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Plastic taste in my beer

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  • Plastic taste in my beer

    I just had a new 20 tap system professionally installed, and the beer tastes like ass. It has a very harsh plastic/chemical taste and smell. I completely flushed one of the lines and the beer from that tap tasted ok for a few hours, but after awhile the taste returned.

    Any ideas or suggestions? The installer is understandably in full cover-his-ass mode and is blaming everything from the glass washer detergent to human psychology (ie. someone told me the beer tasted off, so now that's what I taste when I try the beer). I did a blind taste test in front of him and was easily able to pick out the plastic beer pre-cleaning vs the beer from the clean line. I also pulled a brand new glass out of the box that has never seen our glass washer... same plastic-tasting beer.

    I've read several theories. One has to do with the couplers. I don't think that's the issue as I have Strongbow on tap (Euro coupler) as well as one using pop couplers. Every beer has the same taste.

    I personally think it's the trunk lines. I read somewhere that there is usually some differences in the poly used in the trunks, and some can be softer than others allowing taste to be imparted into the beer.

    Are there any other ideas out there? I'm absolutely desperate at this point. We just achieved our dream of having 20 local micro-brews on tap and I'm embarrassed to serve any one of them.

  • #2
    Do you have a line cleaning pump?
    We have micro matic beer lines. Our taste buds have been cued to a little off flavor after cleaning but nothing that continues much past a few pitchers....And it seems to get less noticeable with each two week cleaning cycle.

    We run micro matic line cleaner for 15 minutes then rinse with tap water for 30 minutes
    (with our line pump) And we run an acid rinse on top of the basic rinse every 2 months. Good luck!

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    • #3
      I don't have a pump yet... but these lines are literally brand new. The system was installed 3 days ago. As I said, I got the installer to clean one line and it seemed to remove the taste, but it returned a few hours later.

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      • #4
        You should clean all new lines to remove the plastic taint you're encountering. Use hot water (turn cooling trace off in your python(s)) and a caustic based line cleaner. Good luck.

        Pax.

        Liam
        Liam McKenna
        www.yellowbellybrewery.com

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        • #5
          It is in the lines. What type do you have? Polyflow? Are the insulated with anything?

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          • #6
            If you have thoroughly cleaned the lines and your still getting a plastic taste you need to find out what kind of lines he used. If he used Barrier Lines there should be no taste leaching from the lines. If he cheaped out or screwed up and used a non-barrier line, like those used for glycol it is very likely that is your problem.

            I would first check for yourself, and then ask the installer, to see what type of lines were used, both from the kegs/BBT's to the trunk and the trunk lines themselves. If you can find a part of the trunk line that is exposed, or peel back the insulation a bit to find the lines you should be able to read the print on the line and find out what it is. I doubt a pro installer would intentionally use the wrong lines, but then again there are some incompetent and shady people out there.
            Jeff Byrne

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            • #7
              Wait it out

              We had the exact same problem a couple years ago. The installer told us to be patient - the flavor was from the brand new vinyl lines (the line from the keg to the python) and would go away on its own. He was right.

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              • #8
                Originally posted by Woolsocks
                We had the exact same problem a couple years ago. The installer told us to be patient - the flavor was from the brand new vinyl lines (the line from the keg to the python) and would go away on its own. He was right.
                How long did it take?

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                • #9
                  I'm not exactly sure, but I'd guess about 2 weeks.

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                  • #10
                    bad draft lines

                    I have had a few bad experiences with plastic taint and draft lines. After multiple washes with every conceivable brewery cleaner, hot water soaks, lots of cussing etc, but the taint still came back. I ripped em all out and used Kuriyama bevlex 200 NSF 51 lines...no taint even without any washing. Make sure they are genuine Kuriyama tubing (yellow print on the line) and not some house brand that says bevelex 200 on it. I made that mistake, and had to rip those lines out also.

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                    • #11
                      Update:

                      We're a month in and nothing much has changed. It does seem to be related to heat somehow. The warmer it gets outside the more plastic the beer tastes. We're at the point now that we're just going to rip out the trunks and try again with a higher quality barrier line. This is getting very discouraging...

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                      • #12
                        So the installer has recommended Eaton Arrow Flo-Guard trunks. Does anyone have any experience with these lines?

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                        • #13
                          Were you able to find out if the off-flavor was due to the type of line used and is the installer now recommending you replace them? Or are they replacing them?

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                          • #14
                            You've eliminated every other possible source of the taint? Leaking diaphragms from beer pumps? CO2 or N2 issues? Does the beer taste right coming directly from the keg? I've installed hundreds of meters of Micromatic barrier lines without ever having a problem. And they've done thousands, if not tens of thousands of installations expertly. I'll vouch for them and they will stand behind their product. Specify a proven product and don't leave anything to chance. Hope you get this worked out. Good luck!
                            Phillip Kelm--Palau Brewing Company Manager--

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by gitchegumee
                              You've eliminated every other possible source of the taint? Leaking diaphragms from beer pumps? CO2 or N2 issues? Does the beer taste right coming directly from the keg? I've installed hundreds of meters of Micromatic barrier lines without ever having a problem. And they've done thousands, if not tens of thousands of installations expertly. I'll vouch for them and they will stand behind their product. Specify a proven product and don't leave anything to chance. Hope you get this worked out. Good luck!
                              We don't have beer pumps (not even sure what a beer pump is... doesn't the CO2 pump the beer?), and the CO2/N2 beer gas is the same (same gas, same company) as we've been using for over a year, so I doubt that's the problem.

                              We're getting Micromatic Black Diamond barrier lines. They are getting installed on Tuesday. I've got my fingers crossed.

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