I just picked up nearly 20 kegs and all related equipment from a quickly-departing homebrewer. Problem is, he wasn't very good about cleaning the kegs after he drained them..... more than 3 years ago. Needless to say, the bottom sludge has turned into cement.
Before he left he was kind enough to describe his typical cleaning process, which included letting an extremely strong caustic soda solution sit in the bottom for 15 to 30 minutes. I was skeptical, to say the least.
I've been browsing this forum (and others) all weekend looking for the best way to dislodge this stuff but most advice is to clean it before it gets to this point. I agree. I've found one passing reference to caustic soda but mostly it's napisan and hot water - neither of which has worked so far. I've even scrubbed it with a long bottle brush to no avail.
Has anyone else ended up in this situation and were you able to salvage the kegs without damaging them? Will the caustic soda solution, even if it works, damage the stainless steel, dip tube, or o-rings?
Thanks for any help.
- S