Beer line maintenance

[Shanna]

Having recently started to keg more beers I am a bit worried about my beer line maintenance. I don't drink some weeks so it can be a few weeks between pints. This can result in beer sitting in the lines that turns sour. I generally pour off a half pint or so to flush out the old beer but I get the impression that the beer line will be tainted & that this is tainting the beer. I would normally strip the taps down over three months & clean the lines with cleaner & give everything a good soak with warm water afterwards. I was thinking that after pulling a few pints I would instead flush the lines with cold water from a keg. Is water sitting in the lines going to be as bad for taint as beer? I would be interested to hear what others do (other than drink more frequently )

Shanna

[Motorbikeman]

I use this stuff.  A friend in the trade gave me 5 L of it. 

Does a fantastic job..      Each time I empty a keg its get washed out with it, and pumped through the lines.   

http://www.chemisphereuk.com/shop/product.php?id=24

[molc]

I just drink at the weekend and have a lot of lines, so can be a couple of weeks between uses. Never had a taint and I only strip the system down and clean about every 6 months to a year.

The odd time the tap will clog up on beers with a lot of crystal malts. At which point I take the tap off the fridge and break it down for a thorough clean.

[banjobrew]

I just run water through the keg and lines after it's done. I don't think there'll be any noticeable affect by leaving beer in the lines, but they may stain over time.

[SprocketFuel]

http://themottlybrew.ie/product/oxi-p15/
Oxi from The Mottly Brew is perfect for cleaning lines

[Qs]

I just run starsan through them between kegs. Want to get some extra kegs so I can just leave one full of Starsan all the time to make it handier.

Haven't had sour kegs. Find the bitterness faded in pints from the line and maybe they don't taste as fresh but thats about it. And its very rare I'd pull a pint during the week.

[Leann ull]

This should see me out got it for seven stg in north last week

[Shanna]

This should see me out got it for seven stg in north last week

Any hints where you got it, in case I am up that way in the coming months. Interesting from the comments it would appear that beer line maintenance is low on peoples list of priorities. I would have thought low flow through the lines would lead to problems with the build up of bacteria etc. Surely commercial premises don't take the same approach. It makes me wonder am I not paying enough attention to this. I have read that pediococcus infection in the lines can lead to sourness and or diacetyl in the beer. I suspect that the beer itself is infected or else its the lines. I flushed out the lines with water and the off flavour is less pronounced. Time for me to clean the lines and confirm whether its the beer or the lines.

Shanna

[irish_goat]

Paint 'Ciderhead Quality Team' on the side of the van. 

[molc]

...Any hints where you got it, in case I am up that way in the coming months. ...
Shanna

If you're going up, grab me a bottle as well. I'm almost out of the solution CanDirect gave us when we got the kegs, which I've used for the colour test when cleaning.

[LordEoin]

When I clean and sanitize a keg I generally finish up with a couple of liters of boiling water to rinse it all out.
I pass this through my beer line to empty the key, giving the lines and inner taps a good cleaning along the way
This also softens out the line, allowing me to straighten them out etc once in a while.

[Shanna]

...Any hints where you got it, in case I am up that way in the coming months. ...
Shanna

If you're going up, grab me a bottle as well. I'm almost out of the solution CanDirect gave us when we got the kegs, which I've used for the colour test when cleaning.

Actually now that I think of it I never actually used mine that I got. I would assume it does not go off? Must have a root around to see where I put it. If I have some to spare will bri g it along to the next meet.

Shanna

[dcalnan]

I got this stuff from nisbets with my last order, it's going to take me ages to go through 5L of it,  I started to use it for my chugger pump as well after reading that pbw shouldn't be used with teflon.
http://www.nisbets.ie/Jantex-Beer-Line-Cleaner/GC977/ProductDetail.raction

[bier]

Do you just put it in your corny and pull it through?