36 hours into first keg (questions)

Ok this is my first keg and I have some questions. I racked from primary into my keg with no issues. Put the keg into the kegerator and set Co2 to 30psi for 24 hours. I then reduced psi to 10, tried a pint and it was flat and cloudy. The temps were between 36-38 for the first 24 hours then I turned the temp up to about 44 degrees. I have left the psi now at 10-12 psi.

It has now been 36 hours and the beer is flat and cloudy, super cloudy. I have poured out about 4 pints to see if it clears up but no luck. How long will it take for my beer to clear and these cold temps? Also how long will it take for my beer to carb? I forced carbed at 30psi for 24 hours and then I turned it down to 10psi. I did not have the cloudiness problem when I bottled at room temp. Temp in the kegerator now is 44 degrees.

At 44 degrees it will take a while to clear, probably weeks. I usually cold crash before I transfer to the keg and it still takes a week or so before it starts to get nice and clear.

Regarding the carb issue, I would think that it should have some carbonation by now. It has nothing? Dumb question, are you sure the keg is not leaking? Unhook it and hit the pressure release just to make sure it has good pressure?

davekippen said:

At 44 degrees it will take a while to clear, probably weeks. I usually cold crash before I transfer to the keg and it still takes a week or so before it starts to get nice and clear.

Regarding the carb issue, I would think that it should have some carbonation by now. It has nothing? Dumb question, are you sure the keg is not leaking? Unhook it and hit the pressure release just to make sure it has good pressure?

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It does have very little carbonation and the keg has pressure. I checked for leaks and I saw none.

Maybe I should've forced carbed for 36 hours because my beer was 68 degrees when I racked to the keg?

I put my kegs at 40 psi for 3 days then drop pressure to 12 psi Iam at high altitude so have to go a little higher.

Would it be too late to filter my beer? It is ridiculously cloudy and yeasty.

If you started with warm beer vs already chilled beer that is the problem. CO2 is more difficult to dissolve into warm liquids. I typically rack pressurize keg then chill before adding any additional CO2. Once chilled carb at 30 psi for minimum of 12 hrs up to 24 hrs then back down to serving pressure @ 10 psi this is for a typical ale may have to adjust depending on desired carb level.

res291que said:

If you started with warm beer vs already chilled beer that is the problem. CO2 is more difficult to dissolve into warm liquids. I typically rack pressurize keg then chill before adding any additional CO2. Once chilled carb at 30 psi for minimum of 12 hrs up to 24 hrs then back down to serving pressure @ 10 psi this is for a typical ale may have to adjust depending on desired carb level.

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This makes sense since my beer was at room temp. So next time maybe i should force carb for 36 hours correct? Now what about the cloudiness? Is it too late to filter the beer? I know I may loose some carbonation but I really want this beer to clear. I have access to a filtration system, all I need to do is clean and sanitize another keg and buy a filter.

It depends on the yeast strain and how well it flockulates, some strains drop better than others also fining agents tend to help. You could just let this beer sit in the fridge and it will probably drop clear on its own, but might take some time. You could filter just pushing it through out of one keg through your filtering system to another keg, you will just have to start carbonation process over, but not a big deal. Also depending on beer style it may be very difficult to get your beer clear without a filter especially if it is a very pale beer. Hope this helps.

res291que said:

It depends on the yeast strain and how well it flockulates, some strains drop better than others also fining agents tend to help. You could just let this beer sit in the fridge and it will probably drop clear on its own, but might take some time. You could filter just pushing it through out of one keg through your filtering system to another keg, you will just have to start carbonation process over, but not a big deal. Also depending on beer style it may be very difficult to get your beer clear without a filter especially if it is a very pale beer. Hope this helps.

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It does help thanks! I used us05 yeast and its an Amerillo Pale Ale. I think I'm going to borrow my friends filter and start over. The beer was in primary for two weeks and I thought I did a good job siphoning. I guess not since its cloudy as hell.

I always rack to keg then cold crash in keg for 24hrs then 30psi for 24 then down to serving temp for 4-5 days and it is good. My CO2 is on the outside of my keezer.

S05 usually drops pretty clear maybe give it a few days, unless you need it ready for a party, the cloudiness will not hurt the beer just not as pretty.

BansheeRider said:

Would it be too late to filter my beer? It is ridiculously cloudy and yeasty.

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No its never to late you can add gelatin finings or isinglas to the keg carbed or not

Ok I decided to filter it and this is what I got.....



Freaking disgusting!!! The beer tastes great now and is carbonated.

BansheeRider said:

Freaking disgusting!!![...]

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That is the color of impatience...

Cheers!

day_trippr said:

That is the color of impatience...

Cheers!

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So quick to judge aren't you...I pitched two packets of yeast with this beer because I had a stalled fermentation. The beer was saturated with yeast.

Yup. Still.

Time really does solve such ills...

Cheers!

day_trippr said:

Yup. Still.

Time really does solve such ills...

Cheers!

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If I had nothing but time I would have stuck with bottling

it could just be a chill haze that'll disappear in another week . RDWHAHB







Scratch that last comment ....I see you filtered out the yeast it now.

SleepyCreekBrews said:

it could just be a chill haze that'll disappear in another week . RDWHAHB

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You saying the picture I provided shows chill haze?

Give yourself three weeks in the primary, not two. Cold crash before kegging. Good to go.

That's not to bad.......would've let it sit. It would have cleared up nicely. You would have pulled that out of the first pint or two.

BansheeRider said:

You saying the picture I provided shows chill haze?

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chickypad said:

I never bother crashing before kegging anymore, I saw no benefit. The first few days kegged essentially is the cold crash. The first pint of mine often have some sediment but that's about it. To get rid of the chill haze and really hit that crystal clear stage seems to take a couple weeks anyway, IMO chilling a day or two before transfer just seems a waste of time.

I will say that my beers tend to sit in primary 3-4 wks and get a nice compact cake so not much junk goes in the keg, YRMV.

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Here is a good quote from a different thread dealing with kegging.

Yep time is your friend. I started making 10 gal batches and now I have plenty of beer so I can be patient and leave it for a while. 3 weeks in primary, dump it in the keg for 2 weeks at 13 psi and it comes out great.

day_trippr said:

That is the color of impatience...

Cheers!

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Yep

zeus53219 said:

That's not to bad.......would've let it sit. It would have cleared up nicely. You would have pulled that out of the first pint or two.

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Yep

zeus53219 said:

That's not to bad.......would've let it sit. It would have cleared up nicely. You would have pulled that out of the first pint or two.

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CGVT said:

Yep



Yep

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After almost 3 days I was still pulling cloudy beer, about 5 pints were pulled and all were cloudy. I drank it of course, then my wife hated me in bed. Yeast doesn't stomach so well

For some reason I am sensing that some people don't like filtering. It took about 5 min of sanitizing and 10 min to filter with the co2 at 10psi. The result is less yeast and less particles. Is filtering not so popular in home brewing?

I'm a fan of the "set and forget" method for kegging. Set the PSI to serving PSI and your refrigerator/freezer to serving temperatures and walk away for 2 - 3 weeks. Yes, it takes longer. However it offers two major benefits. The first benefit is that you're not going to over-carbonate your beer and end up posting about it being too foamy . The second benefit is that by letting it sit at a cold temperature for 2 - 3 weeks before drinking will very effectively cold crash the beer. My beers are crystal clear and I don't use any additives; just 2 - 3 weeks at 38 F while carbonating works great for me.

I think it is just an unnecessary step and extra hassle. Use whirlflock or Irish Moss in the boil and most of that will drop out after fermentation. The rest will drop out after a few days of being cold, whether you cold crash in the fermenter or just get it cold in the kegerator.

You can do whatever you want, I just see it as more equipment and hassle than I want to deal with, especially when a couple of days of patience will accomplish the same thing. Of course, it is easier to be patient when you have a decent pipeline...

Filtering can be great if you're impatient, but I've never used it. My beers are always crystal-clear and I use a 6-week schedule. 3 weeks in primary, then a week of cold-crashing and gelatin (fridge at 34° F for 3 days, dump in gelatin, wait 4 more days), then 2 weeks in a keg at 15 psi and the same 34° F. The result is always perfectly-carbed, crystal-clear beer. It just requires patience and planning.

BansheeRider said:

After almost 3 days I was still pulling cloudy beer, about 5 pints were pulled and all were cloudy. I drank it of course, then my wife hated me in bed. Yeast doesn't stomach so well

For some reason I am sensing that some people don't like filtering. It took about 5 min of sanitizing and 10 min to filter with the co2 at 10psi. The result is less yeast and less particles. Is filtering not so popular in home brewing?

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It's not the filtering that folks aren't a fan of. It's drinking green beer that people don't like. What you seem to have described is a beer that had a 2 week primary, then was kegged and force-carbonated, and after 3 or 4 days in the keg (basically, 17 or 18 days from pitching, total) there was still yeast in solution, and you were upset about this. Many of us won't even consider kegging a beer until it's been in the primary (or it's been in primary and then secondary, for folks who choose to secondary) for at least 3 weeks - because after only 2 weeks the beer is still green.

If you have to filter the yeast out of the beer to get it clear, chances are those yeast haven't quite finished cleaning up some of the byproducts of the fermentation just yet. Had you waited even one more week, your beer probably would have been much better for it.

stratslinger said:

It's not the filtering that folks aren't a fan of. It's drinking green beer that people don't like. What you seem to have described is a beer that had a 2 week primary, then was kegged and force-carbonated, and after 3 or 4 days in the keg (basically, 17 or 18 days from pitching, total) there was still yeast in solution, and you were upset about this. Many of us won't even consider kegging a beer until it's been in the primary (or it's been in primary and then secondary, for folks who choose to secondary) for at least 3 weeks - because after only 2 weeks the beer is still green.

If you have to filter the yeast out of the beer to get it clear, chances are those yeast haven't quite finished cleaning up some of the byproducts of the fermentation just yet. Had you waited even one more week, your beer probably would have been much better for it.

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Well said. You may get away with drinking this batch 2 1/2 wks in and thinking it tastes fine, being that it's a pale ale, but the huge majority of beers will not be at their best this way. Filter if you want, but not as an excuse to rush your beer.

I don't see a problem with filtering. When I first started brewing, I actually thought about building a filter set up. I'd be interested to see how "green" a beer really tasted if it were filtered. Basically, I'm just wondering how much suspended yeast may be the contributor to "green" beer.

I'm pretty lucky now though, my pipeline has been established and none of my beers ever get tapped until they've been sitting for at least 6 weeks. When brewing I put 1/2 a whirlflock tablet in at 15 minutes left, then, I usually primary for 3 weeks. After that, if I have an open keg, I go ahead and keg it. From there it just sits in the corner behind my bar and I pressurize it with CO2 at least once a day (If I remember I do it in the morning, then again, in the evening.) Three weeks of this actually puts a decent amount of CO2 in the beer. Once it gets in the fridge, and cools to temp, it's got a decent amount of CO2 in it at that point. Even so, I usualy let them sit for a week. This process leads to really clear beer after about the first two pints are pulled. Usually by the end of week #2 on tap, it's as clear as any commercial Ale I've ever seen.

This works for me as so far, I've been able to brew regularly and keep a nice pipeline going. So, I've always got something sitting and waiting for a spot. If I didn't have this, and was looking for a way to quick turnaround beers, I'd think filtering would be one of my first stops.

kombat said:

...It just requires patience and planning.

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This is the key!

I can see trying to quick carb a keg if you need it fast but you can not rush fermentation. 6 weeks for most beers (for me), some longer. My beer is always clear and carbonated. That is also a reason that some people get turned off by homebrew. They try something that somebody rushed through and it's cloudy, yeasty and green. If you gotta have a beer, go buy some but have patience with your beer and it will reward you!

I agree with this but it depends on the beer type. An example is the BM Centennial that everyone seems to like. I go from grain to glass in 10 if need be and it is clear and good. I do use the wirflock (sp?) tabs in the boil and cold crash in the keg for a day. In a rush I have force carb but with my current pipeline it is not necessary. I have left it in primary (I only use primary) up to 3 weeks and can not tell a difference from my normal 7 days with that recipe.

EDIT: The yeast I have used makes a difference too. The Centennial calls for Notty and I like the US05. Notty takes off and finishes faster by at least a day (in my brief brewing history) than the US05.

rustym said:

This is the key!

I can see trying to quick carb a keg if you need it fast but you can not rush fermentation. 6 weeks for most beers (for me), some longer. My beer is always clear and carbonated. That is also a reason that some people get turned off by homebrew. They try something that somebody rushed through and it's cloudy, yeasty and green. If you gotta have a beer, go buy some but have patience with your beer and it will reward you!

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"Mmmmm! 10 day beer!"

Having trouble visualizing anyone actually saying that...

Cheers!

tektonjp said:

Give yourself three weeks in the primary, not two. Cold crash before kegging. Good to go.

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Exactly my routine

day_trippr said:

"Mmmmm! 10 day beer!"

Having trouble visualizing anyone actually saying that...

Cheers!

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You obviously have not seen this thread https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f66/centennial-blonde-simple-4-all-grain-5-10-gall-42841/

orion7144 said:

I agree with this but it depends on the beer type. An example is the BM Centennial that everyone seems to like. I go from grain to glass in 10 if need be and it is clear and good. I do use the wirflock (sp?) tabs in the boil and cold crash in the keg for a day. In a rush I have force carb but with my current pipeline it is not necessary. I have left it in primary (I only use primary) up to 3 weeks and can not tell a difference from my normal 7 days with that recipe.

EDIT: The yeast I have used makes a difference too. The Centennial calls for Notty and I like the US05. Notty takes off and finishes faster by at least a day (in my brief brewing history) than the US05.

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You point out the important things here - this is a case where you know the recipe, know the yeast, and have a low gravity beer in a style that doesn't benefit from aging. I'm betting you also took care of fermentation - pitch rate, temp, etc. to avoid off flavors and need to "clean up". Sounds good to me.

chickypad said:

You point out the important things here - this is a case where you know the recipe, know the yeast, and have a low gravity beer in a style that doesn't benefit from aging.

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Beat me to it.

Sounds good to me.

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I'd have to try it, but I've never even attempted to brew anything below 60 points, never mind low IBUs...

Cheers!

tektonjp said:

Give yourself three weeks in the primary, not two. Cold crash before kegging. Good to go.

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I don't ever go three weeks in the primary, and I don't cold crash before kegging.

But if I use a non-flocculant yeast, I let the kegs sit in the kegerator for 24 hours and then pull 3-4 ounces out as it's very yeasty. But then it's pretty clear.

Thanks for all the advice. This was my first batch kegged and I was a bit eager to get my batch in the keg. I had issues with this batch in the begining and ended up pitching 2 packets of US05 yeast to finish fermentation. I did taste the beer and it tastes great. I do like filtering because it only takes about 20 min and the beer is instantly clear. I used a 3-5 micron filter so surely there is still yeast in the beer. I understand about green beer but I think the beer will get better over time in the kegerator. I still have bottles to drink so I'm covered. I will be getting a pipeline established once I modify the door on my kegerator. My fermenter is empty and needs something in it ASAP. My next batch I will be using a tablet of whirfloc or irish moss to aid in the clearing of the beer. I will also use the set and forget method when carbonating since it will take a while to empty my first keg.

This has been a learning experience for sure. Everything that has been said will be kept in my mental tool box I have about 5 batches under my belt and I'm still learning everyday.