How Does a Keg Washing Machine Clean Kegs?

Kegs are a brewer’s best friend in many aspects, so it falls to us to make sure they stay in good condition and can handle the next batch of beer. Manually cleaning a keg is an exercise in time and patience, but keg washing machines make this process much less painful, especially in large brewing operations. We’ll provide you with an overview of how a keg washing machine cleans kegs so you can understand the most important parts.

Drain and Rinse

The last thing you want in your keg is leftover beer to spoil the new batch. The first thing a keg washing machine does is blast out all the leftover beer from the keg. Automatic keg washing machines enable you to rinse and drain your keg all in one go, so there’s no need to worry about the rinsing water fully draining before beginning the next step.

Caustic Wash

Your caustic chemicals play a crucial role in protecting your kegs long term. No matter how much water you push into your kegs or how powerful that blast is, certain elements of your beer will get left behind. Keg washers make handling caustic chemicals much safer. Additionally, these machines provide a simple way to ensure the insides of your kegs are fully scrubbed of contaminants, prepping them for the next batch.

Sanitizer Wash

You’ll want to make sure none of those caustics are left inside the keg before preparing it for the next batch of beer. This is where your sanitizer comes in. The main component of how a keg washing machine works is the spray, rinse, and drain cycle. Your machine will also do this with the sanitizer. You might want to go through a few sanitizing cycles to flush out all the caustics. Your machine will rinse out the sanitizer before the final step begins.

CO2 Purge and Pressurization

Oxygen is one of beer brewers’ worst enemies, so we can’t have it inside of the keg, waiting to spoil your next batch. Once the caustic and sanitizing chemicals are done and the kegs are rinsed, the washing machine will purge everything from the keg using CO2. Not only does this remove all the oxygen from the keg, but it also pressurizes it so the next batch of beer doesn’t lose its carbonation, even after a long period of time.

Craftmaster Stainless offers a high-quality keg washing machine that will ensure your kegs are perfectly clean after every batch! When it’s time to get serious, or you’re looking to upgrade your operation, Craftmaster Stainless has all the equipment you could need.