Line Off Flavor

[asdtexas]

I have never cleaned the lines on my cobra tap and most recent IPA tasted like an infection (horse or leather sweat). I almost dumped it but tried without the hose and it tasted good. Is this possible? What is best solution for the lines. Run boiling water through them or a sanitizing solution?

 

[shamrockdoc]

The lines need to soak in BLC solution contact time 30-45 min. Then flush with hot watered Star San let the lines stay filled with the foam until you need the "COBRA" again!

 

[g8tor]

How often should the line be cleaned if everything is always sitting in the refrigerator?

 

[Revvy]

The latest BYO magazine has plans for a pretty simple and cool looking line cleaner that may be useful.

 

[rjwhite41]

I rinse my lines everytime I change a keg and clean them every couple of months.

 

[g8tor]

That's what I was planning on doing too. Just clean the lines out when I empty and clean a keg.

 

[samc]

Clean the lines frequently, but more than likely it's the tap itself that grows the bacteria. After serving from my taps I spray some StrarSan in them.

 

[rjwhite41]

Clean the lines frequently, but more than likely it's the tap itself that grows the bacteria. After serving from my taps I spray some StrarSan in them.

+1. If you find anything growing, that is where it will be. I don't go that far though. I just clean them real well when I change kegs.

 

[azscoob]

I used to just replace the lines after about 12 kegs went through them, and I used to remove and dismantle my perlicks for cleaning after each keg. I then decided to try cleaning in place, so I put together the draft line cleaner from a BYO article from 2004, it is a garden sprayer and a beer out post with some adaptors, is this similar to the new project in this months BYO?

 

[ksbrain]

I just made the project from the latest BYO. It's basically just a 2 liter bottle with a flare fitting for the beer line. It's OK but I think I'd rather keep a keg of BLC or PBW, a keg of water, and a keg of sanitizer, then push with CO2 for cleaning. The squeezing the bottle left a bit to be desired, but it works for now.

By the way, I'd never cleaned my lines or taps since I installed the first tap maybe six months ago. That one had some nasty looking, but sweet smelling, chunks of blackness in there. And I do spray up in there with iodophor after every pour.

 

[azscoob]

This is the link to the one I made: Linky