The entire purpose of setting up a kegerator in your home is to enjoy the best tasting beer at your discretion and pleasure. It, therefore, can be a nuisance to have dirty and flat beer. But this is not an indication that you need a new keg beer dispenser.
Nor does it mean that the keg you bought is bad. It merely implies that your kegerator needs cleaning. In order to enjoy cool, crisp and fresh beer every time, regular maintenance and cleaning of your system is essential.
Importance of Cleaning a Kegerator
Unmaintained and dirty Kegerator can greatly lower the quality and taste of beer, ruining your entire at-home beer experience. It is important to clean beer lines, faucets and couplers, every now and then, to ensure that your dispenser is working at its optimum and providing high quality beer. Moreover, infrequent cleaning can result in the development of microbial infection, which can ruin an entire keg.
There can also be chances of manifestation of yeast, bacteria, mold and beer stones within the beer line. Hence, in order to enjoy the best possible taste of beer and to ensure that your dispenser works at its optimal level for a long time, you need to clean your dispenser. Ideally, you should clean and sanitize your kegerator every two weeks or after the removal of every keg, whichever happens first.
Steps to Cleaning a Kegerator
There are two phases of cleaning your home draft beer system, namely cleaning and sanitizing. Cleaning implies to the process of removing the large chunks of yeast and malt residue from the surface of the dispenser. Sanitizing means the removal of microbes and conducting of a more thorough cleaning.
Surface Cleaning
The surface cleaning should be carried out as follows:
1. Unplug your Kegerator, turn off the regulator for the carbon dioxide tank, unfasten the keg tap and remove the keg.
2 .Clean all the surfaces of the Kegerator – the carbon dioxide tank, keg tap, regulator, beer lines, spill tray and the interior and exterior of the cooling unit, basically the entire area around your draft system.
It is recommended to use unscented soap and warm water for the cleaning of the surfaces. The unscented soap enables you to smell and detect whether the surface is properly cleaned or not.
Sanitizing
Once the surface cleaning is successfully complete, the process of sanitizing can begin as follows:
The tools required for successfully cleaning the surfaces are:
Prior to disassembling the parts ensure that you have: quart bottle with pump assembly, faucet wrench, faucet brush, cleaning solution, two to five gallon bucket and a small bowl.
1. Disassembled the faucet by using a faucet wrench to unscrew it.
2. Once the faucet is removed from the system, disassemble it entirely.
3. Allow the parts of the disassembled faucet to soak in a mix of cleaning solution and warm water in the bowl.
4. Simultaneously, connect the quart bottle attached to a pump assembly to the faucet shank coupler by using the faucet wrench.
5. Disassemble the other end of the beer line from the attached keg coupler and soak in the bowl.
6. Once the keg coupler is removed and put to soak, pump the beer lines by putting the other end into a bucket with capacity of two to five gallon.
7. Pump the soapy water, a mixture of cleaning solution and water, through the beer lines and oxidizing cleaner.
8. Following the soapy water, pump warm water through the beer lines three times. Ensure that the beer lines are flushed with water to avoid any solution remaining in the lines.
9. Check the carbon dioxide gas line for residual foam or beer. In case there is a buildup, clean the line similarly as the beer lines.
10. Scrub the faucet and keg tap by using the faucet brush.
11.Inspect the rubber gaskets and O-rings and replace if required.
12. Reassemble the system and enjoy a tasty mug of beer.
Best Kegerator Kits
There are many kegerator cleaning kits available on the market for you to use while cleaning it. In order to get the most out of your kegerator, you must choose a quality kit. Below we have put together the three best cleaning kits that you can buy.
Beer Line Cleaning Kit
The Beer Line’s Cleaning Kit for your Kegerator is designed to facilitate the process of cleaning for your convenience. It includes all the necessary components such as:
- Faucet Wrench
- Faucet Brush
- Ball Lifter
On top of this, there are simple step by step instruction for you to follow and successfully complete the cleaning of your beer system. The components enclosed in the kit are high quality and durable.
Keg Works Deluxe Beer Line Cleaning Kit
Keg Work’s Deluxe Beer Line Cleaning Kit provides a convenient and simple pump assembly for the cleaning of the draft system. There are detailed and thorough instructions to walk you through the process.
The kit includes every component you will need to clean your kegerator. One of the main benefits is the included pressurized like cleaning bottle. There are no compromises on the quality of the components.
Kegco Deluxe Hand Pump Pressurized Keg Beer Cleaning Kit
Kegco’s Deluxe Hand Pump Pressurized Keg Beer Cleaning Kit provides you with the facility of cleaning your Kegerator without removing the faucet from the beer line. You simply need to unscrew the beer line from the coupler and attached it to the cleaning kit. It is extremely easy to use and does not produce any after taste.
This is by far one of the best and easiest ways to clean your kegerator. So, if you’re looking for quality and ease of use, look no further than this cleaning kit.
It is unpleasant and a mood spoiler to pour yourself a mug of beer only to find its taste nasty and bad. It happens due to unclean beer draft system. Frequent cleaning of the Kegerator ensures that your beer remains tasty and fresh as it eliminates bacteria, debris and other residues. There are many cleaning kits available in the market for your convenience with detailed instructions and essential components. Keep your Kegerator clean and always enjoy delicious and tasty beer.