Ball Bearings for Dry Hopping

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KevinK441

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Hi, any help would be great. Just kegged IPA I dry hopped with what I thought were stainless steel bearings. I'm getting a bit of metallic after taste and the bearings are not as shiny as when they went in so I guess they weren't stainless. My question is, will this taste go away as the beer ages or am I stuck with it. Thanks!
 
Well, you aren't alone: Old becomes new again

Here's what I would do:
1- Drink 1-2 of the beers. See if you feel sick. If not, then it may be safe ("it" being whatever was stripped from your bearings)
2- Let it sit for a week. See if it goes away (maybe it's just the carbonation coming across as metallic?)
3- Still metallic, and not making you sick? Throw some more hops at it, using something else to weigh it down. Hop bomb it and see if you can overlay the metallic flavor.

And, of course, don't do it again :tank:
 
Thanks and sorry, I did search for similar and found that one but was just wondering. I appreciate the feedback. I was thinking about more dry hopping....
 
No worries, I was curious as to how many people had done the same, wasn't meant as a jab.
In theory, the metal particles would fall to the bottom (I think?), so maybe it won't persist for the entire keg. Maybe a hop tea, even, to help extract the oils faster (vs. warming the keg, dry hopping, then back to the cooler). Good luck!
 
The good news is that getting sick from the rust is doubtful, but personally, I'd toss it.
 
I use a 2 inch stainless steal bushing for my weight. Figure if stainless is ok to ferment inside of its ok to be in the fermenter
 
I use a few "shooter" sized marbles in my dryhop bag. I inspect them each time to be sure none of them are spalling little conchoidal chips...the kids often get a hold of them after they are washed and are air drying!
 

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