Black Flakes in my draft beer

[Habana]

Greetings

I have a Tru brand beer frig and tap, I buy domestic keg beer and drink a 20 liter keg within a couple of weeks. 2 of the last 3 kegs that I bought I find that I have small black flakes floating in my beer. Does anyone know what those black flakes are? I check all my seals with each new keg as well as clean the lines, any ideas?

George

[Scott Zuhse]

If your system is clean as you state, the only source of these flakes would be the keg. Depending on the brewery, the kegs may not be cleaned properly.

Scott Zuhse, Instructor Micro Matic Dispense Institute

[Habana]

Thank you

[vachris]

I had a washer in wrong and had sort of the same thing.

round em' up

[Beer Dr]

Have you taken apart the faucet when you clean the line? My bet is your faucet!

[mcweth]

Not sure if you found the root to your problem, but I noticed your post when I had the same problem. I had always soaked and lightly brushed the tap/faucet. But, I bought a thin brush and scrubed the inside of the faucet and definitely found where the black flakes were coming from.

[beerman8]

Originally Posted by Habana

Thank you

IT ALSO DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU USE FOR A CLEANING SOLUTION. OVER A PERIOD OF TIME YOUR SYSTEM WILL BUILD UP A PRODUCT CALLED BEERSTONE. THIS IS BLACK AND WILL LOOSEN UP IN YOUR SYSTEM. WHEN I WAS IN THE DRAFT SYSTEM INSTALLATION BUSINESS I ALSO CLEANED ALL MY SYSTEMS WITH FOOD GRADE PHOSPHORIC ACID, SIMILAR TO LIMEAWAY. THIS LITERALY DISOLVED THE BEERSTONE (A FORM OF CALCIUM). BUT YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL AS THIS IS VERY CORROSIVE TO YOUR BRASS FITTINGS IF YOU LEAVE IT TO LONG. I STILL USE LIMEAWAY IN MY HOME SYSTEM BUT INSTEAD OF FLUSHING MY SYSTEM I REMOVE THE FAUCET, KEG TAP AND LINE AND SOAK THEM IN THE SINK. I ALSO USE A FAUCET BRUSH ON ALL PARTS ACCESSIBLE. I WORKED FOR MOLSON BREWERIES IN CANADA FOR 34 YEARS AND SPECIALIZED IN DRAFT BEER AND SYSTEMS AND RAN DRAFT BEER SCHOOLS FOR OUR SALES PEOPLE AS WELL AS HOTEL AND RESTAURANT BAR PERSONEL.
WE KEEP A KEG OF BEER ON TAP AT HOME AT ALL TIMES.
I HOPE YOU WILL BE ABLE TO SOLVE YOUR PROBLEM. GOOD LUCK
BEERMAN8

[diamond draft]

If you have the means, I always found that changing the faucet,coupler and 4 to 5 foot of choker line always kept the system like brand new. And you dont even have to clean the line.