Is this 'green' or 'gone'

[APML]

Hi all,

Looking time reader first time poster!

I'm in a bit of a split mind about something.

I made a 19l Cascade IPA, whole grain and pretty standard recipe.

Dry hopped for a few days and then transfered to a corny for carbonation.

I tried a little from the fermentor and it tasted lovely, like i was genuinely happy as it was only my third batch.

Between now and then less than 48hrs later it's developed a vinegar overtone, now I'm not sure if this is just too fresh and green, or if contamination has happened?

I've now pulled of a few glasses and the taste is getting better, though I hope this isn't just me getting used to it.

Anyone have any suggestions?

Help greatly appreciated!

 

[Minbari]

Let someone else taste it.

Vinegar flavor can be from wild yeast, which might not be dangerous, but not taste good either.

How did you prepare the keg?

 

[APML]

Let someone else taste it.

Vinegar flavor can be from wild yeast, which might not be dangerous, but not taste good either.

How did you prepare the keg?

Sanitise after previous use etc.

No corners cut.

Just really odd that it seems to have gone from great to meh in rapid time.

I think i remember reading about aging a little in keg to help with taste and another that maybe as i'd used geletine the first few glasses might be shite?

 

[Minbari]

So you cleaned the post and sanitzed just before refilling or did it go from one product to another within minutes?

If your diptube goes to the bottom, then yes, you can pull up some gunk. But geletin shouldn't taste like vinegar?

 

[APML]

So you cleaned the post and sanitzed just before refilling or did it go from one product to another within minutes?

If your diptube goes to the bottom, then yes, you can pull up some gunk. But geletin shouldn't taste like vinegar?

No cleaned it, left it a while and then filled the keg which had been cleaned etc.

It's literally gone from tasing great in teh fermentor to being a little tart and vinegary in hours, but not too 'nasty' , but definately not the beer I'd tasted previously, if it was spoilt would take a while?

The more glasses i've pulled off the better it tastes, but obvioulsy don't want to draw loads off if I'm wasting good beer that just needs more time.

At a loss.

 

[GFHomebrew]

No cleaned it, left it a while and then filled the keg which had been cleaned etc.

It's literally gone from tasing great in teh fermentor to being a little tart and vinegary in hours, but not too 'nasty' , but definately not the beer I'd tasted previously, if it was spoilt would take a while?

The more glasses i've pulled off the better it tastes, but obvioulsy don't want to draw loads off if I'm wasting good beer that just needs more time.

At a loss.

Not much you can do now sounds like that little acetobacter dam that sux sorta crazy how quick this went downhill on you.

You know the other possibilitie is a dirty beer line.
How long since you gave them beer lines a good clean and soak in line cleaner then a good rinse with hot water and an phosphoric Acid rinse.

Try this before casting your beer to the heathen

 

[Minbari]

The reason i asked, if the keg sat for a few days or a week. Bacteria or yeast can get in there and then taint the beer you put in. Always sanitzed right before filling.

I just went through something like what you are describing. Does the first 3 or 4 oz taste sour, then it clears up? (After sitting a day)

Let it sit and see if it gets worse.

 

[Donoroto]

... or gets better. Give it some time. In a week you will know for sure.

 

[APML]

I guess there's not too much I can do but wait really.

I'll give it a week, that should take it to full carbonation, and see where it is, but it really is a shame as it tasted great in the samples I took before kegging.

Cheers for the advice, people.

 

[Ward Chillington]

I'm not a kegger but like @Trialben said, the lines are always suspect....if it's in the lines, is the keg lost? IOW...is the keg open for the infection to travel back down into the keg from the lines? Can you test by new lines? Just thinking outloud...

 

[Minbari]

If it's in the lines, just replace em. I replaced mine with the EVA barrier lives and the problem went away.
The beer in the kegs was still drinkable

 

[WesBrew]

If you have another keg, I’d disconnect the ipa keg, run some warm pbw through all the lines and taps , then run some sanitizer through. I have a little 1.5 g keg for this
- it could be improving because you are pushing stale gunk out of the lines with beer

 

[GFHomebrew]

I'm not a kegger but like @Trialben said, the lines are always suspect....if it's in the lines, is the keg lost? IOW...is the keg open for the infection to travel back down into the keg from the lines? Can you test by new lines? Just thinking outloud...

Yeah ive got fermentation flys that hang around my taps the little buggers.
So the taps will start smelling vinagary usually if I pour a beer I'll discard what's in the beer line sometimes and then pour my glass.

But yeah it can impact your final product for sure.
Nothing like drinking from fresh Cleaned beer lines I say!

 

[Ward Chillington]

But yeah it can impact your final product for sure

So the buggers can get into the keg via the lines? The path is open from tap head to the dip tube ? No "check valves" or anything to act as a gate? Do I have that right?

 

[WesBrew]

If you have a picnic tap you can connect to the keg, you could pull a sample directly from the keg and rule out dirty lines.You should clean the lines out a few times a year though.

 

[Donoroto]

So the buggers can get into the keg via the lines? The path is open from tap head to the dip tube ? No "check valves" or anything to act as a gate? Do I have that right?

No, I think they just get up into the tap. Nothing like getting a lump of flies with your beer..

(At least they don't drink much)

 

[GFHomebrew]

So the buggers can get into the keg via the lines? The path is open from tap head to the dip tube ? No "check valves" or anything to act as a gate? Do I have that right?

It's possible I suppose no I was pointing at dirty beer lines affecting the beer flavour but as for microbes travelling down in the beer line in through the liquid disconnect into the beer .
Man I hope not or I'm doomed! Lol
My taps sit outside on my patio.
I've got caps on the taps but they pop off sometimes and them nosels will have ferm fly in them sometimes.

 

[Minbari]

I would think it would be possible if you just let it sit, dirty for months. But if there is beer that you are drinking on the regular, i would think it would flush out the lines from the beer movement..

That doesn't mean an infected keg wouldn't infect the lines though.

@Ward Chillington . No, there are no check valves, that would just be another thing to clean and cause foam

 

[GFHomebrew]

I would think it would be possible if you just let it sit, dirty for months. But if there is beer that you are drinking on the regular, i would think it would flush out the lines from the beer movement..

That doesn't mean an infected keg wouldn't infect the lines though.

@Ward Chillington . No, there are no check valves, that would just be another thing to clean and cause foam

Funny I was listening to a brulosophy podcast yesterday and one of the guests confessed to not cleaning his beer lines WTF man that's risky lol
I'm to anal for thar I feel bad leaving them over a month

 

[Blackmuse]

So the buggers can get into the keg via the lines? The path is open from tap head to the dip tube ? No "check valves" or anything to act as a gate? Do I have that right?

NO - Co2 keeps constant pressure and beer in the lines - the faucet also has a valve in it that remains closed until you open it and beer pours out. No way buggers are getting back to the keg.

Most likely (hopefully) it is the beer line. Otherwise, during your transfer you may have introduced a wild yeast or acetobacter... That would be a bummer. Time will tell - my guess is if its a acetobacter - it will get worse with time.... The fact that it is tasting better with each pour makes this unlikely in my opinion - leans more towards beer line.

I'm interested to hear the results in a few days.