First time kegging and cloudy beer

[RonW]

This is my first kegged beer. I have been bottling up until this point, and never once had a cloudy beer. Its an IPA and sat for 4 weeks in primary and then went straight to keg. Only difference is I didn't rack to a bottling bucket, although was very careful not to suck up too much trub.

It sat on 30 psi overnight and this picture is 3 days after kegging. Even with a light up to it, you can't see through the beer.

The beer taste good, however I really feel like I am messing stuff up lately

 

[Mexibilly]

Haze is typical. I've managed a few commercial clarity kegged beers by gelatin fining, but I don't fine IPAs anymore for the risk that I might lose aroma or flavor by pulling precious delicious particles.
If it smells and tastes delicious I'd say it's a success

 

[Moose_MI]

My guess....remember kegs pull from the bottom and I think it's normal for first few pints to be Hazy....you're getting 5 gal worth of whatever yeast were still in suspension when you kegged it. My guess is after a few pulls it will be awesome.

 

[RonW]

My guess is after a few pulls it will be awesome.

You underestimate me sir, haha this is still an issue after many pulls

 

[RonW]

This is directly in front of my range hood light, and probably 10 beers deep.

 

[Moose_MI]

You underestimate me sir, haha this is still an issue after many pulls

Oh . I recommend that you keep pulling until it clears or you no longer care....works for me!

 

[Sailingeric]

It will clear with time. My beers are a little cloudy the first but they clear.

 

[Moose_MI]

This is directly in front of my range hood light, and probably 10 beers deep.

That beer looks lovely...err ... I mean...OMG, that's terrible..please send to me so that I can perform environmentally responsible disposal

 

[Doed]

I would just let it go, it will clear. I just tapped an IPA last night. I carb in the keg using the "set it and forget it" method. It carbs at serving pressure which on my system is about 12 psi for 14 days. I always poor a full pint and toss it, then start drinking the rest. The one last night was cloudy. Not quite as cloudy as yours, but not clear by any definition.

I agree with @Moose_MI, you should send the keg to us for testing. We'll test it and send the keg back...I promise

 

[brewcat]

Only 3 days? Give it a couple weeks. Your bottled beer probably would be cloudy after 3 days.

 

[MagicMatt]

Only 3 days? Give it a couple weeks. Your bottled beer probably would be cloudy after 3 days.

This. When you bottle condition, the bottles sit for 3+ weeks. You admitted this keg is only a few days old. Give it another week or two at fridge temps.

Also, pouring from the keg before it's fully settled out will just keep mixing things. The longer it sits undisturbed, the clearer the beer will be.

 

[losMythos]

Chill Haze?? Any Flaked Wheat or oats in your recipe?? Just a few things that made give you chill haze. If the beer clears when its warm that's it.

 

[303Dan]

Agree that you need to wait more than 3 days to judge it. Even with using gelatin, my beers usually aren't their clearest for at least 7-10 days in the keg.

Dan

 

[Mexibilly]

I just floated an unfined DIPA keg last week. That last pour was absolutely commercial-quality clear. It started out cloudy. Compare each pour the the ones before it. It'll clear up.

 

[RonW]

Thanks for the reassurance but I regret to inform you, due to shipping constraints I will not be able to send the keg off for testing.

The whole reason I wanted a keg setup was not having to wait to drink my beer. Waiting 3 weeks for a keg to clear is just not in my plans for right now. Maybe after I move in March I can start a heavy brewing schedule to develope a pipeline. Until then I will be drinking cloudy beer.

Thanks again everyone

 

[UndeadFred]

Gelatin fine it.. Cold crash for at least 24 hrs, and then pour in 1/2 tsp of knox into 150F water... dump that into the keg, purge and in less than a week it should be clear as a bell if you didn't screw something else up. There is really nothing magical about a keg or kegging.. it's just a big bottle with a CO2 purging system on it...

Really that week wait for the gelatin to clear is pretty close to force carbing time on 10 PSI...

Fred

 

[ncsuwerewolf]

Its all about storage. I brew 10 gallons at a time but only serve the first keg . The second sits in the keezer allowing all the suspended particles to precipitate out and form a hard skin on the bottom. I pour 5 taps and the keezer holds 8 kegs. 2 of my taps are non rotating beers for her and always stouts or porters where clarity it less of an issue. That and her 5 gallon kegs dont get turned over at the rate of mine.with the exception of chill haze or protiens associated with wheat the longer they sit the clearer they get. This only works as long as you dont move the kegs around after letting them clear. Or jump the beer to a clean sealed keg to allow you to transport beer you can nolonger get durty.

 

[Yooper]

The whole reason I wanted a keg setup was not having to wait to drink my beer. Waiting 3 weeks for a keg to clear is just not in my plans for right now. Maybe after I move in March I can start a heavy brewing schedule to develope a pipeline. Until then I will be drinking cloudy beer.

Thanks again everyone

Well, the issue with that plan is just that it won't work. Drinking beer that is carbed up doesn't mean it's ready- it can still be green tasting, or cloudy, etc. It's just carbonated, not conditioned. Generally, if beer is clear going into the keg, it'll serve clear though. Of course, if it's chill haze, that takes a while at cold temperatures to go away, so preventing it is easier than fixing it.

Others mentioned some tricks, like gelatin, and there are others like using kettle finings. Here are a few tips I wrote a while back about getting clear wort and clear beer: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/clear-wort-clear-beer.html

 

[jddevinn]

Did you cold crash at all? I used to gelatin everything but now only gelatin really light beers. I get very good clarity in kegs with a cold crash (but god forbid you move the keg a little, it'll cloud back up and take a day to settle)

 

[RonW]

I did not cold crash. And did not do anything different from if I was to bottle, other than drink it after a couple days. My guess is I just need more time. I was under a false pretense that kegging was a way to enjoy my beer sooner, however that may not be. Anyways, what's in the keg is the last of what I'll brew until my move is done, I will be moving about 650 miles next month and then can get my new brewing station set up. Until then, I'll be drinking cloudy beer

Cheers