I got a new keg back in the fall and used it once thinking I had gotten the Pepsi smell out. I had a porter in it and you can slightly taste the Pepsi. I then put cleaner in it again and let it sit for a week, shaking it up once in a while. It has been at least a month now since I cleaned it out again and let it soak and it still smells like Pepsi…Any suggestions on how to remedy this once and for all??
Did you replace all of the O-rings when you got the keg? O-rings will hold the scent and flavor of soda for a long time, if not indefinetly.
If you have not replaced them, that is where I would start.
Right, replace the o-rings. two little ones on the posts and the one giant one on the lid. it’s note even worth cleaning them…just replace them.
also, replace the two tiny rings at the dip tubes (both) and get a long dip tube brush to clean out the diptubes with pbw, oxy, or other cleaner.
then sanitize, reassemble, sanitize, fill, carb, enjoy.
cheers.
Ok, I didn’t replace the O rings…I will start there and see what happens. Thanks.
Try soaking them in some budmilcoors crap commercial beer for a few days. Then sanitize and see if they still smell like soda pop. Then if you have replaced them with new the old ones will make good back ups.
Another trick Denny previously mentioned for getting all pop smell out of a keg is, after cleaning the keg, put some baking soda and hot water in it. Pesonally, I shake well (or better yet top up with hot water, along with the added ~half box of the soda), and leave overnight. Then rinse well, sanitize, etc. Definitely all new o-rings as others have mentioned…
1+ to the baking soda idea. I fill new (to me) kegs with hot water and 1/2 box of baking soda (after cleaning and disassembling) and soak for 24 hours. I also soak all the o-rings in the keg with baking soda that will generally take take the soda smell out of them. It works for coke and Pepsi but not for root beer kegs. You just have to replace the o-rings on root beer kegs.
