Dry hopping in keg....that was dumb what I just did.

[rasherb]

First time kegging. I decided to dry hop with an ounce of pellets so I just tossed 'em into the keg with the beer.

Any ideas on how to salvage the beer without clogging all my valves/beer lines?

 

[Brew-boy]

If you have a shorter dip tube you could replace it and wait till the hops settle then transfer to another keg.

 

[sparkyaber]

Is it carbonated? If not, but I assume it is, cold crash is and rack it to another keg. Or just shorten the dip tube as stated above, and drink it the way it is.

 

[Mischief_Brewing]

No worries, just be prepared to chew your beer!

 

[jlpred55]

I'd just wait a week or so, then pull off the first pint with all the sludge. Should settle out and after a few you should be good to go. Don't distrub the keg though or you will have the mess all over again.

I use nylon mesh bags suspended with unsented waxed dental floss for my keg hops. They are really fine, no issue with floaties or gunk.

 

[lamarguy]

Any ideas on how to salvage the beer without clogging all my valves/beer lines?

Sure, cross the streams.

Wait a week, cold crash the keg for 12 hours, lay the keg on its side, and push the beer out from the gas-in port (hookup the gas to the liquid-in port).

I do this all of the time with leaf and pellet hops (I don't use bags). It works well since the hops compact at the bottom of the keg.

 

[MikeG]

Do what I did, just transfer to another keg. I don't think there's any way to clear the gas tube with beer in it. I have a spare keg if you need to use it (ball lock).

 

[BendBrewer]

This is one of the reasons I will never use pellets again. I find them to be a complete pain in the ass. I won some pellets and gave them away.

 

[rasherb]

Thanks everyone. It's not carbed yet, so I think I'll just rack it to a new keg tonight and start all over.

I've got a small paint strainer bag and an extra ounce of hops. How about sanitizing the bag, putting the pellets in, adding a few sanitized weights, then dropping it in?

 

[uwjester]

I know it is too late for this batch, but here's what I do.

I have a keg that doesn't get a perfect seal. Rather than tossing it, I use it for dry hopping. I have a sure screen sure screen on the beer dip tube. That keeps the hops from flowing into the serving keg when I transfer after 3-7 days. That sure screen has been pretty handy.

 

[BendBrewer]

I know it is too late for this batch, but here's what I do.

I have a keg that doesn't get a perfect seal. Rather than tossing it, I use it for dry hopping. I have a sure screen sure screen on the beer dip tube. That keeps the hops from flowing into the serving keg when I transfer after 3-7 days. That sure screen has been pretty handy.

I take it that you simply slip the screen over the end of the out tube? No need to fasten?

 

[uwjester]

I take it that you simply slip the screen over the end of the out tube? No need to fasten?

Yep. It is a tight enough fit that it doesn't go anywhere. Also, I don't really cut the dip tube, so it is hitting the bottom of the keg which helps to hold the screen on.

 

[rasherb]

Could I just wrap the paint strainer bag around the bottom of the dip tube intake?

 

[carnevoodoo]

Could I just wrap the paint strainer bag around the bottom of the dip tube intake?

That could work. I'd give it a try. It might be too close to the dip tube and get clogged up, but it just may work!

 

[uwjester]

Sure, but it is pretty hard to do if there is beer already in the keg. If you are thinking about starting over, then it should be OK.

I like stainless steel mesh better than nylon paint strainers for use over multiple days. I have absolutely nothing to back this up, I just feel better about it. I don't like to drop hop bags into the secondary because I just don't know what is going to happen with them. I do use the paint strainer bags during the boil, just not for anything more than an hour or so.

 

[thesanch]

This happened to me when a tea ball burst open. You can use a small piece of stainless steal mesh on the end of your dip tube. The paint strainer bag will probably work too.

If the dip tube does get clogged, just switch your beer out and gas in posts and push some CO2 down the dip tube. Good luck!

 

[rasherb]

I'm thinking just unscrew the dip tube and lift it up, secure the strainer, then put it back in.
Any problems with that?

 

[uwjester]

I'm thinking just unscrew the dip tube and lift it up, secure the strainer, then put it back in.
Any problems with that?

If the keg is full of beer and hops, it is kind of hard to get to the bottom of the dip tube without splashing around in the beer. You can't take the dip tube all the way out of the keg, because the end won't fit back through the hole with the strainer on it. Best to apply the strainer to an empty keg.

 

[rasherb]

I ended up siphoning into a new keg. Man, it smelled good from the dry hop!. I might sink a bag or a tea ball full of perle in there tomorrow.

Thanks for all the help!