Will I smell/taste cola in my beer from keg?

[zach1288]

I bought some used kegs and thought I had them cleaned and odor free. I racked a beer into one of them tonight and realized once it was to late that you could smell some cola odor in them.

What are the chances this will carry through to the beer?

 

[heckels]

Probably won't be noticeable. I'd give the others a good oxyclean and replace the rings if you didn't already.


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[passedpawn]

After you clean your kegs, smell them. If there is a strong smell of soda, it very well might end up in your beer. Root beer, especially, is tenacious. I'm not sure of the solution for removing this.

 

[zach1288]

After you clean your kegs, smell them. If there is a strong smell of soda, it very well might end up in your beer. Root beer, especially, is tenacious. I'm not sure of the solution for removing this.

That's the weird part, I smelled them after I cleaned them and they smelled fine.

 

[passedpawn]

That's the weird part, I smelled them after I cleaned them and they smelled fine.

I have 10 kegs that I've had in continuous circulation for at least 2 years. I just made a bunch of octoberfest and for whatever reason, I got a strong smell of sprite or something similar in one of the kegs. I put the beer in it and I do think it has that flavor as well.

I don't have any answers, just throwing that out there as another data point.

 

[snowveil]

Once you've kicked this keg make sure to replace all of the o-rings. Give the keg a good PBW soak for a few days then rinse it out and you should be fine.

The cola flavor might carry over but it's going to really depend on whether or not the flavors in the beer are strong enough to mask it. I wouldn't worry too much about it as you've already got it kegged anyway.

 

[wilserbrewer]

The stainless can be cleaned without odor, the rubber seals cannot.


Wilserbrewer
Http://biabbags.webs.com/

 

[ubnserved]

I always soak my new to me kegs completely full of bleach water for a couple of days when I get them and have never had a recurring odor. Mix is: fill keg full of water, press poppet to allow pickup tube to fill. Add 2 table spoons of household bleach and replace lid. Shake vigorously. Lay keg on its side with pickup tube on the lower side and press poppet to allow bleach water to fill tube. If you open air side to break vacuum.
Shake vigorously a couple of times a day for a few days. Let soak for a couple of days then drain and clean as usual. I usually hook to co2 and force water out pickup tube.

 

[Stealthcruiser]

Word on the street is: You should use NO bleach, with stainless steel.

 

[passedpawn]

Word on the street is: You should use NO bleach, with stainless steel.

I put bleach in a cornie once and after a few days the end of the dip tube had corroded like swiss cheese, full of holes. Yea, don't use bleach unless you are going to rinse it off right away.

If I had a bad infection, or kegged another sour beer, I'd use it again.

For normal cleaning, I just go with my buddy Starsan.

 

[LandoLincoln]

For normal cleaning, I just go with my buddy Starsan.

We'll give you a chance to retract that statement before we jump on you.

 

[jbaysurfer]

PBW/Oxy at 170F. Fill the keg. Leave it upright. Breakdown the keg by removing the gas and liquid posts (you'll be amazed at the grime you find underneath) scrub em clean and soak em in a smaller bucket/bowl. Remove the gas and liquid diptubes. Use a 1/4" diptube brush to scrub the inside of the dip tubes. Put the gas diptube in the smaller bowl with the smaller items. Put the liquid inside the filled keg. Replace ALL seals. Do this all again if you odor. There are few odors in the world that can survive 2 or 3 goes of this. Sanitize and leave the sanitizer in there for several days, make sure the sanitizer gets inside the liquid out diptube too.
-
I own 15 kegs and I have managed to clean every one of them to virtually odor free this way. I do have one that still smells faintly of sprite from time to time, but I've never ever tasted or smelled it in my beer, and if you're super paranoid, just use it for IPAs with fruity PNW hops and no one will ever be the wiser..yourself included.

PS, 170F is HOT...wear gloves when handling the keg and avoid touching the sides!

 

[passedpawn]

We'll give you a chance to retract that statement before we jump on you.

Did I unwittingly stepped into a dbl entendre? I don't see it - so have at it!

[edit] if it's cleaning vs sanitizing, yea right, I'm really just sanitizing. My kegs get hosed out, and after that if there's any crud (always at the bottom) they get brushed. I don't think I've ever used oxyclean or PBW in them.

 

[jbaysurfer]

Edit....because I couldn't delete.

 

[wilserbrewer]

My kegs get hosed out, and after that if there's any crud (always at the bottom) they get brushed. I don't think I've ever used oxyclean or PBW in them.

Try a little experiment, soak and shake a keg for 20 - 30 minutes with a gallon of hot oxi clean, and then drain to a clear pitcher...the solution will be about the color of weak tea IME.

I was surprised how dirty a "clean" keg can be.



Wilserbrewer
Http://biabbags.webs.com/

 

[brycelarson]

PBW and new seals and you'll be soda-free. I always keep a handful of keg seal kits around. They're only like $3 - which is a good investment vs a $30 batch of beer being ruined.

 

[grathan]

As Jbsurfer mentioned, you wanna make sure you brush out the dip tube. At the very least disassemble the tube and hold it up to the light. I had a couple that had soda gunk stuck in there.