Dip tube in corny keg sucking up yeast. Cut it?

Yakima 728
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GroosBrewz

GroosBrewz

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I just switched to a 4 corny keg kegerator system and have noticed that my last three kegs are really cloudy. I use ball lock kegs that have a little depression at the bottom where all the yeast settles.. It;s also right where the dip tube sucks my beer from. As a result they are all cloudy..

Just wondering how you guys resolve this issue in your corny kegs WITHOUT adding a filtration system.. Should I cut an inch or so off the dip tube?
 
if you let the kegs cool in the kegerator for a little while, all of the yeast will drop out to the bottom as you say, then you draw a pint or two, which will be cloudy...then your beer from then on out should be relatively clear. If you just switched, it could be that you're running into chill haze which you aren't used to. That happened to me. I was drinking all of my beer at 50+ degrees, and it was clear. Got them into a keg in a cooler and suddenly my beers were hazy.
 
I keg mine for 2 weeks at 40degrees while carbonating, and all the yeast comes out in the first pint. Running beer through a secondary before kegging helps also.
 
I didn't cut mine, and I'm happy with them. The first couple of pints have some sediment, but the rest are clear. Also, when the keg is empty, I have almost no beer left in the keg- just a little bit of yeast sludge that is compacted to the bottom. I don't "waste" any beer at all, after that first pint.

If you move the kegs around, of course the sediment will re-stir up. I wanted a super clear keg to take to a party, so I "jumped" it with QDs and beerline into a new keg. That left only clear beer, and almost no sediment at all in it when that keg was done.
 
there shouldn't be any reason to alter the tube, its nicely designed to get every last drop of beer out. As previously stated, getting beer cloudy with yeast is normal for the first couple of draws. If its properly chilled, just pump out the yeastie part, dump it or tough it up and down it :)

One thing to do is make sure you don't disturb the keg once you start drawing from it. There may be a bigger yeast cake in there, you want the diptube to draw out the middle part of that cake, the sides of the cake should stay undisturbed in the bottom of the keg. Guess you could shake it around and draw out all of it if you want.

But chill-haze is different if that's what you have. I give my beer a headstart on clearing up by putting the primary in keg temps (40F) a few days before kegging it. You'll settle out more yeast and haze that way.

I really wouldn't mess with the tube if its centered properly on that lowest indentation. Cutting it won't really solve any big problems and will create other problems. Namely the seated security of the tube, and the inability to draw out all the beer.

cheers and good luck! happy kegging
 
I dont waste any beer either when mine are empty there is very little in the bottom, If U dont cut the tube and take the first couple of pours from the keg and dump em because they have to much yeast/ sluge then what is the difference U still waste some. My thoughts anyway.
 
Budzu said:
there shouldn't be any reason to alter the tube, its nicely designed to get every last drop of beer out. As previously stated, getting beer cloudy with yeast is normal for the first couple of draws. If its properly chilled, just pump out the yeastie part, dump it or tough it up and down it :)

One thing to do is make sure you don't disturb the keg once you start drawing from it. There may be a bigger yeast cake in there, you want the diptube to draw out the middle part of that cake, the sides of the cake should stay undisturbed in the bottom of the keg. Guess you could shake it around and draw out all of it if you want.

But chill-haze is different if that's what you have. I give my beer a headstart on clearing up by putting the primary in keg temps (40F) a few days before kegging it. You'll settle out more yeast and haze that way.

I really wouldn't mess with the tube if its centered properly on that lowest indentation. Cutting it won't really solve any big problems and will create other problems. Namely the seated security of the tube, and the inability to draw out all the beer.

cheers and good luck! happy kegging
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Ya but soda dosnt have yeast sludge in it. And it will solve a big part of the problem but not all and how could cutting an inch off create any other problems? What would it have to do with the ( seated security of the tube )?The tubes is still going to seat even if it is a inch long.
 
keiths said:
Ya but soda dosnt have yeast sludge in it. And it will solve a big part of the problem but not all and how could cutting an inch off create any other problems? What would it have to do with the ( seated security of the tube )?The tubes is still going to seat even if it is a inch long.
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The tube-end seating isn't such a big deal sure, but it helps prevent any possible bending of the tube.
But by cutting the tube, you will be leaving all the yeast in the keg, which you may or may not want, and you get 1 inch less beer :(
It just seems to me that its counter-productive.. the full-length tube in fact helps you get clearer beer. (just not on the first pint or 2)
I haven't tried shortening any tubes though so far so hey keiths could be totally right. I do get very clear beer though.

Cheers
 
I have cut the dip tube on some of my kegs and not cut it on others. Here's my take:

IMO/IME, you are not wasting beer by cutting a dip tube by 3/4" or so. Any additional beer that you would get by not cutting it (and it's less than you think) would be cloudy anyway. Either way yields the same 'last clear drop' IME.

Kegs differ. Some kegs have the little 'well' in the center and the curved dip tube goes down into that well. Some dip tubes go deeper into that well than others. Sometimes it doesn't actually extend down into that well and sometimes the dip tube has been turned (by tightening) such that it's not in the well anymore (due to it's curvature). Other kegs have an offset well and a straight dip tube...again, some that go deeper than others. Point being that kegs can vary quite a bit in how close to the bottom surface that dip tube goes.

Beers differ. Some beers have more yeast/sediment than others and some yeasts settle into more tightly-packed-cakes than others. I just bottled-from-the-keg two weizen beers because I didn't think I could get a consistent pour from beginning to end (without shaking the keg or something). I was always pulling the yeastiest stuff from the bottom.

So, IMO, certain kegs filled with certain beers would benefit from cutting the dip tube and others wouldn't. But it usually doesn't hurt anything and again, IMO/IME you are not wasting beer by doing it.

FWIW, I cut my dip tubes at an angle so it pulls from the side a little bit.

It just seems to me that its counter-productive.. the full-length tube in fact helps you get clearer beer. (just not on the first pint or 2)
Click to expand...
Can you explain? This seems backwards.
 
SpanishCastleAle said:
Can you explain? This seems backwards.
Click to expand...

The only reason I say that is because you are in fact pumping out most of the yeast at the start. seems to me that if you aren't getting the yeast out of the bottom of the keg, there is much more possibility that the yeast can get swirled up again into the beer, if the keg is disturbed or wiggled or whatnot. I've moved full kegs and this always happens unless I start by pumping yeast, wiggle keg, repeat until clear.
 
Mine are cut. Don't leave much beer when they blow. As stated before, cut or not if you disturb the keg AT ALL for any reason you will stir up the sediment and it will need time to settle again. Then you will get a cloudy beer or 2 IF you have a full length tube. This is the benefit of cutting IME.
 
I cut the dip tubes by 1" in 2 of my cornies.
I measured 1 cup left behind in one and 10 ounces in the other.

I'm still on the fence about it.
I don't think it is either a 'must do' or 'must not'.
 
This all comes down to impatience. You really shouldn't put the beer in the keg until it has cleared 99% of the way in the fermenter. If you've already got it in the keg, a good week or two in the cold undisturbed will get all the sediment to fall to the bottom and then it should start running clear in about 2-3 pours. However, if you still haven't given it enough time, the beer itself is still cloudy towards the bottom. A cut tube will not help.

If you have the chance to cold crash your fermenter for 3-5 days before kegging do that. Also, when I say clear in the carboy, I mean like 2-3 weeks after primary ferment has completed.
 
ample time for clearing either in primary or secondary, a cold crash of the keg...this should all get the yeast out in the first pint.

If you're getting more, and the specific yeast strain isn't to blame, you're probably kegging too early.
 
Thanks for the all the information. I had no idea there was a slight "controvery" to this topic when I posted the question, but I am glad there was.. Got to see many different view points. Next time I will cold crash the beer and see what happens.. I know the problem isnt kegging to early (for me it'always a week or two primary and at least two weeks secondary).. Hopefully cold-crashing clears the cloudiness. I also used poly-clar for the first time so that may help as well..

thanks again!
 
gotta love the cold-crashing, bro. In primary. It's definitely the best thing I ever did for my beers' clarity.

Cheers and good luck!
 
Well, it sounds like your getting sediment in your beer no matter what. So I guess I will not cut. Besides, the beer yeast will turn all the sugar I eat into alcohol.
 
I'm in the "don't cut" camp. The first pint or two may be cloudy but should clear after that, if they don't then you need to look at the condition you put your beer into the keg in and possible chill haze.
 
EvilTOJ said:
If you're kegging a weizen then you shouldn't be complaining about cloudy beer.
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wat

There is a level that is too much and there is a level that's not enough. I don't want it such that it's too much in the beginning and then not enough at the end of the keg. And that's exactly what I was getting unless I bottled most of it.
 
Sorry to resurrect an old thread, I try to do my research before asking questions. I pulled more than 4 pints from my keg (8 cups or so) and it still seams to be very yeasty. I am worried that my dry hopping (the new technique for this batch) or oxygen has ruined my batch, but I'm kinda at a loss. The batch was brewed around 6-20-10, kegged and dry hopped on 7-28-10... so it's not a "fresh" under-fermented batch. It does not taste like yeast, but it is very cloudy, almost milky. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!
 
My kegs will travel, so in reading around it seems I should leave in primary at least 4 weeks. Transfer to keg. I will be carbing with Co2 but at room temp, so carb two weeks at 24psi. Then I pour off the first couple to get sediment out. Then I transfer to new keg. Then I will be good to go with the most clear beer I can make given I have no kegerator. Is this a good plan?
 
akthor said:
My kegs will travel, so in reading around it seems I should leave in primary at least 4 weeks. Transfer to keg. I will be carbing with Co2 but at room temp, so carb two weeks at 24psi. Then I'll enjoy the first couple pints to get sediment out. Then I transfer to new keg. Then I will be good to go with the most clear beer I can make given I have no kegerator. Is this a good plan?
Click to expand...

Fixed that for ya...
 
GermanBlood said:
Sorry to resurrect an old thread, I try to do my research before asking questions. I pulled more than 4 pints from my keg (8 cups or so) and it still seams to be very yeasty. I am worried that my dry hopping (the new technique for this batch) or oxygen has ruined my batch, but I'm kinda at a loss. The batch was brewed around 6-20-10, kegged and dry hopped on 7-28-10... so it's not a "fresh" under-fermented batch. It does not taste like yeast, but it is very cloudy, almost milky. Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks!
Click to expand...


I always do my dry hopping in the 2ndary before kegging.. My typical regime is to dry hop for the last five days in the 2ndary, remove hops, rack to 2ndary, add gelatin, crash cool for 24 hours, then crank up the gas to 40lbs and drink the beer in 3 days... Are you using any clarifiers at all? gelatin? isinglass?
 
akthor said:
My kegs will travel, so in reading around it seems I should leave in primary at least 4 weeks. Transfer to keg. I will be carbing with Co2 but at room temp, so carb two weeks at 24psi. Then I pour off the first couple to get sediment out. Then I transfer to new keg. Then I will be good to go with the most clear beer I can make given I have no kegerator. Is this a good plan?[/QUOTE

That regime seems extreme and un-necessary. Why would you transfer from one keg to another? If you just use some gelatin when you rack to the keg, it will clear things up quite nicely.. Even at room temp. I know because before I got my kegerator, I had my beers carbing at room temp as well. It's always worked for me and I pour clear beers.
Click to expand...
 

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