What’s the Best Sanitizing Solution for Keg Cleaning?

What you do once the beer is out of a keg is just as important as getting it in there in the first place. Cleaning and sanitizing your kegs is one of the most important steps in your beer brewing process. You can use several different solutions to sanitize your kegs, and plenty of brands exist within each category. Let’s take a more general look at the best sanitizing solutions for keg cleaning so you can decide which one will work best for you.

Iodophor Solutions

Iodophor solutions are sanitizing solutions that utilize iodine to remove bacteria and other contaminants. The upside to this kind of sanitizer is that it can be very effective across many different types of bacteria you can often find in your kegs. Because of its slight acidity, it also helps remove beerstone that can cake onto your kegs over time.

On the other hand, iodophor solutions may not work against certain kinds of spores. They can also stain surfaces if you aren’t careful, and you’ll have to monitor their pH and temperature for maximum effectiveness.

Chlorine Dioxide

Some of the best sanitizing solutions for keg cleaning involve the compound chlorine dioxide. This compound is relatively fast at sanitizing surfaces and is effective against almost every kind of bacteria, spore, or fungus you might run into during brewing. It’s not corrosive to your equipment and helps eliminate built-up biofilm.

The downside of chlorine dioxide is that it isn’t the most pleasant sanitizer to use. You’ll need to manually activate it before it starts working, and it can produce an unpleasant odor that you’ll need to manage. Chlorine dioxide is also affected by high temperatures, so you’ll need to keep an eye on the thermometer when using it.

Peracetic Acid

Solutions that rely on peracetic acid for sanitizing are often the most environmentally friendly options on the market. Peracetic acid breaks down into harmless components that won’t do any major damage to the water supply or soil. It’s also highly effective against most contaminants that brewers usually worry about and works well for removing biofilm and descaling kegs.

Peracetic acids also produce an unpleasant odor that you’ll need to deal with, and solutions that rely on them are a little more expensive. Certain types of yeast build-up might be resistant to peracetic acid, which is also slightly corrosive, so it’s important to be cautious with it.

Whatever solution you choose, having keg washers you can trust can make the process much easier. Craftmaster Stainless offers keg washers you can rely on for the most effective cleaning and sanitation.