Off flavour with kegged beer

[wozzie]

Since starting to keg my beer (about 18 months and many all grain batches) i have not been happy with them. I'm getting a metallic, astringent sort of flavour with every batch I put in them which is starting to do my head in.

I have pulled everything (whole system) apart, cleaned, cleaned again, sanitized, sanitized again. The things I can see inside of is the shanks and dip tubes. I've used (cleaned) brand new and refurbished kegs and have the same flavour with both.

I have my CO2 bottle in the fridge which is relatively new (about 18 months) which is the only thing I haven't replaced or cleaned.

Is it possible the CO2 bottle is stuffed somehow imparting metallic flavours into the beer? I hooked up a party tap to one of the kegs and seem to get the same flavour through the beer

I use the set and forget method at 11 psi to carbonate, I don't set higher and rock etc. So don't think it's over carbonated.

I have just put a cleaned and sanitized keg in with just water to see if it imparts the flavour into this. Time will tell in a couple of days.

I also have a new batch I put in that i am going to depressurise and hook up to a new 6kg bottle I purchased last week and see how that goes.

I don't filter my water (Canberra) but do boil the night before to help remove chlorine.

I have a batch fermenting that I will bottle some of to see if it is something prior to the kegging system.

Is there anything I'm missing? Has anyone has similar issues? All I want is a nice draft veer at home. Thanks in advance

 

[wozzie]

So the water test has an awful minerally metallic taste to plain H20. going to pull the shanks out this afternoon to investigate further

 

[Schikitar]

I'm getting a metallic, astringent sort of flavour with every batch I put in them which is starting to do my head in.

I have also experienced this same issue. I'm wondering if it's the sanitiser (or the amount of sanitiser) I'm using, or perhaps the dry/keg hop is too much, not sure. I've replaced and cleaned most things. I have soda water in two of my three kegs and they taste fine, just as soon as I put a beer in them there is this very distinctive metallic/blood/iron flavour. Others say they can only slightly notice it but it's the first thing I taste. It's not undrinkable, but it is extra-pronounced in my pales/IPAs. I've also noticed it in a very small number of commercial beers, so maybe it's just something I'm sensitive to..

 

[wozzie]

I found the culprit last night. Pulled everything apart and found the chrome plating on the inside of the shanks and tail pieces is non existent. Copper colour showing (assuming its brass though. The smell of them is bad enough to know they're the cause, in saying that just to confirm i cleaned and put them in a glass of water each and tasted about an hour later and yep, that's def the bloody problem!

The best thing to come out of this all is tat thinking it was something to do with my beer i have had to refine all my processes which i can hopefully start to enjoy some decent beer again.

Stainless shanks and john guest adaptors pieces will be installed this afternoon!

Don't skimp on you shanks and tail pieces!!!

 

[wozzie]

 

[wide eyed and legless]

If you have soaked the fittings in Starsan that could be the culprit, if the mix is strong enough it will start stripping the chrome within 24 hours. As beer is also acidic I would imagine overtime that could have a similar effect on chrome plating.

 

[wozzie]

If you have soaked the fittings in Starsan that could be the culprit, if the mix is strong enough it will start stripping the chrome within 24 hours. As beer is also acidic I would imagine overtime that could have a similar effect on chrome plating.

True, in saying that I have only ever put a "no rinse" strength solution and sodium perc through for cleaning. I think the age old saying of "you get what you pay for" has bitten me on this one!

 

[wide eyed and legless]

True, in saying that I have only ever put a "no rinse" strength solution and sodium perc through for cleaning. I think the age old saying of "you get what you pay for" has bitten me on this one!

I have read of others doing it I think there may even be a thread on here about the chrome being stripped back to the brass. It would be easier to just use s/steel throughout.

I have also experienced this same issue. I'm wondering if it's the sanitiser (or the amount of sanitiser) I'm using, or perhaps the dry/keg hop is too much, not sure. I've replaced and cleaned most things. I have soda water in two of my three kegs and they taste fine, just as soon as I put a beer in them there is this very distinctive metallic/blood/iron flavour. Others say they can only slightly notice it but it's the first thing I taste. It's not undrinkable, but it is extra-pronounced in my pales/IPAs. I've also noticed it in a very small number of commercial beers, so maybe it's just something I'm sensitive to..

Sounds like mild steel oxidised, the blood,iron taste, may have to passivate the kegs.

 

[razz]

Thanks for this thread Wozzie. I knew that one of my 2 shanks had lost it’s plating. After reading this thread I swapped them out for stainless shanks. Now, I wasn’t getting any of the off flavours you described with yours but after changing the shanks I did notice an obvious difference in the taste of my beers.

 

[wozzie]

No problem at all. The Shanks gave a very metallic taste while the tails were more of a puckering, minerally metallic flavour which were deadset horrible!

As with many forums, some people don't post their findings and leave people hanging, like myself. Always good to follow up once you've found a result, hopefully help someone else in the future.

 

[Schikitar]

Good find wozzie, glad you found the culprit!

I have relatively new kegs and all stainless taps/shanks (a year old maybe) so I'm not sure this is applicable to me but I will do some inspecting..

 

[wozzie]

Good find wozzie, glad you found the culprit!

I have relatively new kegs and all stainless taps/shanks (a year old maybe) so I'm not sure this is applicable to me but I will do some inspecting..

Another thing you might look out for in your scenario is carbonic bite (acid). Ive found when i hook the keg up to gas and either quick or sit and forget carb'ing and drink with-in a week of so it had a bit of a bit to it (nothing like the flavours i was getting due to the shanks). This will fade once it balances itself out over a couple of weeks if you let them sit.

 

[Schikitar]

Another thing you might look out for in your scenario is carbonic bite (acid).

Oh right, I need to do some more reading!