How much beer do you leave behind?

**erikrocks** · 02-02-2010, 01:45 AM

I was wondering how much beer people leave behind in their carboy when siphoning into a keg. Am I leaving too much behind? I guess I would rather leave too much in the carboy than end up siphoning a bunch of trub into the keg...but is this about right?

mordantly · 02-02-2010, 01:49 AM

i fill the keg enough to get the lid installed without a bath. then prompty "sample" all remaining beer even if trub is in there to an extent.

**erikrocks** · 02-02-2010, 01:51 AM

So you keep the siphon going, even if you see it sucking trub material into the keg?

mordantly · 02-02-2010, 01:58 AM

sure. i throttle it, but i have a racking cane with stainless spring on end (williams used to sell them, now they have that weird plastic tip) and 4 layers of fine mesh muslin wrapped arround the spring with nichrome wire. so it does filter 90% of the trub anyways. i let a keg settle, carb etc. then pull a pint or two at 30psi to get the trub arround the dip tube. then pour at 12psi.

avidhomebrewer · 02-02-2010, 02:01 AM

That seems a tad much for my tastes. Based upon the carboy, it looks like you are transferring from primary to secondary. I would let that go a bit longer.

**erikrocks** · 02-02-2010, 02:01 AM

Interesting. I would think the trub would build up on the screen and kill the siphon.

**erikrocks** · 02-02-2010, 02:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avidhomebrewer

That seems a tad much for my tastes. Based upon the carboy, it looks like you are transferring from primary to secondary. I would let that go a bit longer.

OK. Next time I rack to the keg I'll let it go a bit longer.

mordantly · 02-02-2010, 02:04 AM

see, you start at the top, and lower the cane as the level goes down. if you put the cane above the sediment, the head hight will draw sediment. but don't worry, it will settle in a week in the keg, it's gotta carb anyways.

**Nurmey** · 02-02-2010, 02:11 AM

If you let your cake compact by leaving it longer, you should be able to set you auto siphon down on it and let it suck almost dry.

I probably leave a couple ounces on the top of the cake and my bottles or kegs only have a dusting of yeast after aging and carbonating.

PT Ray · 02-02-2010, 02:28 AM

That's still a good bit of beer in the carboy. I don't stop the siphon until it starts pulling the trub. And what does make it to the keg quickly comes out with the first half pint or so.