1st time kegging & keg conditioning - 1 week in and have a "funny" taste

Schalk79 · 09-10-2011, 04:12 PM

We are new to kegging. With a rather big beer festival coming up we moved from bottle conditioning to keg conditioning.

Our process was as follows:
Cleaned the kegs with Perasafe & rinsed them properly
Racked a portion of the beer into the kegs
Mixed 80% of the usual amount of corn sugar used for bottle conditioning with the beer
Filled the kegs
Purged with CO2
Sealed the lids with 2bar pressure CO2

We kegged a week ago.
Halway through the week I checked the keg pessures and topped it up to 2bar
Today we tasted the beer and it had a strange metallic taste and less flavour than the bottle conditioned beer. The one keg more than the other

I know the exit tube of one keg is shorter and bent away from the low point in the keg.

Now I am wondering....
Is there something wromg with the beer?
Is it possible that it needs more aging?
Are we just tapping the settled yeast at the moment and the funny taste is from the sediment at the bottom of the keg?

Seriously confused and not sure what to do... I guess waiting a couple of weeks will not be the worst thing....

Any tips with keg conditioning & lessons learnt will be appreciated

Thanks
Schalk

iparks81 · 09-10-2011, 10:27 PM

After one week...yes it just needs more aging, I would try it after 3 weeks to a month in the keg...patients cures all with beer.

scooterunderwood · 09-11-2011, 03:49 AM

I keep mine under pressure in the fridge for three weeks before pouring. Its usually carbonated after a week, however it develops a better/stabler flavor after conditioning for a few weeks.

Yes, the first glass will be mostly yeast, I usually dump it. Think of this as that sediment in the bottom of a bottle that you don't drink.

Lastly, don't use corn sugar anymore. You're force carbonating now, no need to add adjuncts that change the body of your beer as well as produce additional sediment and off flavors.

Schalk79 · 09-11-2011, 07:56 AM

Thanks... Guess waiting cannot hurt...

Schalk79 · 09-23-2011, 08:17 PM

OK... Tasted the beer again today... MUCH better...

Suspect the portion of malt we toasted contributed to the funny taste...

**beaksnbeer** · 09-23-2011, 10:38 PM

Flat Metallic taste is form the CO2 it goes away as it is absorbed need at least a week for that to fade