Steps to clean your beer lines and change your keg

I have a kegerator, and a full half-barrel keg takes me from 1 to 3 months to drink depending on how many visitors I have. I do the cleaning below only when changing the keg. I have never had a problem with beer tasting bad. When I replace a keg with the same beer, the first glass from the new keg tastes the same as the last one from the old keg.

  1. Turn off red valve at end of CO2 line
  2. Open faucet to release pressure into clean bowl for drinking (takes a few minutes)
  3. Release tap (CCW) and remove keg from fridge
  4. Put keg in back of car and drive to local craft brewery
  5. Try new beers and decide
  6. Get large SS bowl
  7. Start hot water running
  8. Get special beer wrench
  9. Empty fridge
  10. Remove lines from coupler, look out for washers
  11. Remove faucet (clockwise as face nut)
  12. Take apart faucet
  13. Place coupler, washers, and faucet in bowl with brush
  14. Place bowl on floor and put beer line into it
  15. Care not to get concentrate on hands in next step
  16. Mix up tablespoon of green power punch in cleaner bottle with hot water ** Measure
  17. Connect at post
  18. Pump cleaner through beer line into bowl to get started
  19. Hold up end of line so it goes slow
  20. Stop with line full for 10 minutes or longer
  21. Clean bottom of fridge
  22. Let gravity pull rest of cleaner through line
  23. Fill bottle with fresh water and rinse beer line into bowl
  24. Repeat above rinsing 2 or 3 more times
  25. Remove drip pan and fill with cleaner in sink
  26. Dissemble parts and clean them in bowl with faucet brush
  27. Be careful not to lose black and white washers down drain
  28. Rinse all parts several times
  29. Place keg in fridge, bottom all the way back
  30. Take bowl full of water and parts to fridge
  31. Rinse ends of lines in water
  32. Replace faucet (no washer) and CLOSE VALVE (push back)
  33. Connect CO2 line (gas in) with check valve or O-ring and tighten with wrench
  34. Connect beer line with black washer and tighten with wrench
  35. Open coupler (lever down), place loosely on top of keg and blow out
  36. Close coupler (lever up), screw on keg, then open (lever down)
  37. Return stuff to fridge
  38. Set fridge temp to 36 (as low as it goes)
  39. Check that door closes
  40. Open CO2 valve
  41. Check for leaks
  42. Clean and replace drip pan
  43. Draw some beer and dispose
  44. Draw more beer and enjoy
  45. Record date and name of brew