How do I clean a 5 gallon root beer keg?

I was given a pair of Virgils kegs with root beer still in them, and I've been wanting to use them for homebrewing. I was at a brewery tour a little while ago and I was told that it's nearly impossible to get the taste of root beer out of the keg, and that it wouldn't be a good idea to use them for brewing. Is this the case? Is there a way to clean all the flavor and junk out from the root beer keg?

The kegs are in very good condition, I just don't want to put my beer inside something that's going to mess with the flavor.

Thanks!

Topic keg root-beer kegging cleaning homebrew

Category Mac

1
answered at

I think I would replace all of the seals and soak the kegs in hot Oxyclean Free or PBW for a few days. Maybe rinse and refill with that a couple of times. Then I'd just use them with strong flavored beers, or beers that would go well with the root-beer flavor for a couple of batches. If you don't notice any off-flavors, move to more subtle brews. If you do, soak them in cleaner some more, rinse, repeat. Or just use them for christmas ales & spice beers.

caveat: I haven't actually dealt with this problem, I'm just skeptical of the claim that those flavors can't be removed.

1
answered at

A strong, hot solution of baking soda and water is very effective at removing odors. Rubber parts should be replaced.

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