Unmitigated kegging disaster

[LateraLex]

I've been brewing and kegging for about 3 years now - and I have never encountered such a disaster... need your advice.

My keezer hold 3 kegs, and today I noticed that one of the "empty" kegs inside was actually full. Hmm, what is this pray-tell? It was gassed up, and when I tried to pour off of it, the memories came back. It was part of a 10 gallon batch from the summer, a super hoppy IPA with tons of hop sediment that made it into the keg. At the time when it was ready to drink, I had tried hooking it up only to realize the diptube was clogged, and opted to just pour off the other keg rather than deal with the clog at that moment. It just got forgotten for months...

Ok, no biggie. Just need to unclog and celebrate this 5 gallon bounty. After reinserting the tube, it was instantly clogged again with hops. Sigh, Ok. 3rd try. Clogged. So now me and my brewing buddy come up with a bright idea. "Let's stir the bottom of the keg because the hops must have compacted into a biscuit. If we can just get it flowing, we can draw off all these hops."

A few moments later I look over as my friend, who started mixing, is shouting "OH BOY!" as a literal eruption of beerfoam starts flowing out of the top of the keg onto the floor. No less than 3-4 beers worth of foam slide across the tile floor like a tsunami and we tried our best to sandbag the damage with nearby bags and towels.

Needless to say... the keg was still clogged after our 4th try with the diptube, and we decided to call it for the night. Aside from throwing the keg out of the 2nd floor window, I am out of ideas - and would appreciate yours (aside from mixing)

 

[ruger988]

I've been brewing and kegging for about 3 years now - and I have never encountered such a disaster... need your advice.

My keezer hold 3 kegs, and today I noticed that one of the "empty" kegs inside was actually full. Hmm, what is this pray-tell? It was gassed up, and when I tried to pour off of it, the memories came back. It was part of a 10 gallon batch from the summer, a super hoppy IPA with tons of hop sediment that made it into the keg. At the time when it was ready to drink, I had tried hooking it up only to realize the diptube was clogged, and opted to just pour off the other keg rather than deal with the clog at that moment. It just got forgotten for months...

Ok, no biggie. Just need to unclog and celebrate this 5 gallon bounty. After reinserting the tube, it was instantly clogged again with hops. Sigh, Ok. 3rd try. Clogged. So now me and my brewing buddy come up with a bright idea. "Let's stir the bottom of the keg because the hops must have compacted into a biscuit. If we can just get it flowing, we can draw off all these hops."

A few moments later I look over as my friend, who started mixing, is shouting "OH BOY!" as a literal eruption of beerfoam starts flowing out of the top of the keg onto the floor. No less than 3-4 beers worth of foam slide across the tile floor like a tsunami and we tried our best to sandbag the damage with nearby bags and towels.

Needless to say... the keg was still clogged after our 4th try with the diptube, and we decided to call it for the night. Aside from throwing the keg out of the 2nd floor window, I am out of ideas - and would appreciate yours (aside from mixing)

Let what you mixed up settle back down and gently rack it to a new keg...?

 

[atoughram]

I've been brewing and kegging for about 3 years now - and I have never encountered such a disaster... need your advice.

My keezer hold 3 kegs, and today I noticed that one of the "empty" kegs inside was actually full. Hmm, what is this pray-tell? It was gassed up, and when I tried to pour off of it, the memories came back. It was part of a 10 gallon batch from the summer, a super hoppy IPA with tons of hop sediment that made it into the keg. At the time when it was ready to drink, I had tried hooking it up only to realize the diptube was clogged, and opted to just pour off the other keg rather than deal with the clog at that moment. It just got forgotten for months...

Ok, no biggie. Just need to unclog and celebrate this 5 gallon bounty. After reinserting the tube, it was instantly clogged again with hops. Sigh, Ok. 3rd try. Clogged. So now me and my brewing buddy come up with a bright idea. "Let's stir the bottom of the keg because the hops must have compacted into a biscuit. If we can just get it flowing, we can draw off all these hops."

A few moments later I look over as my friend, who started mixing, is shouting "OH BOY!" as a literal eruption of beerfoam starts flowing out of the top of the keg onto the floor. No less than 3-4 beers worth of foam slide across the tile floor like a tsunami and we tried our best to sandbag the damage with nearby bags and towels.

Needless to say... the keg was still clogged after our 4th try with the diptube, and we decided to call it for the night. Aside from throwing the keg out of the 2nd floor window, I am out of ideas - and would appreciate yours (aside from mixing)

Try opening the keg and siphoning above the trub/hops with a racking cane. Re-keg it and recarbonate it.

 

[Braufessor]

I would put stainless steel mesh over the end of the dip tube and rack it under pressure to another keg.

 

[trussell]

If you have an empty keg I guess you could try racking it. Make sure the keg is cold to try to keep the co2 in solution. Be a shame to let hoppy goodness go to waste.

 

[Braufessor]

Could also let it settle all back down, bend your dip tube up a bit and it will draw from above the hops. Again, rack under pressure to another keg.

 

[LateraLex]

Sounds unanimous... good advice guys.

 

[nextgenxx]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1417752444.417732.jpg
Do this, just blended a split batch IPA back together again. Now I have a new brew!

 

[day_trippr]

lmao! If he could actually do ^that^ he would never have started this thread.

It's all about that dip tube full of hops...

Cheers!

 

[LateraLex]

lmao! If he could actually do ^that^ he would never have started this thread.

It's all about that dip tube full of hops...

Cheers!

I'm glad you said it so I didn't have to

 

[barnaclebob]

Does racking work well with carbed beer? I'm guessing it wouldn't but I haven't tried it. You could let the hops settle, then gently turn the keg on its side and transfer from the CO2 side to avoid picking up the trub and having to decarb it.

 

[Hello]

You can bend or cut the dip tube and that can be your IPA keg. Just don't cut it too much at once.

 

[Melana]

I have had this problem too... after about four or five (maybe six or seven) attempts to get it going and clogging the dip tube it fixed itself. At the time I did not have a full keg to rack into and we were thirsty.

 

[241]

Some people have cut their dip tubes by about an inch specifically because of trub and hop clogs. Just get an extra dip tube, hack off some of the bottom and toss it in.

 

[msween21]

The shortened diptube sounds like an interesting idea. Might have to try that one too.

 

[pvpeacock]

I was having the same problem, so I bought a tube cutter at the hardware store for a few bucks and cut off about a half an inch on all of my dip tubes. Works like a charm.


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[NickTheGreat]

I have had this problem too... after about four or five (maybe six or seven) attempts to get it going and clogging the dip tube it fixed itself. At the time I did not have a full keg to rack into and we were thirsty.

I had this with this Imperial IPA I made. I bet I unclogged / rebent the dip tube 10 times. It finally cleared, but what a PITA

 

[Melana]

I had this with this Imperial IPA I made. I bet I unclogged / rebent the dip tube 10 times. It finally cleared, but what a PITA

exactly this. now i'm a tad more careful.

 

[Conman13]

Have you tried setting the pressure to an obscene amount and just brute force blowing it out of there? It's bound to start flowing eventually if you set it at 50 PSI and leave the faucet open.

 

[NickTheGreat]

Have you tried setting the pressure to an obscene amount and just brute force blowing it out of there? It's bound to start flowing eventually if you set it at 50 PSI and leave the faucet open.

I tried that, and also blew CO2 back through the tube. Which didn't help as much as you'd have thought

 

[Schecter]

Heres what you do.

Take the lid of the keg. Don't need it anymore.

Install twenty pound metal handle on side of keg.

Use as stein. Prost.

 

[barnaclebob]

Have you tried setting the pressure to an obscene amount and just brute force blowing it out of there? It's bound to start flowing eventually if you set it at 50 PSI and leave the faucet open.

You'd likely just drive the clog downstream to the poppet which would be worse.

 

[dierythmus]

I was having the same problem, so I bought a tube cutter at the hardware store for a few bucks and cut off about a half an inch on all of my dip tubes. Works like a charm.

I did the same - no problems and super easy!

 

[BlkWater_brewer]

Why would you cut off part of the dip tube when you can easily just put a gradual bend in it long enough to drain it. Then bend it back when you clean it.

I had this same problem with a Kiwi IPA, it was fine for awhile but I moved it to bring to a club picnic and the problems started. Ended up dumping it. After the transfer I had lost the bulk of the carbonation and all of the flavor.

 

[SeeMont]

I had a plugged keg with berry pulp, Keg naturally carbed. Here is what I did. Super chilled the keg, this settles down the co2 as well as the hops. Pull and clean drip tube. If you want to shorten or bend, your choice, I didn't. I racked to another keg with an Out to Out jumper and ALSO removing the poppet valve and the gut from the quick disconnects. I push with 10 PSI. Hope this helps, it is a PITA

 

[ross_daly]

you could easily switch the fittings and draw the beer off the top by tilting the keg, right?

 

[pvpeacock]

This just happened to me again, but after 3/4 of the beer had already been dispensed without issues. It happened with one of the kegs I have which still has a full length dip tube (the rest I cut approx. 1/2 inch off the ends of the tubes). This time, instead of cutting the dip tube, I grabbed my stainless turkey baster and sanitized it with Starsan. I then opened the keg lid and sucked out the debris in the indentation at the bottom of the keg. After sucking out 3-4 turkey basters of hop debris and yeast sediment, the keg flows perfectly. I was only able to reach the bottom because the keg was only 1/4 full, so this would not work on a full keg (unless you stuck your arm in the beer). However, it saved me 1/4 keg of really good Waimea SMASH.

 

[Pscdouglas]

Siphon carefully and slowly to another keg, keep it cold so the CO2 doesn't come out of solution. I have cut all my dip tubes by about 1/2" to 3/4". It works great and doesn't leave behind as much beer as people think. You have more beer in your line than you waste at the bottom and its full of wasted yeast anyway...nobody likes to drink that anyhow.

 

[hopsandhops]

I had this problem last night on an Azacca Pale I kegged that kept clogging the poppet spring. I have a spare CO2 tank and regulator, so I brought the keg outside, took the post off, hooked up the CO2 and boom! beer geyser onto the lawn.. It cleared all the gunk, I put the post back on and now it pours fine :rockin: