Used my new keg washer this week and it worked like a champ! Knocked out 10 kegs in no time, rinsed, and sanitized before sealing them up and putting them on the shelf for ready use. Best of all: I did it inside, kept all but my hands dry, did absolutely zero scrubbing, and multi-tasked the whole time, getting website projects done at the same time. It was fantastic.
Couple more quick questions:
How long on average do you guys run each keg on the washer to know it's good and clean? When I initially read Jason's account of 20 minutes per keg, it seemed rather long to me, but I quickly found myself letting them go quite a while as I'd get caught up in my multitasking. Just curious what everyone thinks is "long enough."
On the subject of pump storage, I know that Jensen says he runs water through his pump and then lets it dry out for storage... any other tips on storing my pump between uses, getting all of the water out of it to prevent rust/mineral build-up, etc? Would storing it submerged in a bucket of water be better? I know a couple of people who work with landscaping/water garden pumps, and they say you should store them in water to keep the seals from drying out and cracking. Of course, they're talking about seasons at a time, not weeks or months, so it's probably not an issue here. But hey, this is new territory for me.
Overall it was a cheap new toy to make, and I want to keep it that way by not having to buy replacement pumps and parts.
Oh, and I want to end this post with a little tip of my own.
On my sump pump, the float switch is on a fairly short cord, making it difficult to turn on and be sure it will stay on. So I found a simple solution to keep my float switch vertical so I can set it and forget it: a simple chain with a large S-hook on one end, and a small one on the other. The large S-hook slips over the rubber foot ridge on the inverted keg, and the small end wraps around the cord near the float switch "box" and hooks into the chain to make a loop that holds the float switch upright. Might be a useful tip for somebody out there.
I'm still working on a way to add improved "support" for carboys, so I won't have to worry about them tipping over and breaking. They're fairly stable right now, but I'd like to improve it if I can. Plus, my float switch chain has nothing to hook onto on a carboy. I'm thinking some kind of simple PVC "cage" that slips around the bucket and carboy to hold the carboy upright and could give my chain something to clip onto would be a cheap but effective way to go. Any better suggestions out there?
Thanks!
Matt
