How to Clean and Fill Beer Kegs

The BREWHA Keg Washer is an economical manual cleaner that is an effective way of cleaning kegs. While chemicals can be used to remove any long term build up, the heat of the water is generally all that is needed to sanitize the kegs sufficient to safely store beer for several months. While the approach we discuss here requires the removal of the keg spears which is a more labor intensive process than required with a coupler mounted keg washer, a few benefits are the lower capital outlay, and with the opening up of the keg, the insides can be visually inspected to they are clean before reassembly, ensuring the best quality of beer for your customers.

This video is in two sections, in the first we discuss the washing of Sanke D kegs and readying them for filling, and in the second section we show how to fill them. We are using Sanke D kegs (which are the most common commercial kegs throughout North America) but the principles are the same for other commercial and homebrew kegs.

Chapters:
Washing kegs
01:22 Assemble Manual Keg Washer for rinsing
01:45 Rinse Kegs
02:24 Release gas from kegs
02:54 Remove retaining ring and rotate spear
04:04 Withdraw spear
04:23 Rinse kegs
04:51 Connect brewery pump to BREWHA fermenter
05:23 Fill fermenter with water
05:48 Submerge spear and wash keg
06:24 Replace spear in keg and install ring
07:26 Purge and fill with CO2
Filling kegs
10:12 Sanitize Keg Racking Hose and fermenter port
10:30 Flush out racking arm
10:55 Connect coupler to keg
10:59 Connect gas to fermenter
11:47 Place keg on scale and fill (keep some gas space at the top)
12:40 Remove coupler
13:00 Rinse and sanitize keg spear
13:11 Cap keg for storage

BREWHA Manual Keg Washer product page
BIAC complete microbrewery system product page

The BREWHA Keg Washer is an economical manual cleaner that is an effective way to clean kegs. While chemicals can be used to remove any long term build up, the heat of the water is generally all that is needed to sanitize the kegs sufficient to safely store beer for several months. While the approach we discuss here requires the removal of the keg spears which is a more labor intensive process than required with a coupler mounted keg washer, a few benefits are the lower capital outlay, and with the opening up of the keg, the insides can be visually inspected to they are clean before reassembly, ensuring the best quality of beer for your customers.

This video is in two sections, in the first we discuss the washing of Sanke D kegs and readying them for filling, and in the second section we show how to fill them. We are using Sanke D kegs (which are the most common commercial kegs throughout North America) but the principles are the same for other commercial and homebrew kegs.

To clean kegs, follow these steps:

1. Place the BREHWA Keg Washer inside a sink, the BREWHA conical fermenter or 120L Mash Tun for rinsing. If in the sink, connect the WAshwer to a tap, if in the fermenter or Mash Tun, connect the Keg Washer return arm to the Keg Washer stand with the short 3/4" hose, 3/4" gaskets and clamps.

2. To first rinse old beer out of the kegs, connect clean tap water to the Keg Washer. A short section of 1/2" silicone hose can be adapted for this. Clamp a 1/2" hose barb x 1.5"TC to one end, and a female garden hose x 1/2" hose barb on the other (most hardware stores carry the GH fitting but an assembled unit can be purchased from BREWHA). The hot tap water will flush the keg and rinse beer and sediment out.

3. To remove the spear, release all gas in the keg by turning down on a Sanke spear removal tool to fully depress the spear (purchase online from keg suppliers, we have found the one from Micromatic, although expensive, to be the best). Releasing all pressure before removing the spear is very important for safety reasons. (At all times follow all safety precautions recommended by the keg supplier.)

4. Once the pressure is released, and with the spear removal tool still fully depressing the spear, remove the retaining ring/circlip that holds the spear in place. There are specific 'spear removal knives' like shown in the picture (can be purchased from keg suppliers online), a hook and pick set (the hook is my preference), or a small flat head screwdriver or other implement can also be used. The retaining ring is notched on each end so with the tool, move the ring towards the center until the end of it pops out of the channel that it sits in. This can be challenging the first few times, but with practice, a good method can be developed. Once the ring starts to pop out, it can be easily removed the rest of the way by gently pulling towards the middle of the keg, all around the ring with your fingers. If the ring is damaged in any way, replaced it. Ring removal tools are available, which are easy to use for removing the ring, but they destroy the ring in the process.

5. One the ring is removed, release and remove the spear removal tool and retainer ring. To withdraw the spear, it needs to be rotated about 5 degrees until the spear notch and keg groove line up.

6. The keg can then be lowered over the BREWHA Keg Washer spray ball until the keg rests on the supports. Tap water can be ran into the apparatus to rinse the keg out. The bottom dump valve on the fermenter (or other vessel) should be left open so the rinse water can drain. When using tap water, but especially with the near boiling water during the sanitize phase, it is important to wear insulated rubber wash gloves (like the ones resting on the pump in the picture below).

7. Once the kegs are rinsed, connect the BREWHA stainless conical fermentor (or BREWHA 120L Mash Tun) to your recirculation pump. A powerful 1hp pump (like the commercial grade pump that we sell) is recommended as it provides a high pressure spray to aid with cleaning, but smaller pumps can be used as well. The larger hose (1"ID) provides water from the vessel to the pump, the smaller (3/4"ID) hose sends water from the pump back to the cleaner apparatus.

8. Fill the vessel with water until the level is where the keg support arms meet the vertical pipe. If the water level is too low, the hot water evaporates more as it falls back into the vessel, and the heating element has to work harder. Ensure the heating element is always completely covered with ample water. Heat the water to just shy of boiling (about 95C or 200F). A note of caution, when dealing with hot water it is important to always use protective gear including insulated wash gloves, full apron, and face mask is recommended.

9. The keg spear can be submerged into the near boiling water to heat sanitize it. The spear can be inverted to let water fill the spear and to ensure that the head is fully sanitized. Drop the keg over the spray ball, turn the pump on and let it spray hot, sanitizing water into the keg for about 2 minutes. Then turn the pump off.

10. Once the water drains out of the keg, remove the keg and spear (remember to wear insulated wash gloves as they will be hot), lower the spear back into the keg, rotate it clockwise so the retaining tabs are locked in place, and with the help of the spear removal tool (this should be heat sanitized too so it doesn't infect the top of the spear) put the retaining ring back in place. It is generally easiest to replace the ring if it is started into the groove about 60 degrees clockwise from the locking tab. This ensures that the beginning and end of the ring are not located at either of the two locking tabs. Ensure that the retaining ring has moved fully back into the groove. If the ring is not fully in the groove, it could come loose under pressure and project the spear out forcefully. It is best for safety to never stand directly over the spear. Replace the ring for a new one if damaged in any way or replace with each install. Always follow all keg manufacturer guidelines.

11. The final step of keg preparation is to add CO2 to the kegs at this point to purge out the oxygen and pressurize the kegs (optional) so that they are ready to fill with beer (don't add more CO2 pressure to the kegs than the pressure of the fermenter or CO2 will blow back into the fermenter; e.g. if the fermenter is at 12psi, fill the kegs to not more than 12psi). CO2 can be added with the same hose with which you fill the kegs with beer. By simply connecting a Gas in Post to the Fermenter to Keg Racking Hose CO2 can be easily added to your kegs. (To permit CO2 or beer to flow 'backwards' through the stainless Sanke D coupler, the liquid and gas check valves need to be first removed. It is recommended to keep a dedicated coupler just for racking beer. See more details on removing the checks at the bottom of this page).

Once the kegs are purged they are ready for filling with beer. If you won't be filling right away, cap the top of the keg to keep it clean; 2" TC plastic covers (like the plastic caps that come with the BREWHA 2" stainless butterfly valves) work great for this or tin foil or caps can be purchased online from keg suppliers.

And now, for filling the kegs.

The BREWHA 4-in-1 fermenters enable you to save money and serve the best beer by minimizing transfers that take time and can contaminate your beer in the process. Once fermentation is complete, if fermentation gas was not captured to naturally carbonate (see instructions on the BREWHA website for doing this), the beer can be force carbonated from the top of the tank. Carbonation stones can be used from the bottom, but they don't increase the speed substantially, can scrub some aroma compounds from the beer, and they stir up yeast that may be settled on the sides so we recommend against them. By lowering the temperature of the beer by using one of our Water Chillers, the beer can be force carbonated more quickly. Since carbonation occurs much slower at higher temperature and one can't put as much CO2 into the beer (CO2 dissolves much less readily at higher temperature), a temperature of about 6C/43F is recommended with 12psi of CO2 for most beer styles which delivers about 2.3 volumes of CO2(setting your gas regulator to 12psi will ensure you don't waste gas out the fermenter pressure relief valve; check the functionality of the pressure relief regularly).

To fill the kegs, follow these steps:

1. Clean and sanitize the Keg Racking Hose and ensure that the racking port on the fermenter is clean/sanitized. Sticking a pot of boiling water over the fermenter racking valve for two minutes can heat sanitize the valve, and then spray the valve out with Star San or other sanitizer.

2. Close both shutoffs (liquid and gas) on the coupler and connect the Fermenter to Keg Racking Hose to the fermenter. Then open the fermenter valve, and temporarily open the liquid shutoff on the coupler to empty about 0.5L/L or quart into a pot to flush yeast/sediment out of the racking arm. (To send liquid 'backward' through the coupler, the check ball and gas check need to be removed.

3. Connect the stainless Sanke D coupler to a sanitized keg ready to be filled.

4. Ensure that CO2 is connected to the 4-in-1 fermenter to maintain pressure in the fermenter (about 12psi is recommended). Then open the liquid shut off valve on the coupler and start filling the keg. The gas release valve on the coupler will need to be cracked to allow CO2 to escape, otherwise the keg will not fill. Don't open it fully and empty all the gas, or the beer will start to foam inside the keg and make filling more difficult. It is best to control the beer filling speed by partially closing the gas release shutoff on the coupler (beer should be able to enter faster than gas can escape so that the pressure of 12psi is maintained in the keg).

5. The keg should either be on a scale to fill by weight (which is what we are doing in this video; 1L of beer weighs very close to 1kg so a 59L keg, will weigh 59kg plus the tare (empty) weight of the keg and filling apparatus.), or leaned against something solid while filling so that there is a pocket of gas at the top of the keg that won't fill with beer (as the keg fills, gas will be trapped in the space above the neck of the spear). This ensures that there is a small amount of space that remains in the keg that can absorb pressure changes. If a keg is filled right to the brim, and the beer warms up, pressure will rise rapidly in the keg, and very likely the keg will leak beer. (Gas compresses much more than liquid, so with the gas space in the keg, pressure won't change very much when the keg experiences some temperature fluctuation.)

6. When the keg is full (by weight or the beer starts to spray out the partially closed gas shutoff valve--a hose can be connected to direct the beer into a bucket), the keg is full. Close the gas shutoff valve on the coupler, close the liquid shutoff valve on the coupler, and disconnect the coupler from the keg and move to the next keg. Once the kegs are filled, they can be topped up with CO2 (same method as discussed for purging the kegs as mentioned earlier) but if the beer is carbonated and cold and pressure was maintained in the keg when filling (by note releasing pressure too quickly) there shouldn't be any need.

7. The top of the keg spear should be rinsed off with hot water to remove residual beer (that microbes would love to grow in!) and then spray sanitized (with Star San or similar sanitizer).

8. And finally, the keg can be capped for storage (standard 2" TC caps work pretty well or keg caps can be purchased from keg suppliers).

And that's it-beer is ready to be served!

Thank you for watching! If you have any brewing or keg cleaning questions, send them to us using the forms on the BREWHA website.