Non-Brewing Tasks

I wish I was brewing. But I need to recapture some fermentation space... I've got 15 gallons fermenting in the beer closet under the stairs, and another 5 going in the garage. I could easily fit a couple more carboys into either place (hybrids in the garage or ales in the house), or it would be nice to get a lager started.

Which brings me to the less fun non-brewing tasks related to making beer. There is always something to work on. Cleaning, organizing, racking, bottling, inventorying... I have delayed racking my finished beers (5 gal of Double/Imperial Red and 5 gal of Northern English Brown) because my kegs are not cleaned and sanitized. And I have delayed brewing my first lawnmower lager, because my new beer fridge had not been cleaned since I brought it home and my keezer needed a little interior wipe-down and reorganization.

So, instead of brewing more beer, this weekend was dedicated to some of those tasks that would enable me to brew more beer. Six 5 gallon kegs (and one more that is used for my kids' root beer). All in various stages of uncleanliness, ranging from absolutely filthy with god-knows-what dregs in the bottom to empty and rinsed but not really clean. I broke out the OxyClean, filled up a 40 qt cooler, and got to work. A couple of hours of elbow grease, and they were as shiny and clean as they were going to get!




Given the state of the kegs, I knew the beer lines were going to be a total loss, so I cut all the tubing off and threw it away. I scrubbed, then boiled all of the fittings (the beer-out connectors, the cobra taps) to make sure they were clean. Then I refitted them all with fresh new beer line in anticipation of new beer!

I also figured it was about time to press my new beer fridge into service... I got it a few weeks ago, and it is still not in use. I did clean out the freezer part right away, but then abandoned the project for other priorities. My wife would really like my hops out of the house freezer to make room for more food and she would really prefer if my yeast was stored someplace else as well. And it might actually be more my own fault when it comes to the yeast - I am really picky about what gets put into that refrigerator: nothing to smelly, nothing too hot, etc. (gotta take care of my yeast!).



My wife pitched in and helped me on the fridge cleaning (see what I mean?). The inside looks super, but there's not much we could do about the neglect on the outside. Maybe it is destined for a custom paint job? It's all plugged in and cooling down in anticipation of the goods!