Cleaning SS beer kegs

Steve, rinse the kegs out with clean water and fill them with wine.

I rinsed it out with water and then soaked in in a solution (1 tbsp/gal) B-Brite (sodium prcarbonate)and rinsed again. When I lowered a small flashlight into the kegs and looked in, the bottom looked like grey fine sand paper.

Is that usual?

Should I rinse in a citric acid bath? Proportions?

Is it ready to use now?

B-Brite (sodium prcarbonate)and rinsed again.

looked like grey fine sand paper.

ready to use now?

They are probably salt deposits of some sort. If you soaked in bicarbonate (which is an alkali), and it didn't loosen them, try citric acid (1/2 tsp. per 250 ml cup of water). You don't have to fill the entire keg, just enough to cover the deposits. Let it soak for a while, and swish it around. Repeat until it all comes loose, or it you decide it isn't helping. Let it soak at least overnight before giving up.

If neither the alkali, nor the acid, remove the deposits, empty the keg, pour in a few handfuls of builders sand (the kind you get in a bag to mix with cement), add enough water to make a loose paste, and swish it around. That will act just like scouring powder.

If THAT doesn't remove it, I wouldn't worry about it ever coming off --- or tainting your wine. It may be that something etched the bottom of the keg.

Some pretty damn clever ideas, there, particularly those stainless steel balls.

As an avid homebrewer, "stainless" could be my middle name. I did want to warn folks on this thread that I would never just rinse a keg and then use it for ANYTHING. I always sanitize and try to sterilize. This means, like one of the other posters on the thread, using a sodium percarbonate solution. This usually works great. I'd like to add that

99% of things come out by letting it sit overnight. People don't let time do the work for them. They are too impatient.

After I do that I rinse, rinse, and then rinse again. Finally, I do my best to sterilize, and that means using an iodophor solution. A few fellow winemakers I know skip this step, but they also have had problems. Knock on wood, I try my best to sterilize all my equipment before use, and so far, so good.

Also, I wonder if the look that they are describing might not be just the low gloss finish used on typical stainless. It isn't polished up to a chrome like shine inside of a keg, like you'd see in stainless cookware. It is more like a matte finish, or like a brushed aluminum look.

Hope some of that is helpful.

Regards,

Deadend

I use granite landscape chips in some water to knock deposits off kegs. Just shake. Tim

Sounds like good advice, I don't use stainless so did not want to comment. I know stainless does look like gray sandpaper if it is not buffed up and though that might be what he was seeing, but did not want to mess him up either.

Are you sure idophor is ok with winemaking? I was pretty sure that was exclusive to beermakers because you left it in, but do not use it. I thought there was a problem with exposing the wine to it. (We just started making beer...)

With wine containers, after cleaning, I rinse with a 1% sulfite and ~ .5% citric acid solution to sanitize instead of idophor. I just let it drip out and have at it. I have no idea if it has prevented problems, but don't have any and figure it's cheap insurance. If stink is any indicator, it kills lots of stuff... :o) Regards, Joe

Well, I'm a homebrewer, so that's where I got the habit from, to be sure. As far as I know, it should be fine, if it is indeed used properly. After all, when you drink wine out, I'd guarantee that you're drinking it from glasses sanitized with iodophor as the no-rinse sanitizer, right? Same with all of your plates, glasses and silverware. On the other hand, I'd wager that 75% of people using it at home are using it wrong, including homebrewers. They are likely mixing up concentrations that are way too strong, and/or filling containers IMMEDIATELY following iodophor rinse, without letting it dry for a moment. That's a sure-fire way to get a little of it in whatever you are using it for. Then again, taste tests and experiments have shown that a little iodophor is literally undetectable even to the experienced imbiber, although it's not the taste I'd be worried about. I just make sure to use it properly so that I'm not consuming any of the solution for any reason!

Well, I've been using iodophor for years for both winemaking and brewing. One big bottle will last me for years. Each new bottle only costs like ten bucks, so maybe three dollars per year is cheap enough for me. As far as how well it works, well, lets say that I've met other home winemakers that were dismayed that they had some kind of problem that wine made from the same harvest of grapes that we bought at the same store turned out differently. Maybe, just maybe, that has something to do with sabitation techniques. I have done the sodium percarbonate for cleaning, iodophor for sterlilizing regimen for years, and so far...so good.

But, if anybody has some chemical or scientific reason why I shouldn't use it, I'm open to the discussion.

Thanks,

Deadend

One reason, although how much of a concern it is depends on how much Iodine is left on the surface of the container. Iodine reacts with the sulfites you may be (should be, IMHO) adding to protect your wine. If there is significant Iodine present, you may need to add more sulfite than you think you need. It also results in (I think) hydrogen sulphate (HSO4).

I'm not a chemist, but this info came from one.

Andy

It can also seriously discolour the wine - based on my re-reading of my cellar management notes from university. Commercially, we use sodium percarbonate (aka Oxyper) for washing and sanitising, always followed by a thorough water rinse (preferably hot water for both). If stains are stubborn, we have used caustic soda, but I personally try to avoid doing so, as it has significant OH&S issues. A slightly safer alternative to caustic, as pointed out earlier by Tom S, is to use soda ash/washing soda/sodium carbonate.

Cheers,

Andrew

I also use Sodium Percarbonate for cleaning, but not for sterilizing. I use the iodophor for that, usually at a concentration of 12 ppm. I usually let it aerate out, as it is a "no rinse" sanitizer. If I am out of time, I may give it a quick rinse. I haven't noticed any ill effects, and certainly no color change in my wine. In fact, I have been pretty happy with my wine's color over the years.

I do add sulfites, but i add the least amount possible. One of my friends actually claims to be allergic, and she can't drink commercial wine without a reaction. I add very little, and she's drank small amounts of my wine with no problems. I'd like to continue on that path.

However, I am curious about your info. I am always open to new ideas and if I need to revise my procedures and seek ways to improve.

I am not familiar with the the term "OH&S issues." Can you explain that?

I just did a google, and this guy sells wine kits and recommends iodophor:

I dunno, though. Just because some vendor is doing it doesn't mean that it's a ringing endorsement. But again, your wine glasses are likely sanitized that way at your favorite wine bar.

I'll have to ask at my local winemaking shop, and see what they say. They're good people, haven't steered me wrong yet.

Well, the work day's done, time to stop fooling around on Usenet and go home. Good night all!

Deadend

Occupational Health & Safety - basically preventing you or your workmates from being sick or injured.