Odd smell after kegging?

[sejasba]

I just got new kegs and a new kegerator (all of this equipment is brand new). I just kegged an IPA last Sunday (after cleaning/sanitizing everything). The brew smelled fine in the primary. When I was racking from the secondary into the keg, I took a whiff of the keg that was half filled with beer and it smelled.... different. It had a very strong smell that made me immediately think crap, it got infected or has gone sour or something. It did not smell right at all.

When it was almost completely finished racking, i pulled out the siphon and put some into a glass and tasted it. Aside from tasting flat, it was fine. It didn't taste like it smelled. So fast forward 5 days, and I've tried some. It's not really carbed yet, but it still smells the same. This is my first time kegging, so is it something to do with the CO2 or something? Is this normal and it might go away or ? I can't imagine if I bottled it would smell like this as I've never had something like this happen in the 8 or 9 brews I've done preceding this one, so since this is my first time kegging it seems like the most obvious cause. Also, since it didn't really smell like this until it went into the keg.

 

[day_trippr]

So, give us even a tiny hint of what this off-smell is like so we might actually be able to comment on where it came from...

Cheers!

 

[sejasba]

It's hard to describe. Although I was just coming on here to make an additional comment. I bought a set of new kegs, so I just went and shoved my nose in the empty second keg to smell it. Could it just be a matter of "new keg smell" leaching into the beer, but not affecting the taste, only the smell?? I suppose a combination of the keg and the beer is what I'm smelling? I cleaned the keg obviously before using it, but is there something I should have done special initially for the smell considering it's brand new?

Edit - I'm becoming more convinced it's new keg smell... i'm going to soak my other new one in water and baking soda to see if it clears that one up. if it does, should i transfer the original brew from keg #1 into this keg, or would it just carry the smell along with it? grrrr, frustrating that my first kegged home brew is getting screwed up.

 

[BadBeagleBrew]

Thought the same thing when I kegged my first batch, turns out all it was is that metal and rubber smell different than glass.

 

[JonM]

Did you recently get a CO2 refill? A recent thread discussed bad flavor/aroma coming from bad gas. (stop snickering)

 

[sejasba]

Thought the same thing when I kegged my first batch, turns out all it was is that metal and rubber smell different than glass.

So what happened then? I can't imagine it's acceptable to always smell like that.

Did you recently get a CO2 refill? A recent thread discussed bad flavor/aroma coming from bad gas. (stop snickering)

New everything, so yes, just filled up my new CO2 tank at my LHBS. I'm leaning towards the keg though, because I thought it smelled odd when racking to the keg initially.

 

[k1ngl1ves]

It's nothing more than the smell of Victory!!!


Congrats on the new kegs!

 

[sejasba]

It's nothing more than the smell of Victory!!!


Congrats on the new kegs!

I wish victory smelled more like a hoppy pale ale

 

[day_trippr]

Were these literally "new" kegs?

I'm going to guess you're smelling something left over from the manufacturing process that didn't get fully removed. I can say that my (quite used) kegs when cleaned have no smell. Nothing. Nada. Gesphincto.

Otoh, if these were actually used kegs and you didn't replace all of the o-rings and thoroughly scrub the bejeezus out of the metal bits and used a tubing brush on the dip tubes and threaded keg risers, consider doing all that...

Cheers!

 

[sejasba]

Were these literally "new" kegs?

I'm going to guess you're smelling something left over from the manufacturing process that didn't get fully removed. I can say that my (quite used) kegs when cleaned have no smell. Nothing. Nada. Gesphincto.

Otoh, if these were actually used kegs and you didn't replace all of the o-rings and thoroughly scrub the bejeezus out of the metal bits and used a tubing brush on the dip tubes and threaded keg risers, consider doing all that...

Cheers!

Yep, new -- as in new, new. Brand spankin' new. They definitely have a smell, but considering i've never owned a keg before, I just assumed kegs smelled this way. Guess not!

 

[BadBeagleBrew]

There is always a bit of a metal and rubber odor I can detect when sticking my nose near the lid opening, but when I really jam the old shnawz down the hole it doesn't smell like much of anything maybe a bit of a metal and star san smell if that. As for trying something to get rid of that smell; pick up some powdered Bar Keepers Friend (available anywhere things are sold), and a new toilet brush. Put some water in the bottom of the keg shake a bunch of BKF in there, take the toilet brush to help you reach the bottom and scrub the crap out of that keg, inside and out, rinse real well. The BKF is an amazing cleaner and SS's best friend, if there is any smell that shouldn't be there the BKF will get rid of it.

 

[j1n]

what was your cleaning process. all my kegs are brand new and i never had any weird smells from it. my process is soak them in PBW and hot water for a few hours or even over night, then rinse thoroughly, sanitize, and then purge all the o2 out. its now ready for beer.

 

[sejasba]

what was your cleaning process. all my kegs are brand new and i never had any weird smells from it. my process is soak them in PBW and hot water for a few hours or even over night, then rinse thoroughly, sanitize, and then purge all the o2 out. its now ready for beer.

I should have soaked (in hindsight), but didn't. I used easy clean and a sponge, cleaned everything and rinsed. Then sanitized. I did an oxyclean soak for a couple hours in the second keg, it doesn't smell that much. I want to do another soak with baking soda though once I pick some up.

Any thoughts on if the smell will go away in the current keg with the beer in it, or is it doomed to smell like that until it's gone?

 

[sejasba]

I should have soaked (in hindsight), but didn't. I used easy clean and a sponge, cleaned everything and rinsed. Then sanitized. I did an oxyclean soak for a couple hours in the second keg, it doesn't smell that much. I want to do another soak with baking soda though once I pick some up.

Any thoughts on if the smell will go away in the current keg with the beer in it, or is it doomed to smell like that until it's gone?

Small update. I didn't do anything, and let it be. Last night I dumped a few ounces of sediment, then poured a glass. The smell wasn't nearly as bad, and tasted okay (aside from not being fully carb'd yet). I think i'll be ok (whew!)