How often do you totally break down corny kegs

I just started kegging this time last year. I worked my way up to 6 kegs (all in use at that moment BTW). Each time I have killed a keg I have broken it down completely and let everything have a good Oxy soak. I recently got a long dip tube brush to clean the posts each time as well. It might be overkill, but I use different yeasts and don't really want a high attenuating Belgian in my Wee Heavy or throwing phenols in my lagers if I don't get it fully cleaned. Eventually I may get to the point where I just leave them together and give a quick cleaning before refilling the keg and only do a break down every 3 fills or so. Curious to hear what the more experienced keggers do.

 

Err...not very often at all. When a keg kicks, I leave it in the fridge until I'm ready to fill it with something else. I open the keg, give it a good cleaning just using dish soap and brush and run that through the beer line, then rinse very well, and run rinse water through the beer line. Purge with CO2 and fill.

I've been kegging for...4 years? I've completely broken down my kegs maybe 3 times.

 

I break them down every time they kick.

 

I break them down every time as well. Usually try to do 2-3 at the same time.

 

Every time.

 

Every couple times

 

I want to say I break them down every other time. If I'm in a hurry I'll clean out a keg that kicked and fill it up with the new batch. When I have more time, I do like to do a good soak with PBW or OXY and take everything apart. I also inspect the o-rings and replace as necessary.

 

Been kegging for 2 years and haven't broken one down yet. When a keg kicks I immediately rinse it out a few times, then fill it with water and let it soak for a while. Then I hook it up to my DIY keg washer and run a 15 minute PBW cycle on it. That's a big plus as it pumps the cleaning solution through the dip tube and connection posts vigorously. Then again it probably helps that I have about a dozen or more kegs, so I would guess that each one has only housed 3-4 beers each following this cleaning cycle. Probably time to do a deep dive soon.

 

Very rarely do I do a very thorough cleaning on everything. If it's going right back into use, I rinse with hot water (if any crud, then add some PBW) and then rinse with StarSan. If it's been awhile between uses, then I'll take off the posts, rinse in hot water, and give a quick StarSan soak.

Caveats: I generally go through kegs quite quickly and almost all the beers are 1.010 or below FG. The few times I've done a stout or sweeter beer, I make sure to take things apart to get off any sticky sugars, etc.

 

I break them down every time.

But I am very OCD about my sanitation

 

I just started kegging last year, I've just been hooking up and running hot water through the "in" post and out the picknic tap, then I'll add easy clean and run that a little bit through the tap to fill the lines. I'll let that soak overnight, turning the keg once. Next day I'll drain and rinse hot water through everything again, drain and let dry. Sanitize pretty much the same way, but I use Co2 to push it through the lines and tap.

 

If a keg kicks within a day or two of kegging day, I usually just rinse with tap water and fill. If not, it gets broken down washed, sanitized, purged, and pressurized. That way, it's ready to go when I need it. I don't usually clean them right away, though. I leave them sealed to keep the bugs out and wait until I've got a few to clean all at once - usually three or four at a time.

FYI, I use a dip tube brush. It gets nasty after a few batches. Likely a source of something undesirable, though I don't know what.

 

Only about twice a year but I do sanitize with 190F water more frequently.

 

I clean keg each time and tap about every 5 kegs I do run starsan through lines and tap between each keg.

 

I've been kegging for about 5 years and I clean my kegs (6 of 'em) exactly how you do, only breaking them down about once a year (maybe?), but reading this thread makes me think that my next homebrew equipment purchase needs to be a dip tube brush.

 

Not sure how it would get stripped. I suppose you could cross thread it when you put it back on, but it's pretty easy to do it right, so I don't think that should be an issue.

The brush turns brown if I don't clean it regularly. I don't believe that would be a good thing.

 

If they are going to sit unfilled for any length of time, I do the following:

• Rinse with keg with water until yeast sediments are not visible or not coming out.
• Soak in hot oxyclean solutions (I may make the switch to PBW)
• Remove diptube and brush.
• Flush BLC through the tube and the lines
• Rinse keg with clean water and run that through the lines
• Rinse keg with Star san and run that through the lines
• Remove the fittings and soak in Star san.
• Put it back together and store.

If I have a beer ready to go into the keg, I might just do some quick oxycleaning, rinsing, and sanitizing without going through the full routine

 

Almost never unless it is a new/problem keg or needs a part replaced...I figure Pepsi and Dr. Pepper didn't...why would I?

4 years...no problems yet

I do use oxyclean, rinse thoroughly, and run starsan through all fittings with pressure. I also never leave a dirty keg at room temp or uncleaned for very long.