Kegging Off Taste

[BWPerth]

Hi all,

Great site very helpful and informative. My problem I know is not unique but after many hours reading last night and today I havent hit upon precise details.

So I took the plunge after bottling for about the last three years and bought a second hand keg setup. I have 6 cornys and a twin font kegerator type fridge. Setup is as below:

• Kegerator bar fridge set at 3oC (37F) which is controlling very well to this setpoint (have a temp probe in a glas of water in the fridge).
• 6 Corny kegs with ball lock fittings
• CO2 regulator using push fittings with lines and couplers for two kegs
• Bevlex NS15 Beer line with couplers for two kegs
• Twin font tower

Cleaning Gear

• Sodium Percarbonate (20%) for cleaning gear and lines
• Hydrogen Peroxide (3%) for sanitizer

So once my first brew was ready to keg I selected the best looking corny I have, removed all parts, posts, poppets, draw tube, gas tube and seals and cleaned inside and all parts with the Sodiun Percarb then a good thorough clean water rinse (about 5 keg rinses) and then sanitised with the Hydrogen Peroxide (no rinse).

Disassembled the font taps and cleaned in same way as above.

After fermentation of my Pale Ale the beer tasted great as expected. Kegged it up and tried my first carb up using slow method of about 55 kPa (8psi) with the aim to have it ready in about a week. After about 36 hours tasted the brew and it was terrible and had the often mentioned here metallic taste. Draw off about half a pint or so and it tastes fine. Leave it for literally two-three minutes and the foul taste is back.

So today I started from the top down, removed taps and gave them another going over and used my small pipe cleaner brush to get into them as best I could. Same result on beer taste.

So tomorrow I am planning to buy all new lines but then it dawned on me could it be the corny draw tube or couplers? The lines "appear" good but will replace for the sake of it I have read the Bevlex is good stuff and my local supplier doesnt sell it, instead they use the harder opaque plastic tubing (dont know brand will see tomorrow) so will have to change line type too. Will also replace gas line.

So thats it, lines / couplers / draw tube? I know once the pull that pint out it tastes good so I got to find cause. I considered the gas being problem but as I get the good taste after a half a pint consider that now ruled out.

I did note one of the taps appears to have what looks like a copper coloured staining in it, whilst the other is spotless. I get the same result from both taps.

I know this has come up previously but I am lost with finding a thread on the reason it tastes so bad again so quickly.

Thanks in advance..I need to recover from this. After not one bad brew in bottles I am gutted this has happened but its part the reason of moving to kegging....more learning.

Cheers

 

[bimmerbill]

Did you take apart the faucets and do a serious cleaning? Get a faucet brush if you don't have one, and clean everything. I also got a line brush to clean the lines, but I bought all new lines for my setup. Also check to see if your faucet seals need replacing or smell funny.

I use oxi clean free to clean, and StarSan to sanitize. I use my line brush to clean out the corny liquid tube as well, just to make sure nothing was in there since it was a used keg.

 

[BWPerth]

Hey Bill,

Thanks.....yeah I cleaned the faucets before kegging and checked the seals but didn't smell them. I also gave them a second clean with sanitiser and a line brush after I noticed the off taste. Attached clean faucets to system and the taste was still there so I hope I have ruled out faucets.

I don't have anything to clean inside of the liquid tube yet so no that was not done, I just flushed it with water, cleaner and then sanitiser.

I am concerned that may be the problem as I get the same flavour from both lines. Of course I can only assume the lines are of equal age so they may both be causing the same problem but the common piece is the liquid tube. Perhaps I should change that out before I do my lines.

 

[duboman]

Are you sure you are not supposed to rinse the hydrogen peroxide?

Try using Star San as your sanitizer instead and see if it goes away

Also, are you sure it's not carbonic bite you are tasting, that can happen if the CO2 has not been given enough time to saturate the beer

 

[BWPerth]

UPDATE - Lines replaced and problem solved! I am surprised that the lines could impart such a foul taste. As I pulled the old lines out I could smell the same odour I was getting from the beer so thought yep this is it.

Now pour a sample and another after a few hours and its all good.

Thanks to this site I saved my batch, I would have been looking at ditching it if it were not from the information I cound here.

Re the Hydrogen Peroxide its an oxidiser so leaves nothing behind but clean water and oxygen. Used it loads befoe, Star San I think is a US product, not heard of it here in Oz. I have also used bleach previosuly but now kegging I cant do that.

The Hydrogen Peroxide solution only comes in very small 250ml bottles and I tend to over do it so it doesnt last long.

Anyhow thanks for the advice.

 

[AussieBrewerInColorado]

Glad you fixed the issue. Strange the lines were the cause though, my guess it is something that went into the lines and sat there like your cleaner/sanitizer. Being in the U.S. and using PBW and StarSan, not sure about your chemical/cleaning usage. Not sure, but if it happens again, I would change up your cleaning/sanitizing regimen, but like i said not too familiar with the process downunder. Goodluck mate.

 

[BWPerth]

It was a secondhand setup so I have no idea as to the age of the lines. Upon removing the lines the section that went into the faucet tower was very discoloured so I suspect previous owner had let it sit or something. Clear lines but the discoloured bit was dark brown.

I am using cleaning regime that is I think quite popular here an is that which is sold at our local homebrew chain but I think as noted on here somewhere Im going to look at produce / farm shops for same stuff sold in larger quantities at a better price.

But finally I can enjoy the feeling of pouring my own beer.