First keg-dip tube keeps clogging

[goody0]

Dip tube in the keg keeps clogging. I get about an inch of beer then it clogs. I dry hopped but did it in a better bottle... although this beer did have lots of hop additions. I thought it was clear enough but I guess not, I'm also new to kegging.

Where do I go from here?

Thanks

 

[GroosBrewz]

Dip tube in the keg keeps clogging. I get about an inch of beer then it clogs. I dry hopped but did it in a better bottle... although this beer did have lots of hop additions. I thought it was clear enough but I guess not, I'm also new to kegging.

Where do I go from here?

Thanks

I have brewed and kegged dozens of batches and never had a clogged dip tube.. I am guessing you must have transferred a lot of hob trub into the keg.. I've heard of guys using stainless steel scrubby things to prevent this in the boil kettle. Should work in a keg as long as it's sterile I would think...

 

[goody0]

What would I do with the scrubby? Also, do you think I should rack into a fermenter to clear up then back to the keg. Not sure how I should deal with my current problem.

 

[ThatGuyRyan]

Do you have a second keg? I really don’t know how you got a clogged dip tube unless you had a crap load of hops still floating around. I have emptied kegs that had a good 1/2" trub on the bottom that still poured all 5 gallons with no issue. But anyway I would cold crash it for a few days in the current keg to drop out the sediment and transfer to another keg using a siphon and not forcing it back through the dip tube under pressure. If you don’t have a 2nd keg just rack it back to a sanitized BB or fermenter after you crash it and then back to the cleaned keg and hopefully the sediment will have dropped out. Please take a pic of whats in the bottom of the keg when you rack it!

 

[goody0]

I have a second keg but it has a bad lid. I'm actually on kegconnection.com looking for a replacement. I also read that someone cleared the tube and then put a sanitized paint strainer on the bottom of the tube with a zip tie to keep it from clogging again. Any thoughts?

 

[buzzkill]

rack it over to the bad keg. put lid on, let it set for a week, then rack it over to cleaned good keg.

 

[GroosBrewz]

I have a second keg but it has a bad lid. I'm actually on kegconnection.com looking for a replacement. I also read that someone cleared the tube and then put a sanitized paint strainer on the bottom of the tube with a zip tie to keep it from clogging again. Any thoughts?

That would work... If you have to use it, then use it. Lesson learned for future batches..

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

The lids are likely interchangeable.

 

[ThatGuyRyan]

I have a second keg but it has a bad lid. I'm actually on kegconnection.com looking for a replacement. I also read that someone cleared the tube and then put a sanitized paint strainer on the bottom of the tube with a zip tie to keep it from clogging again. Any thoughts?

To be honest there is no reason at all to ever need any filter in your keg. If you allow you beer the proper time to finish and rack it properly to the keg you should not have that much sediment. I have kegged at least 400+ gallons since I started brewing and I also use the plastic dip tube inserts to control the flow and I have never clogged a keg. The paint strainer may work but it’s obviously more work plus it increases you chance at infection.

So my best advice would still be to cold crash it then rack to the 2nd clean keg, as long as the lids are both the same shape as others stated they are interchangeable. And on your next beer try letting it sit longer before kegging, cold crash it and let a good inch or so of beer at the bottom of your bucket when you rack it so you don’t rack too much of the trub. After a few times would will get the racking down to where you can get all the beer out to the last drop without disturbing the trub but it does take a steady hand and a good eye.

Before you racked that beer to the keg did you move the fermenter just before racking? If so try to move it to the location you need to a few hours or even the day earlier and let it sit for a while before you rack. That will help anything that got stirred up during the move to settle back down.

 

[goody0]

What probably happened was I didn't let the Better Bottle sit long enough on the counter before racking. This beer had 8oz of hops so there was a lot of sediment. I should have let it sit, like ThatGuyRyan said, a couple hours or longer.