To cut or not To cut...

[DizzyPants]

I am about to keg and am wondering about cutting the beer tube a inch or so b/c I think I read it picks up a bunch of sediment?

thoughts?

thx,
Diz~

 

[Scut_Monkey]

I'm confused what you are using the keg for and what type of keg you are talking about. Is it a sanke or corny keg? Are you making a keggle, sanke fermentor, corny fermentor, etc? Without these details I can't help.

 

[DizzyPants]

Sorry, it is a 5 gallon corny. The pickup tube is right at the bottom. I have heard that cutting the tube up from the bottom 1/2 inch or so helps.

Please let me now any more info you may need.

Thx,
Diz~

 

[Yuri_Rage]

No need to cut. Properly condition your beer prior to kegging. The first pint or two might be cloudy, but that is quickly solved by drinking more beer.

 

[Warped04]

I agree with Yuri. It builds character to drink the little bit of yeast / hops that come out.

 

[Reelale]

If you do... use a tubing cutter and cut 1/2" off. This is for a bright tank, then you can push your beer to the serving keg with the regular-sized dip tube. If you use gelatin, it's a good practice. The nice thing about this is your beer is clear from the first pull. Otherwise, just chuck the first couple of pints (if using gelatin). It's jello anyway. If you don't use gelatin, I would say drink it.

 

[Scut_Monkey]

I think the better approach to cutting them is to bend them. This way if you ever want to put it back to regular length you have the option. I have read that the best method to do this it to clamp or immobilize the length of the dip tube, insert a screwdriver into the curved section and bend. P.S. not my idea, read it somewhere on here.

I agree though there generally is no need to bend or cut the diptube. Just discard some of the beer. Bending or cutting the diptube will waste just as much beer anyways.

 

[Hammy71]

+1 on cutting the dip tube wasting as much beer as pouring out the first two pints.....

 

[Jewrican]

cold crash it before adding to the keg... that should help as well.

I say just drink it... but that is just me

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

Cutting a dip tube that went all the way to the bottom 1/2" won't waste 2 pints though. I have cut several of mine and it really doesn't leave much beer behind at all. You don't need to cut...but you might notice an improvement if you do...or maybe not. I def do not regret cutting any of the ones I did but I'm not gonna cut them all. Some of my kegs had dip tubes that literally touched the bottom of the well where others had dip tubes that were off the bottom by a good 1/2". Also depends on the beer I'm putting into it. A Hefeweizen is a different aminal than a lager that's been conditioning for a month, the Hefeweizen will continue to settle for a long time and if you don't drink from it for a while and then get a pour it's all yeast again.

 

[shortyjacobs]

I don't cut. I don't condition either. 3 weeks in primary and then straight to the keg. Add a bit of gelatin and cool for a day or two.

The first 8 oz of beer is cloudy. All the sediment comes out in one quick "barf". Then it's crystal clear....

I wouldn't worry about cutting.