For each of my kegs, I have a separate picnic tap dispenser (ball lock disconnect - not the threaded type with a swivel, 5 feet of beverage line, and a picnic tap, held together with stainless steel clamps). Usually, when I finish a keg, I try to remember to immediately put fresh cleaning fluid in the keg, pressurize it, and run it through the picnic tap dispenser in order to clean it. Sometimes I get lazy and forget to clean the dispenser right away, and any residue beer in the line hardens and makes it hard to clean later. Because the ball lock is locked in place when not on the keg, it's not possible to run hot water through the line to clean it without some way of keeping the lock open. I've tried using a little piece of dowel, but it keeps slipping off. Are there other ways to easily keep the ball lock open and/or clean these picnic tap dispensers other than taking them apart each time? Thank you.
if you have a spare keg post (or spare empty keg that you can detach one from), pop it onto that and then soak the assembly while it's in its open position in some warm water and pbw/oxiclean. You mean one like this right? https://www.amazon.com/Midwest-Home...3890&sr=8-1&keywords=ball+lock+keg+tap+handle if so, get a tap removal wrench (1" spanner wrench) and break the tap handle parts down to soak individually. The ball lock quick disconnect will either need to have cleaner run through it, or again will have to be mounted to a detached keg post to open it up for soaking.
I use pin-pock kegs, so things may be a bit different, but something like the following should work. First, disassemble both the keg connector (unscrew the plug on top) and the picnic tap (unscrew the top. You can now clean all of the exposed part and you should be able to easily run cleaner through the line. Cheers!
It's like this: https://www.amazon.com/E-C-Kraus-Pi...1483205205&sr=8-2&keywords=picnic+faucet+beer The picnic tap can be held open, but the ball lock side is the problem. If it was on a swivel connection, I could easily unscrew it, but since it is connected with a squeezed down clamp, I would have to replace the clamp each time, or use a screw on type, but would then have to screw it off and then back on each time. I might have to order a spare keg post, although they are relatively expensive. I was hoping for a less expensive solution.
Unfortunately, mine is not the screw on type - it uses squeezed stainless steel clamps. I could change it for a screw-on swivel type of connection, but they are quite expensive.
I was not suggesting that you disconnect the ball-lock connector from the tubing. I was suggesting that you unscrew the plug on the top of the connector, which will enable you to remove the innards of the connector and subsequently freely run liquid through your tap-tubing-connector assembly. Cheers!
My picnic taps/5 ft tubing/ball lock liquid out fittings only get used once or twice a year so I just hook them up to my keg of Starsan and flush them out when done. I store them full of Starsan and always keep ones with beer in them in the frig until I get around to cleaning up after myself ps a keg of line cleaner or PBW should work also if necessary
I built one of these to clean and sanitize my beer lines in between complete teardowns. It neatly solves the issue of how to keep the QD open. https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/pimp-my-system/beer-line-cleaner/
Yeah, this works. You can use it for Starsan, PBW, or BLC . . . in a pinch you could even put beer in it. I followed Vikeman's plans with some minor modifications: FWIW, I have no clamps on any of my liquid lines (ball lock, faucet, picnic tap). The only clamps in my keezer are on the gas side.
I keep my Star San solution in a spare corny keg. When I finish a keg, I'll hook the tap side up to that one, attach my bike pump to the gas in, get some pressure there (don't have to worry about oxidation) and run some of the star san through. Let it run for 10 or 15 seconds, the close the tap and let the SS sit in the tubing for a while, depending if I plan to hook to to a new keg in the relatively near future. If not, I'll then drain it back out and hang it to dry.
I guess I follow your procedure -- try to clean it soon after kicking but occasionally fail to get to it. But that hasn't change my cleaning. Rinse the keg with water. Add a couple quarts of properly diluted beer line cleaner and flush the lines, rinse with water and flush several quarts, rinse with star san. I haven't had problems with this.
That's generally the procedure I have been following, but the issue was what to do when the dispenser line has sat around too long without having been cleaned right away. The beer in the line stains it and sometimes some sediment will remain.
Yep. Should add to my original that during initial rinse I'll also remove valves and dip tubes and rinse them, and use a brush to clean in the tubes,
