How to Clean Corny Kegs with PBW

Cleanliness is next to godliness, right? If that's so, then Powdered Brewers Wash is the homebrewer's friend, when it comes to cleaning corny kegs. In this video, I walk through my steps in ensuring my kegs are fully cleaned and ready for more beer! Get some here: amzn.to/3sJayuq . It's a decent sized container, so it will last a while!

[@kennykistler6735]

Killer sink, man. Wish I had it. Great video!

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Thanks! That was a huge score, indeed. Thanks for watching. 😁

[@kennykistler6735]

@@ThisDadGoesTo11 I thought I was thorough with my cleaning and sanitizing routine, but you take it to another level! Do you clean the posts and tubes between every batch, or just after every few batches?

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Haha...right on. I do disassemble and PBW the kegs each time. As I'm usually running four beers on tap in my bar, I'm generally not ploughing through a keg super quickly, and I want to ensure that any potential sediment or somewhat hardened foam residue is off the inside of the kegs, tubes, posts, etc. It has just been habit over the last 14 years of brewing, and I don't have to keep a cleaning log or sit there and try to recall the last time I cleaned it; I just do it. I also purchase PBW by the 4 or 5 gallon bucket, reducing overall cost and ensuring I have tons of the stuff for all these kegs.

[@DontStopBrent]

I’m jealous of your sink. In the garage?

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

No, in the basement, actually. The way the unfinished basement was laid out made it perfect to build a room that houses the furnace and water heater, but then left some extra space that was only good for...drumroll...brewery space! Totally a selling feature for me. 🤣

[@DontStopBrent]

@@ThisDadGoesTo11 Most excellent. I live in Little Rock. 99% basement free, which I regret. Seems like not a bunch of money for much more house, if you ask me. I envy your brew space. Thx for sharing. This goes into my brew school folder. 👍🏻

[@satlarsatlar]

Nice work, just what I needed. You closed it and sealed it at the end. Don't you want to let it air dry or will it be okay?

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Right on! They are fine like this. You could leave them open for a couple days to dry, if you want, but I don't bother. The tiny bit of residual tap water left will be diluted and transferred out when I transfer Star San in and out of them prior to filling. I have more vids on all my processes in my Brewing playlist. I've been using this same process since 2009 without issues, so I'd say it works as is. Thanks for watching! 🍻

[@satlarsatlar]

@@ThisDadGoesTo11 Thanks. I couldn't budge my posts but I don't have a deep enough socket. My sparkplug one didn't fit. Do you happen to know the size of the socket off hand? In the end I decided to just clean it as is and run the PBR through the pipes.

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

@@satlarsatlar So, I use a 7/8" deep socket. I actually took a keg into the hardware store to confirm it for when I bought it. Got some funny looks, but well worth it. That's the probably the size you need, but I recommend checking to make sure. Good luck!

[@kedricwilliams5287]

​​@@satlarsatlaryou can use a crescent wrench in a pinch. But a deep socket is better.

[@satlarsatlar]

@@kedricwilliams5287 there's not enough room for even the tips of a crescent wrench to reach the post.

[@Normanskie]

What is PBW?

[@ThisDadGoesTo11]

Hey, there! It's Powdered Brewers Wash, a product by Five Star. Works wonders cleaning kegs, carboys, and bottles. You can buy it from homebrew shops or online. Here's some on Amazon...it's a larger container, so it would last for a decent amount of time: amzn.to/3sJayuq . Thanks for the question!