Cutting the Dip tube

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MgMt_Home_Brew

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Hey guys I have been reading up on kegging since I will be kegging my next batch(an ESB). It seems like a good idea to cut about 3/4 of an inch off of the bottom of the tube to avoid sucking up sediment. So my questions are:

-Should I really cut 3/4" off my dip tube?

-Once I cut the dip tube do I need to do anything to the fresh metal at the end of the tube?

Thanks guys
 
There are mixed opinions on it but I don't think anyone would suggest cutting off that much. A lot of it depends on how patient you are with the fermenters. If you're the type that brews occassionaly and can leave a beer in either primary or a mix of primary/secondary for a good 4-6 weeks before kegging, you won't have much sediment in the keg at all (especially if the tail end of carboy aging is done cold).

I took about 1/4" off of most of my diptubes because they originally touched the bottom. Several people advocate bending the tube for the same purpose but I wouldn't be able to slip the tube into the keg with a bend in it. Pinlock kegs seem to have tighter clearance.
 
The way I understand it, is that people cut the bottom off their keg;s pickup tube if they are keg conditioning the product. If you are going to force carb, then you'll be fine.

Even if you keg condition, I'd suspect that if you leave your tube long you'd be ok as long as you know that you'll likely pour out your first couple glasses of product.

I haven't done this yet, just have the kegs but no CO2 system yet. Someone else have more to say on this?
 
I didn't cut mine at all and I have never had sediment. I use a sanitized nylon hopping bag tied around my racking crane when I rack. I use it both when I rack out of the primary and when I rack out of the secondary. It is easy and it relives any concern over sediment.
 
The way I understand it, is that people cut the bottom off their keg;s pickup tube if they are keg conditioning the product. If you are going to force carb, then you'll be fine.

Even if you keg condition, I'd suspect that if you leave your tube long you'd be ok as long as you know that you'll likely pour out your first couple glasses of product.

I haven't done this yet, just have the kegs but no CO2 system yet. Someone else have more to say on this?

BTW... I always force carb so I never have conditioning sediment to worry about
 
Alright so my goal is to try to be patient enough to left most sedement settle out so I will have as little in the keg as possible. I might try the nylon bag on my auto siphon next time around as well.

If you do cut it do you need to do anything about rust on the end that you cut?
 
If you do cut it do you need to do anything about rust on the end that you cut?

No.

My beers are rarely in the fermenter for more than 3-4 wks in the summer as I have no AC or fermentation chamber, and I have little to no problem with sediment. I'd say try it a few times before you modify.
 
I cut mine, FWIW.
My first couple kegs had a good bit of sediment left.
So it doesn't all go in the first pint.
This way the sediment is all in the *last* pint.
 
I force carb. I don't cut my tubes. As long as you're not rushing the beer from primary to keg, you shouldn't have that much sediment...it'll blow out in teh first few ounces, and then you're golden.

if you shorten the tube, you leave more sediment in the keg. if you have any reason to move the keg, you'll likely have cloudy beer again for days until it can settle again.

IMO its the wrong solution to a simple concern.
 
Alright so my goal is to try to be patient enough to left most sedement settle out so I will have as little in the keg as possible. I might try the nylon bag on my auto siphon next time around as well.

If you do cut it do you need to do anything about rust on the end that you cut?

They are stainless steel you wont get rust
 
That's interesting, but I think it also depends on the type of stainless you're working with. I have seen rust form on stainless from contact with regular steel, but if it's scrubbed clean it should not. I would use a pipe cutter tool if you're going to shorten the tube, and then clean up the cut with a deburring tool.
I have normal length tubes on my corny kegs and if there's sediment, it comes out in the first pint anyway, which is usually a foamy mess regardless.
-Ben
 
I haven't bothered to cut any of my diptubes. I try to keep as much trub out of my kegs as possible and the little bit that do settle is blown out on the first couple of pints.
 
I've been fermenting 2 weeks primary, 3 weeks secondary, then into the keg for cool/force carb. I have not cut my dip tubes and have had no problems with trub coming up, first through last pint are clean. I also recommend leaving the dip tubes alone and trying them out to see if they work for you "as-is".
 
I just brewed day before yesterday and my beer is fermenting away in my conical right now. I plan to secondary in cornies. This will be my first time to try that. I expect to have quite a bit of stuff settle out in secondary based on what happens in my carboys, so I will probably rack to another corny after a few weeks before I force carb.
 
i do 1 week in the primary fermenter and then i rack it over to a keg where it sits and does the rest of the fermentation in the keg its self. i will pitch out the first 2 glasses of beer or so but the rest is grea and i have never had a problem with the dip tube stopping up. by the way a air lock with a small piece of hose will fit directly into the pressure relese valve if you unscrew it and take it out.
 
Thanks guys I will just leave it alone and try it out. My ESB has been in the primary for three weeks and the past 3 or 4 days it has been in my kegerator in hopes to clear it and get it ready to force carb. Im gona try to get as little sedament as possible when I rack it to my keg.

I can't wait to have homebrew on TAP!!!!
 
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