Note: the following is an unbiased review of a product I purchased myself. This is not a sponsored review.
Every brewer knows the unfortunate truth that we spend the majority of our time cleaning. It can be backbreaking work, especially for individuals without utility sinks. As homebrewers scale up their production and/or equipment over time, many begin to look for ways to lessen the burden of cleaning.
For those who keg their beer in ball lock kegs, such as the Torpedo Keg pictured above, Ss Brewtech offers a pump-driven keg cleaner called the Keg WaSsher.
Ease of use: 4/5
The most difficult part of using the Keg WaSsher is the assembly. I typically only do a keg wash every few weeks, so I often forget in what order the pieces go together. Fortunately, Ss Brewtech has a brief assembly video on YouTube that I can refer to.
It takes fewer than five minutes to assemble. Once you have filled a five-gallon bucket with a few gallons of cleaner or low-foam sanitizer (not Star San!), you simply tip the Keg WaSsher upside down and submerge the pump in the liquid. Turn on the pump switch and you can do other things while the washer does your dirty work.
Quality: 5/5
Not much to be said here. The components are good quality, look nice, and perform well. I've been using it for about a year so far with no problems.
Effectiveness: 5/5
Once assembled, the Keg WaSsher sits upside down in a bucket of cleaner or sanitizer and pumps the liquid through a spray ball inside the keg. The pump produces sufficient spray to thoroughly coat the bottom of the keg and each of the walls. Though not required, I like to drain and briefly spray out the inside of my dirty kegs with hot water before attaching the Keg WaSsher.
Liquid is also pumped through the tubes attached to the ball lock disconnects. This allows the ball lock posts and dip tubes to be flushed with chemical as well. Everything is thoroughly cleaned in place, without disassembling the keg.
Ss Brewtech recommends that kegs be washed using a series of buckets: 1) cleaner, 2) fresh water, and 3) low-foam acid sanitizer (such as Saniclean). Because the Keg WaSsher attaches directly to a keg, it makes it very simple to move one keg through the entire washing and sanitizing process with little effort. Once completed, the keg can be sealed up until ready to be filled with beer. The the process can be repeated with a new keg.
Cost: 2/5
Ouch. As of the time of this writing, it retails for $210.95, which is more the twice the cost of some competing options.
Overall: 4/5
Like most Ss Brewtech products, you get what you pay for: reliable quality and performance. This is a purchase I have not regretted. Before buying the Keg WaSsher, I was cleaning kegs in the kitchen sink. It was messy and also strained my back. The Keg WaSsher is quick, easy, and allows a brewer to multitask and focus on other matters while cleaning takes place in the background.
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