Keg to Keg with Autosiphon

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sicktght311

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I've got a little problem that i need to fix fast before a beerfest i have coming up in a week.

I have a carbonated NEIPA already in my keezer in a keg, that keeps clogging the diptube/poppet. No matter how many times i clean it out, it reclogs, and that tells me that i sucked up a ton of trub when i racked from fermenter to keg. My own fault. I didnt cold crash this and i accidentally had my racking arm pointed down when i first started transferring so there was a lot of material still in suspension. I have a feeling the bottom of my keg is filled with hop particles.

So instead of taking the risk of trying to transfer keg to keg and continuously having the sending keg clog up, or the receiving keg's liquid port clog up in the transfer, i thought about using a 2ft autosiphon from the clogged keg, to the new keg's ball lock liquid port. So long as both kegs are pre-chilled, purged and filled with co2, i shoudl be able to safely autosiphon out of the open top of the clogged keg, and into the clean keg's liquid port, without picking up any of the nastyness because it should all be settled at the bottom of the other keg, without really any major fears of oxidation,. Especially since the keg is going to a beer fest in just over a week, and will be drank all in one day. Not enough time for a tiny bit of oxygen to make a major difference
 
I would let the beer go flat before trying that. Of course you'll have to force carb again in the new keg before serving. Even at low temperatures having an open keg full of carbonated beer for several minutes at the very least has the potential for creating a foamy mess. The receiving keg would be at risk too since you cannot have any pressure in it if transferring by gravity.
 
I would let the beer go flat before trying that. Of course you'll have to force carb again in the new keg before serving. Even at low temperatures having an open keg full of carbonated beer for several minutes at the very least has the potential for creating a foamy mess. The receiving keg would be at risk too since you cannot have any pressure in it if transferring by gravity.

My thought process is "why isn't this any different than bottling from a pre-carbonated keg", which i often have zero problem with and minimal waste.

Purge the donor keg of co2, remove lid, fill the recipient keg the day before fully with starsan, chill it in the keezer 24hrs, then pull it out, and purge the starsan leaving behind a keg filled with co2, hook the end of the autosiphon to the liquid port on the recipient keg, start the transfer with the keg sealed and the pressure release valve open. Fill until foam comes out the top and keep it going until the donor keg is empty. Sure there might be loss, but cant be a ton?
 
My thought process is "why isn't this any different than bottling from a pre-carbonated keg", which i often have zero problem with and minimal waste.

Purge the donor keg of co2, remove lid, fill the recipient keg the day before fully with starsan, chill it in the keezer 24hrs, then pull it out, and purge the starsan leaving behind a keg filled with co2, hook the end of the autosiphon to the liquid port on the recipient keg, start the transfer with the keg sealed and the pressure release valve open. Fill until foam comes out the top and keep it going until the donor keg is empty. Sure there might be loss, but cant be a ton?
You'll need to let off most of the co2 pressure in the recipient keg or else the co2 will just go immediately into the donor keg through your siphon (and mess up your transfer). I do something similar when kegging from my carboys, and even with co2 pressure and gravity, I have to let off most of the keg's pressure just to move things along.
 
My thought process is "why isn't this any different than bottling from a pre-carbonated keg", which i often have zero problem with and minimal waste.

Do you bottle 5 gallon bottles? If not, there's your answer. ;)
A lot more beer = longer transfer times = much bigger mess if the beer starts getting "overexcited".
But if you want to try it anyway please do make sure to get it on video. :)
 
Why not chill the murky keg good and cold. Release its pressure. Then take off the ball lock connector and remove the dip tub and replace with a dip tube with maybe 1" cut from the bottom and reattach the connector. Let the murky keg sit very still for a bit and then do a pressure transfer from the murky keg to a clean co2 purged keg (liquid to liquid jumper). If you are able to pressurize the clean keg and put a spunding valve on it't gas in post set to a little lower than the pressure you are pushing the beer from the murky keg, you should be able to avoid creating a ton of foam and save most of your beer.
 
Sounds like it would work to me except I would expect more foam than you might like to be produced during the transfer. I would go with the de-carbed suggestion and otherwise proceed as planned.

A shorter dip tube would likely produce a similar issue since it sounds like you will be transporting the keg to the fest. Maybe fewer problems than you are currently experiencing but some of the debris may be disturbed during transport.
 
Sounds like it would work to me except I would expect more foam than you might like to be produced during the transfer.

If you can transfer into a pressurized keg and keep the pressure in the destination keg a few PSI lower than the origination keg you should be able to do a relatively foam free transfer. The key to managing the pressure in the destination keg is the spunding valve. I've never done this and am extrapolating from what the guys with unitanks claim to be able to do - closed transfer of carbonated beer.

A shorter dip tube would likely produce a similar issue since it sounds like you will be transporting the keg to the fest. Maybe fewer problems than you are currently experiencing but some of the debris may be disturbed during transport.

You need to get that beer off the gunk before you transfer. The shorter dip tube is for transfering the beer off the gunk into a new keg. If you transport a keg full of gunk the gunk will be disturbed during transport.
 
If you can transfer into a pressurized keg and keep the pressure in the destination keg a few PSI lower than the origination keg you should be able to do a relatively foam free transfer. The key to managing the pressure in the destination keg is the spunding valve. I've never done this and am extrapolating from what the guys with unitanks claim to be able to do - closed transfer of carbonated beer.



You need to get that beer off the gunk before you transfer. The shorter dip tube is for transfering the beer off the gunk into a new keg. If you transport a keg full of gunk the gunk will be disturbed during transport.
The OP is intending to use an auto siphon in order to avoid constant clogging. Switching to the shorter tube might allow for a closed transfer.

The original post indicated that they wanted to avoid use of the out post to avoid clogging instead using an auto siphon from the open top of the troubling keg to the Outpost of the CO2 purged receiving keg with the relief valve open.

Unless of course the OP has a spare tube to cut short, wants a shorter tube for regular use, go buy a spunding valve etc. The options are there if they want to go that route.

Just working with what the OP already has and suggested.
 
I would just think if you're transferring from keg to keg with autosiphon to liquid port on the new keg, with the outlet of the liquid into the new keg under the liquid as it fills, foaming should be no worse than if you're typically filling a growler, in fact probably even less due to the flat wide surface area as it fills, and lack of a bottle neck. When i'm filling bottles or growlers with my filler tube, i get minimal foaming until i hit the neck.

Probably going to give this a shot this weekend. Stay tuned
 
Anything but a closed transfer is going to ruin a NEIPA. So much oxygen. The least invasive technique mentioned so far is pulling the diptube and cutting 1/2" off of it. Reinstall and try a black to black jumper to a clean keg. Fully starsan purge the second keg. Run the first keg at full pressure. Gently release pressure on the other keg.
 
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