Trimming diptubes?

Has anyone trimmed their diptube like 1/2in to keep it slightly higher off the bottom? How'd it work out if you did? Did it help keep some of the sediment in the keg?

I've never bothered and after the first couple of ounces it works out fine.

I know it's been done, but like Ed posted, I don't do it to mine and after the first glass once it's carbed up it's fine.

Hmmm, I must be drinking my beers too green and/or racking them too dirty. How long do you guys wait before pulling the first pint?

I have 8 kegs and 2 have the short diptubes. So far I have an American Brown and a Rochefort 8 clone in those 2 so I can't really see a big difference in clarity because they are so dark. I had the same problems as you, so I decided to cut some of them.

I plan on cutting 2 more and using them as bright tanks while conditioning, then transferring the beer to a serving keg and then putting it in my inside kegerator for serving. Keep a few uncut for wits and other wheat beers....

Cut one and see if it makes a difference, you don't lose a whole lot of beer cutting just 1/2 inch.

I also found that cold conditioning for 4-6 weeks greatly helps round out the flavors of the beer.

It is really easy when kegging to rush the batch into keg. I do it all the time and you're right, you'll get a sediment layer on the bottom. However, I'd rather blow it out on the first two pints (if you let it settle), than to leave a huge layer for the life of the keg. Yes, trimming the tube will cause the first pints to be clear but one jolt to the keg, like moving it to a BBQ will stir up the sediment and you'll have hazy beer for a while.

Best bet? Secondary longer and cold crash it for 2 days prior to racking to keg. Yes.. if you plan to use the keg as a secondary, cutting an inch off would be a good idea but you can never really know how thick the trub layer will be and without a racking tip, you'll catch sediment anyway.

Good points. I'll take a look at the 2 kegs when these batches are done and see how much sediment is left vs. previous batches with uncut diptubes.

When taking a keg to a BBQ or a party I always transfer to a serving keg so I leave the sediment behind. A little extra work but not too bad.

Using kegs with cut tubes as bright tanks and then transferring to a serving keg is basically the same as using a secondary. Kegs are easier to purge with C02 and transferring is easier for me then use a secondary glass carboy.

(I always primary for 2-3 weeks so I don't usually have a ton of sediment anyway)

Another way to do it is to simply blow some of the first beer out into a bucket until it starts running clear just in case your shortened dip tube was under trub. You'd have to attach a picnic tap setup first, run it until clear, then swap over to your beer to beer jumper. I guess you could do this with an uncut tube every once in a while in secondary just to incrementally clean out the trub layer sort of like a conical only you can't get it all because it's spread out over the entire bottom.

Soulive21 said:

Hmmm, I must be drinking my beers too green and/or racking them too dirty. How long do you guys wait before pulling the first pint?

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My process is 10 days ferment, then crash cool to 39 degrees for a couple of days to two weeks (when ever I get around to cleaning a keg or two) and then the keg sits on gas for another two weeks at least. Most beers are 8 weeks old before they move to the kegerator inside the house.

See Ed's got it right. He brews often enough to keep up with consumption. I wish I had that kind of discipline.

I guess maybe I've been lucky but none of mine has had any crap floating in it. A few weeks in the secondary and careful racking seems to take care of it.

I just bend mine to give an extra inch clearance cause I usually naturally carb.

Soulive21 said:

Hmmm, I must be drinking my beers too green and/or racking them too dirty. How long do you guys wait before pulling the first pint?

Click to expand...

after primary, I secondary 2 weeks, then keg. normal dip tubes and usually only the first ounce or two has any sediment, then its clean til the last drop, even if I transport the keg.

never underestimate a good secondary clearing (I do irish moss during the boil as well)

My beer sits in the keg in the fridge for a week while carbing up, so the ye4ast and sediment settles out in that time. I also take several samples during the week to see how the carbonation is coming along, so there's not much sediment at all once I pour a real glass.

Thanks everyone. It sounds like I'm kegging too early. I will try giving my next batch a 10 day secondary. It sounds like thats what I need. Cheers...