Beer came out wrong

[CheekyChief]

I just tapped my corny keg of lager and it came out all muddy and it tastes weird. I used the craft a brew light lager 5 gallon kit, which I’ve bottled before and it came out great. The beer looked good when I transferred it from the fermenter to the keg a week ago. I set it to 10 psi and last I checked it before today was about 4 days ago. When I opened up the kegerator, the CO2 had leaked out somewhere so I hooked up a new tank and left it for about an hour. It has close to enough carbonation now, but it doesn’t taste right. Does anyone know what might have gone wrong here?

 

[skunkape]

My guess is you either kegged it before it settled or before it was finished. First few pulls will be cloudy but should clear up some after you clear the yeast out from around the dimple. Give it a bit to settle and try again.

 

[wepeeler]

I just tapped my corny keg of lager and it came out all muddy and it tastes weird. I used the craft a brew light lager 5 gallon kit, which I’ve bottled before and it came out great. The beer looked good when I transferred it from the fermenter to the keg a week ago. I set it to 10 psi and last I checked it before today was about 4 days ago. When I opened up the kegerator, the CO2 had leaked out somewhere so I hooked up a new tank and left it for about an hour. It has close to enough carbonation now, but it doesn’t taste right. Does anyone know what might have gone wrong here?

Pour out another pint or so. You may be pouring out the dregs in the bottom of the keg first. That being said, the beer looks really dark. Especially for a Pilsner. Oxidation? Just it taste like wet paper/cardboard?

 

[CheekyChief]

My guess is you either kegged it before it settled or before it was finished. First few pulls will be cloudy but should clear up some after you clear the yeast out from around the dimple. Give it a bit to settle and try again.

Thanks for your response. I was worried that something had grown in the beer that wasn’t supposed to be there as it currently tastes too bitter and not as flavorful as the bottled one does. I kegged it after 2 weeks like the instructions said. It looked pretty clear when I kegged it, so what do you think I can do differently next time?

 

[CheekyChief]

Pour out another pint or so. You may be pouring out the dregs in the bottom of the keg first. That being said, the beer looks really dark. Especially for a Pilsner. Oxidation? Just it taste like wet paper/cardboard?

It doesn’t really taste like anything I’ve ever had. It might taste a little more watery than the bottled one but it doesn’t taste good.

 

[PashMaddle]

Are you using a floating dip tube or is it going down to the bottom of the keg?
I’m not a keg guy myself but I have seen people modify their tube by cutting some off the end so it doesn’t pull trub out.

 

[Miraculix]

Of the co2 managed to get out, O2 managed to get in. I think you might have oxidised your beer. And maybe this in combination with suspended yeast. The latter will clear with time, but oxidation cannot be fixed unfortunately. The increased harsh bitterness can also be a sign of oxidation.

 

[lumpher]

I'm going with what Miraculix said. Oxidation will make it harsh, dark, and unpleasant, and can't be fixed. It was fermenting for 2 weeks, and has been kegged for a week, so 3 week old lager? Yep, I'd let it settle. The yeast taste will drop, but the unpleasant hoppy taste won't. Try it in a couple weeks. If it's nasty-tasting then, it just might be a dumper, or might be tolerable after settling.

 

[skunkape]

I, personally, never dump a batch w/o giving it time to age a bit. You'd be surprised at how a beer can improve with a little patience. Give it a month and try it again. Jus' sayin...

 

[Neldog0]

I just tapped my corny keg of lager and it came out all muddy and it tastes weird. I used the craft a brew light lager 5 gallon kit, which I’ve bottled before and it came out great. The beer looked good when I transferred it from the fermenter to the keg a week ago. I set it to 10 psi and last I checked it before today was about 4 days ago. When I opened up the kegerator, the CO2 had leaked out somewhere so I hooked up a new tank and left it for about an hour. It has close to enough carbonation now, but it doesn’t taste right. Does anyone know what might have gone wrong here?

You are picking up the trub that settles when you keg a beer. Make sure you have the out riser trimmed up enough to clear this. Sometimes you can get a block in the tube which can be resolved by increasing the pressure to clear it & then reduce the pressure.

 

[Bobby_M]

It is oxidized at the very least. That's typically what a light colored beer looks like (brown and murky) when a beer gets seriously damaged by oxygen. That's another reason why it is tasteless. What kind of fermenter vessels do you have and how did you move the beer to the keg?

 

[CheekyChief]

It is oxidized at the very least. That's typically what a light colored beer looks like (brown and murky) when a beer gets seriously damaged by oxygen. That's another reason why it is tasteless. What kind of fermenter vessels do you have and how did you move the beer to the keg?

To make the 5 gallon batches I have a 6 gallon bucket with an airlock. To transfer it from the bucket, I clamped a hose to the spigot and put the other end at the bottom of the keg. This next batch is a NEIPA and will be ready to be kegged next this weekend.

 

[Bobby_M]

I suppose the good news is that the equipment and process you're using explains why your beer was oxidized. That is to say, it's fixable or at least can be vastly improved.

First, fill your keg to the top with water, add 1oz of starsan concentrate, put the lid on and roll it around on the floor. Attach your racking hose to a black keg connector and dispense the starsan out of the keg fully into a spare bucket.

Attach the open end of that hose to your fermenter spigot. Attach CO2 to the lid of your fermenter bucket and set the pressure to about half a PSI. Open the spigot and lock the keg PRV in the open position.

 

[pvtpublic]

What temp did you ferment it at? Room temp? Lagers need to be fermented at 50-55 unless under pressure. Another thing, let it settle out before kegging, then lager it at least a month as cold as possible.

 

[wdavis2003]

Keg has a leak somewhere, which is why the CO2 leaked out, and the beer was oxidized. Make sure you find the leak before using that keg again or the NEIPA will be ruined.

 

[redrocker652002]

Great info. As far as kegging is concerned, I simply put my bucket above the level of my keg (bucket is on the clothes washer and the keg is on the floor). I use the method listed above by putting warm water and Starsan in my keg and run it thru my tap to sanitize all those parts. Once the keg is empty, I keep it pressurized open the PRV valve and use gravity to fill from the bucket to the keg by using the out post of the keg. I have a floating dip tube so I am pretty sure the beer fills from the bottom up and not splashing or sloshing. So far, that has worked out really well for me.

 

[CheekyChief]

What temp did you ferment it at? Room temp? Lagers need to be fermented at 50-55 unless under pressure. Another thing, let it settle out before kegging, then lager it at least a month as cold as possible.

I fermented at about 65. I guess the beer technically isn’t a lager, but the bottled one I made sure tastes like one. The instructions said to ferment in the 60s so I did that. This is the ingredients kit I used. Light Craft Lager Beer Recipe Kit | Craft A Brew

 

[CheekyChief]

Keg has a leak somewhere, which is why the CO2 leaked out, and the beer was oxidized. Make sure you find the leak before using that keg again or the NEIPA will be ruined.

I ordered two kegs so I’ll put the NEIPA in the other one.

 

[redrocker652002]

Maybe check it before hand by putting some CO2 in it and squirt some soapy water around the different seals? Takes about 2 mins to do and at least you know it is solid. Even new kegs I would guess can leak. Just a suggestion.

 

[CheekyChief]

Great info. As far as kegging is concerned, I simply put my bucket above the level of my keg (bucket is on the clothes washer and the keg is on the floor). I use the method listed above by putting warm water and Starsan in my keg and run it thru my tap to sanitize all those parts. Once the keg is empty, I keep it pressurized open the PRV valve and use gravity to fill from the bucket to the keg by using the out post of the keg. I have a floating dip tube so I am pretty sure the beer fills from the bottom up and not splashing or sloshing. So far, that has worked out really well for me.

I ordered a floating dip tube for my other keg and I’ll install it before I keg so I’m not drawing from the bottom anymore.

 

[CheekyChief]

Maybe check it before hand by putting some CO2 in it and squirt some soapy water around the different seals? Takes about 2 mins to do and at least you know it is solid. Even new kegs I would guess can leak. Just a suggestion.

I’ll try that before I keg.

 

[Clint Yeastwood]

I have had kegs that leaked a bit of CO2 without getting oxidation I could detect. Just throwing it out there. I wouldn't throw out a keg just because the pressure dropped for a couple of days until I got it fixed.

My understanding is that oxidation takes a while, and I used to get pretty good beer even before I understood how to keep O2 out. Maybe the O2 shortened its life, but it was still okay to drink in the short term. Unless you're positive this beer is already messed up, I would hold onto it until I could brew a replacement. Beer keeps changing. It might shape up somewhat, and at least you would have something to drink while you wait for the next one.

The other guys on the forum haven't actually tried the beer, so we have to guess what it tastes like and what is causing the problems. Maybe oxidation isn't the main issue right now.

 

[CheekyChief]

Maybe check it before hand by putting some CO2 in it and squirt some soapy water around the different seals? Takes about 2 mins to do and at least you know it is solid. Even new kegs I would guess can leak. Just a suggestion.

I’ll try that before I keg.

I have had kegs that leaked a bit of CO2 without getting oxidation I could detect. Just throwing it out there. I wouldn't throw out a keg just because the pressure dropped for a couple of days until I got it fixed.

My understanding is that oxidation takes a while, and I used to get pretty good beer even before I understood how to keep O2 out. Maybe the O2 shortened its life, but it was still okay to drink in the short term. Unless you're positive this beer is already messed up, I would hold onto it until I could brew a replacement. Beer keeps changing. It might shape up somewhat, and at least you would have something to drink while you wait for the next one.

The other guys on the forum haven't actually tried the beer, so we have to guess what it tastes like and what is causing the problems. Maybe oxidation isn't the main issue right now.

I moved that keg into a fridge so I’ll let it sit for a while. In the meantime I’m kegging a NEIPA this weekend

 

[redrocker652002]

Good luck. I have to make a batch to keg soon, hoping the end of the week, but life has gotten in the way.

 

[loganklaas]

@CheekyChief have you kept up with keg maintenance; specifically the O-rings? Is your keg still leaking CO2?

I’ve brewed many, many Craft A Brew kits. It may be worth emailing their customer support. One time I had a batch of their NEIPA brew I’ve made numerous times taste not quite right after I tapped it. The NEIPA was kind of flavorless. I contacted their customer support via email, explained the situation, and they ended up sending me the same kit for free (I paid the shipping fee). They try to help troubleshoot potential problems, like others have above, so that you can avoid dumping it. May be worth a shot. Good luck!

 

[earthboundagain]

If the beer is truly oxidized, it can still be useful. You can cook with it, or make some beer vinegar.

 

[redrocker652002]

To make the 5 gallon batches I have a 6 gallon bucket with an airlock. To transfer it from the bucket, I clamped a hose to the spigot and put the other end at the bottom of the keg. This next batch is a NEIPA and will be ready to be kegged next this weekend.

I just noticed the photo's and wanted to chime in. You do pretty much exactly what I do with one exception. After you have checked the keg for leaks, this is what I do. I fill the keg with 2.5 gallons of water or so. Add about a half oz of starsan (the measurement is on the side of the fill part of the starsan bottle) and roll the keg around for a minute or so to cover all the parts. I then hook the keg up to my tap and run the starsan thru the line and tap to sanitized them. Now, I should also say that I have already run the lines and tap with PBW so those are already clean. Once the keg is empty, I take it to the garage and spray all the posts with Starsan as well. I have already moved the bucket to the clothes washer so it is higher than the keg sitting on the floor. I then hit the spigot and the filler hose with Starsan as well. I will then hook one end of the filler hose to the spigot on the bucket and the end of the hose I have a Liquid QD that I push onto the out side of the keg. I then gently open the spigot and let gravity do it's thing. Make sure you are on the out post as that is the post that goes to the bottom of the keg and you will have no splashing (I have a floating dip tube, so that sits on the bottom of the keg and raises as the keg fills. Also, you may have to release the PRV valve on the keg as the pressure may backflow thru the line and into the bucket and either cause the lid to pop off or there is a little relief valve on the spigot that is there to relieve pressure into the bucket I assume. Don't ask me how I know all of this, but I will say I had a good laugh as I was gett peed on by my bucket thru that little hole in the spigot. It is not a perfect "closed transfer" but it is as close as I can get for now. I have been researching fermenting in a keg and using the CO2 produced during the fermentation to purge a serving keg and using CO2 to push from one keg to another, but that is for another time. For now, the process outlined seems to work pretty well for me. At least my rather unsophisticated pallet cannot tell any off flavors or oxidation. Any questions feel free to PM me, I am happy to help.

 

[Bobby_M]

I just noticed the photo's and wanted to chime in. You do pretty much exactly what I do with one exception. After you have checked the keg for leaks, this is what I do. I fill the keg with 2.5 gallons of water or so. Add about a half oz of starsan (the measurement is on the side of the fill part of the starsan bottle) and roll the keg around for a minute or so to cover all the parts. I then hook the keg up to my tap and run the starsan thru the line and tap to sanitized them. Now, I should also say that I have already run the lines and tap with PBW so those are already clean. Once the keg is empty, I take it to the garage and spray all the posts with Starsan as well. I have already moved the bucket to the clothes washer so it is higher than the keg sitting on the floor. I then hit the spigot and the filler hose with Starsan as well. I will then hook one end of the filler hose to the spigot on the bucket and the end of the hose I have a Liquid QD that I push onto the out side of the keg. I then gently open the spigot and let gravity do it's thing. Make sure you are on the out post as that is the post that goes to the bottom of the keg and you will have no splashing (I have a floating dip tube, so that sits on the bottom of the keg and raises as the keg fills. Also, you may have to release the PRV valve on the keg as the pressure may backflow thru the line and into the bucket and either cause the lid to pop off or there is a little relief valve on the spigot that is there to relieve pressure into the bucket I assume. Don't ask me how I know all of this, but I will say I had a good laugh as I was gett peed on by my bucket thru that little hole in the spigot. It is not a perfect "closed transfer" but it is as close as I can get for now. I have been researching fermenting in a keg and using the CO2 produced during the fermentation to purge a serving keg and using CO2 to push from one keg to another, but that is for another time. For now, the process outlined seems to work pretty well for me. At least my rather unsophisticated pallet cannot tell any off flavors or oxidation. Any questions feel free to PM me, I am happy to help.

Why would you leave 2.5 gallons of air filled headspace in the keg? I know starsan is expensive, but so is a brew day and batch. The only way to get all the oxygen out is to fill the keg to the top.

 

[redrocker652002]

I guess I mistyped. I fill the keg up with 5 gallons. My apologies for any misunderstanding my post may have caused. I had a few beers before I posted that. LOL

 

[FloppyKnockers]

I'm not thinking you did anything wrong or there is anything wrong with the beer. Just some yuks at the bottom of the keg. The first pint / pint and a half will do that. I call that the "water bug's share" because you pour it down the drain to them to keep them happy, drunk, and out of your house.