Cleaned keg but still some off flavor?

[bbbblaine]

I got a 5gal corny keg from my LHBS. I have used PBW cleaner in it a few times now, letting it sit for many hours to be sure it was clean, but I can still taste something "not right" about water that I put in there to test it after I clean and rinse it out.

I replaced every o-ring on the thing already.

My question is: What is the proper way to tell if you still have some left over soda flavor in the keg? This one obviously had a lemon lime soda in it previously.
What I have been doing is just put a quart of water inside, put the cap on, pressurize it, shake the water around inside real good, then pour out some into a glass and taste it.

 

[Dan]

Bad kegs. Ship two or three to me for analysis and disposal

Fill it with a few gallons of an oxygen cleaner of some sort, let sit a few days. Then hook up to your kegerator and serve it like beer into a bucket or something. Once everything is pushed through fill with water and do the same thing to rinse out the cleaner. Sanitize it and put in your beer.

After a beer has been in a keg for a few weeks any soda smell generally disappear when put into a keg with the measures you have already taken. Your mileage may vary (YMMV).

 

[DeafSmith]

Might be syrup residue in the dip tube - scrub thoroughly with a dip tube brush.

 

[bbbblaine]

I took out the dip tube and could smell that some syrup was still in there for sure. The LHBS didn't have a wide enough brush to really clean it well, so I just bought a new dip tube.

After completely taking apart all pieces of the keg, replacing all o-rings, and soaking everything in PBW for a couple days, I'm glad to say I finally got rid of that lemony-limey junk.

My breakfast stout now has a home in a nice keg and I can't wait until it is chilled and carbonated!!!

Thanks for the advice everybody

 

[greggreg66]

I put a really nice dry hopped pale into my corny yesterday and just gave it a quick taste.... and it tastes lemony!!!! I think I have the exact same problem as you did!! Its so annoying because the beer had a great hop aroma that's now all gone!! So irritating/depressing!! Maybe I need to start taking my kegs to pieces more often especially before using it for the first time. Thanks for your post because hopefully I'll change the dip tube & o-rings and it'll be fine.... finger's crossed!!

 

[spob]

I take my kegs completely apart every time and do a complete cleaning with Oxyclean. I take out the poppets and clean them with a brush as well as the dip tube. The last think I want to have happen is a off flavor because I was to lazy to take the time and clean the keg.

 

[zachattack]

I saw a post a while ago where somebody had a soda smell that wouldn't quit... he poured some rubbing alcohol into the keg, sealed it, flipped it upside down and left it for a while. After a normal cleaning the smell was gone.

 

[carlisle_bob]

Hi

There are some possible effects from leaving PBW or the super oxy family of products in a keg for a long time. Some have recommended using various un-sented laundry detergents for month long soaks instead.

With any of the approaches - pressurize the keg, don't just let it sit.

Bob

 

[lewybrewing]

For future I would recommend building this. If you have any questions let me know..

http://www.lewybrewing.com/p/automatic-keg-cleaner.html

I hook it up with PBW and let it go. Then a shake with Starsan and I've always been good to go

 

[carlisle_bob]

For future I would recommend building this. If you have any questions let me know..

http://www.lewybrewing.com/p/automatic-keg-cleaner.html

I hook it up with PBW and let it go. Then a shake with Starsan and I've always been good to go

Hi

For gunked dip tubes, you probably want to run it fully through each dip tube for part of the cycle.

Bob

 

[cheezydemon3]

Try cleaning your mouth.













lol, sorry......couldn't help it.

 

[lewybrewing]

Hi

For gunked dip tubes, you probably want to run it fully through each dip tube for part of the cycle.

Bob

The cleaning solution is attached to each post. Thus cleaning the keg via the in and out ports. The top is open to allow recirculation.

 

[carlisle_bob]

The cleaning solution is attached to each post. Thus cleaning the keg via the in and out ports. The top is open to allow recirculation.

Hi

If the "liquid out" dip tube is badly gunned up, all the solution will go through the "gas in" dip tube. They are in parallel and most of it will go with the "easy" path.

Bob