Funked up kegs

[LouBrew13]

I've been kegging for over 6 years and just recently have been getting sour beers from a few of them.

I use pbw religiously and sanitize before filling.

I disassemble them and clean with a keg washer each time.

Anything stronger than pbw suggested for a deep cleaning?

 

[NitrogenWidget]

I will throw a scoop of oxyclean in my kegs and fill with hot water to soak overnight if they get funky.
They are stainless so it won't hurt them.
Then I just rinse them out really well.

 

[LouBrew13]

I will throw a scoop of oxyclean in my kegs and fill with hot water to soak overnight if they get funky.
They are stainless so it won't hurt them.
Then I just rinse them out really well.

Isn't that really similar to pbw though?

 

[Dland]

Pretty much.

 

[NitrogenWidget]

Isn't that really similar to pbw though?

Oxyclean seems to work better, or it's so much cheaper and I've convinced myself it works better.

 

[tripeland]

Pour in a big pot of boiling water? Just be careful doing so

 

[501irishred]

Do you have a beer line cleaner? Since you have the means to circulate, you might try using some after a run with PBW. It’s hard to imagine the steps you have already taken haven’t taken care of it, but desperate time calling for desperate measures and all........
on the subject of beer line cleaners, how positive are you that it’s the kegs and not the delivery system?

https://www.micromatic.com/beer-line-cleaning-chemicals/liquid-acid-line-cleaner-68-oz-bottle-mm-a68

 

[NitrogenWidget]

Do you have a beer line cleaner?

Have you cleaned or replaced your beer lines?
I went on vaca a few summers back and brought some kegs.
Didn't finish them and brought about a gallon back and they tasted sour when I got them home.
I thought maybe because they got warm they turned (I was new to kegging) but then I thought about it and that didn't make sense since one was a commercial keg that never was exposed to air.

Realized the back seal on the evaporator inside the keggorator had failed so there wasn't much cold air from the hoses pushing into the towers so whatever beer I left in the lines had been marinating all week.

I replaced the lines and all was good.

 

[LouBrew13]

I sanitize the lines after every keg is kicked and once a year use beer line cleaner and remove the taps too.

I cleaned them yesterday with very hot pbw for an hour each and they're sitting with Star San in them now until I fill them next weekend

 

[LouBrew13]

Also, I have 7 kegs and only run 2 at a time. Some kegs from a 10 gallon batch taste fine while the second came out funky. Right now 2 beers on taste perfect so I assume all is clean. But some kegs just turn the beer sour.

 

[SanPancho]

Figure out which ones are the problem, disassemble the tubes and posts and lid and scrub well, especially threads. Boil the small parts for 10-15. Put back together and fill them with boiling water. Hit with some gas to seal the lid and turn upside down. After 20-30 mins you can empty. Then replace the gaskets with new ones.

Should be good to go.

 

[gnef]

When was the last time you replaced the lid o-ring, post o-rings, dip tube o-rings, and poppets on your kegs?

 

[Horseflesh]

Disassemble and inspect your taps if you have not recently.

I have 4 Perlick taps. The shanks were bought 2 at a time from different vendors. After the gear was in service for about a year, I began to experience sour flavors at times.

I eventually found that the chrome plating inside 2 shanks had worn off and those taps produced sour flavors.

The other 2 shanks that still looked like shiny stainless were fine.

Like you I suspected kegs at first, but it was a red herring.

 

[LouBrew13]

When was the last time you replaced the lid o-ring, post o-rings, dip tube o-rings, and poppets on your kegs?

I bought new gaskets when I got the kegs. But maybe they're due.

 

[Horseflesh]

Following up to my post: here's a picture of my good and bad shanks together.

If I licked 'em both, the shiny steel one had no taste, and the brass-looking one... which used to look like stainless... tasted like licking a 9v battery.

 

[LouBrew13]

Following up to my post: here's a picture of my good and bad shanks together.

If I licked 'em both, the shiny steel one had no taste, and the brass-looking one... which used to look like stainless... tasted like licking a 9v battery.

View attachment 623839

Perfect description... I'll disassemble before I tap my next keg.

 

[501irishred]

Following up to my post: here's a picture of my good and bad shanks together.

If I licked 'em both, the shiny steel one had no taste, and the brass-looking one... which used to look like stainless... tasted like licking a 9v battery.

View attachment 623839

THAT is dedication to the craft boys and girls!! When you know definitively if an oddly discolored chunk of metal is causing off flavors, cuz you licked it!