Off taste after I keg and carbonate please help

[JamesLBrewer]

i have done 4 fresh wort kits all have ended up having the same off flavour after I keg the beer and thought it may be something in my fermenting process or sanitary problems, my mate is a professional brewer and has been helping me, after these failed attempts he gave me a keg of pale ale brewed in the brewery, it now has the same off flavour. He thinks it might be the beer/gas lines or most likely the new C02 tanks that came filled from Kegland, has anybody had similar problems or have any suggestions on what it could be, the off flavour is hard to describe but it’s really bitter and just tastes crap, the beer was awesome before I kegged it, also has a wired smell now, I am lost as to what to do, I’m going to swap the gas bottle and replace the lines but not sure if it will fix it , appreciate any help

 

[FarsideOfCrazy]

I've never heard of the C02 causing a problem like that, not to say it can't I don't know either way. The advice I can offer is to change one thing at a time so you know what has caused the problem.

Were the kegs new or second hand? If second hand did you replace all the seals? If they were new did you soak it in pbw or other cleaner? With anything new I've used in my keezer I've always soaked it in pbw before first use. Even my taps were taken apart and cleaned.

 

[MHB]

Have come across a couple of cases of contaminated CO2 bottles, one was half full of beer and he wanted me to refill it (nah), the other was a KK (an early one) that had a bunch of cutting oil and swarf in it from when the thread was machined. That one threw some very unpleasant flavours. Mind you at the time many of the cheap bottles had swarf in them, they would rattle if you shook them.

The most common seat of infection is the cheap thick vinyl hose that comes with many kegerators, its complete crap, replace it with a dual layer proper beer line (the nylon internal line is much more resistant to flavour take up, bacterial and yeast growth, O2 intrusion, smoother gives better flow...)
As FSOC said disassemble everything, clean thoroughly (soak overnight is a good idea), inspect every nook cranny and seal, get in there with an old tooth brush, use a good lube when you reassemble.
Before you clean the parts touch and smell each one, you will often feel an oily surface texture or it will leave marks on your fingers - that or pong - the nose is a very sensitive detector.
Sux when good beer goes down hill, I put Sarsaparilla soft drink through a keg once, had to replace all the lines and seals, I can guarantee Sarsaparilla IPA doesn't work! And there was no getting the flavour/smell out of the lines.
Mark

 

[Wolfman1]

Check your shanks as well. My 2nd hand kegerator came with brass shanks that I only just found when I pulled it apart to change the lines. The beer was essentially sitting in rusted copper. Tasty