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Anybody else having trouble getting the silicone keg lid clean? I have two of them and they both have a sour/old beer smell to them. This is after multiple scrubbings with dish soap and a brush :confused:
 
I haven't had an issue, yet. I put mine in the dishwasher -- I don't use detergent, but PBW or oxiclean free, or something like that. Then add a sanitize cycle before hitting start.
 
harrke said:
I haven't had an issue, yet. I put mine in the dishwasher -- I don't use detergent, but PBW or oxiclean free, or something like that. Then add a sanitize cycle before hitting start.
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18 hour soak in PBW followed by another scrubbing with dish soap and these ****ers still smell!
Normally I wouldnt really care so much about a smell but my last 3 batches of beer have all had this same smell and taste to them. I dont know if the beer is picking up the off flavor and aroma from the lid, or if the lid picked it up from the beer, but it's starting to tick me off :mad:
 
VagueSkunk said:
18 hour soak in PBW followed by another scrubbing with dish soap and these ****ers still smell!
Normally I wouldnt really care so much about a smell but my last 3 batches of beer have all had this same smell and taste to them. I dont know if the beer is picking up the off flavor and aroma from the lid, or if the lid picked it up from the beer, but it's starting to tick me off :mad:
Click to expand...

I've brewed five batches on my Pico and have noticed a distinct sour smell with each batch while fermenting. I can only assume this aroma is from the yeast as the amount we use in every batch is way more than required for the small volume. However, I have never picked up on the sour aroma or taste in any finished beer. My keg seal does smell but it just smells like spent grains which makes sense.
 
BMacUC said:
I've brewed five batches on my Pico and have noticed a distinct sour smell with each batch while fermenting. I can only assume this aroma is from the yeast as the amount we use in every batch is way more than required for the small volume. However, I have never picked up on the sour aroma or taste in any finished beer. My keg seal does smell but it just smells like spent grains which makes sense.
Click to expand...

I initially thought it was just me being overly sensitive to a particular smell but I had my wife take a whiff and she described it as being old beer and likened it to a local bar that she hates me dragging her to :p
 
I never thought I would be sniffing my keg seal but y'all have me curious. It has a slight smell of wort. Can't imagine this is an issue, zymatic brewers have been using these seals for years.
 
Hi everyone. Hopefully someone has the answer to my problem. Got my Pico all setup and ready to brew Tweaties. Put the picopak in and I get an error saying basically that it can't read the serial number on the picopak. Anyone heard of or had this issue? Thanks.
 
Yes. Not had the issue myself. GO to the website. GO to support and drill down to picopaks. You can manually enter the serial number and it should the become a selection on your Pico.
 
I'm going to try the fast ferment to see how it comes out. I'm so used to my outdoor top tier system but this was nice for a change with the simplicity of it. I don't quite understand how the fast ferment works differently than the regular normal fermentation that I'm used to.
 
Fast Fermentation allows the yeast to work "under pressure" as you are going to use a modified relief valve to maintain a pressure on the keg -- the normal way, the yeast are simply at atmospheric pressure as the airlock lets CO2 escape. The advantage is that you can use a higher temperature to get to final gravity faster and the claim is that there are none of the expected "off-flavors" from the higher temperatures. I don't know for sure, but I'm guessing that the pressure relief is set for about 6psig (I think the normal keg relief is over 100psig).

Ultimately, though, if you don't have temperature control, it may not be worth it. I use a heat wrap to drive my temperatures up to 75F when doing Fast Ferment which gets the job done in about 5 days. But, I certainly don't plan to keep the temperature anywhere in my house at 75F! So, if you don't have a good way to heat the keg, you'll be left watching the temperature -- if the yeast activity does get you into the "Fast Ferment" range, you'll save time on fermenting!

I've done several fast ferments. I've tasted two of them so far. One was beautiful -- the Buffalo Sweat. The other one was good, but got better as it "lagered" in the fridge over the last two weeks. That's why I think that we need to keep track of who has used what yeast in which recipe and whether fast-ferment or not, so we can get a database going of what's worked and what's better left to tradition!
 
I think the main reason fast fermentation was included was for the higher temperatures it allows fermentation to occur at without the off flavors you would normally get. You have to remember the other half of us that CAN'T keep our house under 75'. Those of us in warmer locations would normally have to devise a fermentation chamber of some sort to keep the beer in mid to upper 60s. Now I can throw that adapter on and leave the keg sitting on top of my kegerator, no worries about temperature anymore. It really is a game changer, and very beginner friendly. The other beauty of it is if your temps are, or do fall, in the standard fermentation zone it's fine, the fast ferm adapter still works at standard temps, but at standard times too. This is nice because the adapter is so much more convenient than an airlock.

I've done buffalo sweat, Annie's London ale, and Harlem wit all with fast fermentation at ~73-75. All have been given about 7 days to ferment, no checking of the bull crap pressure test. All have been great. I have B52 that I will be racking in a couple days.
 
Unfortunately i'm still waiting for my pico :(
and i don't know when picobrew can ship 220v pico.....
 
Grrr, brewed up the Plinius Maximus a few weeks ago and sunday I attached the co2 to get it carbed up and ready for drinking this weekend. I went to pull a sample last night and found that I have a leak in my co2 system...burned through 5 lbs of gas in 2 days :(
 
VagueSkunk said:
Grrr, brewed up the Plinius Maximus a few weeks ago and sunday I attached the co2 to get it carbed up and ready for drinking this weekend. I went to pull a sample last night and found that I have a leak in my co2 system...burned through 5 lbs of gas in 2 days :(
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That sucks. At least the beer is still good and you can carb it. Drinking is simply delayed. :tank:
 
Lbarouf said:
That sucks. At least the beer is still good and you can carb it. Drinking is simply delayed. :tank:
Click to expand...

True that. I just got my tank refilled, disassembled the gas system and then reassembled with new plumbers tape. Tests show no leaks. Hooked it back up and keeping my fingers crossed.
 
Just tried a sample of the Plinius Maximus and it's....not so good. It's drinkable, but definitely not something that I would share with anyone else. Seems to have a good alcohol kick to it, I'm kinda buzzed ;) Has a lot of diacetyl aroma/flavor, and that same sourness that I detected on my silicone keg seals is still there. It's definitely subsided, but I can still smell it. So far I'm 0-3 with the Pico.
I did another deep clean of the machine last week, and I picked up a chest freezer that will do double duty as a fermentation chamber and keezer. Hopefully these will help since I now have some control over fermentation temperature. Fingers crossed that my next brew is better than the last 3.
 
jrb03 said:
I assume you are standard fermenting? What temp
Click to expand...
All 3 batches so far have been at ambient temp. I'm in Los Angeles, so in my house that's...tough to say :) My house is over 100 years old and has absolutely no climate control. No AC or heat. We dont really have 'weather' so as long as you're not brewing it's not a huge deal.
First batch fermented way too hot because we had an unseasonably hot spell in October. Batch tasted like crap, ended up dumping half of it. I dont like stouts all that much and it was my 1st try so I didnt cry over it.
2nd batch tasted very sour and medicinal. Pretty sure I dry hopped this one too long. Drank the whole batch. Seemed to be slightly better when I spooned the head off of it.
3rd batch fermented too cool (I guess). Used a brand new keg for this batch. Cleaned and sanitized of course.
The only things in common for all 3 batches were the Pico unit itself, and the keg lids. Since the last batch, I've run 2 deep clean cycles. The keg lids just have a...stink to them. Even after multiple washings. All 3 batches have had this same sour stink. Emailed Pico support and they blame my soaking them in PBW. Whatever.
This is why I havent left any reviews for the pico paks. Theres just waaaaaay too many variables outside the control of the brewery putting their name on it. At this point, I'm a bit surprised that the average person could produce a good beer using following only the instructions they provide.
Pretty much any beer that comes out tasting like crap is the fault of the end user, I know this and accept it. I'm just trying to figure out where in the process I'm causing the problem. I'm finally able to control my fermentation temps, so hopefully that's all it was. Back to the drawing board with fingers crossed.
 
You really should be using the fast fermentation adapter and not the airlock if you can't control the fermentation temps in the "standard" zone. Use the supplied thermometer on your keg. It is very important to know your fermentation temp, if your out of the standard zone and using the airlock you will get off flavors. The fast fermentation adapter takes temp out of the equation. The manual explains the times and temps for each pretty well.
 
jrb03 said:
You really should be using the fast fermentation adapter and not the airlock if you can't control the fermentation temps in the "standard" zone. Use the supplied thermometer on your keg. It is very important to know your fermentation temp, if your out of the standard zone and using the airlock you will get off flavors. The fast fermentation adapter takes temp out of the equation. The manual explains the times and temps for each pretty well.
Click to expand...
If I had used the fast ferment adapter the first time I'll bet that the batch would have come out better. The 2nd and 3rd times, temps were too low so I'm not entirely sure that the adapter could have saved these batches.
I've finally got a way to control my fermentation temps, so as soon as I finish off this batch I'll give it another shot.
 
Hey guys, I'm trying to help out a friend with her new Pico but I'm only familiar with regular kegs. I'm also doing this long distance and haven't ever actually seen these 5L serving kegs and attachments in person. For those using the serving kegs is it possible to force carbonate in them with extra cartridges, and if so anyone know how many cartridges that would take? Seems like it may not be worth it. Also how many cartridges should you be going through just dispensing? I'm pretty sure she has a leak.
 
chickypad said:
Hey guys, I'm trying to help out a friend with her new Pico but I'm only familiar with regular kegs. I'm also doing this long distance and haven't ever actually seen these 5L serving kegs and attachments in person. For those using the serving kegs is it possible to force carbonate in them with extra cartridges, and if so anyone know how many cartridges that would take? Seems like it may not be worth it. Also how many cartridges should you be going through just dispensing? I'm pretty sure she has a leak.
Click to expand...

It should take 1 cartridge per keg to carbonate. I used mine twice then ditched them for regular corny kegs. Found the provided 5 liter kegs way too hard to clean.
 
I've had two of my 5l kegs leak. I use a paintball canister and a special adapter to serve my mini-keg out of a "tap". Not ready to spend the money on a lot of corny kegs for serving. Maybe in a year.

That said, I only use one cartridge to force carbonate in the serving keg.
 
harrke said:
I've had two of my 5l kegs leak. I use a paintball canister and a special adapter to serve my mini-keg out of a "tap". Not ready to spend the money on a lot of corny kegs for serving. Maybe in a year.

That said, I only use one cartridge to force carbonate in the serving keg.
Click to expand...
What kind of an adapter? I have 2 kegs ready for racking in a few days so this sounds interesting.
 
VagueSkunk said:
18 hour soak in PBW followed by another scrubbing with dish soap and these ****ers still smell!
Normally I wouldnt really care so much about a smell but my last 3 batches of beer have all had this same smell and taste to them. I dont know if the beer is picking up the off flavor and aroma from the lid, or if the lid picked it up from the beer, but it's starting to tick me off :mad:
Click to expand...

Common problem with pressure cookers. I take the seal off the pressure cooker fold it up to fit in a small pot and cover with water add a couple tablespoons of baking soda and bring almost to a boil. Let sit for a bit and then dump water and rinse. Repeat if necessary.

I am only on my second batch with the Pico and I noticed the odor but it wasn't bad like another said a wort smell. But I already had it in my mind that I would treat it the next go round. Might be switching to fast ferment anyway and a second keg which should be here this week should give me some time to check out my theory of the baking soda.
 
Brewed up a batch of Deaf Turtle last night and all went well. Placed the keg in my fermentation chamber that was set to 66 degrees Fahrenheit. Checked on it this morning and found that the lid had been sucked into the keg :( Lesson learned.
Sanitized my hand/arm and dug it out. Guess I'll let this one ride and keep my fingers crossed.
 
Hi all, I brewed my first Pico a week or so ago and it came out great. After brewing, I served it out of my serving keg and found after 3 days or so it really started becoming flat and skunky. I can drink a lot but would rather have this beer last longer than 3 days. What options do I have to keep it fresh for a bit longer? Thanks in advance.
 
ooom416354 said:
Hi all, I brewed my first Pico a week or so ago and it came out great. After brewing, I served it out of my serving keg and found after 3 days or so it really started becoming flat and skunky. I can drink a lot but would rather have this beer last longer than 3 days. What options do I have to keep it fresh for a bit longer? Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Did you force carb or naturally carb? If you have any CO2 left you can use the grey bung and the regulator to put some pressure (~2-5 psi) in the serving keg this should keep it fresh. Experiment with pressure for your fit. Make sure to release the pressure b4 serving or you'll get a glass of foam.
 
Last edited:
trl2112 said:
Did you force carb or naturally carb? If you have any CO2 left you can use the grey bung and the regulator to put some pressure (~2-5 psi) in the serving keg this should keep it fresh. Experiment with pressure for your fit. Make sure to release the pressure b4 serving or you'll get a glass of foam.
Click to expand...

I did force carb. I had some C02 left over as well. So what I would do is after the 36 hour carb is done, lower the pressure to around 2-5 PSI? Then I would turn off the regulator and release the pressure each time I would pour a glass? After pouring I would then turn the regulator back on?
 
What they said, if your not going to finish the keg in a few days just leave the co2 regulator on it, and lower pressure when serving. I use a kegerator so can't give real world advice on the serving keg, but leaving ~10 psi on it when storing and as low as you can go for serving should work.

If you plan on continued use of the serving keg I would look into the party star tap, will work much better. Then when you really get into it a kegerator will make you really happy.
 
jrb03 said:
What they said, if your not going to finish the keg in a few days just leave the co2 regulator on it, and lower pressure when serving. I use a kegerator so can't give real world advice on the serving keg, but leaving ~10 psi on it when storing and as low as you can go for serving should work.

If you plan on continued use of the serving keg I would look into the party star tap, will work much better. Then when you really get into it a kegerator will make you really happy.
Click to expand...


Thanks, that makes sense. I actually have a kegerator but it is setup already in my bar and to add a second tap would be a bit of a pain to do (lack of space also plays a big part). I saw both the party star tap mentioned in this thread as well as the following link

https://www.edgestar.com/tbc50-acc-edgestar-mini-keg-beer-dispenser-accessory-kit/TBC50-ACC.html

Which would you recommend as a better option? I am thinking 3 weeks max I'd have the beer before it is finished.

Thanks!
 

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