Keg vs Bottle or Why is one cloudy and the other clear...

[Matasata]

Normally my keg beer runs clear, if I can still see through it, and I rarely bottle. However, I have a Scottish 60/- on tap and I, from the keg, filled a couple bottles for a friend. He forgot them so I popped one open after a week and it was crystal clear while the keg is kind of murky. I am 3/4 way through the keg and I have no idea why the bottle settled and the keg has not.

The beer tasted the same so I'm not concerned, but I am curious. Any ideas?

 

[Brewnoob1]

Posting for reference as I too have been curious about this.

 

[Revvy]

Because by putting it in the fridge, he cold crashed the bottles, and the yeast that was making it murky flocculated out.

You probably kicked up some yeast from the bottom of your keg at some point, and that's why it's pouring murky.

Had a similar situation at one of my brew buddy's (who happens to be a bjcp master judge, so it can happen to anybody) 2 months ago he was messing with his kegorator and tipped a keg of his cherry lambic, a couple days later we were over for a brewday and he was pouring for us and it was mucky as all get out, so much so that it looked like a strawberry milkshake.....fast forward to around Christmas and another brewday, and he poured me a glass and it was crystal clear again, it all settled back down.

 

[Brewnoob1]

That makes sense, however, I had a keg for example that wasn't clear before hitting the keg. It sat for over a month in 40 degree environment and never cleared out. Any thoughts on that?

 

[Matasata]

This keg has been setting for a month at 40-42. Barring an earthquake, unlikely, or aliens, the sneaky bastards, I doubt the keg has moved other than the whole earth around the sun thing. Based on what you said would the 4 deg make all the difference? I am starting to believe it does.

 

[kpr121]

I think it does make a difference. You want to get that temp as close to freezing as possible to drop everything out. When I first throw a new keg in the 'rator I crank down the temp setting as long as it can go for the first 3-5 days. I've never done an actual scientific study comparing that beer to beer crashed at a warmer temperature, but I know for a fact it can get very clear after those first few days.

You could check it by keeping a bottle or two and putting them in the kegerator while your friend throws his in his (assumed) colder fridge. Then compare the two after a week.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

There could be something else going on, but I would say it is because of the difference in height. Clearing and precipitation are gravity driven and the shorter the distance the proteins, tannins, and other haze molecule have to travel, the faster the beer will clear. All things being equal, bottles will always clear faster than a keg.

 

[Matasata]

I swapped my fermenting and serving fridge, more for mounting proper taps through the door than anything, and it dropped the kegs to 38F. Voila! The keg is clear.... Well, it is noticeably clearer at least.