Possible infections in Keg's, advice ?

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Bigbud78
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Possible infections in Keg's, advice ?

Post by Bigbud78 » Thu Sep 14, 2017 9:37 pm

Ive had a few bad brews in a row but have been trying new stuff so assumed it was bad recipes or ingredients but think I realised I have something in my kegs or taps :(

Kegged a beer 3 weeks ago and left it on co2 whilst away, came back last week and hooked it up to a tap and it was lovely and best beer I've made in ages. A week later and its now got very bitter and dry with a funny after taste, I did run cleaner thought the tap and starsan but there must have been something in there still.
I've got new O rings for the kegs, I need to look into poppet seals as they look like they have never been out.

Should I just replace all my lines and PBW everything including the taps ? I didnt know if I should try boiling the taps in piece's. Is PBW strong enough ?

jaroporter
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Re: Possible infections in Keg's, advice ?

Post by jaroporter » Fri Sep 15, 2017 7:53 am

PBW is a very good cleaner and will get rid of most dirt, but obviously it wont sanitise.
if you're sure on the source of the infection then yeah i'd strip the kegs down and soak the parts individually in PBW, then hit them with some iodophor or some other sanitiser. boiling the removable stainless parts is a good option to be sure.
have you tried serving through a different tap maybe direct from the keg, or bottling some, to be sure if it's the keg or lines or even something else?
dazzled, doused in gin..

TheSumOfAllBeers
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Re: Possible infections in Keg's, advice ?

Post by TheSumOfAllBeers » Fri Sep 15, 2017 2:23 pm

You need a proper sanitiser. Star San won't kill wild yeast. Iodophor through all the lines and connections

Bigbud78
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Re: Possible infections in Keg's, advice ?

Post by Bigbud78 » Fri Sep 15, 2017 4:36 pm

TheSumOfAllBeers wrote:
Fri Sep 15, 2017 2:23 pm
You need a proper sanitiser. Star San won't kill wild yeast. Iodophor through all the lines and connections
Any idea of supplier ?

Bigbud78
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Re: Possible infections in Keg's, advice ?

Post by Bigbud78 » Fri Sep 15, 2017 4:44 pm


Fil
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Re: Possible infections in Keg's, advice ?

Post by Fil » Sun Sep 17, 2017 1:06 am

PAA as used by the dairy industry is another no rinse sanitiser option costing circa £20 for 5l of concentrate via ebay.. smaller volumes may be available but those i have seen have been significantly more expensive w/w.

unlike starsan it is effective against wild yeast strains, however it does carry hazzard warnings when used as a spray and goggles/face masks are advised if you do spray it.

its not as persistent as starsan but more so than videne which iirc has only a 10-15 minute window of potency?
ist update for months n months..
Fermnting: not a lot..
Conditioning: nowt
Maturing: Challenger smash, and a kit lager
Drinking: dry one minikeg left in the store
Coming Soon Lots planned for the near future nowt for the immediate :(

Fil
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Location: Cowley, Oxford

Re: Possible infections in Keg's, advice ?

Post by Fil » Sun Sep 17, 2017 1:09 am

Fil wrote:
Sun Sep 17, 2017 1:06 am
PAA as used by the dairy industry is another no rinse sanitiser option costing circa £20 for 5l of concentrate via ebay.. smaller volumes may be available but those i have seen have been significantly more expensive w/w.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-LITRE-PERAC ... Sw9N1VqA-O

unlike starsan it is effective against wild yeast strains, however it does carry hazzard warnings when used as a spray and goggles/face masks are advised if you do spray it.

its not as persistent as starsan but more so than videne which iirc has only a 10-15 minute window of potency?
ist update for months n months..
Fermnting: not a lot..
Conditioning: nowt
Maturing: Challenger smash, and a kit lager
Drinking: dry one minikeg left in the store
Coming Soon Lots planned for the near future nowt for the immediate :(

Bigbud78
Piss Artist
Posts: 107
Joined: Fri Nov 25, 2016 2:32 pm
Location: Manchester

Re: Possible infections in Keg's, advice ?

Post by Bigbud78 » Sun Sep 17, 2017 9:44 pm

think Ive found source, changed taps and its fine. Soaking tap in PBW atm but now not sure if I should just bite the bullet and get perlicks :shock:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4qzu7c5qpd45e ... 5.JPG?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4thmjjvfjb7mo ... 6.JPG?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vqkc8lrwn1feq ... 7.JPG?dl=0

Carnot
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Re: Possible infections in Keg's, advice ?

Post by Carnot » Tue Oct 17, 2017 5:00 pm

PAA is a good sanitiser but so is this and it smells better. Sodium percarbonate will decompose into hydrogen peroxide and sodium carbonate (washing soda). It is the basis of Vanish - the laundry stain remover. Look here and do not overpay. Do not use Vanish as it contains enzymes. The solution needs just a slight rinse before use and will leave no nasty after tastes.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from ... e&_sacat=0


I store mine in a Vanish tub(labelled correctly) and use the Vanish scoop. Add about 2 litres of hot water and one scoop of Vanish and that should do the job. Remove the lid and make sure you clean under the gasket. I made up a rig to flush a sanitising solution back down the dip tube and never have had a problem. The tap is connected to the keg directly to the disconnect. I can then remove the tap and thoroughly clean it in a percarbonate solution (don't forget the disconnect). For me long beer lines are not worth the hassle. I came across this product as an alternative to hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is now controlled and you can only buy weak solutions which are very expensive.

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