Started kegging, now beer tastes gross.

[Trevor57]

I have started kegging in the spring, and it was cool after I got past the initial bugs. After going through my first tank of co2 I got a gas distribution block and built a 6 keg setup. I got a refill and hooked up to the new block and 6 un carbed kegs and let them sit for a while. after a week I sampled all of them and the all tasted kind of bad.

Some where recipes I had done before and should have been ok. A few were so bad I unhooked them and put the in the cellar. They seemed to have a common flaw of a kind of odd bitterness. In this time I had some beers finishing up in the fermentors that were ready to be kegged. The same results occurred with the new batches. I let them sit for weeks hoping they would get better, but it seem to me like they have actually gotten worse. The only batch that seemed to be unaffected was a cider.

At this point I had become so frustrated I put all of the full kegs in my cellar, and bought a us sankey and a keg of sierra nevada. This was on Wednesday the 11th. I put it on gas about 1pm, and let it settle until evening. I had a few that night and they tasted just like any SN I have had. The next night I poured one at about 9pm, and it seemed a little off, but I figured it was just me. I poured one last night and it was terrible.

While I am quite pissed about spending $160 on SN that now tastes like puke, at least I have some hope that my beers taste bad from something other than my brewing. (I always liked them when I bottled.) Is there a chance that the Co2 is causing this? That seems to be one of the only variables. Yes I cleaned my lines, yes I cleaned the faucet, and changed lines, and tried picnic taps.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Was the tank new? Or used but had 'left over' CO2?

Steel or aluminum?

How about the reg? New or used?

Did you instal backflow preventers (check valves) ahead of the block?

 

[Trevor57]

My tank was bought new, and is steel. Reg was new also. The homebrew shop handed me the co2 tank and regulator already assembled.

 

[RichBenn]

Are you checking the carb charts carefully so that you have the same as what you had when you bottled?

Higher carb levels = more bitterness.

Also, a lot of people say quick force carbing (higher initial psi and/or shaking) will give a "harsh" bitterness. Carbing at, say, 10-12 psi (depending upon temp) for 3 weeks before drinking will generally be a bit smoother. And, of course, aging is aging.

If that's the wrong track, sanitation, bad stuff in the CO2, or some other thing is where to look (I don't have any handle on the third, however!)

 

[Trevor57]

That is why I bought a commercial keg. It too got nasty in under a week.

 

[mattd2]

That is why I bought a commercial keg. It too got nasty in under a week.

What pressure/temperture have you got it at? As even a commercial keg will absorb more CO2 if the pressure it higher and maybe lead to the bitterness. I don't really know if this will be it though.

 

[mattd2]

Try carbing up some water and see if it has the same bitterness to it compared with a bottle of store bought sparkling water (just to check if its the CO2 in the bottle giving the weird taste).

 

[JimBell]

Have you cleaned the lines yet? I get a terrible taste if I don't clean my lines every month or two.

What temp do you have your keezer set to?

 

[arturo7]

Any chance this might be oxidation?

 

[BulldogBrewer]

What kind of lines are you using? Cheap-o home depot lines or beverage line? Have they been thoroughly cleaned/sanitized?

 

[kornbread]

You say that you didn't notice the problem until you got a refill and a gas block? I'm wondering if you got some kind of contaminated tank of co2. Maybe it was used previously to hold a different gas?

I believe I'd try the water test mentioned above with the current tank. If you get the same flavor, then I would exchange the tank and try another water test.

 

[mattd2]

You say that you didn't notice the problem until you got a refill and a gas block? I'm wondering if you got some kind of contaminated tank of co2. Maybe it was used previously to hold a different gas?

I believe I'd try the water test mentioned above with the current tank. If you get the same flavor, then I would exchange the tank and try another water test.

Also did you clean the gas block? I don't know if any cutting fluid or protective oil might be on there after it had been machined. Oil has a weird bitter taste to it IIRC :cross:

 

[Trevor57]

Also did you clean the gas block? I don't know if any cutting fluid or protective oil might be on there after it had been machined. Oil has a weird bitter taste to it IIRC :cross:

Great advice The water idea is simple and brilliant, and no I did not clean out the gas manifold.

FWIW I know the temp/pressure is not really suspect as it is at 10 psi and 34 degrees.