Today I finally sucked it up and cleaned kegs. 16 needed cleaned. This has got to be my least favorite part of brewing. 
. And I have a pretty good set up that maintains my cleaner around 135° (but not NEAR as nice at the brewery ). it took me about 2.5 hours to rinse, clean, rinse, and sanitize. I know… I keep telling myself to do it sooner, like when 6-8 need cleaned but I just can’t get it through my skull to do it…
What’s your least favorite part? And it better not be drinking it!
I hate bottling and what a pain it is to clean and sanitize and fill them. I have two uKeg Go’s which I love to use but they’re both full now, so I had to bottle my new batch yesterday. The only nice thing is that it doesn’t take as long when you only brew 1.5 gallons instead of 5 gallons. Filled 14 bottles in about an hour and a half. In the old days this took closer to 2.5 hours or something like that. Kegging I can do in like 20 minutes. As long as you rinse and fill with sanitizer right after they kick, it’s so much easier than if you leave them sitting with old beer in them or just quick rinse. Just sanitize them right off and they’re ready for you next time.
Yeah bottling was worse, hence why I only bottled ONE batch; the first one I ever made! . I will bottle off a keg sometimes though.
I do try to remember to rinse them immediately after kicking, that way I would just need a quick clean session.
I say bottling was my least happiest piece. Once I got to kegging, even my brewing increased! Cleaning soda kegs is very easy and I’ve never tried to do a sanke keg. Maybe disassemble for making a brew kettle or two. Yes, I talked with the distributor and was able to buy the dented kegs.
Sneezles
Cleaning carboys. Trying to find brush or something attach to the drill to help.
Be careful, scratching the surface will give bacteria a new place to hide… nothing worse than infected brews.. /: There are brushes for the fermenters out there. Now, which one?
Sneezles
Totally agree. @irishjoe you have to be careful with those brushes. Soaking is your best option to avoid scratching.
I always soak and being careful. The devise I use that is attach is more of a wipe on a pole. I actually bend over the tip of my brush.
I don’t use my carboys except for aging wine but I have one of those bottle washing faucet attachments that work well for a power spray since it’s hard to get anything else in there
I have neck handles to hold them while washing but generally they are in plastic milk crates for moving
Stainless Steel fermenter was another great tool for me! A few mods so I could use CO2 to push the brew into a keg. Very easy to dis-assemble for cleaning. I still have it, when will I use it again?
Sneezles
