I should note that this procedure eliminates scrubbing altogether, by utilizing the power of Oxyclean. The stuff is truly amazing, given enough time. I'll venture to say that Oxyclean cleans my kegs and carboys better that I'd ever be able to do with a brush.
Cleaning Procedure
- Halfheartedly rinse trub out of keg with 1/2 gallon of water. Really. Halfheartedly.
- Remove the plugs (posts), poppet valves, and gas dip tube, and place all of them inside the keg on the bottom. Remove the liquid dip tub and place it inside the keg as well (doing so will prevent the keg from being closed, which is fine). Be sure the poppet valves are separated from the posts. Keep the lid handy.
- Place keg in the location it will sit for up to 7 days. Location should allow for some water+Oxyclean spillage.
- Add 6 tbsp Oxyclean Free to empty keg (one tbsp for every gallon, plus one extra for fun).
- Fill keg with water just until it overflows.
- Make sure it is water and not just bubbles that is overflowing.
- Cold tap water is fine.
- There is no need to stir in the Oxyclean.
- I use a hose.
- Dip both "ends" of the keg lid inside the cleaning solution in the mouth of the keg.
- Do not attempt to properly install the lid (the liquid dip tube will prevent you from doing so). Instead, simply set the lid on top of the mouth of the keg to keep bugs out.
- Wait 1 - 7 days. (From my experience, I no longer see any bubbling activity after one week. Letting it sit indefinitely should not be a problem. I've read that one day is sufficient time for the cleaning action to complete.)
Rinsing Procedure
- Add one shotglass of distilled white vinegar to approximately one gallon of water in a bucket. You must use distilled vinegar!
- Lay keg on side to empty most of the cleaning solution. Orient the gas port so that it is directly below the liquid port (or vice versa) to promote emptying. Do something else while it is emptying (like step one above).
- Move the liquid dip tube and the keg lid to the vinegar bucket.
- Repeat steps 2 and 3 for each keg you are cleaning.
- Collect the posts, poppet valves, and gas dip tube. This can be done by slowly raising the bottom of the keg until those items slide forward within reach. Transfer those items (a total of 5 items) to the vinegar bucket.
- Swirl bucket (to rinse everything minus the liquid dip tube).
- Completely empty keg.
- Reassemble keg, except for the lid.
- Pour vinegar solution from bucket to keg.
- Install lid.
- Swirl keg mildly, then invert and mildly swirl inverted keg.
- Lay keg on its side.
- Using your foot to push, roll keg. Do approximately three revolutions in about 10 seconds.
- Remove lid and pour vinegar back into bucket.
- Add about a gallon of fresh tap water to keg. Repeat steps 10 - 13, then dump out water. You can probably skip this step, since it will be followed by a Sanitizer Rinse.
- Repeat steps 5 - 15 for each keg you are rinsing.
Sanitizing Procedure
- Add about a gallon of sanitizer to keg. Repeat steps 10 - 13 of the Rinsing Procedure, then dump or save sanitizer.
Alternatives
Currently, this is the regimen:Water RinseHowever, the Vinegar Rinse followed by a Water Rinse may be unnecessary. I'm not sure yet. People use a Vinegar Rinse as an acid rinse to remove the residue left by Oxyclean. However, others have indicated that Star San is a stronger acid than vinegar, and hence a Star San Rinse should suffice as the acid rinse. I don't know the veracity of that claim. I'll have to test it out.
Oxyclean
Vinegar Rinse
Water Rinse
Star San Rinse
If I were to change my procedure, I'd probably still leave in a lazy Water Rinse just to rinse out the muck loosened by the Oxyclean, like so:
Lazy Water Rinse
Oxyclean
Lazy Water Rinse
Star San Rinse
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