I’m curious if anyone is using the Keg Washer from Ss Brewtech and your thoughts about it.
It looks like a great piece of equipment, and I’m trying to justify the high cost.
I do not own one, but I did build one from extra parts I had around and a submersible pump. I bought an inexpensive spray ball from Amazon and it works great to clean both fermenters and kegs.
It is a really nice piece of equipment but I don’t think I have even $100 into my setup (maybe I’m a little light due to having so many parts around from bad ideas in the past). The SS Brewtech washer is $250.
I know that’s not what your original post was asking, but I don’t think their design does anything mine does not.
I use a Bucket Blaster and it does a great job of cleaning kegs and fermenters. William’s Brewing has them on sale for $54.99. It comes with a bucket that the unit can be stored in too. I can’t see paying almost 5 times that for a keg washer.
I use a water hose and a garden spray adapter.
Like everything else from SS Brewtech, it is a massively overpriced, over-engineered piece of equipment. There are cheaper CIP keg washers that are just as functional. The Bucket Blaster is a good choice. If you must go SS Brewtech, Morebeer is selling it for $211.
Indeed. Pragmatic.
I got the Mark II keg/carboy washer years ago from Northern Brewer. Then it was around $80 ($100 now).
Either way I wouldn’t fork out cash for the SS Brewtech especially given some of their horrible QC issues I’ve seen posted over on HBT recently.
My pump went out on my kegwasher a year or so ago. Found pretty much the exact pump on Ebay for $20 and was off to the races again.
Thanks for the input.
Nearly all of my kegs are the single metal strap handle, not the rubber tops. And I don’t have any carboys, I ferment in stainless buckets.
I looked at the Mark II keg/carboy washer and other than looking like overpriced plastic junk, my kegs wouldn’t stand upright.
I also looked at the Keg Blaster, but it has the same problem with the kegs I have. Plus, again no need for compatibility with carboys.
What I really like about the Ss Brewtech unit is that it attaches to the keg, and allows you to move it from bucket to bucket for cleaning, rinsing, and sanitizing.
I’ve saved a lot of money over the years by building as much of my own equipment as possible. I built my own keg washer years ago, but I never really loved it, and it’s time for an upgrade.
Other than what you hear on various forums, has anyone used the Ss Brewtech Keg Washer?
“What I really like about the Ss Brewtech unit is that it attaches to the keg, and allows you to move it from bucket to bucket for cleaning, rinsing, and sanitizing.“
That is a really nice feature.
Here is the SS Brewtech thread over on HBT just be aware.
The kegwasher might look like that to you but I’ve had a much different experience actually using it.
What is your experience using the keg washer?
I have other Ss Brewtech gear, and it’s all top notch with no problems whatsoever.
Please excuse the derailment, but I’m really stumped why a keg washer is needed at the homebrew level. This is an honest question, not a troll. I can’t for the life of me see how it could get easier than filling a keg with Craftmeister alkaline, letting it sit a few hours, and rinsing it out.
Two reasons for me:
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The recent atmospheric river notwithstanding, water is an extremely, extremely, extremely, extremely, extremely, extremely precious commodity where I live (Sacramento area), and it is in extremely, extremely, extremely, extremely short supply. I can’t justify filling a keg with 5 gal of water that simply gets dumped afterward. Using a keg washer allows me to use just 1 gal.
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I usually have to clean many kegs at once. I reuse the cleaning solution for each keg, but if I fill a keg with 5 gal, this entails having to lift it up to dump it into the next keg. I can’t do this anymore with my back.
Beyond what RC states, a lot less water means a lot less cleaner too. Other plusses include the dip tubes and posts/poppets being cleaned in place as the keg is being cleaned. With the addition of a fitting or 2 and some tubing, it will clean QDs, beverage lines and faucets too. All in all, a great labor saver and all in one equipment cleaner for the price.
As you say Denny, if you’re not having fun, you’re doing something wrong, or something to that affect. I never had any fun cleaning kegs, fermenters, beverage lines and faucets. The Bucket Blaster, and, I assume, similar setups, greatly reduce the not so fun aspect of cleaning your gear. I like pragmatic, but it’s even better when enhanced by practicality 
I’m with RC and Bob on this one. With a keg washer I can clean, rinse, and sanitize 10 kegs with just a few gallons of water and a few ounces of chemicals. Super efficient.
Thanks for the explanation, folks. Makes perfect sense and since water isn’t an issue for me, it’s something I’d never considered.
Same here. Never considered the water savings issue.
Yeah, you don’t need 5 gallons of cleaning solution to clean a 5 gallon keg, and you don’t need 5 gallons of sanitizer to sanitize a 5 gallon keg or fermenter. If done properly, you can do the job with a fraction of the volume of the container. To some of us it matters.
The Bucket Blaster looks pretty cool. I can use a smaller amount of water, run it for 20 mins, and then fill with clean water for the rinse. It works on Fermenter buckets as well I take it? For 50 bucks I can use half the water and use it more efficiently. Hmmm, I might have to do a bit more research on this
For me, the ability to clean all diptubes, poppets and keg interior without removing the posts is welcome. I don’t tear down the keg each time, which has greatly diminished leaks on both beer and CO2 sides.