Fruit flies in kegerator faucet!!!

[marvinsjunk]

Just poured myself a pint from our brand new kegerator, and looked down to see these buggers having a little party. It wasn't even my first pour this evening. I don't mind sharing my beer, but come on! They were definitely inside the faucet. Anyone else have this problem? If so, what did you do about? I'd rather not have to flush out the lines every night...

 

[Coffee_Creek]

I ordered faucet spout plugs AIH for .50 cents each. Worked like a charm. No more fruit flies.

 

[msa8967]

I ordered faucet spout plugs AIH for .50 cents each. Worked like a charm. No more fruit flies.

These plugs work great but I would recommend buying several extra ones in case one of these get lost. The price is very reasonable.

 

[marvinsjunk]

Excellent tip, thank you! I figured something like that had to exist. I just wish I could figure out where they were coming from. With a four year old running around the house I'm guessing there's a year old banana or PBJ sandwich tucked away somewhere never to be found.

 

[bluemoose]

Also, make a fruit fly trap with a paper cone and glass of beer. It will take a week or two but they will eventually all go away.

 

[GilSwillBasementBrews]

These plugs work great but I would recommend buying several extra ones in case one of these get lost. The price is very reasonable.

+1 in buying extra I think I've gone through 5-6 of them and only have three taps

 

[Sir-Brews-Alot]

No fruit flies, but one time I emptied a keg of kolsch, so I took apart the couplers/tubing to clean them out, and saw that a dead earwig was wedged inside the collar of the coupler that fits over the pinlock post. Apparently that entire keg of beer had been poured through the earwig. Beer tasted good, lol. Even won a bronze medal for it in the first round of NHC. None of the judges mentioned any sort of "earwig aftertaste."

 

[raysmithtx]

I keep a spray bottle of starsan and at the end of the evening just squirt it into each of the faucets. Washes out any residue and sanitizes the inside too. No taste problems and no bugs (I keep my kegerator outside so there are lots of potential bug problems).

 

[disney7]

I use the Kleen Faucet Plug/Brushes:

After I finish a pouring session, I use a spray bottle and spray the plug brushes down with star san and spray some up in the faucet. Then, pop the brush/plug in and you're set.

If your kegerator is in the garage you really need to cap the faucets or something is going to go after that little bit of beer that's left. Just spraying the faucets out is a good start.

 

[Xpertskir]

These also work as faucet plugs

 

[Homercidal]

Pfft. You guys go through a lot of trouble to deal with something that is very easily just swallowed and forgotten.

 

[DrunkleJon]

I had a set of those plastic foam insert plugs that I used for a while. More trouble than they were woth in my opinion. I switched to the tap condom style plugs like this one http://www.kegworks.com/the-tap-soother-draft-beer-faucet-cap-412-p21089 Takes a pinch to get it on but keeps everything out. Really amusing when someone turns the tap on without taking it off first.

 

[marvinsjunk]

Thank you for all the suggestions. I haven't yet ordered any faucet prophylactics (although I really like the balloon idea), but I did try a trap with vinegar and dish soap and more than a few have met their doom. I haven't seen any around the kegerator or in my beer since I set out the trap.

 

[Clonefan94]

These plugs work great but I would recommend buying several extra ones in case one of these get lost. The price is very reasonable.

Or if my Father comes over to drink beer at your place. 3 times now the guy has pulled the tap with the plug still on. Makes a freakin' mess. Blows the cap to God knows where and throws beer everywhere.

 

[oconnorshomebrew]

Yeah, with those plugs or the caps, make sure to take them off and instruct people to remove them before pouring. I've had people just walk up to the kegerator and yank the tap open with the brush-style plug still in the tap. They got beer sprayed all over the front of them.

 

[Toga]

The flies in your brew are why I use picnic taps kept inside of my keezer vs using faucets.

 

[lumpher]

shouldn't bother. never hurts to have a snack with your beer. can't be accused of drinking on an empty stomach

 

[hunter_le five]

I had a set of those plastic foam insert plugs that I used for a while. More trouble than they were woth in my opinion. I switched to the tap condom style plugs like this one http://www.kegworks.com/the-tap-soother-draft-beer-faucet-cap-412-p21089 Takes a pinch to get it on but keeps everything out. Really amusing when someone turns the tap on without taking it off first.

+1 I have a set for my taps, they are simple and work great for keeping the critters out.

 

[DrunkleJon]

Or if my Father comes over to drink beer at your place. 3 times now the guy has pulled the tap with the plug still on. Makes a freakin' mess. Blows the cap to God knows where and throws beer everywhere.

That is why I like the tap condoms. With the plugs and the brushes quite the mess is made. With the condom style ones they just fly off and make you laugh at them flying into the glass.