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DIY: Carboy and Keg Washer

Cleaning after brewing is the least fun part of the process, but we have a great DIY project that will make it a little less grueling and shave time off your day!

Jester Goldman Oct 28, 2016 - 8 min read

DIY: Carboy and Keg Washer Primary Image

The least rewarding part of brewing is the cleanup. It’s easy to feel a parental pride as your carboys bubble away or a moment of bliss with the first sip of a finished batch, but nobody loves cleaning, despite how important it is. That’s why it’s nice to find shortcuts and good tools. Building this carboy and keg washer gave me a sense of satisfaction made all the sweeter because of the future labor I’d save.

washer 01

There are many variations on this design, but the geometry and fittings for your pump will have the biggest impact. This version is based on a Superior Pump 91250 ¼ HP submersible pump (pictured above). The water outlet is on the top and has a ¾" (19 mm) garden hose fitting. You may need to adapt your design to match your specific pump if it has a different fitting or outlet location. You may also choose to leave off the keg fittings if you won’t need them.

Another factor in my design is that my carboys have handles, which affects how I stabilize them on the washer. Other designs use a carboy dryer mounted to a bucket lid, but the handles get in the way. That’s why I used an ABS reducer to keep the carboy balanced and able to drain.

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