Hops Clogging Poppet - A n00b gets pwn3d.

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

mrkristofo

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 25, 2007
Messages
917
Reaction score
8
Location
Behind the zion curtain
Well, I hope some of you enjoy this story. When read from 20-20 hindsight, it's hard to imagine I didn't predict what was going to happen. Total pwn3d n00b here.

So I have a batch of Ed's Haus Pale that I transferred to keg. I noticed he said he put 1oz of pellets in a steeping ball to "dry-hop" in the keg. I thought this sounded delicious, so I did the same. The only problem was that my steeping ball only held 1/2oz. I wasn't about to let the last 1/2oz of cascades go to waste, so I just tossed em in there, too, sealed the lid, and put it on pressure.

I went to try the first one today and I got no love from the faucet. I checked to make sure the gas was on, but still no love. I popped the liquid line off and depressed it with a screwdriver.

BEER IN THE FACE!!!! AGGH.

I put the liquid line back on and tried, again, no love. I popped the liquid line off, and learning from my mistakes relieved the pressure. I unscrewed the liquid out post, and a hop plug was sitting right there in the top of the dip tube, clogging the poppet. Stupid poppet...what is it in there for anyway? It's going to keep clogging this up, and I need to get these pellets out. I took out the poppet, and screwed the post back on. I put the liquid line back on and turned the gas back on. Still nothing. What the hell...must have been blocked again. I popped the liquid line off and sweet malty elixer erupted with geyser-like fury out the hole I left open on the out post, covering the cieling, and raining down beer onto absolutely everything in the kitchen. I have taken a shower with Ed's Haus Pale, and I must say, I smelled hoppy-fresh by the end of it.

So, now with my kitchen cleaned up, and my keg of Haus Pale ale half-empty, what should I have done? Is it a general no-no to not dry-hop with hop pellets in the keg unless they're in a bag or steeping ball?


:mug:
 
So, now with my kitchen cleaned up, and my keg of Haus Pale ale half-empty, what should I have done? Is it a general no-no to not dry-hop with hop pellets in the keg unless they're in a bag or steeping ball?


:mug:

I think that's about the size of it. Leaf hops are even worse for that.
 
by the way, when you took oiut the popet, you no longer had anything to push in the vavle in the QD. This is why removing it did not work.
 
My Haus Ale is not dry hopped. :D Karma got you.

But you are right, I only dry hop with an herb ball.
 
Stupid poppet...what is it in there for anyway?

Ha! I think you learned the hard way what it's in there for. Sorry about the mess, but I'm sure you've learned a lot from the experience. I'm sure a lot of us have learned some things the hard way.
 
Bag them or use a Surescreen. Poppets are very sensitive to small particles and once the rubber gasket is damaged, you have to replace them.
 
Did you at least catch some in your mouth, while it was spraying all over? Was it good?

I've had at least 3 of these various "Oh ****" momenths where I just feel dumb, oh so freaking dumb. Way to handle it like a champ though, sorry for your lost beer. Just means you gotta brew again, right?! :)
 
Did you at least catch some in your mouth, while it was spraying all over? Was it good?

No, but I think I got some up my nose. I've been smelling cascades *everywhere* for the last couple days.

And for pics...yeah, you're right. But I didn't have the desire to go find/unpack my digicam while beer soaked into the floor.
 
Ok, I just went back and reread the OP after thinking about this for a while. If it is shooting out of the post when you depress the poppet, obviously the obstruction is not in the keg! It has to be between the ball lock connector and your faucet, doesn't it?
 
It has to be between the ball lock connector and your faucet, doesn't it?

Um. Good point. Huh.

I guess.... the sheer pressure / depressurization could've forced the pellet through as soon as he removed the liquid out line? (Line still maintains some back-pressure, open-poppet post has less resistance??)

Otherwise... Assuming it's *not* a blockage..... are you sure your liquid-side QD has a pin with which to depress the poppet??

I vote try empty keg (or keg of water)... hook up gas... and try to dispense through liquid. If empty, you should feel CO2 exit. If water, then water exits.
 
Ok, I just went back and reread the OP after thinking about this for a while. If it is shooting out of the post when you depress the poppet, obviously the obstruction is not in the keg! It has to be between the ball lock connector and your faucet, doesn't it?

What happened was that there was enough hop matter stuck up in the post that after I depressed it oh-so-slightly, the little bit of beer that was up in there escaped and sprayed me. It was a very short-lived spurt. At that point, more hops flowed up the dip tube and clogged up against the poppet.

When I removed the poppet and put gas in (as dumb as that was) it forced all the hops up, out, and through the empty hole in the top of the post. I couldn't get any flow out of the liquid line when I hooked it up to the poppet-less post because nothing was depressing the pin in the QD (as mentioned).

chriso - The lines work fine, and have dispensed 1/2 keg of ESB, so no worries there. I'll just chock this one off to druckin ignorance and lack of foresight.
 
I couldn't get any flow out of the liquid line when I hooked it up to the poppet-less post because nothing was depressing the pin in the QD (as mentioned).

THERE IT IS. I was halfway there. I just spaced out that part.
 
I've noticed that dry hopping in the secondary has the desired effect when bottling, however does not impart the same amount of joy to kegged beer.

Will someone cure me of my ignorance as to why, and impart upon me some knowledge as to what I can do to get the desired effect?
 
I've noticed that dry hopping in the secondary has the desired effect when bottling, however does not impart the same amount of joy to kegged beer.

Will someone cure me of my ignorance as to why, and impart upon me some knowledge as to what I can do to get the desired effect?

Thus-far, I have also noticed this effect. Enlightenment, please!
 
HA! Take that n00b!

pwned-thumb.jpg
 
Back
Top