If you have any stainless steel ball bearings or a length of stainless
steel chain, you can drop these into the keg and agitate the keg. By
agitate, I pick up the keg and hold it horizontally at waist level.
Then I rock the keg left and right, rotating the keg about an 1/8th
turn each time. I also put in ear plugs. This makes a lot of noise.
A quart, or so of water is mixed in with the bearings. Then I flush
the keg into a clean white plastic pail so that I can see if there are
any particles still being swept out. Doing a cold stabilize can
deposit some stubborn deposits on the wall of the keg. Finally I will
rinse with either bisulphite or iodine. A shop vacuum can help
reaching down into the keg to get out the last bit of moisture that
collects at the bottom of the keg.

You should USE STAINLESS STEEL if you want to mechanically knock off
crud from the wall of the keg. It is possible to deposit carbon steel
particles from an iron chain or iron nuts and bolts and this can cause
rusting on the surface of the barrel. (Something called ferritic
deposition).

On glass jugs, I go to the Dollar Store. They have small bags of
translucent plastic shapes that can be put at the bottom of a small
fish tank. These come in different shapes and textures. Three small
bags, about 2 cups (16 ounces) of these inside a glass carboy can be
swished around too and mechanically remove some crud. Use a couple
cups of water in the carboy to help. Then flush.

Bill M.

On Mon, 29 Sep 2003 19:08:22 -0700, "Negodki" >
wrote:

>"steve" > wrote:
>
>> I rinsed it out with water and then soaked in in a solution (1 > tbsp/gal)
>B-Brite (sodium prcarbonate)and rinsed again.
>> When I lowered a small flashlight into the kegs and looked in, the bottom
>looked like grey fine sand paper.
>> Is that usual? Should I rinse in a citric acid bath? Proportions? Is it
>ready to use now?
>
>They are probably salt deposits of some sort. If you soaked in bicarbonate
>(which is an alkali), and it didn't loosen them, try citric acid (1/2 tsp.
>per 250 ml cup of water). You don't have to fill the entire keg, just enough
>to cover the deposits. Let it soak for a while, and swish it around. Repeat
>until it all comes loose, or it you decide it isn't helping. Let it soak at
>least overnight before giving up.
>
>If neither the alkali, nor the acid, remove the deposits, empty the keg,
>pour in a few handfuls of builders sand (the kind you get in a bag to mix
>with cement), add enough water to make a loose paste, and swish it around.
>That will act just like scouring powder.
>
>If THAT doesn't remove it, I wouldn't worry about it ever coming off --- or
>tainting your wine. It may be that something etched the bottom of the keg.
>