Slight Metallic Taste

[locus coeruleus]

I just set up my new kegerator using a small table top refrigerator and a micromatic faucet tower and it is working great. I don't have my five gallon keg up and running yet, so at the moment i am using my 5 liter mini kegs charged with a 12 gram Co2 charger. I seem to be getting a slight metallic taste and i think i have determined that it is the head that actually carries the off flavor because it only occurs during the first few sips when the head is still around. I have tried cleaning out the tap and the faucets are brand new so don't think that it is a dirty tap or faucet, although i'm sure that i could be proved wrong. Has anyone experienced this before? Does anyone know what causes this to occur and how to I prevent it from occurring? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[USMC - Retired]

Brand new faucets should be taken apart and cleaned well with BLC before being put into service. They can have all sorts of stuff on them from the manufacturing process.

Semper Fi,
The Gunns

"Beer is proof that god loves us and wants us to be happy" - Benjamin Franklin

Im a MicroMatic Beer Fanatic! Are you?

[locus coeruleus]

ok...i'll give that a try. Thanks a lot!

[USMC - Retired]

No problem, I hope it helps...

Semper Fi,
The Gunns

"Beer is proof that god loves us and wants us to be happy" - Benjamin Franklin

Im a MicroMatic Beer Fanatic! Are you?

[edramshaw]

Metallic flavor can come from the brewing process/equipment as well. I dug this up that breaks it down...

"Metallic flavors are usually caused by unprotected metals dissolving into the wort but can also be caused by the hydrolysis of lipids in poorly stored malts. Iron and aluminum can cause metallic flavors leaching into the wort during the boil. The small amount could be considered to be nutritional if it weren't for the bad taste. Nicks and cracks ceramic coated steel pots are a common cause as are high iron levels in well water. Stainless steel pots will not contribute any metallic flavors. Aluminum pots usually won't cause metallic flavors unless the brewing water is alkaline with a pH level greater than 9. Shiny new aluminum pots will sometimes turn black when boiling water due to chlorine and carbonates in the water."

Hope this helps.

Ed

[locus coeruleus]

Yeah...it does help. Thanks! I have a stainless steel pot as a brew kettle, but it could be the water (just using tap water) or perhaps it is the tap i am using on my mini kegs. Thanks, again.