Green Mold In Taps

[reVoxAHB]

Hey guys,

I have a reoccurring issue where green mold is coming up in my taps. The first time I'd noticed it (where my tap deposited a healthy dollop of gunk into a nice bright pilsener <_< ) I stripped everything apart, gave everything a solid "toothbrush" clean with soapy water to iodophor soak and reassembly. All was well for a few months but again noticed mold in the left tap/setup in my system.

Again, both taps have been stripped down and are soaking in hot PBW.

Any tips or tricks I can follow to minimise or eliminate this from happening?

Only thing I can think of is to be more diligent in my drip tray removal and cleaning (every two days at most) where the thought is mold starts in the tray and works via air into the taps? I'm not finding mold anywhere else in the room (not on walls, ceiling, etc... all ok).

I'm using Micromatic cheapies, fwiw.

Thanks,
reVox

 

[warrenlw63]

Heya reVox I had the same thing with mine. A nice snotty green bung fell into one of my beers. This forced me into action. After I pour a beer I squirt a bit of dilute iodophor from a spray bottle up the tap nozzle. This seems to have helped.

You could also put some plastic caps on your taps between sessions. I've found those little white plastic furniture leg caps at Bunnings work well. They're about $2 a pack.

Oh I also strip my taps down and completely clean them every fortnight.

Warren -

 

[Maple]

Sounds like a bit of a concern there ReVox. I assume that when you tear it down you are taking everything apart, so short of a total rebuild, I'm just about aat a loss. Are you using Fatlocks? and if so, are you pulling them apart as well? Perhaps strip it all back right to the line connection to the font, have a good look-see, and potentially you'll find it.

 

[brettprevans]

ive got the rubber tap protector things from craftbreewer. seem to work.

edit: these in black

 

[chappo1970]

Revox,
Everytime a keg blows I rinse the keg, fill it with hot water and dose with PBW and then run 1/2 of it thru the taps. Rinse the keg again and flow 1/2 of that back thru the taps. Hit the keg with SaniClean and push 1/2 of that thru the taps. Then finally sanitise the keg with Starsan and run all that back thru the taps. Because a keg blows every week or so it seems to keep them in tip top shape and is just part of my keg cleaning routine now. Also do as Warren and CM2 with the caps.

...You could also put some plastic caps on your taps between sessions...

+1

 

[fraser_john]

I have one of those cheap 5 litre garden spray bottles next to my serving fridge, in it I alternate between a star-san mix or water with a little bleach and vinegar in it. Works a charm, you can really get up inside the taps by pumping the garden sprayer right up and turning the nozzle to jet. I spray it when I have had my last beer for the night and spray all four taps, regardless of whether I have used them. I have the plastic caps, but do not need them with this regime.

 

[reVoxAHB]

Thanks fellas.

I did a total tear-down, clean and rebuild over the weekend.

Have taken all suggestions on board; Looks like I will do another tear down in about 1 months time (or even fortnight) to see if mold is again presenting itself. Hopefully the caps, diluted iodophor/saniclean, flush etc. will keep it at bay.

I reckon a tear down, clean and rebuild takes no more than 15 minutes (not including soak time). Kinda makes it obvious, with the amount of work we put into the making of our beer, that a thorough regular clean at the dispensing end is not a lot to do, and mucho important.

Thanks again,
reVox

 

[Sammus]

jeez chappo bit of overkill I reckon haha. I squirt a bit of sanitizer up the tap after each pour and use a protector thing on the nozzle. Short of that I never do anything. I pulled my taps down to clean em once after about 18 months and they were sparkling clean already

 

[krusty_oz]

Not sure which taps you have, but if its a chromed brass tap you could be getting corrosion from the brass coming from a stratch in the chrome.