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Author Topic: Ss Brewtech Keg Washer  (Read 3314 times)

Offline HopDen

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Re: Ss Brewtech Keg Washer
« Reply #30 on: November 13, 2021, 02:06:03 pm »
Plate chiller. 15-25 gallon batches. Water is cheap and abundant where I live and I honestly don't give it a second thought about running the effluent down the drain.

Online Richard

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Re: Ss Brewtech Keg Washer
« Reply #31 on: November 13, 2021, 06:59:12 pm »
I am curious as to how people who are so water conscious chill their wort?  For me, chilling is the largest single use of water in brewing.  I used a minimum of 10-gallons when chilling only 3.5 gallons and that is with the first five gallons running into a white bucket for cleaning and the second five gallons recirculating with ice.
I do much the same as you: save the hot water in the sink for cleaning and save the rest of the water in buckets for watering the garden. It uses water but it doesn't waste water. Very little goes down the drain.
Original Gravity - that would be Newton's

Offline redrocker652002

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Re: Ss Brewtech Keg Washer
« Reply #32 on: November 14, 2021, 09:13:40 pm »
Plate chiller. 15-25 gallon batches. Water is cheap and abundant where I live and I honestly don't give it a second thought about running the effluent down the drain.

I saw a really cool setup where the guy put hose fittings on the end of the chiller, ran the hose into a cooler and hooked it up to a pump.  that way the water recirculated and was not wasted.  That is going to be my next project once I get this keg washer worked out.  I am thinking I can use the same pump.

Offline redrocker652002

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Re: Ss Brewtech Keg Washer
« Reply #33 on: November 14, 2021, 09:15:26 pm »
For me, the ability to clean all diptubes, poppets and keg interior without removing the posts is welcome.  I don’t tear down the keg each time, which has greatly diminished leaks on both beer and CO2 sides.

I agree.  I built my own and I can fill it with a few gallons of PBW, do 5 kegs, then fill it with rinse water or saniclean and not worry about any crevices.  If nothing else it gives me peace of mind with less work since I'd normally be taking off the posts and using a brush.

Do you happen to have a parts list or a write up on what you did?  I have found many on youtube, but just collecting info and seeing what is the best.  Thanks. 

Offline RC

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Re: Ss Brewtech Keg Washer
« Reply #34 on: November 15, 2021, 11:58:35 am »
I am curious as to how people who are so water conscious chill their wort?

I have a pool and a hot tub. These need frequent topping off. I run the outlet water from my IC into one or both of them.

Offline HopDen

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Re: Ss Brewtech Keg Washer
« Reply #35 on: November 15, 2021, 02:32:49 pm »
Plate chiller. 15-25 gallon batches. Water is cheap and abundant where I live and I honestly don't give it a second thought about running the effluent down the drain.

I saw a really cool setup where the guy put hose fittings on the end of the chiller, ran the hose into a cooler and hooked it up to a pump.  that way the water recirculated and was not wasted.  That is going to be my next project once I get this keg washer worked out.  I am thinking I can use the same pump.

Post some pics when you put it together!

Offline HopDen

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Re: Ss Brewtech Keg Washer
« Reply #36 on: November 15, 2021, 04:30:44 pm »
Just ordered now. Will see how it works. I like the idea of not breaking down a keg every time I clean them.


Update:Received the keg washer late yesterday so I couldn't wait to come home today and try it out. Assembly was a snap and self explanatory although it did arrive with 2 threaded 12" pipes but without a threaded coupling to join the two together. For my use of cleaning corny kegs and an occasional carboy one is sufficient.
 
I cleaned 3 kegs using 3 gallons of water with 3 Tbs of Onestep cleaner and cycled for 15 minutes each. Maybe overkill on time, IDK. Disassembled the fittings to examine and they were clean. No less clean had I soaked them  in cleaner. Dip tube upon inspection with a light was sufficiently clean too.

Overall I am pleased with how it worked and for the money, a decent buy.


Offline redrocker652002

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Re: Ss Brewtech Keg Washer
« Reply #37 on: November 16, 2021, 01:14:01 am »
Just ordered now. Will see how it works. I like the idea of not breaking down a keg every time I clean them.


Update:Received the keg washer late yesterday so I couldn't wait to come home today and try it out. Assembly was a snap and self explanatory although it did arrive with 2 threaded 12" pipes but without a threaded coupling to join the two together. For my use of cleaning corny kegs and an occasional carboy one is sufficient.
 
I cleaned 3 kegs using 3 gallons of water with 3 Tbs of Onestep cleaner and cycled for 15 minutes each. Maybe overkill on time, IDK. Disassembled the fittings to examine and they were clean. No less clean had I soaked them  in cleaner. Dip tube upon inspection with a light was sufficiently clean too.

Overall I am pleased with how it worked and for the money, a decent buy.

Which did you buy? 

Offline HopDen

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Re: Ss Brewtech Keg Washer
« Reply #38 on: November 16, 2021, 04:35:03 am »
Just ordered now. Will see how it works. I like the idea of not breaking down a keg every time I clean them.


Update:Received the keg washer late yesterday so I couldn't wait to come home today and try it out. Assembly was a snap and self explanatory although it did arrive with 2 threaded 12" pipes but without a threaded coupling to join the two together. For my use of cleaning corny kegs and an occasional carboy one is sufficient.
 
I cleaned 3 kegs using 3 gallons of water with 3 Tbs of Onestep cleaner and cycled for 15 minutes each. Maybe overkill on time, IDK. Disassembled the fittings to examine and they were clean. No less clean had I soaked them  in cleaner. Dip tube upon inspection with a light was sufficiently clean too.

Overall I am pleased with how it worked and for the money, a decent buy.

Which did you buy?

The bucket blaster from Williams Brewing.

Offline goose

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Re: Ss Brewtech Keg Washer
« Reply #39 on: November 16, 2021, 08:50:45 am »
Please excuse the derailment, but I'm really stumped why a keg washer is needed at the homebrew level. This is an honest question, not a troll.  I can't for the life of me see how it could get easier than filling a keg with Craftmeister alkaline, letting it sit a few hours, and rinsing it out.

I agree with Denny here.

FWIW, I clean mine the old fashioned way.  A caustic type cleaner, like PBW, Craftmeister, or a bulk milk tank cleaner that is cheaper to buy, a gallon of two of hot water, and a keg brush.  I can clean a keg in about five minutes, including removing and cleaning the dip tubes and keg plugs.  I then rinse them with hot water, reassemble them, pressurize them with CO2 and set them aside until it is time to sanitize and fill them (pressurizing them will tell me if I have any leaks when I go to use them).  I get them clean and don't have to fork out money for a keg washer that I don't have room to store in my small brewery. It works fine for me.
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Offline ttash

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Re: Ss Brewtech Keg Washer
« Reply #40 on: November 22, 2021, 08:07:38 am »
I recieved the Ss Brewtech keg washer recently and yesterday set it up and cleaned 4 kegs.
Setup was a snap, and since the unit attaches to the inside of the keg it worked equally as well with my single strap handle kegs as it did with the rubber top kegs. Which is something that the other keg washers won't do, if you have single strap handle kegs you're out of luck.
I set up 3 buckets with 2 gallons of water in each, one with hot PBW, one with warm rinse water, and one with ambient Sani Clean sanitizer. Run a  cycle in each and just move it down the line. Couldn't be easier, worked like a dream, no monitoring necessary - just a timer for each cycle.
It's a well built unit that will last a long time,  and for me, it is worth the money I spent on it.