Keg lines - replace or refurbish?

[brettwasbtd]

Been noticing some of my maltier beers taste great flat prior to kegging but then pickup noticeable off flavors (diacetyl in one line and a peppery note in the other) weeks after being on tap. One line appears to be fine (I have 3)

I typically run some pbw solution through my lines and leave it in there a few minutes, then run star San through and leave it until tapping. Going on 4 years and I have never opened up my perlick 525ss to clean.... So yeah I know I should do that.

What does everyone else do for line cleaning? Do you replace line after a certain # of kegs, never replace etc? Do I need to get stronger beer line cleaner?

 

[philipCT]

I wish you hadn't posted this. I was trying to ignore this issue as long as possible.

I've noticed that I have a few gas lines that have somehow gotten a little backwash in them. I guess I have to look at cleaning them too.

Interested to hear answers to this question. My kegerator setup hasn't been up long enough to warrant any big deal cleaning, but I have circulated hot PBW through the bev lines that became empty - let it sit - and then filled with Starsan until the next keg was ready. This seems to be fine, but I haven't tapped anything lighter than an APA -yet. I'll be tapping a keg of Pilsener in about three weeks so...

 

[brettwasbtd]

I wish you hadn't posted this. I was trying to ignore this issue as long as possible.

I've noticed that I have a few gas lines that have somehow gotten a little backwash in them. I guess I have to look at cleaning them too.

Interested to hear answers to this question. My kegerator setup hasn't been up long enough to warrant any big deal cleaning, but I have circulated hot PBW through the bev lines that became empty - let it sit - and then filled with Starsan until the next keg was ready. This seems to be fine, but I haven't tapped anything lighter than an APA -yet. I'll be tapping a keg of Pilsener in about three weeks so...

So I ended up just biting the bullet and replacing. The same lines had been in service since 2011 and when i moved in 2013 they sat with warm beer for a weeks (so Im sure bad things happened). Went with the crazy expensive EJ Beverage antimicrobial tubing since I know I am lax on cleaning.

The good news is I also purchases a faucet cleaning brush and the perlick 525's were really in great condition. Nothing gross came out of them. ALl my metal is stainless in my setup so I just did a hot pbw soak and installed the new line.

Oetiker clamps are somewhat of a pain...

 

[Carlscan26]

Somewhere on this site I read that it's not good to leave starsan for long periods of time in the lines. I recirculate with hot pbw, flush with water, air dry (using my aquarium pump I use for aerating) and then reassemble everything and leave it until I hook up my next keg when I'll first flush some starsan through and let that sit for a few minutes before pushing that out with beer.

 

[Carlscan26]

So I ended up just biting the bullet and replacing. The same lines had been in service since 2011 and when i moved in 2013 they sat with warm beer for a weeks (so Im sure bad things happened). Went with the crazy expensive EJ Beverage antimicrobial tubing since I know I am lax on cleaning.



The good news is I also purchases a faucet cleaning brush and the perlick 525's were really in great condition. Nothing gross came out of them. ALl my metal is stainless in my setup so I just did a hot pbw soak and installed the new line.



Oetiker clamps are somewhat of a pain...

I have those same lines for my liquid side and since putting them on I've found that they don't hold odors or discolor like the old line I used. These have had almost 18 months on them now. Most importantly I don't have to pour out the first two ounces of every pour - after a few kegs, those ounces in the line would taste like wet newspaper/cardboard. The rest of the beer was fine, it was just the stuff in the lines. Not an issue now with the EJBev lines.