Dryhopped in keg, keg blocked

[Sadu]

Normally I dryhop in the keg using a mesh bag. This seems to work well.

Except I had 2 batches needing dryhopping and only one mesh bag. So one batch got the bag treatment and the other got the hops loose in the keg (4oz of pellets in 4 gallons).

Now that keg won't pour at all - presumably the dip tube is all blocked up with hop debris.

Anyone got a brilliant idea on how to get this keg pouring again?

I have floating dip tubes, so if I have to remove the lid and swap the dip tube with a floating one then that is my plan B. I'd prefer not to remove the lid though, it's an IPA and I've been very careful about oxygen uptake until this point. But it's not much good to me if it doesn't pour.

 

[Rodent]

any chance you have a second keg handy?

if so, you could do a pressure transfer after removing the out tube poppit, thru a sanitized and CO2 purged screen filter, and into a CO2 purged keg.

 

[Schwabizzle]

I've had this happen before. I hooked up the gas to the beer post and gave it a quick blast to blow out the material. I must have lucked out because it didn't get clogged again. It is a little bit of a beast getting the gas back off of the beer post, but it was much easier than transferring the beer to another keg.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I've had this happen before. I hooked up the gas to the beer post and gave it a quick blast to blow out the material. I must have lucked out because it didn't get clogged again. It is a little bit of a beast getting the gas back off of the beer post, but it was much easier than transferring the beer to another keg.

You should have switched out the grey (gas) for a black (beer) and pushed a little gas in the BEER OUT post to unclog it.

 

[Rodent]

You should have switched out the grey (gas) for a black (beer) and pushed a little gas in the BEER OUT post to unclog it.

definitely a great solution when there's a small bit of hop material in the keg!

the OP noted they dryhopped in the keg without a bag - that's potentially a LOT of hops to clean out, hence my recommendation of removing the poppit and transferring to another keg.

come to think of it, if you have a second keg and an in-line filter available it would be even better to

- bleed off the pressure
- remove the out ball lock fitting
- install an adapter on the out port (like this, noting the proper keg thread size - https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/flarem14x1932.htm)
- connect the in-line filter (like this one, with the added stainless filter - https://www.austinhomebrew.com/Inli...MI2NbkiuKT3AIVkLfsCh2WUQ_PEAQYASABEgJudfD_BwE)
- sanitize, CO2 purge, and transfer away

you're also going to need to go slow on the transfer so that you don't plug up the dip tube's inlet.

 

[Sadu]

The only reason I did this was I remember reading that people dryhop "commando" in the keg all the time. Maybe I misunderstood that, but it definitely didn't work for me. I'll try blasting some pressure through the liquid port and see if that unclogs things.
I don't have a filter of any kind, but I do have a spare keg with floating dip tube. Those shouldn't have a problem with hop crud if the hops fall to the bottom.

 

[Schwabizzle]

You should have switched out the grey (gas) for a black (beer) and pushed a little gas in the BEER OUT post to unclog it.

That's a much easier way to do it,which is probably why I didn't think about doing it that way

 

[homebrewer_99]

definitely a great solution when there's a small bit of hop material in the keg!

the OP noted they dryhopped in the keg without a bag - that's potentially a LOT of hops to clean out, hence my recommendation of removing the poppit and transferring to another keg

There's definitely a million ways to skin a cat...

 

[GPP33]

New dip tubes are pretty cheap, pull your dip tube and cut an inch or so off of the bottom. Minimal O2 exposure and you'll leave the hops in the bottom of the keg. Only draw back is you'll also leave a little beer behind.

 

[homebrewer_99]

New dip tubes are pretty cheap, pull your dip tube and cut an inch or so off of the bottom. Minimal O2 exposure and you'll leave the hops in the bottom of the keg. Only draw back is you'll also leave a little beer behind.

There's no need to trim. All you have to do is stick the dip tube in the post hole and bend it a bit more at 2-3 places along the bend. Just don't over muscle the bend. It'll bring the inlet off the bottom by 1/2-1".

Just make sure you can still remove or insert it without any restrictions.

FWIW, ALL of mine are bent.

 

[Sadu]

New dip tubes are pretty cheap, pull your dip tube and cut an inch or so off of the bottom. Minimal O2 exposure and you'll leave the hops in the bottom of the keg. Only draw back is you'll also leave a little beer behind.

Update.
I took your advice and bent a spare dip tube I had sitting around (didn't have access to a saw or grinder plus bending seems less permanent anyway). Removed the old dip tupe, slid the new one in, which was a bit tight due to the bend but it went in ok. Re-pressurised the keg and left it alone overnight in the fridge for the hops to settle out again.

Keg is pouring again. Great success!

Thanks for your advice, I wouldn't have thought of this myself and it saved having to remove the lid. I feel there was minimal oxygen exposure this way.

 

[GPP33]

Update.
I took your advice and bent a spare dip tube I had sitting around (didn't have access to a saw or grinder plus bending seems less permanent anyway). Removed the old dip tupe, slid the new one in, which was a bit tight due to the bend but it went in ok. Re-pressurised the keg and left it alone overnight in the fridge for the hops to settle out again.

Keg is pouring again. Great success!

Thanks for your advice, I wouldn't have thought of this myself and it saved having to remove the lid. I feel there was minimal oxygen exposure this way.

Glad it worked!

 

[homebrewer_99]

You're welcome...