Sanitize CO2 line & connecter?

Brewing Processes
1

This may seem like a dumb question but should I be sanitizing my CO2 line and connector before hooking up a keg or bottling with my Blichman Beer Gun?

I would assume that I would only need to sanitize the liquid side since it comes in direct contact with the beer but then I think I guess it’s possible that the CO2 could push something into the beer that might cause an infection. It’s probably better to be safe than sorry and sanitize, thus the dumb question.

Thanks

2

I do sanitize the keg post but I do not sanitize the connector (you could if you want to).
I sanitize tubing only if I have backflow to the CO2 lines.

3

I don’t think a whole lot lives in a pure CO2 environment…

4

It’s not so much the gas going in you need to worry about as what is on the connector itself.  As long as it’s clean I don’t worry about it much, but if you were to drop it in something or if it has mold growing on it you should probably wash it and dunk it in sanitizer before putting it on.

5

I keep a spray bottle of starsan handy all the time. A spritz in the disconnect & on the post (IN or OUT) is ritual. A spare keg with starsan works nice to disinfect the liquid line. Just don’t leave it in there too long or the inside of the line will get gummy.  I usually have a beer ready to go so I use it to flush the starsan out. Cheers!!!

6

[quote]A spare keg with starsan works nice to disinfect the liquid line. Just don’t leave it in there too long or the inside of the line will get gummy.
[/quote]

sorry to hijack this thread…but what does starsan do to the vinyl beer line?

7

I spray Star-San on the post and the disconnect, but don’t bother with the inside of the gas line. I push Star-San out of the keg with that gas line about to go into service. So I figure any nasties in the dust sitting in the line are going to get blown into a keg of Star-San anyway.

8

sorry to hijack this thread…but what does starsan do to the vinyl beer line?

[/quote]
Not sure if it’s a chemical reaction or what but it gets slimy/gummy/sticky. Best I can suggest is put a piece of tubing in a starsan solution overnight & see. I usually leave it in the line for no more than 15 minutes before flushing it with beer. Ceers!!!