[whitey]

90% of the brews I've thrown into a keg taste great for the first week or two. After that, there's a really bad taste that develops. I've transfered the beer in the keg to a clean one, and the taste is gone for a week or so, then it's back. I've noticed that the dip tube in the keg appears to be picking up yeast that falls out of the beer over time, and gathers in that convex 'bowl' at the bottom of the keg. The dip tube sits really close to the bottom of that bowl

I usually let the beer sit in the primary for a week, sometimes two, and then in a secondary for at least another two before I rack to a keg.

Has anyone else experienced this? if so, what have you done to solve it?

[Mark G]

Can you describe the bad taste? I don't think it's from the yeast sitting on the bottom of the keg, otherwise we'd all have this problem. When was the last time you cleaned/replaced your lines?

[whitey]

I clean them every time I finish a keg. If its not the yeast, how do I account for the absence of the taste when I move the beer to a newly clean keg.

I don't know how to describe it. Kind of bitter with a weird after taste.

Its happened 3 times, everytime I change the keg, the taste is gone. What's really interesting is that there is yeast at the bottom, and a very neat circle that has no yeast around the pick up tube.

[Mark G]

Well, bitter could be yeast bite, but I would expect that for the first pours, and then it would start to clear up after that. Could the beer be over-carbonated? Too much CO2 will give you some bite as well. Maybe some of the carbonation comes out in the transfer? And then as the carbonation equalizes again in a couple weeks, that bite becomes prominent again. What temp and pressure settings are you using?

[whitey]

Kegerator is at 34 and the beer in questin is a Heffeweisen, which I have at about 15psi

[HydraulicSammich]

It sounds to me like some sanitation related problem.  We all experience the trub in the bottom of the keg.  That is no big deal.  Maybe the soap is affecting the taste if there is any residue.  If it is a small beer just leave it in the primary up to thrree weeks or so and then rack to the keg.  I usually give it another week or so to condition and then carbonate.  Then the first pint or two gets rid of the trub and we're good to go.

[punatic]

Maybe contaminated CO2?

[denny]

Maybe contaminated CO2?

Contaminated how?  Have you ever had that happen?  I've never run across it, but if it's a problem I'd like to hear more.

[punatic]

There are people who DIY CO2 refills.  Perhaps they don't always get it right?  I always go to the local Airgas Gaspro to refill, to make sure they do get it right.

[whitey]

It sounds to me like some sanitation related problem

Well, I use to clean the keg, the pump some of it up the pick up tube, and thru the  line, and let it sit for an hour, then the same with star san.

Maybe the soap is affecting the taste if there is any residue.

I thought PBW and Starsans claim to fame was that it didnt need to be rinsed.

If it is a small beer just leave it in the primary up to thrree weeks or so and then rack to the keg

Mine usually stays in the primary for 1-2 weeks, then in the secondary for another 2-3. Like I said  earlier, its noteworthy that there's a small area around the pickup that's cleared of trub, only conclusion is that its been picked up and fed into the beer mug as its poured.

How far down does everyone's pick up tubes extend? mine almost touch the bottom of the convex.

There are people who DIY CO2 refills.  Perhaps they don't always get it right?  I always go to the local Airgas Gaspro to refill, to make sure they do get it right.

*chuckle* nope, get mine done at a fire extinguisher place.

[euge]

Last time I kegged I cut about 3/4" off three of the diptubes in kegs that see heavy rotation. I want to see how it affects clarity vs the others that nearly touch the bottom of the keg. Been looking at the sludge in the bottom of the kegs for years and scratching my head how I can get crystal clear pours through all that gunk.

If it's changing flavor after several weeks then I'd put it up to carbonation first and/or even it's just your beer changing as you draw it down. I've had similar experiences.

Which leads me to the question of if one over-carbonates and it affects the flavor of the beer by becoming more bitter, then is it actually reversible? Does it have a permanent effect on the beer even if the volumes are reduced?

[whitey]

I tried changing the carbonation levels on a Belgian Tripel I made a few months back. Didn't change the taste, then I racked the Tripel over to a clean keg, and the taste was gone. *shrug*

Did you see any difference after you cut the 3/4" off the dip tubes.?

[euge]

I tried changing the carbonation levels on a Belgian Tripel I made a few months back. Didn't change the taste, then I racked the Tripel over to a clean keg, and the taste was gone. *shrug*

Did you see any difference after you cut the 3/4" off the dip tubes.?

Yes. The beer pours clearer from the start. Not earth-shattering by any means but I don't regret cutting the tubes at all. Most likely all of my 16 kegs will see this treatment.

You might have some schmutz in the plastic keg connects Try taking them apart and cleaning them real good. And the posts as well.

[whitey]

Changing the topic marginally. After consideration, carbonation may be an issue, in that once I have the beer in the keg, I connect the thing to my kegerator, set the psi and leave it until the keg runs dry.

Is this the appropriate process or is there a better way to do it.

[maxieboy]

I think we're back to a carbonation or carbonic acid sensitivity issue, ie: the "I'm confused" thread. Flatter beer tasted good, properly carbed didn't. In the new keg scenario, some CO2 is knocked out of solution when racking to new keg, then "bad" tastes returns when carb comes back up.
 Starsan may be no rinse, but Five Star says PBW must be rinsed with potable water when used on food processing equipment, then sanitize right before use.