A beer keg has to be sanitized not just cleaned to protect flavor.
- For safe disassembly open the tap and listen to the pressurized air leave the keg. When the sound stops disassemble the keg.
- Remove the keg lid and gasket. Wash the lid and gasket with a sponge and warm soapy water.
- Valve assembly removal requires combination wrenches and Allen (Hex) wrenches. Remove the top nuts then hex bolts that hold the assemblies in place. Using a combination wrench release the locks connecting the valves and keg.
- You need a bucket and dishwashing gloves. Mix the keg cleaner with warm water per the manufacturer’s instructions. You need gloves because the wash can irritate the skin. Enough wash to fill the bucket and keg is needed.
- The gasket, lid and, valves should be completely submerged in the bucket of wash. Slosh the parts around once.
- Fill the keg with the keg cleaner solution. Shake or tilt and roll the keg to circulate the wash. Soaking the keg and components overnight is preferable, but an hour is sufficient.
- Remove the components from the wash. Pour the keg cleaner from the keg. Rinse the keg and components with hot water. Add a gallon of water and no-rinse sanitizer to the keg. In 3-5 minutes empty the keg pouring some of the solutions into the bucket to sanitize the components.
There is an option of choosing branded keg cleaning equipment which, is a new technology that improves keg washing efficacy while saving time, energy, water, and chemicals for producers and manufacturers across many industries. Also, this can eliminate tedious keg flipping between the filling and washing kegs.
