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What is keg washer?
A keg washer cleans stainless steel beer and beverage kegs. A keg washer cleans kegs by sequentially rinsing, washing, sterilizing, and pressurizing the keg. Most keg washers are semi-automatic, but manual and fully automatic keg washers are also common. PKW Kegmaster ™ keg washers are powerful, fast and efficient.
BrüBlaster Keg & Carboy Washer | Do It Yourself
Portland Kettle Works KegMaster™ keg cleaners are designed and manufactured in Portland, Oregon, USA to meet your demanding work cycle.
The features of the PKW KegMaster™ keg washer include:
Semi-automated keg processing
PLC controlled for consistent and time-saving results
Automatically completes all 4 critical keg washes Rinses Cleans Disinfects CO2 rinses
Fast and efficient 2-head model cleans up to 14 kegs per hour 3-head model cleans up to 20 kegs per hour
Heated chemical reservoir on board
All stainless steel construction
Caster mounted for easy maneuvering
Space saving footprint
Portland Kettle Works KegMaster™ keg washers have earned a reputation for providing easy-to-use, semi-automatic, constant output keg washers for all breweries. A KegMaster ™ will shorten your work day and save you money for years to come.
Explore keg washer financing options
Portland Kettle Works makes it easy to finance your keg washer purchase. Just click to explore our equipment financing program.
Meet the KegMaster™
Passenger car KegMaster™ keg washer
See the operating instructions for the keg washing machine…
Portland Kettle Works KegMaster™ keg washers have earned a reputation for providing easy-to-use, semi-automatic, constant output keg washers for all breweries. A KegMaster ™ will shorten your work day and save you money for years to come.
Portland Kettle Works was founded in 2011 in Portland, Oregon, USA. We build high-quality stainless steel beverage and brewing systems. We have built and installed over 375 state-of-the-art craft breweries worldwide. As a result, our craft brewing customers are among the best of the best. They regularly win beer tasting competitions and have the gold, silver and bronze medals to prove it. So if you’re serious about your craft brewing business, get in touch so we can help you too. Also, if you are in Mexico or Latin America, click here to visit the Portland Kettle Works Spanish language website.
How do you clean a Kegmenter?
Cleaning is a breeze, lots of perc and fill with hot water. Run some out the dip tubes and PRV, leave to soak until needed. It usually requires just a rinse, but occasionally the krausen ring needs a gentle wipe or shot with the hose.
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Link to post Top Post by scooterism on Has the launch of the Fermzilla rendered the humble Kegmenter obsolete?
I’m still looking for a ~27L stainless steel conical pressure fermenter, just not sure I’ll be able to find one any time soon, so maybe a kegmenter could tie me down.
Throughts??
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Link to Post Top Post by SponsorSFC on
In order for the kegmenter to last a lifetime, the body of the FermZilla is a wearing part.
I have a 27 liter FermZilla and a 57 liter Kegmenter and am happy with both purchases.
Just make sure your fermenter fits the kegmenter diameter.
Someone I know very well got burned from it
No, definitely not out of date. Just one point: you can’t refrigerate in a FermZilla. Because the kegmenter lasts a lifetime, the body of the FermZilla is a consumable part. I have a 27L FermZilla and a 57L Kegmenter and am happy with both purchases. Fermenter fridge fits the kegmenter diameter. Someone I know very well got burned from it
MTB
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Link to post Top Post by MTB on I’m all kegmenter, have 2 x 58L and 4 x 26L. Moved from Fermentasaurus.
Fermzillas currently cannot handle super hot temperatures as SponsorSFC noted – which means no no-chill, neither is it possible to clean with hot water from the immersion cooler, the overall clean is more difficult (only takes a few minutes on my kegmenter, hot water and sodium per)
Harvesting yeast is generally more difficult in a kegmenter as there is no convenient collection bottle, but after making a keg I simply swirl around and pour it into a collection bottle via a sanitized funnel. Was never a problem enough to irritate me.
Fermzillas have a larger footprint. My preferred fermenter fridge fits 1 x 58L kegmenter and 2 x 26L kegmenters. Alternatively, only a single Fermzilla can match
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Link to Post Back to Top Post by outback on While the thought of seeing fermentation in action is tempting, the fact that Fermosaurii don’t tolerate hot temperatures and they are consumable means I’m on my way to shiny rust free will. I’d love a conical, but the expense added to the fact that I use several small refrigerators for fermenting means it’s not practical for me. So my next big brewhouse purchase will be Kegmenter for me.
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Link to post Top Post by laxation on MTB said:
Fermzillas currently cannot handle super hot temperatures as SponsorSFC noted – which means no no-chill, neither is it possible to clean with hot water from the immersion cooler, the overall clean is more difficult (only takes a few minutes on my kegmenter, hot water and sodium per)
Harvesting yeast is generally more difficult in a kegmenter as there is no convenient collection bottle, but after making a keg I simply swirl around and pour it into a collection bottle via a sanitized funnel. Was never a problem enough to irritate me.
Fermzillas have a larger footprint. My preferred fermenter fridge fits 1 x 58L kegmenter and 2 x 26L kegmenters. Alternatively, only one Fermzilla fits. I’m all kegmenters, have 2 x 58L and 4 x 26L. Moved by Fermentasaurus. Fermzillas currently cannot handle super hot temperatures as SponsorSFC noted – meaning no no-chill and also cleaning with hot water from the immersion cooler is not possible, the overall cleaning is more difficult (only takes a few minutes with my kegmenter, hot water and harvesting sodium per)yeast is generally more difficult in a kegmenter as there is no convenient collection bottle, but after making a keg I simply swirl around and pour it into a collection bottle via a sanitized funnel. Has never been a problem enough to irritate me. Fermzillas have a larger footprint. My preferred fermenter fridge fits 1 x 58L kegmenter and 2 x 26L kegmenters. Alternatively, only a single Fermzilla can match
Just go in straight from the kettle and shut it off until it cools down?
And how do you clean it so quickly? Fkn PITA for me to get the floating dip tube clean/sterile (or don’t you use one, then what do you do?) What do you mean nochill with the kegmenter? Do you just go right in from the cauldron and lock it in until it cools? And how do you clean it so quickly? Fkn PITA for me to get the floating dip tube clean/sterile (or don’t use one, what do you do in that case?)
MTB
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Link to Post Back to Top Post by MTB on Laxation said: MTB said:
Fermzillas currently cannot handle super hot temperatures as SponsorSFC noted – which means no no-chill, neither is it possible to clean with hot water from the immersion cooler, the overall clean is more difficult (only takes a few minutes on my kegmenter, hot water and sodium per)
Harvesting yeast is generally more difficult in a kegmenter as there is no convenient collection bottle, but after making a keg I simply swirl around and pour it into a collection bottle via a sanitized funnel. Was never a problem enough to irritate me.
Fermzillas have a larger footprint. My preferred fermenter fridge fits 1 x 58L kegmenter and 2 x 26L kegmenters. Alternatively, only one Fermzilla fits. I’m all kegmenters, have 2 x 58L and 4 x 26L. Moved by Fermentasaurus. Fermzillas currently cannot handle super hot temperatures as SponsorSFC noted – meaning no no-chill and also cleaning with hot water from the immersion cooler is not possible, the overall cleaning is more difficult (only takes a few minutes with my kegmenter, hot water and harvesting sodium per)yeast is generally more difficult in a kegmenter as there is no convenient collection bottle, but after making a keg I simply swirl around and pour it into a collection bottle via a sanitized funnel. Has never been a problem enough to irritate me. Fermzillas have a larger footprint. My preferred fermenter fridge fits 1 x 58L kegmenter and 2 x 26L kegmenters. Alternatively, only a single Fermzilla can match
Just go in straight from the kettle and shut it off until it cools down?
And how do you clean it so quickly? Fkn PITA for me to get the floating dip tube clean/sterile (or don’t you use one, then what do you do?) What do you mean nochill with the kegmenter? Do you just go right in from the cauldron and lock it in until it cools? And how do you clean it so quickly? Fkn PITA for me to get the floating dip tube clean/sterile (or don’t use one, what do you do in that case?)
I use the floating dip tubes; If I throw straight onto a just-bottled yeast cake (which I often do), I won’t clean the dip tube at all. It’s a low risk of infection as I’m carrying any nasties from my previous fermentation, but so far I haven’t encountered any infection so the risk is acceptably low.
When I need to clean them, I take them off and dip them in some hot immersion cooler water with sodium peroxide. 20 minutes of this and Gunk cleans straight away, then a quick sanitizer running through the beer outlet plus a sanitizer shake installed back onto the kegmenter makes everything nice and sanitize the kegmenter at boiling temp. I don’t often do it myself, but I’ve done it. I use the floating dip tubes; If I throw straight onto a just-bottled yeast cake (which I often do), I won’t clean the dip tube at all. There is a small risk of infection as I am carrying some discomfort from my previous fermentation, but I have yet to encounter any infection so the risk is acceptably low. When I need to clean them, I take them off and dip them in some of the hot immersion cooler water with sodium perc. 20 minutes of this and Gunk cleans straight away, then a quick sanitizer running through the beer outlet divider plus a sanitizer shake installed back on the kegmenter makes it all nice and sanitized
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Link to Post Top Post by SponsorSFC on I pump directly from the BrewZilla into the kegmenter that is in the fermenter using a long piece of silicone tubing.
Close with the pressure lid and leave to cool.
Cleaning I rinse it out, fill it a quarter full with diluted sodium peroxide and let it soak, turning the keg upside down every now and then.
Until next weekend all it takes is a quick rinse and then I add some Starsan Seal, shake and leave ready to use again.
I usually run some Perc then Starsan through the dive tubing.
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Link to post Top Post by sp0rk on Does anyone run an inverted kegmenter so they can use the neck of the keg (now at the bottom) as a dump valve?
I have a spare 50 liter keg that I’m going to convert into a kegmenter but I just can’t decide whether to cut a hole in the top of a cheesy lid or flip it over and buy some TC fittings/butterfly valve etc. to make a release valve and then cut what used to be the bottom to add the cheesy lid
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link to post Top post by earle on sp0rk said:
I have a spare 50 liter keg that I’m going to convert into a kegmenter but I just can’t decide whether to cut a hole in the top of a cheesy lid or flip it over and buy some TC fittings/butterfly valve etc. to make a release valve and then cut off the bottom to add the cheesy lid I have a spare 50 liter keg that I’m going to convert into a kegmenter but I just can’t decide whether to punch a hole in the top of a cheesy top or flip it and buy some TC fittings/butterfly valves etc to make a bleed valve and then cut the bottom to add the cheesy top
From this post abyss From this post aussiecraftbrewing.com.au/post/28474/thread it looks like it could be
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Link to Post Top Post by rude on Once I was brewing with my kegmenter, my standard fermenter was given to the father-in-law
It’s a 50 liter keg that I fill in a cube N/C so 23 liters into a kegmenter filling a keg of a few liters
No floating dip tube for me as I cut my dip tube to the perfect height in the kegmenter (ragged)
The first barrel is clear, the second with a few liters in it has some trub
For me the Unitank would be the ducknuts but my beers are passable so for now it’s the kegmenter
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Link to post Top Post by DCB on I would also prefer the 50 liter kegmenter to the others. Basically it lasts forever. It’s more beer for a smaller space. I sterilize mine between each use. Clean it well, then add 5 liters of disinfectant, seal it and onto the burner. Leave the pressure relief valve open until it vaporizes, then close the valve, click on a bung valve to reach 15psi. That’s around 125 degrees Celsius inside. Turn it off, remove the bung valve and leave it sealed (pre-sterilized) until I want to use it. Note that it will hold a vacuum once it cools, but that’s not a problem.
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Link to post Top Post by DavidM on I love my kegmenter. I haven’t used the plastic but they have their pros and cons as mentioned above. For me, the most important compromise is the volume. Can easily ferment a double batch in the kegmenter and for the price of two plastic Fermzillas you can also buy the one unit which is rustproof.
I don’t generally look forward to what I did after buying this thing, but I find it very useful. I also don’t chill into cubes and then pour them in cold as needed, which works well too.
Cleanup is a breeze, lots of perc and fill with hot water. Drain some from the fork tubes and PRV and let it soak until needed. It usually only requires a flush, but occasionally the frizz ring needs to be gently wiped off or hosed down.
I walked away from the floating dip tube. I didn’t like the idea of it being sanitary the way it was, so I pulled it apart to clean it every time. It then overcooked over time, so I had to cut off the ends. So basically treat the hose as a consumable.
Otherwise, I really like the fixed dip tube if you know how to work around its limitations, i. H. No loose dry jumping. I use the stainless steel tubes either in the keg or sometimes in the kegmenter. I cut about 20mm off mine and haven’t had any problems with transfers. Maybe a little yeast at the beginning but seems to work for both single and double batches.
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Link to Post Up Post by fasdf on sp0rk said:
I have a spare 50 liter keg that I’m going to convert into a kegmenter but I just can’t decide whether to cut a hole in the top of a cheesy lid or flip it over and buy some TC fittings/butterfly valve etc. to make a release valve and then cut off the bottom to add the cheesy lid I have a spare 50 liter keg that I’m going to convert into a kegmenter but I just can’t decide whether to punch a hole in the top of a cheesy top or flip it and buy some TC fittings/butterfly valves etc to make a bleed valve and then cut the bottom to add the cheesy top
TC connectors are a lot cheaper these days but I ended up finding a second hand chronicle with TC extensions plus a fridge it would fit in for $500.
Would still be interested in a second fermenter if it could be done without too much hassle or clogging. I’m interested in that too, at least that’s what I looked into a few years ago. The things that put me off was a) the cost of TC parts and b) the ability to make a precise cut in the base of the keg to attach a well-worn keg lid. TC fittings are a lot cheaper these days but I ended up finding a second hand chronic with TC extensions plus fridge would fit it for $500. Would still be interested in a second fermenter if it was doable without too much hassle or clogging.
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Link to post Top Post by rude on scooterism said:
So what do I do with my 30 liter SS olive oil barrel after Christmas? Well, looks like Santa knows what he’s going to get me this year. So what do I do with my 30 liter SS olive oil barrel after Christmas? Keep it up and turn up the volume, which could mean more fridges tapping kegs
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link to post Top post by earle on fasdf said: sp0rk said:
I have a spare 50 liter keg that I’m going to convert into a kegmenter but I just can’t decide whether to cut a hole in the top of a cheesy lid or flip it over and buy some TC fittings/butterfly valve etc. to make a release valve and then cut off the bottom to add the cheesy lid I have a spare 50 liter keg that I’m going to convert into a kegmenter but I just can’t decide whether to punch a hole in the top of a cheesy top or flip it and buy some TC fittings/butterfly valves etc to make a bleed valve and then cut the bottom to add the cheesy top
TC connectors are a lot cheaper these days but I ended up finding a second hand chronicle with TC extensions plus a fridge it would fit in for $500.
Would still be interested in a second fermenter if it could be done without too much hassle or clogging. I’m interested in that too, at least that’s what I looked into a few years ago. The things that put me off was a) the cost of TC parts and b) the ability to make a precise cut in the base of the keg to attach a well-worn keg lid. TC fittings are a lot cheaper these days but I ended up finding a second hand chronic with TC extensions plus fridge would fit it for $500. Would still be interested in a second fermenter if it was doable without too much hassle or clogging.
It wasn’t too difficult. The main thing would be to err on the side too small and, if necessary, enlarge the hole with a good file. Check the thread aussiecraftbrewing.com.au/thread/1345/fitting-corny-lid-50l-keg linked above ?page=1&scrollTo=28474 It wasn’t too hard. The main thing is that it is too small and if necessary enlarge the hole with a good file
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Link to post Top Post by fasdf on earle said: fasdf said:
TC connectors are a lot cheaper these days but I ended up finding a second hand chronicle with TC extensions plus a fridge it would fit in for $500.
Would still be interested in a second fermenter if it could be done without too much hassle or clogging. I’m interested in that too, at least that’s what I looked into a few years ago. The things that put me off was a) the cost of TC parts and b) the ability to make a precise cut in the base of the keg to attach a well-worn keg lid. TC fittings are a lot cheaper these days but I ended up finding a second hand chronic with TC extensions plus fridge would fit it for $500. Would still be interested in a second fermenter if it was doable without too much hassle or clogging.
It wasn’t too difficult. The main thing would be to err on the side too small and, if necessary, enlarge the hole with a good file. Check the thread aussiecraftbrewing.com.au/thread/1345/fitting-corny-lid-50l-keg linked above ?page=1&scrollTo=28474 It wasn’t too hard. The main thing is that it is too small and if necessary enlarge the hole with a good file
How has it fared over time? Any leaks or issues to offer?
I don’t have a Dremel at the moment and still remember the joys of turning kegs into mash tuns with cheap angle grinders and bastard files…so I’m not equipped until I have the right tools and some free time to do…unless , is there a plasma cutting service available in North Brisbane by any chance?
Thanks, that’s a great guide and I remember reading when you posted it. How has it evolved over time? Any leaks or issues to offer? I don’t have a Dremel at the moment and still remember the joys of turning kegs into mash tuns with cheap angle grinders and bastard files… so until I have the right tools and some free time I’m not equipped for that… unless it’s do you happen to have a plasma cutting service available in north brisbane?
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Link to post Top Post by earle on fasdf said: earle said:
It wasn’t too difficult. The main thing would be to err on the side too small and, if necessary, enlarge the hole with a good file. Check the thread aussiecraftbrewing.com.au/thread/1345/fitting-corny-lid-50l-keg linked above ?page=1&scrollTo=28474 It wasn’t too hard. The main thing is that it is too small and if necessary enlarge the hole with a good file
How has it fared over time? Any leaks or issues to offer?
I don’t have a Dremel at the moment and still remember the joys of turning kegs into mash tuns with cheap angle grinders and bastard files…so I’m not equipped until I have the right tools and some free time to do…unless , is there a plasma cutting service available in North Brisbane by any chance?
Thanks, this is a great guide and I remember reading when you posted it. How has it evolved over time? Any leaks or issues to offer? I don’t have a Dremel at the moment and still remember the joys of turning kegs into mash tuns with cheap angle grinders and bastard files… so until I have the right tools and some free time I’m not equipped for that… unless it’s do you happen to have a plasma cutting service available in north brisbane?
Fair point if you don’t have the tools. My rotary tool is only cheap from Aldi but I used Dremel discs for cutting and also bought a good quality file so I wouldn’t be mad at a shit file. Maybe someone close to you has the gear and would do it for a few beers. It seems to have held up well. I have 2 of these that I use for aging sour beers – a Lambic and a Flanders Red so a mostly open spunding valve is appropriate most of the time but when I pressurize it with a bottling gun to dispense some it seems in to be okay. Fair point about the lack of tools. My rotary tool is only cheap from Aldi but I used Dremel discs for cutting and also bought a good quality file so I wouldn’t be mad at a shit file. Maybe someone close to you has the gear and would do it for a few beers.
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Link to Post Top Post by capsicum on
I love my two 23 liter Cony Kegmenters. Tossing between a big girl or the two, I settled on two 23Ls for versatility.
My fridge allows me to fit the two 23 liter fermenting barrels on a plywood shelf and two barrels that serve as blow off vessels and are rinsed at the bottom for decanting.
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Link to Post Back to Top Post by Maheel about Capsicum said:
I love my two 23 liter Cony Kegmenters. Tossing between a big girl or the two, I settled on two 23Ls for versatility. I have the same 2 x 23L older Mytton kegs (and a 50 to use for PF) just cheap and long lasting
I cut the dips down a bit so no hop block or yeast cake. During the pressure transfer, a tiny dose enters the keg
Put jar on bottom and pour from keg to collect yeast after a brew, often reuse yeast 5 times and doesn’t seem to be a drama
I hop 100g of the Nochill into the cube and pour the bulk into the keg… very lazy BIAG brewing and makes great beer with little effort
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Link to Post Top Post by Lord Raja Goomba I said on Maheel: Capsicum said: Love my two 23 liter Cony Kegmenters. Tossing between a big girl or the two, I settled on two 23Ls for versatility. I have the same 2 x 23L older Mytton kegs (and a 50 to use for PF) just cheap and long lasting
I cut the dips down a bit so no hop block or yeast cake. During the pressure transfer, a tiny dose enters the keg
Put jar on bottom and pour from keg to collect yeast after a brew, often reuse yeast 5 times and doesn’t seem to be a drama
I hop 100g of the Nochill into the cube and pour the bulk into the keg… very lazy BIAG brewing and makes great beer with little effort
maheel – do you have the round “tank style” caps or the oval “normal cheesy” caps? The reason I’m asking is because the round o-rings are hard to find for them and I want to use my Mytton Road keg for kegmenting as well.
What is a Sankey keg?
Sanke also called Sankey is a type of beer keg. Sanke kegs have a single valve on the top of them that allows for both beer and gas to pass-through. The beer flows via a spear in the valve that runs to the bottom of the Sankey keg.
BrüBlaster Keg & Carboy Washer | Do It Yourself
What is a Sanke keg?
Sanke, also called Sankey, is a type of beer barrel. Sanke kegs have a single valve at the top that allows both beer and gas to pass through. The beer flows via a spear in the valve leading to the bottom of the Sankey keg. The gas flows to the top of the keg and pushes the beer up through the spigot at the bottom and out for dispensing. Sanke kegs come in different shapes and sizes. The most common sizes are 5.16 gallon, also called 1/6 barrel, 7.75 gallon, also called ¼ barrel, 15.5 gallon, also called ½ barrel, and 13.2 gallon, also called 50 liter or euro called Sanke barrels.
To get beer in and out of a Sankey keg, you need a keg coupler, sometimes referred to as a keg tap. A Sankey coupler is essentially a plumbing key (Sankey) to unlock the beer in the Sanke keg. There are several types of Sanke couplers, but the most common in the US is the D coupler. Below is a list of the different types of hitches we carry and the types of Sanke kegs that fit them. We also stock a full line of all common sizes of D-style sink kegs, as well as parts and tools for sink keg machining and maintenance. If you have any questions about Sankey kegs or anything related to beer, please call or email us by clicking on the ‘Contact Us’ section at the bottom of this page
Types of Sanke Keg Couplers:
D-Style – Fits US Sanke kegs
S-Style – Fits European Sanke kegs
A-Style – Fits most German Sanke kegs
U-Style – Fits some European Sanke kegs
* Please note that our product descriptions list which brands each style typically fits.
How do you clean and fill a Sanke keg?
Rinse out keg with a hose 2-3 times and drain (time estimate: 2 mins) Set keg on keg washer and recirculate hot PBW solution for 10 minutes, then let drain (time estimate: 12 mins) Rinse out keg with a hose 2-3 times and drain (time estimate: 2 mins)
BrüBlaster Keg & Carboy Washer | Do It Yourself
Just a few parts:
submersible pump 1/3 hp,
1 1/4″ to 1/2″ stainless steel reducer
12″ stainless steel nipple
1″ rotating spray ball
5 gallon bucket
It’s in a bucket…
And I modified the lid of the bucket to accommodate the pump cable and serve as a stand for the kegs…
Here’s a visualization of the force of the spray ball on a 1 gallon Erlenmeyer flask, not bad!
Watch this video on YouTube
My current process for cleaning Sanke kegs with it is as follows:
Release the pressure and remove the spear from the Sanke barrel (estimated time: 2 minutes). Rinse the keg 2-3 times with a hose and drain (estimated time: 2 minutes). drain (estimated time: 12 min) Rinse keg 2-3 times with a hose and drain (estimated time: 2 min) Perform visual inspection, if fail go to step 3, otherwise go to step 6 (estimated time: 1 min) ) Fill the keg about 10% full with disinfectant solution (estimated time: 1 minute) Rinse and replace the keg (estimated time: 2 minutes) Spray the keg well with disinfectant (estimated time: 1 minute) Purge the keg with CO2 and store until use (time estimate: 2 minutes)
On paper that’s 25 minutes per keg, but multiple kegs can be prepared and ready at the same time, bringing it to something more reasonable like 15 minutes per keg. Note that the washing solution must be changed every few barrels. In general, you can get by with not changing them for more kegs if they’ve just been used for serving versus kegs used as fermenters. I’ve also learned that a helper can make this a lot easier on a batch of kegs. I think this gets me the best results for the time and money investment so far, I’ll update as I make more improvements!
DIY Keg \u0026 Carboy Cleaner
See some more details on the topic diy keg washer plans here:
Matt’s DIY Keg and Carboy Washer – Homebrewers Association
Using the Keg and Carboy Washer. Fill bucket one with warm PBW solution, and bucket two with warm water, enough to cover the pump. A 15-minute PBW wash.
Source: www.homebrewersassociation.org
Date Published: 10/10/2021
View: 739
How to Build a DIY Keg and Carboy Washer – – BrewTogether
Don’t want to spend hours tearing apart and scrubbing your kegs inse and out? Here’s how to build your own keg and carboy washer!
Source: brewtogether.com
Date Published: 11/3/2021
View: 6459
BrüBlaster Keg & Carboy Washer | Do It Yourself | Brülosophy
| USING THE BRÜBLASTER | · Add approximately 2 gallons of hot water to the wash basin · Add the proper amount of your favorite cleaner– …
Source: brulosophy.com
Date Published: 10/30/2021
View: 1009
DIY: Carboy and Keg Washer | Craft Beer & Brewing
DIY: Carboy and Keg Washer · 1) Start with the PVC cross (A). · 2) Screw the ½” (13 mm) MNPT x ¾” (19 mm) FHT adapter (C) into the adapter you …
Source: beerandbrewing.com
Date Published: 10/20/2022
View: 1126
Creating an Automatic Keg Washer – BeerGraphs
He built his own DIY keg washer. Here’s what the thing of (shabby chic) beauty looks like: The basics of keg washing are that you have to …
Source: beergraphs.com
Date Published: 12/9/2021
View: 9262
Sanke keg cleaner build | Homebrew Talk – Homebrew Talk
My plan for now is to keep it pretty manual, with the intention of adding onto it with another kettle for sanitizer (which means I’ll weld on …
Source: www.homebrewtalk.com
Date Published: 11/27/2021
View: 3753
Matt’s DIY Keg and Carboy Washer
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Cleaning carboys has to be the worst part of brewing. I despised the process so much that I would let dirty carboys sit for weeks before I found enough motivation to clean. I used the same process for seven years: soak the carboy in water overnight to loosen the crap stuck to the glass, scrub with a brush, fill with PBW and soak for 30 minutes, rinse with water. There was heavy lifting of slippery glass, awkward holding while draining in the bath, the inevitability of getting water everywhere – cleaning sucks!
I finally got fed up with the process and looked online to see what others were doing. I quickly found people who were successful with pond pumps. A quick trip to the hardware store and some tinkering resulted in a washing machine that works better than I could have imagined.
With this setup, I’ve completely eliminated all heavy and awkward lifting, reduced cleaning time to 15 minutes, and saved tons of money on PBW since I’m now only using a gallon or two of solution instead of six. Even when washing kegs, I can now be sure that the posts, valves, O-rings, pipes and fittings are adequately cleaned.
construction
The basic setup is a 1/2″ diameter vertical tube attached to a pond pump that sits in a 5 gallon bucket and recirculates the cleaning solution through your balloon.
The entire setup is approximately 26″ tall and uses 3/4″ tubing throughout except for the 16″ long, 1/2″ diameter tubing that projects the solution into the carboy.
Just above the pump I added an attachment that diverts the cleaning solution to a pair of keg fittings. This addition ensures that when you clean your kegs, all the components of the keg are cleaned, not just the inside walls.
Just above the keg cleaning attachment I installed an 11″ wide cross section. The cross section serves two purposes: first, it ensures the pump will be centered in the bucket, and second, it serves as a stand for an inverted barrel to sit on while washing.
The lid of the bucket is not required when cleaning kegs, but when cleaning carboys the lid serves as a stand for the balloon to keep it stable over the pump. I find that a 6″ diameter hole in the lid provides adequate stability for 5 and 6 gallon balloons.
building tips
The pump I use has a 3/4″ outlet. You may need to slightly expand the inside diameter of a length of 3/4 inch tubing to fit over the outlet. I used a large file to achieve this.
Build the bottom section using 3/4″ tubing, but use 1/2″ tubing to get into the carboy. You should ensure that there is enough space for the water to drain out of the carboy.
Do not permanently attach the keg cleaning tee to the rest of the facility. You may need to remove it when cleaning carboys.
Using the keg and carboy washing machine
Fill bucket one with warm PBW solution and bucket two with warm water, enough to cover the pump.
A 15 minute PBW wash. When washing a carboy, put the lid on the bucket and the carboy on the lid. If you are washing a keg, attach the fittings to the keg and place the keg in the bucket.
A 30-second water rinse. Move the entire pump assembly from the PBW bucket to the water bucket.
materials
How to Build a DIY Keg and Carboy Washer
If you’ve read our step-by-step article on how to completely disassemble and clean a keg, you know how time-consuming it is to completely disassemble a keg, clean everything with PBW, rinse, sanitize and reassemble. After my last keg day, I was determined not to spend hours ripping my kegs apart and scrubbing them inside and out. After all, grasping should be easier than filling, not harder!
Sure, you could just buy a keg washing machine like that, but that doesn’t quite fit the homebrewer’s do-it-yourself mentality, does it? There are several DIY keg washers that other brewers have built and I’ve put these together based on what I liked about each one I looked at. I especially liked Matt’s DIY Keg Washer, which you can see here. I already had an extra pure water pump on my brewing equipment shelf, so this was the perfect project to incorporate that into a usable piece of equipment. After a quick, inexpensive trip to the hardware store to get the rest of the items needed, I was ready to start building.
Over time I have developed additional add-on parts for this washing machine to create an all-in-one cleaning and sanitizing solution for my kegs, fermenters, beer lines and faucets. Instructions for each of these attachments are added below. Ready to build your own? Here’s how!
How to build a DIY keg and carboy washing machine
As with all DIY projects, I recommend customizing the design to suit your needs and incorporating whatever pieces you already have on hand. You may need different sized PVC coupling pieces to attach the washer to your pump, so simply adjust the sizes as needed to connect the pieces together. If you find a better way to build one of these pieces, or add other design elements or attachments, let us know how it’s done!
Tool List:
List of parts:
Building the simple DIY balloon washing machine
Step 1:
Using your hacksaw, cut the ¾ inch PVC into the following pieces:
1×2″
2 x 3¾”
1 x 2.5 inch
Step 2:
Using your hacksaw, cut the ½ inch PVC into a 17.5 inch piece
Step 3:
Using your drill and 3/16 bit, drill holes across your ½ inch piece of PVC. I recommend spreading them out fairly evenly, about 5 per line, 4 across the diameter in an alternating pattern. Also, slightly change the angle of the drill for each hole so that the water squirts in slightly different directions. This will help spray the entire interior surface of the keg with water.
Step 4:
Using your drill bit and a 3/16 bit, drill a series of holes around the side of the 12″ PVC cap near the top. Change the angle of the drill slightly for each hole so they squirt water in slightly different directions.
After drilling holes around the perimeter of the top, drill a series of holes in the top of the ½ inch PVC cap (15 or 16 holes total). Again, change the angle of the drill slightly for each hole so they spray water in slightly different directions.
Step 5:
Determine what size hardware is/are required to secure the assembly to your pump and obtain a fitting that will connect it to a ¾ inch piece of PVC. I ended up needing a few extra parts, but that was because I was starting from a pump I already had.
Step 6:
Assemble all your pieces. I do not recommend gluing them. It’s nice to be able to easily disassemble the parts if needed and I’ve never had a problem with mine falling apart. Just squeeze them tightly. Use the table below as an assembly guide, but make modifications as needed for your specific design.
Step 7:
Attach it to your pump, place the assembly in a bucket of water and give it a try! If you are using this washer to clean a carboy, cut a hole about 6 inches in a bucket lid and place the lid over the washer so the carboy can sit on top.
Congratulations! Now you don’t have to disassemble your kegs between each use. Run hot water and some PBW through your keg for about 10 minutes with this washer. Then do a few flushes by adding hot then cold clean water to the bucket, rinsing the keg out and then replacing the water and repeating until there is no PBW left. After that, you can simply add some cold water and StarSan to the bucket and run it again to sanitize all the inside surfaces of the keg. The same process works to clean and sanitize your fermenters and beer lines.
I still recommend disassembling your kegs every now and then to do regularly scheduled keg maintenance such as: B. checking and replacing seals etc. Not sure how to disassemble a keg? Check out our guide on how to disassemble and clean a keg.
Structure of the keg washer attachment
The keg wash attachment is very easy to build and can be removed from the rest of the unit when you are washing carboys. How to build the Keg Washer attachment:
Cut two 2″ pieces from the leftover 3/4″ PVC pipe. You will use these to assemble the other components. Push one of your 2″ pieces of 3/4″ PVC pipe into one side of your 3/4″ PVC tee joint and one into the ground. Attach the PVC L-Joint/Reducer to the bottom of your T-Joint. The PVC L-Bucket/Reducer should have one side with a 3/4″ push-fit fitting and one side with a 1/2″ female fitting. Thread your 1/2″ male PVC to 3/16″ barbed fitting into the L fitting. Cut your 3/16″ vinyl tubing into: 2 x 6″ pieces
1 x 12″ piece Attach one of the 6″ pieces of your 3/16″ barb and attach the 3/16″ barbed T-connector to the other side and secure both ends with hose clamps. Attach the other two pieces of 3/16″ PVC hose to the barbed tee and secure the ends with hose clamps. Attach the quick couplers for the beer and gas lines to the ends of the hoses and secure with hose clamps. That’s it! This assembly now fits between your pump and the rest of the keg washer.
This is a bit difficult to explain step by step, so here is a short video explaining the assembly of the keg washer.
And that’s it! Have you built your own keg or balloon washing machine and do you have any tips to share? Do you have ideas for other useful attachments for this device? Leave a comment below or post on the forums!
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BrüBlaster Keg & Carboy Washer | Do It Yourself
Author: Ray found
A while back I put together a collection of DIY brewing equipment that included a pump-based keg washer and sanitizer. After using it many times, I concluded that it fell short on a few counts — it required a ton of water, the spray pressure wasn’t high enough to adequately remove all the trub, and it only worked with kegs , not with carboys. I’d heard good things about another popular keg and balloon washer that seemed like a great solution, but as I was notoriously impatient and enjoyed the DIY side of things, I set about the task of designing my own version that proved to be simple, effective and fun. We call it the…
BrüBlaster Keg & Carboy Washer
The purpose of this article is to share with others how to easily create this efficient tool for themselves. To keep things as simple as possible, I’ve broken the DIY into 3 sections that focus on getting the parts needed, assembling the washing machine, and getting it up and running. If you have any questions or feel confused with any step, please don’t hesitate to ask in the comments section below and I will reply asap!
| PARTS |
What follows is a list of parts that I think would work well for this keg and balloon washer. While I list specific dimensions, please remember that I have chosen the sizes that are appropriate for my intended uses, which may vary depending on the type of carboy or pump you are using. This washing machine is incredibly easy to adjust to the size that best suits your needs. There’s no reason to strictly follow what I’ve done when you’re using them to clean various devices. However, if you participate, you can be sure that the washing machine works beautifully with PET carboys and Cornelius kegs. Also, hardware store hardware inventory seems to vary by the hour, so you may need to replace to achieve the same goals.
I’ve included links to as many parts as possible for those who prefer to buy online. However, almost all PVC parts for the BrüBlaster can be purchased individually in large hardware stores at a lower price.
submersible pump
The pump used in the popular commercial keg washer might be enough to get the job done, but since I already had a much more powerful (~3x) pump on hand I decided to use it. While more powerful pumps cost more, the increased pressure blasts dirt away with ease, and as an added benefit, they usually feature standard garden hose threads. Less powerful pumps will certainly work, I wouldn’t recommend anything under 500 gallons per hour and be sure to pay attention to the outlet adapter type/size whichever you decide to use.
6 gallon plastic bucket
A cheap 5 gallon bucket from the hardware store works well as a basin for the washing machine, although I used a 6 gallon fermenting bucket I had lying around – no reason to buy something I already have. In addition, the additional depth of the large pump creates more space for the fittings.
bucket lid
For the top of the keg and balloon washer you will need a lid that you can easily cut open. If you plan to continue using your fermenting bucket for brewing beer, consider purchasing a bucket lid from your local wholesaler. I’ve found that I prefer the “Homer” caps to the “nicer” options because they’re cheap, easy to snap on and off due to the lack of a sturdy sealing lip, and the raised circular ridge is practically the perfect size for most carboys and cheesy barrels!
spray wand parts
To avoid as much confusion as possible, I’m going to share the exact parts I used to build my washing machine. Similar to other commercially available keg and balloon washers, I originally designed mine to have a single spray wand. It worked great for kegs, but I found a flaw when cleaning my PET carboys – the diameter of the tube took up so much space in the bottle neck that the cleaning solution couldn’t drain away quickly. As this was not a problem with kegs, my solution was to assemble a separate spray wand specifically for cleaning carboys, which could be easily swapped out for the larger keg spray wand. That worked great!
The following parts are made of PVC, so be sure to grab some PVC glue to ensure a solid seal between the non-threaded connections.
Barrel Spray Wand
To ensure keg posts and dip tubes are properly cleaned, I devised a simple solution that requires the following parts:
Carboy spray stick
| ASSEMBLY |
When all the pieces are gathered, it’s time to put the puzzle together. To start, prep the sink by first cutting out the center of the bucket lid to match the inside diameter of the cheesy barrel handles, which is a no-brainer if the lid has a raised edge, as is easily done with a Dremel tool or a sharp utility knife be traced.
Then cut a small notch on the edge of the cover for the submersible pump cable.
Now we can proceed to building the spray wands. While it can be finished gluing, it’s probably best to do all the drilling first before gluing it together. First, use a 1/8″ drill bit to drill 8-10 holes in the caps for both the keg (3/4″) and carboy (1/2″).
Next you need to drill a series of holes around the perimeter of just the carboy sprayer (unless you’re fermenting in kegs). We like the pressure washer jets to be aimed directly at the area where frizz builds up, which for me is the shoulder of my 6 gallon PET balloons; This depends on the type of fermentor you are using and should be considered before you start drilling. I ended up drilling a series of a dozen 1/8″ holes in a 2″ tape around the pipe.
With these holes drilled, all that remains is to glue and reconnect the fittings for each piece. Threaded fittings can be joined without tape as minor leaks are not a big deal for this application, but don’t forget to apply PVC glue between each non-threaded slip joint.
Keg post & dip tube washer
Begin by attaching the two 12-inch vinyl hoses to both the liquid and gas separators, securing each to the barb with a hose clamp. Insert the 3/8″ tee into the open ends of the pipes and secure with hose clamps. Attach one end of the 18” length of tubing to the vertical barb on the tee and clamp. Then attach the other end to the barbed end of the 3/8 inch hose adapter with a hose clamp. Put that part aside for now, we’ll get to that in a moment.
Barrel Spray Wand
Before we start putting this part together, cut a 2″ piece of the 2′ PVC pipe with a dremel or hacksaw, it will be used to connect 2 other parts. Once that is done, screw the 3/4″ female NPT threads on the hose adapter onto the male end of the 3/4″ thread adapter. Apply PVC cement to the female sliding end of the adapter, then insert the 2″ length of pipe you cut from the larger pipe. Apply some cement to the inner portion of one side of the 3/4″ tee and insert the other end of the 2″ pipe. Next, simply insert the longer PVC pipe into the other side of the T-piece* and then put the single-hole cap on the end with it. Remember to use cement for each connection.
*I made a mistake when initially building my keg spray wand, which required me to use a coupler between the tee and the longer tube; This is not necessary for the parts listed.
Finally, attach the 3/4″ threaded hose nipple to the open branch of the tee and then attach the hose adapter from the already built keg bar and dip tube washer to the other end. Voila, this piece is ready to use!
Carboy spray stick
The balloon spray wand is a little easier to construct as it doesn’t require a tee. First attach the 3/4″ female NPT hose adapters to the 3/4″ male end of the reducer bushing by attaching the male end of the 1/2″ slip to the riser fitting, then apply some cement to one end of the PVC pipe and secure it in the loop. After applying cement to the open end of the PVC pipe, slide on the drilled cap and you’re done!
| HOW TO USE THE BREW BLASTER |
The BrüBlaster is super easy to use and can be set up with little effort.
Pour about 2 gallons of hot water into the sink. Add the right amount of your favorite detergent – CraftMeister Alkaline Brewery Wash works great! Attach your spray wand of choice to the pump. Place the pump in the cleaning solution in the sink and attach the lid. To clean kegs, connect the dividers to the posts and turn the keg upside down on the pool lid, making sure the dividers are in the hole. Turn on the pump and let the BrüBlaster run for 10-15 minutes
When cleaning carboys, I empty the trub before placing them on the BrüBlaster, although I skip this step for kegs. I’ve also found that rotating the carboy while it’s on the device a few times helps remove the entire frizz ring.
Since I usually have several dirty kegs at a time, I like to wash them all first, then empty the cleaner, fill the basin with Star San solution and repeat the process, storing each keg or glass bottle with some sanitizer in it.
| THE JUDGMENT |
In a word: Insanely cool!!! My barrels come out of the BrüBlaster sparkling clean in no time at all. Due to frizz’s stubborn nature, carboys can be a little more challenging and occasionally require a light soak, but generally the high pressure of the hot cleaning solution gets the job done well.
The only real disadvantage of the BrüBlaster is that it is used for disinfecting. My favorite sanitizer is Star San, the constant agitation can cause the foam to grow uncontrollably. It still works but it’s a bit messy so once my Star San is gone I’ll be saving some Saniclean, a non-lather alternative.
And this is how you build the BrüBlaster Keg and Balloon Cleaner, an inexpensive and efficient tool that I trust will come in handy for any brewer interested in spending less time on the worst part of this hobby. If you are building a BrüBlaster please report back with your experiences, we’d love to hear how it works for you!
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