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Hello all.
As I am in Chile and Starsan and PBW isn't easily available, or economically sound to purchase.
I am wondering if anyone uses iodine solution and your way to use it in sanitizing the equipment.
I use 30 ltr sanke kegs and also bottle a lot of my brews. I also use the sanke kegs as a way to transfer from the fermenter to the bottles, using CO2 as the force to transfer the beers. I clean the kegs using caustic solution, but no spray methods... just fill the kegs with caustic solution and soak, shake, soak, shake, etc..... then I drain the solution and prepare a solution of 12.5 ppm or slightly greater iodine solution as a no rinse, rinsing solution for the kegs. This has worked out fine, other than sometimes I end up having to dump a keg due to an infection (slightly sour taste to the beer... which appears 5 to 6 weeks after tapping the keg). The first few weeks, the beers from the keg are great.... then later develop a sourness which increases until I dump it. I don't know for sure if it is residuals left in the keg which I can't clean out due to limited cleaning ability.... or if it may be additions of small amounts of oxygen... when I connect the CO2 line to the keg tap.... I had not been purging the small line with CO2 prior to connecting to the keg... and the small amounts of air in the 1/4" line entering the keg may have soured the beer... after several times of disconnecting and reconnecting.... ?
I do not have other real options available for sanitizing, but any help concerning the cleaning of sanke type kegs for a homebrewer would be appreciated. I do not have access to other types of kegs (which may be easier to clean.)
I bottle because it is easier to share my beers with family.... but I do like to keg some, to have available for home gatherings and bar'b'ques (It is common here to have family and friends over to 'parillar' (bbq)).
I plan to improve the cleaning process of the kegs this year, to plan hopefully that after the COVID-19 passes, we can continue grilling and enjoying beers together, from the kegs.
Any input from others as to how to clean sanke kegs and sanitize using iodine would be greatly appreciated.... I do understand that I am in the minority (iodine user). thanks.
As I am in Chile and Starsan and PBW isn't easily available, or economically sound to purchase.
I am wondering if anyone uses iodine solution and your way to use it in sanitizing the equipment.
I use 30 ltr sanke kegs and also bottle a lot of my brews. I also use the sanke kegs as a way to transfer from the fermenter to the bottles, using CO2 as the force to transfer the beers. I clean the kegs using caustic solution, but no spray methods... just fill the kegs with caustic solution and soak, shake, soak, shake, etc..... then I drain the solution and prepare a solution of 12.5 ppm or slightly greater iodine solution as a no rinse, rinsing solution for the kegs. This has worked out fine, other than sometimes I end up having to dump a keg due to an infection (slightly sour taste to the beer... which appears 5 to 6 weeks after tapping the keg). The first few weeks, the beers from the keg are great.... then later develop a sourness which increases until I dump it. I don't know for sure if it is residuals left in the keg which I can't clean out due to limited cleaning ability.... or if it may be additions of small amounts of oxygen... when I connect the CO2 line to the keg tap.... I had not been purging the small line with CO2 prior to connecting to the keg... and the small amounts of air in the 1/4" line entering the keg may have soured the beer... after several times of disconnecting and reconnecting.... ?
I do not have other real options available for sanitizing, but any help concerning the cleaning of sanke type kegs for a homebrewer would be appreciated. I do not have access to other types of kegs (which may be easier to clean.)
I bottle because it is easier to share my beers with family.... but I do like to keg some, to have available for home gatherings and bar'b'ques (It is common here to have family and friends over to 'parillar' (bbq)).
I plan to improve the cleaning process of the kegs this year, to plan hopefully that after the COVID-19 passes, we can continue grilling and enjoying beers together, from the kegs.
Any input from others as to how to clean sanke kegs and sanitize using iodine would be greatly appreciated.... I do understand that I am in the minority (iodine user). thanks.