Keg won't dispense.

[seabrew8]

I just hooked up the CO2 to my keg but when i pulled on the facet only alittle trickle comes out. I think the tube iinside the keg might be plugged with hop pellets. The homebrew guy told me they would dissolved when boiled....

Anyhow, what should i do?

 

[TipsyDragon]

first off don't boil your beer that will evaporate all the alcohol.

second are you sure you have the CO2 hooked up to the in poppet and the dispenser on the out poppet? they should be marked. if they are not marked the dispensing lines are connected to the poppet with the longest dip tube. are you sure you have the gas and beer lines are on tight enough? what PSI is the regulator set to?

 

[Reelale]

+1 above. Sir/mam, just remain calm. Help is on the way. The gas post is marked in some way, like slots in the connection nut. I think the OP meant that he was told they disolve in the boil. If you used pellet hops, it is highly unlikely they are clogging your pick-up tube.

 

[david_42]

Pellet hops do not dissolve, they just fall apart. They can plug the pickup tube and the poppet valve. You may have to remove the tube to clear it, but if your disconnects are threaded you can attach the beer disconnect to your CO2 line and blow the keg out.

 

[seabrew8]

Yeah its plugged with hops. I guess i'll be racking to another bucket tomorrow and try to get most of the hops out of it.

The hop pellets didn't dissolved.

 

[Reelale]

See I told you help was on the way. I would highly recommend a hop bag next time. Also, try what david said, just burst your pick-up tube with CO2, a quick shot. No need to transfer to another container. Also, if you used a bunch of hops, you can cut your keg pick-up tube about 1/4" to 1/2" and you'll be golden from here on out.

 

[DirtyMcCurdy]

Yeah its plugged with hops. I guess i'll be racking to another bucket tomorrow and try to get most of the hops out of it.

The hop pellets didn't dissolved.

I wouldn't rack it out of the keg. You should be able to take a ratchet to the disconnect post and pull out the tube to clean it. Just make sure you turn off your gas and bleed off any pressure in the system before unscrewing that post, or you might get hurt. BALL-LOCK MISSILE! Oh, and don't forget to re-sanitize your tube before you put it back in.

 

[seabrew8]

See I told you help was on the way. I would highly recommend a hop bag next time. Also, try what david said, just burst your pick-up tube with CO2, a quick shot. No need to transfer to another container. Also, if you used a bunch of hops, you can cut your keg pick-up tube about 1/4" to 1/2" and you'll be golden from here on out.

I did hook the air up to it and gave it a shot but it didn't work. So i took the pickup tube out and it was plugged real good. Had to use some tie wire to poke it out. I hooked it all back up again and its plugged again......

I did read about shortening the tube, i will still get all the beer out of the keg?

 

[Reelale]

It sounds like you racked all of your hops into the keg. Since I don't know how much "trub" you have in the bottom of your keg, I would recommend what the other poster said about removing the tube, the cut a little off, and replace it. Make sure you sanitize it though. If that don't work, I'd rack into a clean keg through a sieve.

 

[seabrew8]

It sounds like you racked all of your hops into the keg. Since I don't know how much "trub" you have in the bottom of your keg, I would recommend what the other poster said about removing the tube, the cut a little off, and replace it. Make sure you sanitize it though. If that don't work, I'd rack into a clean keg through a sieve.

Thanks. I don't think i'm messing with it tonight. My patience is gone.

 

[JOHN51277]

+1 on cutting 1/2" off the bottom of the dip tube. Yes there will be a few more ounces left on the bottom when it empties, BUT, it will greatly reduce the chance of serving trub.

 

[seabrew8]

I just dispensed my first beer!

Heres a post i just wrote up on another forum.

I'm drinking my first Irish Ale right now and i'm very happy with how it tastes. This style of beer got me interested in homebrewing a few mths ago at a brewpub in Newfoundland. I love Yellowbelly's Fighting Irish. I did however brew a few hundred brewkits when i was a teenager for money reasons.

Anyhow this was my disastrous process.

- 10 days in primary
- Racked to corny keg and cooled for 12 hours or so at 5C.
- Tried the shake method using 30PSI and tried to dispense the beer but due to hops plugged up pickup tube. Cleaned tube and tried again. Plugged again.
- Next day racked to carboy, cleaned pickup tube and racked the beer again in the keg. Where it sits right now.

The beer i'm drinking is from the little bit i purposely left in the carboy and i like it very much and it actually has a head.

Lets hope i can get it to dispense when i have these few gone! I re-shook the keg again at 30PSI.

 

[Reelale]

Good for ya! Next brew, use a hop bag, even with pellets, and your troubles will be over for good.