So I just kicked my very first keg (first all grain batch too!). It was a hefe that came out a bit lighter than I would've liked but still great and it took no time to drain the keg. I cleaned the keg and lines with a PBW soak and multiple rinses eventually using CO2 as well to get all up through the dip tube, etc. After the rinses, I wanted to sanitize the lines and ran star san through them and out the tap that I used. Then I didn't know what to do: A. Leave the star san solution in the tubing until the next batch? Or B. Drain the line and just let it sit in the keezer until the next batch? I chose A. It'll be over a month by the time I get a new batch flowing through that line. When I'm ready to pour the next batch, can I simply open the line until beer starts flowing and be good to go? Or has this extended star san soak somehow messed with the line? Also wondering what I should do next time. For example, if I clean the lines (PBW soak) and simply rinse the lines out, can I leave them like that in the keezer (at about 35F - 40F)? Couldn't mold develop in the lines off of the moisture that will remain inside them? Then again, I'm sure we're not meant to replace our lines with every batch! Thanks for any insight!
Weird smells, and your hose will probably become slightly opaque. If you don't plan on using anything for a bit. Just do the clean and rinse part. Leave them and your other stuff to dry and deal with the sanitization part when you are ready to use them again.
Sorry to jump back on this but because I had star san in my line for so long, I decided to disconnect and toss it. I have 3/16 ID tubing that is thick and very rigid. It was extremely difficult to remove from the ball lock disconnect barb and tap barb because this tubing has such a nice and tight fit. So finish keg off, disconnect and clean the keg, then clean and rinse lines. Then leave the lines hooked up to the tap in the keezer? I would like to disconnect the lines and hang them until needed but does anyone know an easy way to disconnect wicked tight fitted tubing from barbs? (Or am I just a major wimp?) Thanks again!
I routinely run StarSan through my lines when a keg kicks. If I have nothing to replace it with (rare), I leave the StarSan in the line, but usually not more than a week or so. I don't know if long term would be a problem, though I suspect it would not be. But I'm not an authority on that, so take it with the proverbial grain of salt. When I hook up the next keg, I simply flush out the line with the next pint or so, which is likely to get tossed anyway, due to the excess trub that inevitably ends up in the first pour.
I routinely leave my beer lines full of starsan for weeks, never had a problem. My cooling lines (vinyl, for plate chiller) are drained after each brew day and they end up full of black dots that I'm pretty sure is something I'd rather not have in contact with my beer (this is at room temp). Also, consider ditching PBW for BLC . . . I find the green excrement from a good ole BLC soak most pleasing.
Am I wrong to only be cleaning my draft lines with BLC? I've never sanitized. Haven't had a problem (yet).
@Scope4Beer, I think that's the best thing to do from what I've read so far. One of the added benefits to BLC (which I don't think PBW or Star San will get rid of) is beer stone (if you have that in your lines). The focus of my original question was more along the lines of what to do when you won't be running any beer through the keg lines for an extended period. Unfortunately, I think the best thing to do would be to disconnect and hang. I might be anal though; lots of posters saying they have had no issues with letting Star San, etc. sit in their lines for a while.
It's not that great of a 'wrong', but i always try to run an acid sanitizer like star san through lines after BLC which is a pretty powerful corrosive (lye). Star san is phosphoric acid and a) better for your components to be the last thing in contact with if the tap & line isn't going immediately back to use and b) better for the first pull off the draft...
