Chemical Corny?

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JayInJersey

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So it was about two years ago now I made a Vanilla Cream Ale that I mistakenly used Imitation Vanilla Extract. This was an extract batch that I boiled potentially with the lid on as at the time I was boiling on my stove and could barely keep 5g boiling without the lid.

Now at the time I had just gotten into kegging so this was a new (to me) corny I got from either my lhbs or online (honestly no idea which one now)

I know that I sternly washed it out...but I'm fairly certain I didn't Oxy soak it. It was sanitized however using Ido (didn't discover starsan yet)

Lo and behold when I tap this keg last year it has this overwhelming "chemical" taste to it. I can't call it wet cardboard or plastic...I have to call it chemical, maybe medical, ya know?

So I have to pitch this batch cause no amount of aging would have cleared it. It was BAD.
Dumped it and scrubbed the inside out. Again no Oxy soak as I hadn't discovered this (or this website for that mater) yet. But it was scrubbed hard using my carboy brush. Completely disassembled and filled with StarSan (which is what I use now) and sat until I needed it.


Enter last year, while making one of my last Extract batches (again full boil with lid on) I used this keg again.

A few weeks ago I tap this Citrus Wiezen and what do you know...Chemical taste again! Now the big difference this time was when I kegged it I had some left over beer so I was able to tab carb it and bottled a 4 pack.
The 4 pack is fine (if a bit overcarbed...) but doesn't taste Chemically.

I was thinking it had to be something I had done, like DMS from the boil even if it was extract but the 4-pack kind of blows that out right?

So it has to be the Keg right?
What could it have been?

I currently have it soaking in Oxy (full strength)...but should I even trust this keg again?

Thoughts?
 
Have you ever replaced the rubber gaskets? There are 5 in each keg and eny one of them could be a culprit. had the keg ever been cleaned with bleach?

Bleach residue could also be a culprit for medicinal (aka phenolic) off flavors.
 
It was never bleached by me...although I can't say it never has been.

As for replacing them...when I first got it I tested it to see if it was air tight and it was so I only cleaned the rubbers not replaced them.
 
Search around here for part number at McMaster Carr. Can buy new rings for super cheap. First thing to do with any newly purchased used keg is to replace the rings lest the seller specifies they've already been replaced.

That at least eliminates one possible potential.
 
Ok tore it all down after the soak and rinsed it thoroughly...changed out all my o-rings too.
It smells clean...but I'm fairly certain it never smelled of Chem to begin with.

How to test it?

Obviously I don't want to use a sacrificial batch to see if the flavor leaches in again...but I'm not entirely sure if filling it with water and putting under pressure will be an accurate test since it wouldn't have the acidity.


I guess the water would be the first step...but anyone have a suggestion as to step two?
 
Pour a 40oz in there or maybe a few beers out of a 6-pack. You should get enough contact to know if you're ok to pour in a full homebrew batch.
 
Ok tore it all down after the soak and rinsed it thoroughly...changed out all my o-rings too.
It smells clean...but I'm fairly certain it never smelled of Chem to begin with.

How to test it?

Obviously I don't want to use a sacrificial batch to see if the flavor leaches in again...but I'm not entirely sure if filling it with water and putting under pressure will be an accurate test since it wouldn't have the acidity.


I guess the water would be the first step...but anyone have a suggestion as to step two?

Acidify the water?
 
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