Something weird just happened to my Hefeweizen. What?

[alchemedes]

Ok, I'll try my best to explain:

I brewed homebrewer 99's Paulaner clone https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f70/paulaner-style-hefe-weizen-32811/ and it came out superb! :rockin: I kegged it about 1.5 weeks ago at 8psi. Every glass has been semi-clear and and beautifully golden with a nice foamy head and that wonderful banana-esque flavour found in Paulaner... until this evening.

Earlier today I got a new co2 hose setup for my kegs and tank. I was previously connecting/disconnecting one tube between two kegs as needed - currently the Hefe and a Brandon O's cider. The dude at my LHBS recommended I get a T-Connecter for my co2 hose and run two hoses off my co2 tank, that is, if both kegs are at the same carb level which they were because I also carbed the cider at 8. So far so good, right? I had to move my 2 kegs and co2 tank out of my kegerator for about 15 minutes to fiddle with the hoses and fittings and I did so I nice and slow, no dropping, slamming, splashing, rolling, nothing. After getting the T fitting and hoses set up I put everything back in the kegerator, attached the new co2 hoses to the kegs and set the pressure back to 8 on both kegs simultaneously (where it was previously) and opened the valve on the regulator to get things back on track.

Now, about 5 hours later I poured a glass of the Hefe and it came out completely hazy and thick looking like brown paint with no head at all and only a little bit of foam at the top that separates and looks like floaties. The carbonation is still there though. Second glass, same thing - paint, floaties. It just looks wrong. Also, the taste has completely changed from excellent, to... mediocre at best and almost tastes like there is sanitizer in it even though this is impossible because there was, of course, no sanitization involved with the co2 hoses. WTF is going on!?

I have no clue what could have caused this change, but hooking up new hoses certainly caused some discouraging alternation to a wonderful batch... any ideas?

Thanks guys.

 

[thirstyutahn]

I can almost guarantee you kicked up the yeast and you may have had a good bit of trub in there as well. That explains the hazy color and it tasting weird. It doesn't take much sometimes.

I'd say let it settle for a day or so, pour out the first pint and then see if you aren't back to great tasting beer.

Ive had this happen several times in the past. I never secondary, am not super careful when transfering and occasionally I don't get to cold crash. Sometimes I end up a fair amount of sediment in my keg. Not a big deal at all to me I just know ill have to pitch the first pint.

Hope that helps. I really can't imagine what else it would be.

 

[Ryush806]

+1 on letting it rest for a day or two. You probably jostled the keg around a bunch getting all your new fittings in there and disturbed the yeast

 

[BURLEYrun]

Did you buy new hoses when connecting the T? What kind of hoses did he sell you? Sanitizer/chemical taste possibly could come for new cheap hosing.

 

[alchemedes]

Did you buy new hoses when connecting the T? What kind of hoses did he sell you? Sanitizer/chemical taste possibly could come for new cheap hosing.

It was all new red co2 gas line, not the cheap stuff.

I am wondering if it is possible to have smells carried over from one keg to the other being that they are both open to one other via the T fitting. Also, as mentioned I was as careful as possible when moving the keg, but I suppose any small movement can kick up sediment - figh!. It is discouraging to think that one could never transport a keg of Hefeweizen without having to let it settle again upon arrival. I suppose I will have to show up to parties one day in advance with my kegs

I'll tap draw another glass tonight. If it's the same, I'll let you know.

 

[LexusChris]

It is discouraging to think that one could never transport a keg of Hefeweizen without having to let it settle again upon arrival. I suppose I will have to show up to parties one day in advance with my kegs

I found this out the hard way, transporting my keg to a homebrewer's event only to have it poor cloudy & with floaties!

I rigged up a beer-out to beer-out hose with a valve inline. After I get my 1st few pints out of the keg nice & clear, I can transfer it (without moving the keg) into another keg and have a sediment free keg for transport & serving (a brite keg). Some folks will shorten the dip tube of their brite tanks by 1/2" to ensure that they leave behind the cloudy bits of trub & such.

Happy brewing!
--LexusChris

 

[Sir Humpsalot]

Yeah. You just kicked up the yeast and some trub. Next time use a secondary if you plan on moving the keg around. Also, adding some dissolved gelatin will help the yeast settle faster. But if you have yeast or trub in the keg, it's going to get stirred around when you move it.