keg clogged with pellet hop goo

[NHMikeT]

I'm hoping that someone out there has some better ideas than me. I’m on my first attempt at a new dry-hopping method in the keg with pellets, like this: http://www.bear-flavored.com/2014/09/how-i-dry-hop-my-ipas-with-no-oxygen.html

I did a closed transfer from carboy to keg and was hoping to transfer from the dry-hopping keg into serving keg with gas to complete the no-oxygen racking and dry-hop process. I followed Derek’s setup exactly with the exception of not cutting the dip tube. I’m guessing this is the potential culprit here, combined with the 4 oz pellet dry hop sludge.

I’ve tried to come up with any possibility to get the beer out of the keg without having to vent all the amazing aroma out of the keg but it’s REALLY clogged – gas down the dip tube didn’t do the trick. I foolishly tried to turn the keg sideways and push the beer out of the gas side, which worked for about a pint and a half (completely forgetting that all the hops were lose in the keg).

I think the last option here is to vent the pressure and either a) just siphon out of this keg (carefully) into the serving keg, or b) remove and unclog the posts, cut the dip tube and try again with the existing setup.

Is there something I’m missing, any brilliant ideas I haven’t come across???

 

[IslandLizard]

Next time put the hops in a fine muslin bag with ample space. You can shake it, roll it, whatever, your beer stays free of hop matter. Actually, agitation is good, it gives faster hops extraction. No need to cut the dip tube either.

It takes a long time for all hop fiber to settle and when you move the keg it stirs up very quickly.

 

[beersk]

I never see this mentioned but I just did this last night on a friend's keg that got clogged up with hop matter.
Take the keg off gas, vent it several times to make sure the gas is all out. Take the liquid post off, take the dip tube out and clear/rinse it, resanitize and put back in keg. Put liquid post on WITHOUT poppet. Get a picnic tap and take the poppet it out of there, screw the cap back on and hook it up to the keg. Now, put gas in the keg and blow the sh*t out. This helps and you may need to do it more than once, but you shouldn't need to rack to a new keg. You just might need to do this a few days apart. After you blow out hop matter till you get beer, take the keg off gas, vent all the gas out (several pulls of the PRV), sanitize poppet and put back in post.
I like to cover the post or opening of the keg whenever exposed with sanitized foil while I'm sanitizing stuff or cleaning stuff out.
If you can do this without moving the keg, that is best, so as to not stir up the hop matter.

Or, you could always take your diptube out, bend it a little so it sits an inch or two off the bottom, then bend it back after the keg is kicked.

 

[NHMikeT]

Thanks for the replies.
@IslandLizard - I actually have another keg of same beer that I did just using a weighted nylon sack and it didn't clog (it also doesn't have quite as much aroma either, which is why I was attempting the free-float method).
@beersk - that sounds interesting, removing the poppets, and I might try something like that. But I'm actually trying to get this beer into another keg to serve from.
I think what I might do is vent the gas (unfortunately), remove the dip tube and replace it was a spare that has about 3/4" cut off the bottom, clear out the liquid out post if it's clogged and re-try. If that doesn't work then I'll just have to let it settle and siphon into the serving keg.

 

[IslandLizard]

Obviously there must be some trade off free-float vs bagged. But free float gives a lot of trouble with dispensing.

I've used a hop sack from the LHBS, a long, fine mesh one with plenty of room in it. A lot of the finer hop matter came through, after agitation, and gave the beer a nasty hop bite. After letting it settle out there was still hop matter being dispensed (fine dust like) and those pulls still had some bit to them. After a while the pulls became clearer and the hop bite disappeared too.

So for the next batch I switched to fine muslin (my wife got it at Joanne Fabrics for an art project). Much tighter weave than the hop sack, so I knew agitation was important. I rolled the keg several times over a day, and no hop matter made it out. The beer had no offensive hop bite either. Yeah, it was hoppy. I took that keg to a brew meet and back, and although a bit cloudy from the move, it tasted great. I left the weighted and suspended muslin sack in until it kicked.

You could tie a piece of muslin or voile to the end of the dip tube, but it still may clog if the pores fill up with hop fiber.

 

[beersk]

Thanks for the replies.
@IslandLizard - I actually have another keg of same beer that I did just using a weighted nylon sack and it didn't clog (it also doesn't have quite as much aroma either, which is why I was attempting the free-float method).
@beersk - that sounds interesting, removing the poppets, and I might try something like that. But I'm actually trying to get this beer into another keg to serve from.
I think what I might do is vent the gas (unfortunately), remove the dip tube and replace it was a spare that has about 3/4" cut off the bottom, clear out the liquid out post if it's clogged and re-try. If that doesn't work then I'll just have to let it settle and siphon into the serving keg.

Oh you want to move it to another keg? Perfect. Do just what I suggested with the jumper hose. You can blow off the trub first without one of the disconnects on (into a bucket or something until it runs clear), put the other disconnect on and hook it up to your serving keg. Viola!

EDIT: I guess now that I think of it, that could get a little tricky...

 

[NHMikeT]

Oh you want to move it to another keg? Perfect. Do just what I suggested with the jumper hose. You can blow off the trub first without one of the disconnects on (into a bucket or something until it runs clear), put the other disconnect on and hook it up to your serving keg. Viola!

EDIT: I guess now that I think of it, that could get a little tricky...

Yeah, I tried just about everything except this method (without poppets) and it's still clogged, so I'll likely just siphon this out once it's crashed again.

@IslandLizard - what kind of "fine muslin" are you talking about? I use what I think is the standard voile for hop sacks (actually the tall one from WilserBrewer). Voile over the dip tube still clogged. The other keg that had the hops bagged was transferred fine, perhaps with some hop dust. I was hoping to be able to compare the difference between the bag/no-bag, but oh well. next time.

 

[IslandLizard]

Yeah, I tried just about everything except this method (without poppets) and it's still clogged, so I'll likely just siphon this out once it's crashed again.

@IslandLizard - what kind of "fine muslin" are you talking about? I use what I think is the standard voile for hop sacks (actually the tall one from WilserBrewer). Voile over the dip tube still clogged. The other keg that had the hops bagged was transferred fine, perhaps with some hop dust. I was hoping to be able to compare the difference between the bag/no-bag, but oh well. next time.

The voile has likely slightly larger openings than the muslin. Muslin is like a coarse woven bed sheet. I haven't seen the Wilsen BIAB bags; voile comes in different thread counts. That bag you used for the hops in the other keg should work fine following this method:

A shorter dipstick will work better as it isn't so close to the bottom. Or use a racking cane, which is easier to manipulate, and swirl a bit.
If you pulled the voile tightly over the end of the dip stick/cane, it will clog that small hole immediately. The idea is a fairly large roomy bag with the top tied around the dipstick or cane. It should thus create a chamber with an inside volume of 1 pint or quart or possibly larger. The hops stick to the outside mesh, clogging it partially but enough beer should filter through. The dipstick (cane) gets fed clear beer from the inside. As long as the fabric doesn't touch the small dipstick (cane) opening it should work fine. Racking canes have that plastic bottom piece/inverter that helps to keep the opening from sucking against the voile.

I've done it, just keep an eye on your sanitation. Well Starsan-ed hands and such.

 

[TheHairyHop]

I don't know if you've done anything yet, but this happened to me.

I solved my problem by:

1. Chilling the clogged keg and letting everything settle for 24 hrs.

2. Use a siphon to rack into another serving keg, carefully avoiding the layer of schmutz that's now on the bottom

3. There really isn't a step 3.

 

[TheHairyHop]

Also fwiw, I use tea balls to dry hop. I'm thinking of switching though, because 0.5 oz of hops expands A LOT

 

[NHMikeT]

I don't know if you've done anything yet, but this happened to me.

I solved my problem by:

1. Chilling the clogged keg and letting everything settle for 24 hrs.

2. Use a siphon to rack into another serving keg, carefully avoiding the layer of schmutz that's now on the bottom

3. There really isn't a step 3.

Exactly what I ended up doing. Probably had to sacrifice 0.5-0.75 gallons but at least I'm carbing some gunk-free beer now.