Trimming diptubes?

Soulive · 10-05-2007, 04:01 PM

Has anyone trimmed their diptube like 1/2in to keep it slightly higher off the bottom? How'd it work out if you did? Did it help keep some of the sediment in the keg?

**EdWort** · 10-05-2007, 04:14 PM

I've never bothered and after the first couple of ounces it works out fine.

Brewsmith · 10-05-2007, 04:19 PM

I know it's been done, but like Ed posted, I don't do it to mine and after the first glass once it's carbed up it's fine.

Soulive · 10-05-2007, 05:39 PM

Hmmm, I must be drinking my beers too green and/or racking them too dirty. How long do you guys wait before pulling the first pint?

1f1fan · 10-05-2007, 05:49 PM

I have 8 kegs and 2 have the short diptubes. So far I have an American Brown and a Rochefort 8 clone in those 2 so I can't really see a big difference in clarity because they are so dark. I had the same problems as you, so I decided to cut some of them.

I plan on cutting 2 more and using them as bright tanks while conditioning, then transferring the beer to a serving keg and then putting it in my inside kegerator for serving. Keep a few uncut for wits and other wheat beers....

Cut one and see if it makes a difference, you don't lose a whole lot of beer cutting just 1/2 inch.

I also found that cold conditioning for 4-6 weeks greatly helps round out the flavors of the beer.

**Bobby_M** · 10-05-2007, 06:01 PM

It is really easy when kegging to rush the batch into keg. I do it all the time and you're right, you'll get a sediment layer on the bottom. However, I'd rather blow it out on the first two pints (if you let it settle), than to leave a huge layer for the life of the keg. Yes, trimming the tube will cause the first pints to be clear but one jolt to the keg, like moving it to a BBQ will stir up the sediment and you'll have hazy beer for a while.

Best bet? Secondary longer and cold crash it for 2 days prior to racking to keg. Yes.. if you plan to use the keg as a secondary, cutting an inch off would be a good idea but you can never really know how thick the trub layer will be and without a racking tip, you'll catch sediment anyway.

1f1fan · 10-05-2007, 06:16 PM

Good points. I'll take a look at the 2 kegs when these batches are done and see how much sediment is left vs. previous batches with uncut diptubes.

When taking a keg to a BBQ or a party I always transfer to a serving keg so I leave the sediment behind. A little extra work but not too bad.

Using kegs with cut tubes as bright tanks and then transferring to a serving keg is basically the same as using a secondary. Kegs are easier to purge with C02 and transferring is easier for me then use a secondary glass carboy.

(I always primary for 2-3 weeks so I don't usually have a ton of sediment anyway)

**Bobby_M** · 10-05-2007, 06:20 PM

Another way to do it is to simply blow some of the first beer out into a bucket until it starts running clear just in case your shortened dip tube was under trub. You'd have to attach a picnic tap setup first, run it until clear, then swap over to your beer to beer jumper. I guess you could do this with an uncut tube every once in a while in secondary just to incrementally clean out the trub layer sort of like a conical only you can't get it all because it's spread out over the entire bottom.

**EdWort** · 10-05-2007, 06:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Soulive21

Hmmm, I must be drinking my beers too green and/or racking them too dirty. How long do you guys wait before pulling the first pint?

My process is 10 days ferment, then crash cool to 39 degrees for a couple of days to two weeks (when ever I get around to cleaning a keg or two) and then the keg sits on gas for another two weeks at least. Most beers are 8 weeks old before they move to the kegerator inside the house.

**Bobby_M** · 10-05-2007, 06:40 PM

See Ed's got it right. He brews often enough to keep up with consumption. I wish I had that kind of discipline.