Keg Odour

[dreadhead]

Hey everyone,
A few months back I bought a couple of corny kegs off ebay but discovered that they had a really strong chemical aroma. I have tried to clean them by first using just standard detergent and hot water, then a week long soak in napisan and a soak in starsan. I also replaced all the seals. While this did reduce the odour, whenever I keg a batch in these particular kegs I still pick up this strange, undescribable smell, but it doesn't seem to affect flavour. BTW this only occurs in beer from these kegs, not my others. Anyone got any tips on how to get rid of it?

Cheers

 

[razz]

Hi dreadhead, it is most likely from the syrup that was stored in the kegs. It will have permeated the rubber seals in the lid and valves, you need to replace these seals, some of the site sponsors sell them. Failing that you can clean the kegs with caustic soda.

 

[mxd]

mmm, your've replaced the seals try soaking (full keg, lid inside keg, QD posts inside keg) in PBW with the keg left out in the open (try to get some sun into the lid opening) for a week

 

[ThatKiwiFella]

Hey, I'm not sure if this is the case for your situation but... these kegs are used in some pubs as flush kegs for cleaning the beer lines - mostly in smaller set-ups. They get filled with the active agent, which is pretty caustic (?) stuff then pressurized to flush the system so I wouldn't be surprised if perhaps you have picked up a couple that the pub no longer needed (they may have put in a new manifold system or similar)...

I would have thought that if you removed all the seals, o-rings, PRV etc along with the posts, tubes etc and place everything in the bottom then give it a good number of flushes with fresh water, a spray or two with a pressure cleaner and hot water (possibly boiling?) soak once or twice followed by another flush or two and fresh seals for everything would have done it...

Maybe try running a pressurized keg of water through it too... Hope that helps.

 

[justsomeguy]

Maybe what you're actually smelling is chemicals on the OUTSIDE of the keg rather than inside it. If chemicals were spilt on the outside of the keg then that may be what you are picking up on.

Just a thought... :unsure:

garyd

 

[dreadhead]

Maybe what you're actually smelling is chemicals on the OUTSIDE of the keg rather than inside it. If chemicals were spilt on the outside of the keg then that may be what you are picking up on.

Just a thought... :unsure:

garyd

The smell is definitely on the inside as I can pick it up in the aroma of the beer dispensed from these particular kegs. Might have to give the caustic a go.

 

[RdeVjun]

I have one similar, however not a smell but just a very stubborn residue. It is just not cleaning up, so instead of more of the alkaline cleaning agents I was thinking the other end of the pH scale, so an acidic bath. Hot citric to start with, work my way up from there. The same might help you with that odour problem. Just another thought...

 

[humulus]

One of my kegs still has a slight (pepsi) smell about it if i leave it empty for a few days!.
Ive tried just about everything too get rid of the smell,ive given up,it definately does not affect the beer at all flavour profile or aroma wise!!!
cheers humulus