So I purchase a keg before Christmas, and have a new CO2 tank as well. The beer has gone skunky in less then a week? Can it be bad keg? or is it bad CO2? The system is less then 2 years old, I clean the lines after every Keg. It seems to have a lot of foam, and I'm pushing at around 8lbs. The keg is Sam Adams Boston Lager. The machine is a Haier dual tap. Thanks for help!
What do you mean by skunky - bad taste or is it the foam? When was the keg filled? Should be a date on the paper collar around the neck, lagers usually last a long long time so very unlikely it is old. Do you clean your faucet thoroughly by disassembling it?
I'll be that guy. Skunky is a particular term for a particular beer issue. Skunky is caused by light. And since keg beer does not see the light until you pour it, keg beer does not get skunky. Skunky does not equal general bad flavor. So, with that out of the way... You may have a bad keg. If the keg was left at room temp for a while, or otherwise poorly handled between the brewer and your home, then it could be sour. Cheers.
^^^^^^^ What Bill said. I'll add that Sam Adams doesn't use a keg collar...the expiration date (Julian) is ink-jetted on the dust cap. Sam Adams Boston Lager expires 60 days after kegging, so check the date on the dust cap and return it to your retailer and ask for a fresh keg. (If it's out of code, the wholesaler will refund his money or swap it out)
Thanks for the info. Who can tell me the best cleaning regimen? I want to ensure I get the bad taste out of my line.
The Brewers Association tackles this subject nicely. This link will take you down a rabbit hole that'll keep you reading for quite some time: http://www.draughtquality.org/consumers/
Using beer line cleaner between kegs should be fine. You need to follow the directions on the cleaner and also disassemble the hardware (coupler and faucet) and clean them as well. Some people will do the faucet every week or two, I've never done that and haven't had an issue.
So it could have been mishandled along the way, like mentioned above or you have a cleaning issue. You never answered if you disassembled your faucet and coupler when cleaning?
You shouldn't use bleach on anything, you should use beer line cleaner and invest in a small brush to scrub the bore on both the faucet and coupler.
True. When I started kegging 35 years ago I was using bleach as a sanitizer for the kegs, ignorant of bleach's highly corrosive nature. I had two kegs actually develop pinholes. Bleach is still useful and effective (and even preferred) for some things, but definitely not for metal parts.
