quiet_dissent
Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 24, 2013
- Messages
- 29
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Hi all,
I've posted before about this issue but the issue persists. My beer tastes lovely after fermentation. It tastes good upon tapping the keg for the first time. However, after I initially tap the keg, most of the flavor profile disappears. For example, I just made an oatmeal stout that I then added vanilla bean soaked in Grand Marnier. Prior to kegging: great. After first pour from the keg: great. A few days late -- Grand Marnier smell is pretty much gone, no more chocolate and roasted notes, no more smoothness. It tastes like old, stale beer that has no body. How is this possible? A few things:
1. I just replaced the tap line. I also just replaced the faucet with a 630SS Perlick.
2. I use the "set it and forget" it method. That is, I rarely set my regulator above 11 psi. For the stout, I set it lower to 8 psi. It has been on CO2 for two weeks upon initial pour.
3. I have replaced all O-rings on kegs.
4. I clean and sanitize everything. (Again, the first pour tastes great! But maybe gross stuff could rear its ugly head well-after fermentation and carbonation?)
Prior to kegging, I never had this issue with a Tap-A-Draft system or bottling; all of my beer tasted the same coming out as it did going into whatever vessel I was using for bottling.
I don't understand. The only thing I can think of is somehow oxygen gets in after the first pour. But that doesn't make much sense given it is a closed system. But I'm convinced I know nothing about this process.
I've been dealing with this keg after keg, each time replacing parts, trying new CO2 tanks, using different cleaners, etc. I get my hopes up that I've solved the issue and then...ugh. It's just never ending but clearly I am doing something terribly wrong. I have wasted so much good beer trying to get this thing right. I have two other possible troubleshooting ideas: kegging water and carbonating it to see what it tastes like after repeated pours across several days and moving some beer to a two liter bottle, letting it sit for a bit, and then reviving it with a carbonator cap.
Any other suggestions or ideas?
I've posted before about this issue but the issue persists. My beer tastes lovely after fermentation. It tastes good upon tapping the keg for the first time. However, after I initially tap the keg, most of the flavor profile disappears. For example, I just made an oatmeal stout that I then added vanilla bean soaked in Grand Marnier. Prior to kegging: great. After first pour from the keg: great. A few days late -- Grand Marnier smell is pretty much gone, no more chocolate and roasted notes, no more smoothness. It tastes like old, stale beer that has no body. How is this possible? A few things:
1. I just replaced the tap line. I also just replaced the faucet with a 630SS Perlick.
2. I use the "set it and forget" it method. That is, I rarely set my regulator above 11 psi. For the stout, I set it lower to 8 psi. It has been on CO2 for two weeks upon initial pour.
3. I have replaced all O-rings on kegs.
4. I clean and sanitize everything. (Again, the first pour tastes great! But maybe gross stuff could rear its ugly head well-after fermentation and carbonation?)
Prior to kegging, I never had this issue with a Tap-A-Draft system or bottling; all of my beer tasted the same coming out as it did going into whatever vessel I was using for bottling.
I don't understand. The only thing I can think of is somehow oxygen gets in after the first pour. But that doesn't make much sense given it is a closed system. But I'm convinced I know nothing about this process.
I've been dealing with this keg after keg, each time replacing parts, trying new CO2 tanks, using different cleaners, etc. I get my hopes up that I've solved the issue and then...ugh. It's just never ending but clearly I am doing something terribly wrong. I have wasted so much good beer trying to get this thing right. I have two other possible troubleshooting ideas: kegging water and carbonating it to see what it tastes like after repeated pours across several days and moving some beer to a two liter bottle, letting it sit for a bit, and then reviving it with a carbonator cap.
Any other suggestions or ideas?