Off taste/smell from beer lines

[rossbaker]

I regularly tip the first 100ml of whatever has been sitting in the beer lines overnight as it has a noticeable plastic/chrmical type smell/taste. Really noticeable in soda water.

Is this normal or does it sound like my little line cleaning regime needs to be stepped up? I aim to run through sodium percarbonate (pure) every couple of weeks or so followed by a good rinse.

I can only taste/smell something nqr in what has been sitting in the lines for a while.

 

[mtb]

What's the grade of the line? Poly tubing from bunnings, for example, is a sure fire way to get plastic flavours.

 

[Grott]

After sitting for a while is the beer line full of beer or has some “sucked” back into the keg?

 

[rossbaker]

Not sure of the grade but the line is all from keg king. The lines generally stay full.

 

[mtb]

Could it be chlorine? Do you pre-boil your strike water or treat it with a campden tablet?

 

[rossbaker]

No treatment at all. The strike water is just tap water (Se Melbourne). I do use hot water for strike water which I have heard may not be ideal, but saves a lot of time and gas.

Soda water is just plain tap water.

 

[mtb]

Could be chlorine then. I'm too lazy to go look up Melb water profiles but I'd bet there's either chlorine or chloramines in your water. Another Melb brewer will hopefully chime in to comment further.

As for using hot water for strike - I don't know what effect that'd have, but I've heard plenty about hot water from taps incl extra minerals and weird flavors. Pour a glass of it, let it cool, and sniff/sip. The resultant flavor is getting into your beer so you'll want it to be untainted.

 

[rossbaker]

Could be chlorine then. I'm too lazy to go look up Melb water profiles but I'd bet there's either chlorine or chloramines in your water. Another Melb brewer will hopefully chime in to comment further.

As for using hot water for strike - I don't know what effect that'd have, but I've heard plenty about hot water from taps incl extra minerals and weird flavors. Pour a glass of it, let it cool, and sniff/sip. The resultant flavor is getting into your beer so you'll want it to be untainted.

Would the chlorine flavour not be in my entire batch then? As I said, after pouring off a small amount (beer or soda water), the rest tastes and smells normal.

 

[mtb]

Would the chlorine flavour not be in my entire batch then? As I said, after pouring off a small amount (beer or soda water), the rest tastes and smells normal.

Oh yeah, good point. It would be through your whole batch.

 

[Grott]

Not necessarily as the batch would be highly diluted whereas a small amount in the line could work out to be concentrated. When I do my lines, sodium percarbonate solution in the lines overnight the flush out with starsan.

 

[manticle]

Melb tap water is very good and mostly treated with chlorine, not chloramine. Chlorine is volatile and just heating to strike is generally enough for it not to be an issue.

Sounds like an issue with the line - simple test is to try new (different) line. Beer sitting in lines for too long in unsound conditions will taste funny too, so if it's hot where you are or the lines are dirty/contaminated, then you'll have issues.

 

[FarsideOfCrazy]

Like manticle said I'd change the line with something else other than the keg king stuff just to see if it makes a difference.

 

[rossbaker]

Fair call

 

[unwrittenlaw]

What sort of hot water system do you have? I'd be concerned about lead

 

[Black Devil Dog]

I suspect that it's the type of beer line and as mentioned, changing one to something else would soon let you know.

Keg King sell a few beer lines that are listed as 'food grade vinyl'. I'm not sure if that's what you're using, or if it's the problem, but I'd suggest to check some of the site sponsors and look for beer line made by Valpar and also John Guest.

They'll cost a bit more per metre, but it's worth the extra $.

 

[FarsideOfCrazy]

Actually the vynil line that came with my camelbak hydration pack caused the water to taste like absolute crap.

I've since changed it to a length of silicone tubing and now it's 99% better. I'd never use vynil tubing for a beer line.