How to Clean Keg Taps
No one likes foamy beer, and the primary culprit of a foamy beer is a dirty keg tap. Foam isn't the only concern of dirty taps though. Bacteria, yeast and mold are also a major problem with dirty taps since warm, leftover beer is a veritable smorgasbord for nasty microorganisms. In order to keep your beer tasting fresh and your party guests happy, your keg taps should be thoroughly cleaned after each use. Read on to learn how to clean keg taps. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Keg cleaning kit
- Cleaning bottle with hand pump
- Faucet attachment
- Bucket
- Rubber gloves
- Safety glasses
- Lots of fresh water
Instructions
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1
Mix the detergent with warm water in the cleaning bottle with hand pump. The amount of water will depend on the particular brand of keg cleaning detergent that comes with your kit.
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2
Remove the knob from the faucet.
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3
Set the faucet, faucet knob, coupler and beer hose into the bucket.
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4
Connect the cleaning attachment that comes in your keg tap cleaning kit to the faucet attachment.
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5
Slip the bucket with all the pieces under the housing and place the hose into the bucket.
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6
Pump the warm cleaning solution through the hose until it begins to run through into the bucket below.
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7
Let the cleaning solution soak in the hoses. The length of time that will be needed will depend on the brand of cleaning agent in the cleaning kit.
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8
Rinse out the cleaning bottle thoroughly.
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9
Refill the cleaning bottle with clean, cold water.
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10
Pump the clean water through the hoses until the cleaning bottle is completely empty.
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11
Disassemble the faucet and the keg coupler using the faucet wrench included in your cleaning kit.
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12
Use the brush included in the cleaning kit to brush out the faucet and keg coupler thoroughly, inside and out.
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13
Rinse the faucet and keg coupler in cold, clean water.
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14
Allow the pieces to dry completely before reassembling.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Since you have to disassemble the entire rig to clean your keg tap it's an excellent time to check the seals and o-rings on your equipment. The probe o-ring on the coupler should be complete with no cracks or nicks and should be properly lubricated with a good food-grade lubricant for the best operation.
The detergent provided in the keg tap cleaning kit can be quite caustic so always wear gloves and safety glasses when handling it.
