Why the need for a dispensing keg?

Say you ferment your beer in a 5 gal SS corny keg. When fermentation is complete, you would then normally rack off the yeast/trub into a second dispensing keg, put it in the fridge, force carbonate it and enjoy.

What would happen if, when fermatation is complete, the fermentation keg is sealed and then used as the dispensing keg? The first pint or so to be discarded as it would be mostly yeast/trub.

Yeast autolysis would be neglible inside the 4 week time frame and trub degradation may not be a factor.

Now, aside from the fact that this may be considered sloppy brewing, can anyone give me technical reasons before I ruin 5 gal of good beer? Cloudy beer is fine with me so long as it tastes good.

Cheers!!

I've heard of many people doing this.

I guess it depends on the beer you're doing and whether you care about clarity. You obviously don't, so I say more power to ya.

I don't secondary when I bottle and I suspect I will go from primary to serving in the same keg as well. As long as you don't disturb the keg, you shouldn't kick up much trub.

JetSmooth,
Thanks for letting me know it has been done before!
I'll give it go and see what happens.
Cheers!!

Octavius said:

What would happen if, when fermatation is complete, the fermentation keg is sealed and then used as the dispensing keg? The first pint or so to be discarded as it would be mostly yeast/trub.

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I'm betting it will be a lot more than the first pint or two that is trub, but you could always cut the dip-tube a couple inches shorter and avoid the cake.

my vote is with cutting the dip tube to avoid the cake all together like Walker mentioned I have never done this but I can also imagine that the clean up might be a PITA

Why wait?

Jam a bung and a breather into the carboy and lay it over on it's side.

Real Ale anyone?

OK, good point about the dip tube.

Clean up is already a PITA when using a keg for the primary fermentation but I wash it out best I can and then leave it with a solution of OxyClean inside for a week or so.

I hear you on the Real Ale - it is sort of like bread - white bread is bad for you but you really do not want to go back to the days when it was unrefined brown bread. Have to strike a balance.

Cheers!

Personally I don't like cutting the dip tube, because I don't want to have to care which keg I grab. "Fermenting today... Damnit, I'm serving from my cut dip tube keg!"

I've never thought the process of hooking an "Out to out" transfer hose too much trouble to avoid getting trub into my serving kegs.

That said, There's absolutely no reason to transfer to a serving keg, if you don't mind the sludge!

SweetSounds,

Yeah, you are right. Hate to say it.

Just trying to cut down on the cleaning, and such.

Cheers!

Why not just buy some cheap whiskey if you don't care about the quality. That'll get ya drunk real quick.

That's what I'm on about.

Why would the quality go down if I don't rack into a second keg?

Thanks for the idea about the whiskey - I'll check out the local ABC store.

Cheers!

There is a reason people brewers/vintners have been racking off the sediment for hundreds of years: because it makes a better final product. You are going to suck up and disturb the sediment every time you pull a pint. My guess is that you'll waste about a gallon and it will never be clear. If you cut the dip tube, you'll also waste a gallon (and a good dip tube). I'm not sure why you would go to all the trouble of brewing and then cut out an important 30 minute step right at the end. I'm curious now though, give it a shot and let us know.

I hear you but one thing I have noticed in the brewing business is that the old way of doing things may not be the best - take for example hop additions. For centuries they put the hops in at the start of the boil. Now folks are trying out First Wort Hopping and also some folks recommend waiting 30 minutes into the boil before adding any hops.

I think you are right about disturbing the sediment every time you pull a pint. I don't mind cloudy beer but I draw the line at chunks! Ha!

Cheers!

Octavius said:

I hear you but one thing I have noticed in the brewing business is that the old way of doing things may not be the best - take for example hop additions. For centuries they put the hops in at the start of the boil. Now folks are trying out First Wort Hopping and also some folks recommend waiting 30 minutes into the boil before adding any hops.

I think you are right about disturbing the sediment every time you pull a pint. I don't mind cloudy beer but I draw the line at chunks! Ha!

Cheers!

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Yeah I agree about the hopping. Adding extra hops at the 30 minute mark to hit the same IBU is awesome, super smooth bitterness.