Why am I still getting milky first pulls???

[agentEhrman]

I kegged my scottish ale about 3 weeks ago and there seems to be a never ending amount of sediment drawing up through the spout. I've pulled a dozen or so full beers off over the past 10 days approximately, and they all come out exactly the same. The first ounce or so comes out very clear, followed by a burst of milky looking sediment that completely ruins the beer.
After this I can pour a beer that is less clouded, but still not as clear as that first ounce of the day. Last night, I let about a quarter of this beer sit out all night and there was a bunch of sediment in the bottom today, which confirms my suspicion that even the second pour isn't normal and the beer isn't just really cloudy.

I used 2 row for a base, added about 1.5# of crystal malts, and a # of vienna as well. I added irish moss at the end like normal, and I used a packet of rehydrated safbrew 33 to ferment. I pitched at 65 degrees into OG 1.067. The only variable I can't find in my notes is what the FG was when I kegged. I think that I may have kegged without taking the reading. The beer fermented for 14 days right at about 65 degrees, and went straight to the keg and in the fridge.

Was the beer just not finished possibly? Then only other thing out of the norm is that my CO2 tank ran out for a day or two during the first week in the fridge before I noticed it and got it refilled. But I doubt that is my culprit.

Any thoughts or ideas as to my problem is appreciated. If getting lazy and not taking a FG reading is it, I am a bit surprised since all my beers have always been finished in two weeks...

 

[Bobby_M]

If the beer isn't crystal clear going into the keg, that's just how it is. Let it go an extra week in primary, then try to get it really cold for a few days before you rack to keg.

 

[malkore]

It may have been finished, but it certainly wasn't given nearly enough time to clear out. So you've essentially crash cooled the keg and dropped out the sediment (or are still dropping out).

Eventually it will pour clear of sediment. I don't recall off top of my head how flocculent s-33 is.

 

[david_42]

The first bit is clear, because the yeast in the line has settled on the walls of the line. I agree with the other posters about giving the beer more time to settle before kegged.

At this point, it wouldn't hurt to clean the line.

 

[ZamaMan]

Agree with above statements. Remember that yeast settle faster in wide areas than taller. So it probably all falls out real fast in hose.

 

[agentEhrman]

All good advise here, thanks. I'm going to try to start cold crashing my primary at around 3 weeks. I think I did rush this one a bit compared to my other beers, I average about 3 weeks in primary before kegging and I have never had this problem before. Longer primary combined with a cold crash should allow it to clear more I'm hoping.

Thanks!

 

[Yooper]

All good advise here, thanks. I'm going to try to start cold crashing my primary at around 3 weeks. I think I did rush this one a bit compared to my other beers, I average about 3 weeks in primary before kegging and I have never had this problem before. Longer primary combined with a cold crash should allow it to clear more I'm hoping.

Thanks!

Are you by chance bumping or moving the keg? That would also resuspend any sediment that may have settled out. I've found that not moving a keg until it's completely empty means crystal clear beer after the first two days in the kegerator. But if it gets bumped when I try to mess with a regulator, it takes a day or two for it to settle again- giving me sediment in the beer when I pour a pint.

 

[agentEhrman]

Are you by chance bumping or moving the keg? That would also resuspend any sediment that may have settled out. I've found that not moving a keg until it's completely empty means crystal clear beer after the first two days in the kegerator. But if it gets bumped when I try to mess with a regulator, it takes a day or two for it to settle again- giving me sediment in the beer when I pour a pint.

I did have to change my air tank in the middle of carbing, but that has been a good 10 days now. It just seems to be never ending, and even after the third pull its way cloudier than I would think that it should be. I wish I would have taken a gravity reading, but I rushed this one. I had room in the fridge and figured the beer was ready.. It is a slightly larger beer than my average at 1.067, I should have given it more time I'm guessing after some of these responses. It's weird, and I had such high hopes for this scottish ale!

I'm about ready to swear off all yeasts except S-05, seems to always please me! Although I just received my temp controller in the mail today for an old chest freezer I have, I may not get too adventurous with yeast for a while. The last three batches where I didn't use 05 were all disappointing.

 

[agentEhrman]

Thought I would swing back here and let you all know that I ended up transferring this beer to another keg. I found there to be a thick lining of sediment on the bottom of the old keg after the transfer. The beer is now pouring clear, but I'm still not happy with the hint of fruit from the yeast.

 

[pjj2ba]

I have found that it helps to have the first couple of pints of beer pulled at slower speed. The faster the beer flows, the more yeast it will suck into the pickup tube. I'll let my kegs sit for a day after I move them to the fridge. Then I unhook the CO2 and vent them a smidge and pull a pint (or 2) and then re-hook up the CO2. After a couple days of this the yeast at the bottom has stabilized and I can pour at will.