Too much yeast from th ekeg

[Ó Flannagáin]

Am I just not giving it enough time? I've been in a hurry since I just started kegging and I haven't got my cycle good yet, so I've been force carbing and starting in on the beers after about 3 days in the keg (3-4 weeks in secondary). Anyway, it's been pretty bad with all the beers, but I just poured my first Hefe and it is nothing but yeast!! Like I'm drinking a giant yeast cloud! What in the world?

It seems like the yeast is going to settle out and be at the bottom of the tank where the beer is getting pulled from. Am I just gonna have to pull a bunch of yeast for the first few pints, or is that yeast gonna settle and I'll start pulling around it?

 

[BlindLemonLars]

It seems like the yeast is going to settle out and be at the bottom of the tank where the beer is getting pulled from. Am I just gonna have to pull a bunch of yeast for the first few pints, or is that yeast gonna settle and I'll start pulling around it?

Try leaving the keg in your kegerator a day before serving. I store my kegs in a fridge in the garage, and when I rotate one into the kitchen kegerator the motion seems to stir up the sediment somewhat. If I pull a pint right away, it's very murky and shows no sign of clearing up. By simply waiting overnight, I'll get a half-glass of murky brew and then it flows absolutely crystal clear. Once the keg is empty, there is normally a very thin layer of sediment on the bottom, with a clean spot right around the pickup tube.

Obviously with a hefe you're always going to have some suspended yeast.

 

[Ó Flannagáin]

Obviously with a hefe you're always going to have some suspended yeast.

I agree, but right now it's like I'm drinking milk, lol. I had to swap out wichi keg was in front to tap into it, maybe that stirred it up.

 

[LouT]

That's the likely culprit. The other thing I found with my kegged hefe's is that if I didn't kick the keg quickly enough it the hefe would clear more than it should. An occasional swirl around after pouring the last beer of the night helped keep the pours "mit hefe", but if you disturb the keg too much right before you pour you will get a glass of stuff that will give you the trots.

 

[homebrewer_99]

The "trick" is to rack the clearest beer possible into the keg.

IMO, if you're getting too much yeast in the kegs then you're kegging too soon.

 

[Ó Flannagáin]

The "trick" is to rack the clearest beer possible into the keg.

IMO, if you're getting too much yeast in the kegs then you're kegging too soon.

That stinks, I've been waiting at least 2 weeks after secondary... most have been around 3 or 4 weeks.

 

[david_42]

I generally keg from the fermenter after 3-4 weeks, then let the keg condition at least 2 weeks. If I move a keg, I like to give it 1-2 days to settle. Even so, the first pint or two will pull yeast. Then a little pit forms around the tube and you get cleaner pours.

 

[Bobby_M]

One trick is to crash cool the secondary at least a day before racking to keg. You can age a beer in secondary for 6 months but there's just a certain amount of yeast that won't fall out until it gets cold.

 

[BlindLemonLars]

I generally keg from the fermenter after 3-4 weeks, then let the keg condition at least 2 weeks. If I move a keg, I like to give it 1-2 days to settle. Even so, the first pint or two will pull yeast. Then a little pit forms around the tube and you get cleaner pours.

That is precisely my experience. Even a small amount of movement will stir up the bottom somewhat. The very last pint poured from a keg will also have a lot of yeast, right before the faucet starts belching gas.

Since I've started using gelatin in the secondary (a day or two before kegging) I've been finding a lot less sediment in the bottom of the keg, and the beer is absolutely crystal clear after the first one or two cloudy pulls.