Anyone cut the dip tube on their corny kegs?

I've heard that some people like to cut a small amount off the dip tube on their corny kegs. The idea is that since the tube is shorter, less trub will be sucked up into it. Does anybody here do that? I'm going to be kegging my first beer in a few weeks, and have some concerns about trub getting sucked into my beer lines. Thoughts?

I did this to one keg and I regret it. It leaves about a half pint or more in the keg.

It doesn't make that much of a difference unless you ferment or rush your beer into the keg.

I haven't bothered. Mine generally sit on CO2 for about 2 weeks while they carb in the cold. In that time, everything settles to the bottom. Then when its carbed, everything comes out in the first pint. Toss that down the drain and you're good to go, so long as you don't move the keg around too much.

Otherwise, if you do decide that there's still too much trub, I'd look into bending the dip tube rather than cutting it, if for no other reason than you can always bend it back later.

I didn't cut mine, and I"m glad. I put the keg in the kegerator, wait a couple days, then pull off a couple ounces. As long as the keg isn't moved, that will take care of any sediment. When the keg is empty, there just a tiny bit of sludge from about 1/2" around the bottom of the diptube. No beer left at all. It works great, and I never "waste" beer.

i agree dont cut it, let it all settle while it carbs and any trub will come out in the first pint. Then its clear beer all the way to the bottom

Thanks guys. I think I will leave it alone, and maybe add some gelatin finings before I rack to the keg, if clarity is a problem.

I cut all mine and love it. It only leaves 3-4 ozs (if that) in the bottom and no crud on the first couple of pours, the rest of you are naysayers.


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Yooper said:

I didn't cut mine, and I"m glad. I put the keg in the kegerator, wait a couple days, then pull off a couple ounces. As long as the keg isn't moved, that will take care of any sediment. When the keg is empty, there just a tiny bit of sludge from about 1/2" around the bottom of the diptube. No beer left at all. It works great, and I never "waste" beer.

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You pour off a few ounces and I leave a few in the bottom, what's the difference?


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The only tube I cut is the gas in tube. Some are 2-3 inches long and if really full you can get beer up the gas line. I cut them all to 1" so the keg can be filled very high.

wildwest450 said:

You pour off a few ounces and I leave a few in the bottom, what's the difference?


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It's just a matter of personal preference! When I clean a kicked keg, it's completely and totally empty except for some yeast sludge on the bottom (but none near the diptube). If I toss the first three ounces, and I'm happy with it, I think that's what works for me.

JRems said:

The only tube I cut is the gas in tube. Some are 2-3 inches long and if really full you can get beer up the gas line. I cut them all to 1" so the keg can be filled very high.

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This.

How would you get beer up the gas line? I figured that would be nearly impossible.

Easier than you may think, especially if you have more than one keg on that gas branch.

Another fabulous reason to cut dip tubes is for ease of cleaning. The tube will now fit down inside the keg once pulled out, making it unnecessary to use co2 in your cleaning regimen.


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I just toss my dip tube into the wallpaper paste tray I use for my racking canes, etc.

I think that this thread is another show of finding what works for you. There are good reasons for both camps.

Mad_Milo said:

I think that this thread is another show of finding what works for you. There are good reasons for both camps.

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Meh, my way is better.


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I've cut mine. About an inch or less. Beer is crystal from the first pour.

I do indeed cut mine. I tried leaving one the full length and it was a disaster - now, that has more to do with the fact that I didn't successfully leave enough hop break in the boil kettle and it somehow made it to me keg as well. Each pint I pulled had a bunch of floating crap it in. Again, that has more to do with my inability on that particular batch.

Either way works, in my opinion - I just personally cut all my keg tubes. The first pour is as good as the last!

All my conditioning tanks have circumcised dip tubes and the dispensing tanks are full length.
I filter multiple batches at the same and shorter dip tubes prevent clogging of the first plates in the set-up.


Cheers,
ClaudiusB

wildwest450 said:

Another fabulous reason to cut dip tubes is for ease of cleaning. The tube will now fit down inside the keg once pulled out, making it unnecessary to use co2 in your cleaning regimen.


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Hot water, Oxiclean and the lid on the keg produces enough pressure that when you depress the poppet you will get a good shot of hot water, kind of looks like . . . never mind.

Haven't cut any of my dip tubes... then again, I filter my beers. Usually lots of yeast but no beer left behind in the filter...

Also, I second smac's sentiment. Cleaning is super easy. Only I use PBW instead of oxyclean. The pressure created by the hot water is enough to push water up through the beer line.

yournotpeter said:

now, that has more to do with the fact that I didn't successfully leave enough hop break in the boil kettle and it somehow made it to me keg as well. Each pint I pulled had a bunch of floating crap it in. Again, that has more to do with my inability on that particular batch.

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Did u ferment in your keg?

JRems said:

The only tube I cut is the gas in tube. Some are 2-3 inches long and if really full you can get beer up the gas line. I cut them all to 1" so the keg can be filled very high.

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I just kegged my first beer on Sunday and definitely filled it too full. Beer was coming out the gas in post. I had a picnic tap on the out and it would spray out of there every time I turned on the gas. I ended up with quite a bit of foamy beer sprayed out into several glasses before it stopped. I'm guessing that's how long it took to get the level of beer below the gas tube.


Also, jetmac, that's a great avatar and nice quote from BobbyM.

samc said:

Hot water, Oxiclean and the lid on the keg produces enough pressure that when you depress the poppet you will get a good shot of hot water, kind of looks like . . . never mind.

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I've done that, not as easy to rinse, as I don't refill or use hot water to rinse out.


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I cut the tube in the first couple of kegs, but only just a snip. The other eight kegs I just did a bit of creative bending on the tube so the tip is about even with the top of the dimple in the keg bottom. Works great, wastes less than an ounce or so, and the tube doesn't bounce off the bottom when the faucet is opened, stirring up trub. That is the main reason I do it anyway. Not sure why, but all my kegs had tubes that were nearly touching the bottom, but the pressure change from opening the faucet made the tube ding off the bottom, and pulled more junk. Getting just a wee bit higher stopped that problem.

If I don't let a beer clear completely in the fermenter, I still can get a bit of sediment on the first pour, but nothing thereafter.

What did you use to bend the tubes?

I cut one of mine to make a bright tank out of it. It works great. The only problem I have with it is when I sanitize a keg I like to push the star san out with CO2 until empty. Then I would push beer from the primary to the sanitized keg without having opened the keg lid letting the CO2 out. With the cut tube keg I have to remove the lid to dump the remaining star san out and then re-purge the keg with CO2.

JetSmooth said:

What did you use to bend the tubes?

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I used my hands and my knee. I make a slight back bend in the portion of the tube that goes straight down, then I bend the bottom section up just ever so slightly. After a few drinks and a few bends I wind up with the end centered over the dimple in the bottom of the keg, but even with the top of the dimple. It doesn't take much at all.

I cut my first tube today. I used one of my cornys as a secondary fermenter and added 1.5 oz of pellet hops to an IPA. There was so much gunk in the bottom, the beer wouldn't transfer out under CO2 pressure. I pulled the tube, cut about an inch off, sanitized it and put it back in. The transfer worked fine after that. I'll just keep this keg for use as a secondary, and/or order another dip tube for normal use.

wildwest450 said:

You pour off a few ounces and I leave a few in the bottom, what's the difference?


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You're right, no difference.

So, you cut your's for no reason.

[ edit: ugh. old thread. ]

prandlesc said:

I cut my first tube today. I used one of my cornys as a secondary fermenter and added 1.5 oz of pellet hops to an IPA. There was so much gunk in the bottom, the beer wouldn't transfer out under CO2 pressure. I pulled the tube, cut about an inch off, sanitized it and put it back in. The transfer worked fine after that. I'll just keep this keg for use as a secondary, and/or order another dip tube for normal use.

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I use a silk hop bag hung off the gas tube by an o-ring no hop gunk to clog a tube.

I bent all of mine up off the bottom a little by just reaching in and grabbing the dip tube and pulling towards the side of the keg. Put a little more than normal bend in it and get no yeast in your beers. I think the biggest benefit is that even when the keg kicks you don't suck yeast up into your beer lines and therefore you don't have to clean them as often. Or ever.

chumpsteak said:

I bent all of mine up off the bottom a little by just reaching in and grabbing the dip tube and pulling towards the side of the keg. Put a little more than normal bend in it and get no yeast in your beers. I think the biggest benefit is that even when the keg kicks you don't suck yeast up into your beer lines and therefore you don't have to clean them as often. Or ever.

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For the 10-15 seconds it takes to flush a beer line, I would rather clean them.

I did see on here once that someone made an "in-law" dip tube. They cut one in half and when it would spit foam every one would think it was empty but there was still half of a keg reserved for himself for later.

beaksnbeer said:

For the 10-15 seconds it takes to flush a beer line, I would rather clean them.

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I do flush 'em....just with beer from a fresh keg and not cleaner or sanitizer.

chumpsteak said:

I do flush 'em....just with beer from a fresh keg and not cleaner or sanitizer.

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I like to flush with BLC don't want to run a fresh beer through a line of sediment I tap all kegs between 2-3 weeks to remove sediment around the dip tubes prior to hooking to the dispensing taps on my coffin. Maybe not necessary but an ounce of prevention

That's why I said to bend the dip tube up and to the side so you don't get sediment in your beer lines in the first place. My beer lines don't see yeast or trub anymore and therefore don't require any regular cleaning or maintenance.

chumpsteak said:

That's why I said to bend the dip tube up and to the side so you don't get sediment in your beer lines in the first place. My beer lines don't see yeast or trub anymore and therefore don't require any regular cleaning or maintenance.

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Good point, i just cut one of my tubes around half inch over the dimple. See how it works out, i have 4 other kegs anyhow.

I heard a story on this forum a loooong time ago about a home brewer that cut the dip tube in half to keep the mooches from drinking his keg dry. (oops, sorry, the keg's dry. Guess the party's over) I have not cut my dip tubes. The first half glass usually has some sediment which I consume with no ill effects. After that the remaining product is clear, assuming I don't move the keg.

william_shakes_beer said:

I heard a story on this forum a loooong time ago about a home brewer that cut the dip tube in half to keep the mooches from drinking his keg dry. (oops, sorry, the keg's dry. Guess the party's over) ...

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Is it a ninja post if you got scooped five years ago? =D