Mizz said:
Thanks again,
Nick JD- Yeah I've been cleaning my taps just not taking them apart, but I'm fairly thorough. I do it until i can't see anymore discolouration then run the sanitiser through it for 60 seconds or so.. Ps I've opened and cleaned them now.
FWIW - and this comes with a disclaimer that i know absolutely nothing and have never attempted anything harder than a tin of coopers and some hops, but last year i had three brews in a row fail. All tasted like vinegar.
I bleached the **** out of my PET bottles, fermenter and everything in contact with the wort etc after failed brew one, and in between 2 & 3. One thing i didn't do was disassemble my tap (because at the time i didn't realise it pulled apart)...
Well, after an extended hiatus of brewing (because of said failures, and wasted money, and frustration) i finally got the nerve to get back into brewing. I got some pink powder stuff from my local brew shop that burns my nose if i get a whiff - i soaked everything including my pulled apart tap in that. I also did the same with bleach, and repeated. I moved to glass and threw the PET bottles (just seems that much cooler bottling with glass anyway) - i'm two weeks bottled into the first brew i've done back and there's no vinegar. Infact, they're tasting quite nice (a little malty, but they're very young!).
I'm unsure whether my problems were bottles (as i've heard from a couple of locals PET's are renowned for harboring bacteria), or something else. What i do know though, is those taps are a haven for bacteria when inspected pulled apart. Lots of tiny little nooks and cranny's...
My tap was a coopers kit tap,
That might have all been a waste of time, but i thought i'd share anyway.