Bottom of keg beer was black

[Bsfmaximus]

My first all grain brew and first keg brew I went all grain. I also went double IPA smash. That being said, my friends and I were all happily surprised. I just got to the end of the corny keg tonight (three weeks after kegging) and the beer went from Amber colored to milkshake black in the last 10 oz. could someone shine some light on my situation? infection that hadn't spread?

 

[Bsfmaximus]

Update - I am still alive today.

 

[TX_Brewing]

Sediment from the bottom of the keg, as the beer level gets low it sweeps it from the curved sections to the dip tube.

 

[glick]

Black, or dark yeasty brown? I can't imagine what would make it black, but yeast will settle out over 3 weeks in the keg.

 

[Bsfmaximus]

Here it is right after my pour. I should have taken more photos but I am leaning toward black, not dark brown. It looks lighter here because the co2 hasn't settled out yet.
Related or not - I noticed the interior of my keg has a tiny rust spot... is that problematic or could be the culprit?

 

[Bsfmaximus]

Don't mind my christmas cup. Keeping it classy.

 

[m00ps]

thats not black. That is dead yeast. Its not gonna harm you and you dont have to bleach the keg or anything, but I wouldnt drink that unless you want some serious digestive system plumbing issues

When you said black, I though maybe some awful sort of mold and was ready to recommend tossing the keg. Next time, just try to get less yeast sediment or handle your yeast a bit better. Its fine

 

[Bsfmaximus]

I am new to this hobby so please bear with me. My understanding was that yeast would settle out and come out at the beginning of my keg. I was told to pour off a cup or so before drinking to purge the yeast. It made sense since the tap is pulling from the bottom of the keg. My worry then came thinking whatever this dark stuff was came from the top of the beer.
But from what you are saying, it is normal for yeast to come out at the end of the keg? How is that if the keg is pulling liquid from the bottom? What do you mean by handling yeast better?

 

[m00ps]

The first pint or so from the keg will always be all yeasty. Usually it isnt that brown/dead though. I almost always get a sputter of yeast as the keg finally kicks. I'm not too sure what causes it since i cant see the diptube picking everything up. Im guessing there is always some yeast at the very bottom that the diptube cant reach when the keg is still somehwat full. Once it completely empties, some gust of CO2 at the bottom causes a disturbance and kicks up the yeast which had previously just been settled there. Unless you filter your beer or something, its just almost always gonna happen

I only recommended handling it better since that yeast that come out at the end was definitely not in good shape. Not that it matters really in the keg from serving, but I remember when I started I was pretty lax about pitching enough yeast and proper fermentation temp regulation. Bottom line, you keep the yeast happy, you're beer will be better, and you'll be happy

 

[Bsfmaximus]

Got it! That makes sense and is much appreciated.

Just to bounce my yeast story off of you for any welcome input.... For my five gallon brew that started at 1.08, I used two wyeast 1056 pouches (I pitched two because didn't use a starter). I fermented pretty regularly around 65 degrees, but I'm sure that temperature went both ways a few degrees. Can you tell me the error of my ways or point me in the right direction for next brew?

 

[TorMag]

I'm relatively new to this "hobby" myself. Doing all grain too (BIAB). I've moved to a FastFerment Conical and most of that junk is now gone. For me the Conical was well worth the $100

 

[agrazela]

Whatever it is, it must be pretty densely packed to stay in the bottom of the cup when you tilt it sideways like that.

 

[Bsfmaximus]

Whatever it is, it must be pretty densely packed to stay in the bottom of the cup when you tilt it sideways like that.

Ha!!

 

[william_shakes_beer]

I have both bottled and kegged. Never gotten that kind of color change at the bottom my keg. Here's what I do to keep my beer clear:

1. Drop the wort from the brew kettle to the fermenter through a stainless steel sieve. This removes the hops trub.
2. ferment 4 weeks
3. Transfer the beer from the fermenter to the keg through an autosiphon. Bottom placed directly on the bottom of the fermenter AND NEVER MOVED DURING TRANSFER. The autosiphon tends to "vacuum" a bit of sediment off the bottom of the fermenter. If you move it around you transfer more sediment. If you leave it in one spot that spot clears out and the transfer is clear from there forward.
4. Store keg, sealed and under serving pressure, until carbing outlet is available
5. Carb at serving pressure 4 weeks, or until a serving tap is available.

Can you describe your brewing process in similar detail?

If you're force carbing, the beer should not see a significant fermentation in the keg, since most all the fermentables should have been consumed during fermentation.

 

[Bsfmaximus]

I'm forever anticipating a "you did what?!?" response... if you have that reaction, please let me have it. How else am I going to get better! Keep in mind I intended to go big in my maiden brew and attempted a DIPA smash using 17 pounds of american two row. Here it goes...

After mashing and boiling...
I transferred my boiled wort into my primary fermenter through a bazooka screen attached to the valve on my brew kettle.
I fermented for three weeks, transferred to secondary fermenter through racking cane and added 2oz of hop pellets
Fermented for another two weeks, put beer in the fridge for a day
Transferred my beer to the keg with the racking cane, put under 30 PSI for three days
Purged my initial cup of beer/sediment, dropped to 10 PSI and served thereafter

 

[Limbrizik]

You should be pitching a lot more yeast in a 1.080 beer. Try this calculator out for your next brew.

http://www.brewersfriend.com/yeast-pitch-rate-and-starter-calculator/

 

[Limbrizik]

If I am brewing anything over 1.040 I would use two packs of wyeast. Over 1.055 or so you should really be making a starter or just using dry yeast.

 

[Bsfmaximus]

If I am brewing anything over 1.040 I would use two packs of wyeast. Over 1.055 or so you should really be making a starter or just using dry yeast.

I used two packs of wyeast 1056. Activated for a few hours before pitching. Are you suggesting using dry yeast without a starter is an option? I don't have a stir plate yet. I was thinking of using US-05 next time I made this.

 

[Limbrizik]

Yes absolutely. You get a much higher cell count with dry yeast. If you don't have the means of making a starter that is the route I would use. I typically use Nottingham and rehydrate before pitching.

 

[m00ps]

dry yeast are suspended in some sort of state in the yeasts life cycle where they do not need oxygenation to jumpstart fermentation. YOu can just sprinkle the packed onto the surface of the (cooled) wort, but rehydrating is usually reccomended

 

[Bsfmaximus]

Do you rehydrate with water or wort? Or water then add wort before pitching?

 

[Limbrizik]

100mL of 88-92 degree water for 15 min then stir and pour straight into wort

 

[antony]

I had made quite a few starters before I built my stirplate. Usually just in a gallon glass wine jug that I would agitate everytime I walked by. Granted, it won't produce as much new yeast as the plate would, but it'll definitely help.

http://www.yeastcalculator.com/

Looks like a 2.5L starter would get you close, though I'd be more inclined to plan for a 2 step starter. Starters really improve the quality of your beer....next to temperature control it was the single best improvement I made to the process at the the start of the obsession.