How Long After Kegging Before Drinking?

[poida]

Hehe maybe I should have posted back that I solved this problem quite some time ago. It ended up being some sort of infection that was caused by the fermenters I was using. Quite strange because there was no visible signs of infection and the taste only really stood out once the beer was carbonated (which is why I pointed the finger at the kegging system I'd just purchased).

Didn't seem to matter what sort of chemicals I used to try and get rid of it, so I just retired those fermenters.

Anyway, I decided to just buy new fermenters and haven't had the problem since.

Thanks for all the suggestions here. If anything, you helped me not to give up on it

 

[Inge]

Hehe maybe I should have posted back that I solved this problem quite some time ago. It ended up being some sort of infection that was caused by the fermenters I was using. Quite strange because there was no visible signs of infection and the taste only really stood out once the beer was carbonated (which is why I pointed the finger at the kegging system I'd just purchased).

Didn't seem to matter what sort of chemicals I used to try and get rid of it, so I just retired those fermenters.

Anyway, I decided to just buy new fermenters and haven't had the problem since.

Thanks for all the suggestions here. If anything, you helped me not to give up on it

You will be brewing for a long time yet, mate. I'm pretty sure that everybody goes through these kind of hurdles when doing anything new. My first K + K was a travesty, my first mash was riddled with problems, my kegging setup gave me nightmares at the start, first relationship was a shambles etc. etc.

Anyway, to save making a new thread; I am trying to get the taint out of my new kegs, which persisted after initial cleaning unlike my first two kegs. I've found that percarbonate based cleaners left overnight in an upside down keg works quite well to clean the easy to miss taint-sludge traces from the top of the keg. Would it be good to remove the poppets from and boil them in a percarbonate solution, or would it suffice to run the solution through the lines under pressure and leave it?

 

[rwh]

I pull the lot apart when I buy them, and soak all the bits and pieces in keg cleaner (oxyper in my case), checking all the seals, and replacing them if necessary. Then put it all back together lubing up the rubber parts with food-grade lube. Before putting beer in the keg, I put in a litre of water plus a tablespoon of oxyper, shake the hell out of it, leave it to sit for a bit, shake again, then rinse and sanitise with idophor.

Actually, come to think of it, I've replaced all the poppets on mine because that was a source of leaks on at least two of my four kegs.

 

[Inge]

Hey mate,

I did just that. Actually went to the effort of pulling everything apart, soaking it all in boiling caustic, rinsing and putting it back together, and giving it a final rinse out with a 1% peroxide solution.

No more taint, except for the seals, but I've got a bucket load of replacement seals coming in from Ross, so all will be well in the universe soon.

 

[rwh]

Cool. Oh, one more thing, I run the oxyper through my taps and lines too to clean both the pick up tube in the keg and the lines/taps.

 

[drsmurto]

I pull the lot apart when I buy them, and soak all the bits and pieces in keg cleaner (oxyper in my case), checking all the seals, and replacing them if necessary. Then put it all back together lubing up the rubber parts with food-grade lube. Before putting beer in the keg, I put in a litre of water plus a tablespoon of oxyper, shake the hell out of it, leave it to sit for a bit, shake again, then rinse and sanitise with idophor.

Actually, come to think of it, I've replaced all the poppets on mine because that was a source of leaks on at least two of my four kegs.

How easy is it to replace the poppets? I am thinking its where my leak is. Also, one of my JG fittings seems to leak a bit when i move it. Is this normal?

 

[rwh]

They're easy to replace, just a bit pricey, $3.50 from G&G. You just screw the whole valve off the keg, to do that you'll need a set of spanners that have the normal spanner on one end and the star-type circle thing on the other to fit the gas in one.

As for the John Guest fittings, if one's leaking, remove it and cut a bit of the hose off and refit it... it should make a good seal, but if you damage (by scratching or whatever) the outside of the hose, the seal can be disrupted. At least that's what I found.

 

[SJW]

I pull the lot apart when I buy them, and soak all the bits and pieces in keg cleaner (oxyper in my case), checking all the seals, and replacing them if necessary. Then put it all back together lubing up the rubber parts with food-grade lube. Before putting beer in the keg, I put in a litre of water plus a tablespoon of oxyper, shake the hell out of it, leave it to sit for a bit, shake again, then rinse and sanitise with idophor.

Actually, come to think of it, I've replaced all the poppets on mine because that was a source of leaks on at least two of my four kegs.

Is this Oxyper the same as Pink Stain? I find pink stain great for cleaning everything.

Steve

 

[rwh]

No, I think they're different products. My Oxyper comes in white granules and is similar to drain cleaner.

 

[tangent]

oxyper is sodium percarbonate - napisan

pink stain is a chlorine based cleaner from what i gather from the net.

 

[SJW]

There we go, a little research revealed that Pink Stain or Neo Pink is Chlorinated trisodium phosphate. I am no scientist but in my experience Pink Stain works heaps better than Napi San. Napi San is soapier and takes a long time to rinse off. Pink stain or Chlorinated trisodium phosphate is different IMO.

STEVE