Sterilizing a Blichmann Beer Gun by Boiling?

I hold with those who favor fire. Or heat, anyway. Palmer provides the following timetable for sterilizing bottles with heat. I expect it'd be accurate for a beer gun as well:

Dry Heat Sterilization
Temperature
Duration
338°F (170°C)
60 minutes
320°F (160°C)
120 minutes
302°F (150°C)
150 minutes
284°F (140°C)
180 minutes
250°F (121°C)
12 hours (Overnight)

 

Perhaps email Blichmann and ask which they recommend as the best option? Hopefully they will have an understanding of how their product will do at these temps.

You probably realize that boiling is not quite the same as sterilizing, but I quibble. Alternatively, maybe a sanitizer soak is all you need.

 

I would probably bake it, this assumes the rubber tip is the only non-metal part.

 

I vote for heat and new soft parts (seals gaskets, whatever is in there).

 

Disassemble, brush everything out, soak in PBW, brush it out soak in sanitizer of you choice. reassemble.

Run beer line cleaner through the line, let it soak, run SS through the line, let it soak. Flush the assembly out with SS.

 

I've had no problems thus far, by simply keeping Starsan in an extra keg and "continuously baptizing" my Blickman beer gun after use and then simply "douching" the outside before using. Granted: I've only bottled 2 sours while using the beer gun for mostly traditional non-sour applications...but, so far-so good.

The soft tip always gets stored separately, and the "warm gun/happiness" is always flushed immediatly after use.

 

I think you're over worrying on this. Unless your friend let the Beergun sit unwahsed for a few days I think there's absolutely nothing that normal sanitation with Starsan or iodophor won't cure. Take hopfenunmaltz's advice and you should be alright.

 

If you clean it well, sanitize it with starsan, and replace the rubber/plastics you will be fine.

 

Although I'm sure the sanitation procedures above would all be fine, why not invest in another? I know those things are kind of expensive, but it wouldn't be so bad if you split the cost with your partner. Sounds like you would appreciate having two of these many times down the road as well.

 

I agree with rocdoc and hopfenundmalz. After all, there are plenty of souring bugs in the air around us at all times, yet infected batches are pretty rare after we reach a decent level of brewing proficiency. However, I tend to be paranoid and would probably want to heat sanitize as well. I would soak everything non-rubber in a hot (190+F) solution of PBW or oxygen cleaner for 15 minutes or so. You don't need too much contact time to kill bacteria because the metal will heat up fast but you might want an extended soak if the beergun is not sparkling clean. Then rinse well with hot tap water and soak in Star San until the next use (more to remove alkaline residue than for additional sanitation).

Your buddy did at least clean and do a normal sanitizing on the beergun after filling the growlers, right?

 

Reminds me, I need to buy some new tips for mine for issues like this.

I'd probably do a HOT HOT PBW soak of everything. Brush it out, soak it more. Pull it, rinse it, starsan soak, brush it some more.

Assemble it, and run some SS through it again. I'd probably be okay with that myself.

Or you could drop it in your kettle of strike water next brewday, minus the rubber tip.

 

Personally, I would:

1. Soak hot PBW soln, scrub, and rinse. Replace rubber fittings.
2. Hook up to spigot of my BK and run boiling water through a few times.
3. Boil the gun for a few minutes.
4. Final soak in some SS soln prior to bottling.