook them up on the ground and then flip them onto the stand upside down. It kinda hard to connect to a keg when its upside down.Comment
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I see what you mean, hook up a longer hose then! The unit I used we would hook up the hose while upright on the floor first then flip onto the machine like you said. Attaching it while upside down on the washer would be a PITA.Comment
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South County hit the nail on the head. My only point is that the hoses included with the unit are not long enough to hook to the kegs while they're on the ground (and then flip them upside down). It's not a big deal, just a small flaw I was pointing out. Yes, I could cut the hoses out and replace them with longer ones. I guess I just haven't gotten around to it yet.
On the whole I like the unit and would recommend it to other small breweries.Hutch Kugeman
Head Brewer
Brooklyn Brewery at the Culinary Institute of America
Hyde Park, NYComment
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Thanks for the feedback. Can you guys share how you are handling the compressed air? What type of air compressor are you using? What's the required horse power? Also, what set up are you using to mix in the sanitizer with the water?Comment
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I'm planning on this compressor, it meets the utility requirements and is oil free. My 2 head manual unit is getting delivered Saturday if you want to come check it out.
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I'd love to check it out. Give me a call at 720-401-4089 or email me at brian at renegadebrewing.com
Also sent you a pmComment
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So does anyone use star san with this keg washer? I used both together for the first time today, and I felt like I was at a "foam party" on spring break. Thinking I'm going to switch to a different sanitizer. Anyone else have a similar experience?dangerously good ales.Comment
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Use Sani-clean, also from five star. Same idea just low foaming.Comment
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sani clean
we use sani clean on our premier washerComment
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Straight up food grade phos works well in the sani cycle. Cost effective too.Comment
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we've had their washer for almost 2 years now and it works good. don't expect to set up, turn on and walk away though. unit seems to suck the tank dry after awhile so i alternate between full throttle cleaning and 1/2 throttle with the flow coming down the keg stem slowly.
does anyone have luck letting it run without monitoring?
changing out for longer hoses makes life a little easier. maybe rob can just modify it for you? valves will eventually wear out with hard use but are easy to find and swap out. i also have found that using a little higher air pressure and co2 pressure speeds things up.
could someone explain the sanitizing "cycle" and how you dose the kegs with sani?Comment
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