# Ginger beer flavour stuck in lines



## acarey (25/4/14)

A while ago I made a keg of ginger beer (kit) for my wife. It took about two months to be used up and over the course of that time I had moved it between two of my three taps. There was ginger beer sitting in both lines for at different stages over the months for extended periods of time.

Fast forward to now and the ginger beer is gone but it's spirit remains in the form of ginger flavours imparted to what ever beer is served from either tap.

I've had an imperial IPA, super hoppy, sitting in the line for more than a month now and the ginger is still noticeable with each drink.

What can I do to exercise the demon, or do I just have to replace the beer line and tell the mrs to buy her own damn ginger beer in future?

Thanks


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## daveHQ (25/4/14)

Line is cheap, I'd replace the line


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## acarey (25/4/14)

daveHQ said:


> Line is cheap, I'd replace the line


Yeah. Leaning towards that but all of a sudden I absolutely have to fix it on a public holiday and can't buy any hose clamps. Have to wait until tomorrow I guess


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## real_beer (25/4/14)

daveHQ said:


> Line is cheap, I'd replace the line


Yeah it's the same reason you initially replace all the seals when you first buy second-hand corny kegs (or why they are often bundled with the keg). Just keep the one line & tap exclusively for your ginger beer.


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## real_beer (25/4/14)

acarey said:


> Yeah. Leaning towards that but all of a sudden I absolutely have to fix it on a public holiday and can't buy any hose clamps. Have to wait until tomorrow I guess


You might get away with just pushing the line on the barb for a day, just remember to turn your gas off later in case a slight leak develops, or twist a small piece of tie wire around the connection with pliers temporarily. 

Edit: And don't tell the mrs to buy her own dam ginger beer that's just plain mean :lol:


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## Liam_snorkel (25/4/14)

boiling water


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## Greg.L (25/4/14)

I remember once tasting homebrew that had been bottled in a sarsparilla PET bottle, tasted very strongly of sarsparilla. In case you were wondering, not nice.


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## mr_wibble (25/4/14)

Mine stayed around for months.

After cleaning the pipes, with a hot soak, and then 1/2 a tank of soda water through it, I think it's _finally_ gone.

You can dump ginger cordial in soda water


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## Ducatiboy stu (25/4/14)

Caustic soda and let it sit in your lines.

Rinse well.


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## Mr. No-Tip (26/4/14)

Bracton line cleaner. It's what the pubs use. (The pubs that actually clean their lines at least!)


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## manticle (26/4/14)

acarey said:


> What can I do to exercise the demon,


Take it for a walk?

Couldn't resist. What cleaning regime have you tried on the line and taps? Replacement seems the obvious solution.


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## wombil (26/4/14)

The bloke up the road had 6 kids and bottled his brew in 1.25 ltr soft drink bottles.Don't think he even rinsed them.
One bottle would be a raspberry beer, the next a sarsparilla, the next could be ginger ale or creaming soda or God knows what.
Never knew what you were going to get.Quite good really,the beer was ok and the lucky dip made things interesting.
Didn't mind it at all.


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## Greg.L (26/4/14)

Plastics tend to absorb some aromatic molecules and release them slowly. Cleaning won't really help because the flavour is absorbed in the plastic, soaking for a long period would help but if the part is cheap it's better to replace.


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## acarey (27/4/14)

Hi All,

Thanks for the advice. I ended up replacing the lines.

Cheers


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## acarey (27/4/14)

manticle said:


> Take it for a walk?
> 
> Couldn't resist. What cleaning regime have you tried on the line and taps? Replacement seems the obvious solution.


haha.

Cleaning regime. You're cute 

Just put the next beer on and go go go. Thats my style.


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## Semionovas (22/5/14)

I have just started brewing and my first ever brew is a ginger beer kit and it is currently fermenting in a plastic fermenter. So my question is, have i stuffed up my new fermenter or is it ok?

Thanks


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## TidalPete (22/5/14)

Ducatiboy stu said:


> Caustic soda and let it sit in your lines.
> 
> Rinse well.


Drastic measures Duca but well said.
I keep a separate keg aside for GB & use a dedicated Bronco tap.

Bronco! 

Go the Maroons for nine-in-a row starting next Wednesday! :super:

Whoohooooooooo! :lol:


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## acarey (22/5/14)

Semionovas said:


> I have just started brewing and my first ever brew is a ginger beer kit and it is currently fermenting in a plastic fermenter. So my question is, have i stuffed up my new fermenter or is it ok?
> 
> Thanks


I've done one in my plastic fermenter and it didn't affect it


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