Cleaning your homebrew equipment can be expensive and time consuming. One way to cut down on the cost is to make your own keg and carboy washer. How do you make your own keg and carboy washer? A few pieces of pvc pipe and fittings, along with a tube and pump, and a 5 gallon bucket you’ll be all set with your DIY keg washer.
Tools Required
- Drill with 3/32” (2.4mm) bit
- Saw
- Pliers
- Screwdriver
- Dremel with Router Bit or Coping saw with a blade for cutting plastic.
Materials Needed
PVC Solvent Cement
- 1 - ¾” Sch 40 PVC Cross
- 2 – ½” FNPT x ¾” Male PVC Adapter
- 1 – ½” MNPT x ¾” FHT Adapter
- 2 – ¾” PVC Pipe cut into 2” lengths
- 2 – ¾” Female PVC x ¾” FNPT Sch 40 Adapter
- 2 – ¾” NPT x ½” FPT Sch 40 Bushing
- 2 – ½” NPT x 3/8” Barb Elbow
- 2 – 1.5ft lengths of 7/16 vinyl tubing
- 4 – Hose Clamps
- 1 – COS Gas Quick Connect Fitting
- 1 – Liquid Quick Connect Fitting
- 1 – ½” PVC Pipe cut to 18” length
- 1 – ½” Female PVC Cap
- 1 – Submersible Pump (avoid a float switch pump)
- 1 – 2” x 3” ABS Reducer
- 1 – 5 gallon Bucket
Assemble the Washer
Step 1: Start by inserting the ½” FNPT x ¾” Male PVC Adapter into the bottom of the cross.
Step 2: Screw the ½” MNPT x ¾” FHT Adapter into the open end of the ½” FNPT x ¾” Male PVC Adapter you added in the previous step.
Step 3: Insert the other ½” FNPT x ¾” Male PVC Adapter into the top of the cross.
Step 4: Insert the 2” long ¾” pipe into the left and right side of the open sockets of the cross.
Step 5: On the open end of the 2” long ¾” pipe connect the ¾” female PVC x ¾” FNPT Adapter. (Do this for both sides)
Step 6: Screw a ¾” NPT x ½” FPT Bushing into the adapter. (Do this for both sides).
Step 7: Screw a ½” NPT x 3/8” barb elbow into the bushing. (Do this for both sides).
Step 8: Take one of vinyl tubing pieces and heat the end in boiling water so it can stretch over the 3/8” barb. Use a hose clamp to secure the tubing to the barb.
Place another hose clamp loosely on the tubing and slide the open end of the tubing on the barb of one of the quick connect fittings. Tighten the hose clamp to attach the tubing to the keg fitting.
Step 9: Screw the threaded PVC Pipe into the top of the PVC Cross.
Step 10: Drill 6 small holes into the top of the PVC Cap.
Step 11: Secure the cap on the end of the PVC Pipe.
Step 12: Use the Dremel, or coping saw to grind away the lip of the PVC Cap. (This is so that it can fit through the narrow neck carboys.
Step 13: Screw the adapter from the bottom of the PVC cross on to the pump.
Step 14: Using the Dremel or coping saw make two arc cutaways into the 3” side of the ABS reducer so that the reducer can sit on top of the PVC Cross. Cement the reducer in place once you’ve verified the fit.
Congratulations you’ve just built your very own DIY keg washer!
Using Your Keg Washer and DIY Carboy Washer
Depending on the pump you selected mix up about 6 quarts of your cleansing solution and put it in the 5 gallon bucket. Then place the pump in the bucket. Place the carboy or keg over the spray wand. The carboy neck should balance on the ABS reducer. When you are ready to wash the kegs you should attach the keg fittings.
Now you can plug in the pump and watch your do-it-yourself carboy washer and keg sanitizer in action. Run the pump until the key or carboy is clean, then rinse.
Spend More Time Brewing
Now that you know how to make a DIY keg washer you can focus your time on crafting your next brew instead of using your time to hand wash each keg and carboy. Work smarter, not harder as the saying goes. Let us know if you make your own DIY keg and carboy washer, we’re interested to see how it turns out.