oldsccorpio227
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In one of the videos I saw guy cutting dip tube so he won't get everything on the bottom of the keg. Would you suggest that or just leave it as is?
Dip tube length
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I have been reluctant to cut my dip tubes. What I have done is change a few over to floating dip tubes. The clearest beer is always at the top, so why not drink it from the top down?
oldsccorpio227
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what type did you use? I check amazon but they have multiple ones
I got mine from William’s Brewing. Ball and Keg are a little cheaper, but the float is plastic rather than stainless, and it does not come with the short, replacement tube which requires cutting off your dip tube. I wanted to avoid cutting my dip tube in case I had reason to put it back.
oldsccorpio227
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I see some of them have filter mesh. does it help?
I highly recommend spending a little more and getting the original Clear Beer Draught system. I have them in 8 of my 14 kegs and the work very well.
None of the issues mentioned in other threads with the numerous copycats.
Another option is to shorten your dip tube by about 1/2” and add a SS mesh screen to filter out trub at the bottom.
I have not used one with the filter. Once the keg chills, most stuff is going to settle towards the bottom; you will be drawing off the top. I was concerned that the screen might clog. I would rather anything come on through rather than end up with a clogged filter. My beer is much clearer than when I was drawing off the bottom. Since there’s little up top to clog the screen, it probably is not a problem. It may help in that it adds weight to the end of the tube to keep it under the float. I intend to solve that issue by adding a stainless nut to the end of the tube.
Are you fermenting in a keg? What are you trying to achieve by cutting the dip tube?
As he said, it was so he didn’t draw all the crud off the bottom. These kegs were originally used to dispense soda syrup, which was probably filtered before put in the keg, so they wanted to get it down to the very last bit. Shortening the tube a bit lets you draw a little above the trub. Personally, I like the floating dip tube better because you are always drawing the cleanest beer off the top.
oldsccorpio227
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It looks interesting. Are you using it with screen or without?
I keg my beer and don't get crud on the bottom. He should be leaving the trub in the fermenter and not transferring it to the keg. Could be worth looking at how he's racking his beer. If he ferments in the keg then we know the source.
Same here; almost nothing in the bottom of the keg when I am done but sadness. However, using the floating dip and drawing off the top gets me a much clearer beer.
oldsccorpio227
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I am fermenting and conditioning in second carboy, but I always had a sedimentation on the bottom of my bottles. This is first time I will be using kegs.
Broken Crow
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Bottle carbing with some sugar or other, will always produce a small amount of trub in the bottle. Putting clean finished beer into a keg to force carb will not produce any appreciable amount of trub. Once or twice I've had a very small amount of material settle into the bottom of my keg, but there was so little of it, maybe 1/32th tsp. it all went out with the very first pour and everything afterwards sparkled.
If you rack to the keg and you're careful not to transfer the trub, you should be fine leaving the dip tube alone. Only your 1st and last pours will contain sediment. The first pour picks up some settled yeast, so I pour half a pint and dump it. Then you'll be fine until the last pour, which will also contain a lot of settled yeast. Everything in between will be fine.
Top draw vs. bottom draw dip tube is another issue. With a top draw, you will get clear beer from the 1st pour, but there are other possible complications people have had using this method. With a bottom draw dip tube, your beer will get clearer as you empty the key.
I suggest you leave the dip tube alone and give it a try as it is. If you don't like the results, you can certainly explore other options.
Could you expound a bit on “other complications”? I have been using the floating ones in a couple kegs for last couple months and have had no problems. Is there some issue that I might anticipate?
oldsccorpio227
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I am still deciding if I want to do force carb or use sugar to carbonate.
I have read that some have had issues with the tip of the tube not remaining submerged in the beer, as a result, not being able to dispense. The solution for that was to put a SS nut on the tube to add a little weight to it. Others have has issues with clogging, so some use screens over the open end of the dip tube. I use a floating dip tube in my fermenter for closed transfers to the keg and have not had any issues with it at all. I love it, but never found a need for it in my kegs.
+1 force carb
Broken Crow
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+2 force carb.
...if you're impatient you can speed it up some with a QuickCarb or homemade diaphram pump/tees/carb-stone assembly, but for me that still takes a few days to settle and finish after use.
...if you're impatient you can speed it up some with a QuickCarb or homemade diaphram pump/tees/carb-stone assembly, but for me that still takes a few days to settle and finish after use.
Thanks. I have had a sputter now and then, but not a real problem. I will probably add the weight to the end of the tube to cure that.
If one absolutely clogged, I wonder if I could pull the short tube, thereby jettisoning the silicone tube and just reinstall the regular dip tube? Has anyone tried this?
In regard to the original question, I give mine a slight extra bend by placing the existing bend over the outside of the keg and just going a touch further. It's able to be undone if needed. Andit does of course raise the tube a little higher.
I like it this way, I always end up with a little leftover yeast or other business settled in the bottom. Not much, but a thin coating. I think it helps avoid the "first glass or two will suck it up" thing if you don't have a perfect process up to that point. I do leave beer behind but it's very little.
This is something I have not heard of doing before. Using the floating dip tube in the fermenter. Would you please expand on this? Does it get filled with yeast and dry hops? does it coil up and rest on the yeast cake? I am very interested in getting more beer out of the fermenter.
I use a modification posted by @Dgallo which uses a floating dip tube in a Fermonster.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/thread...lete-closed-transfer-system-for-cheap.680992/
At first I had some concerns about the floating dip tube, but it works great. I don't have problems with yeast in the dip tube and I bag my dry hop pellets. Also, the kit he suggested for the Fermentasaurus parts is no longer available but you can build it from scratch. That was just for keeping costs down.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/thread...lete-closed-transfer-system-for-cheap.680992/
At first I had some concerns about the floating dip tube, but it works great. I don't have problems with yeast in the dip tube and I bag my dry hop pellets. Also, the kit he suggested for the Fermentasaurus parts is no longer available but you can build it from scratch. That was just for keeping costs down.
Also, the dip tube gets pretty much all the beer off the yeast cake. As the fermenter empties and the dip tube gets close to the bottom, I tilt the fermenter a bit to grab the last bit. Soon as I see yeast in the tube, I stop the transfer.
I look forward to reading this! Now that I have made my DIY Glycol Chiller and am able to get my fermenters down to Dry Hop and Cold Crash temps, I no longer need the clear beer systems in the kegs; this might be a great alternative to the racking arms which never seem to work as advertised.
I couldn´t cut my corny kegs dip tubes but I use the plastic conteiner of Kinder Eggs.
Works perfect. Food grade plastic and cleanable.
Attachments
I have the screen but have not had a need for it.
oldsccorpio227
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do you sanitize it separately from Corny keg or with? If you do force carbonation does it work with this system inside? I mean if you do use method in this video
I do sanitize it in the keg and I use a CO2 transfer system to fill my kegs through the liquid out post with no problems.
I put my kegs in my lager freezer at 32°F after filling for about 48hr then attach my CO2 at about 15psi for 48 hours ( on avg).
I never shake or roll my kegs. What’s the point in stirring up any sediment in your he bottom?
I’m drinking a Dubbel that I just put on tap after carbing and letting my it age for about a month.
Carbonation is perfect and the beer is clear! Good, too!
Cider Wraith
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Looks like Kinder Eggs either were - or are not - permitted in the US due to concerns of children choking on the toys
How satisfied are you with where you've cut holes for the final liquid level? Does the Kinder fit into the bottom dimple? What other items did you consider - anything in stainless steel? Thanks -
From where the holes are cut there is no more than an inch of liquid left because the shell rests on the bottom dimple, so I was actually quite happy with the system.
Of course the best thing would have been to find some kind of small stainless steel container but the only cheap solutions came from the candy side of the world.
Many come in food-grade plastic containers like TicTac cases or PET preforms. The key is to find one of these containers that is small enough, does not collect bacteria, and is easy to clean and sanitize.
Cider Wraith
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Thanks for the reply - I just posted something entertaining this exact question
Cornelius keg dip tube final liquid level / sediment exclusion foot?
Cornelius keg dip tube final liquid level / sediment exclusion foot?
those stainless steel bottles look fantastic. Another thing that comes to mind is some kind of container designed in 3D printing
Since you are not fermenting in the kegs, there is no reason to cut the dip tube or use a floating dip tube. Even if you naturally/sugar carb in the keg, the sediment will be negligible. The first 1/2 pint will eject it all.
Over the years I've found it's more like the first couple ounces of the first pint, plus the next one if it's a day or so later, and then maybe a 3rd or 4th time as well. I don't think I have a ton in there but it seems to flow itself down into the open space for a few days straight until it's actually gone.
I bent my tubes a tiny bit more where they were already bent, over the outside of the keg, it raises them up an extra half inch or so and is reversible. Worked pretty great.
