Help with hop debris in corny keg?

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by makisupapolice14, Aug 30, 2017.

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  1. makisupapolice14

    makisupapolice14 Pundit (799) Jun 5, 2005 New York

    i kegged a New England IPA last Thursday and dry hopped directly in the keg using one of those 300 micron stainless hop cylinders for the first time. I have dry hopped directly in the keg about a half dozen times prior using a voile hop bag and never had any hop debris or issues.

    The last few days I've poured some samples to assess carbonation and each pour has had a solid amount of hop debris. I'm guessing that the holes in the lid of this hop cylinder are too big to contain the pellets and particulate is escaping through them or the lid somehow fell off in the keg.My transfer from primary to keg was crystal clear and this is literally the only aspect of my process that has changed.

    The beer tastes good but has some extra hop bite due to the particulate and appearance wise could be better. How do I proceed?
    Wait it out through the weekend and hope the debris settles out over time and pours clean up? Depressurize the keg and pull the cylinder (I'm just worried this might introduce excess o2, which I worked very hard to limit thoughout being a ne IPA)? Drink it and who cares? Any other ideas ?
     
  2. jbakajust1

    jbakajust1 Pooh-Bah (2,552) Aug 25, 2009 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah

    You can jump it to another keg. You could also pour off a pint or two until it clears up.
     
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  3. DrMindbender

    DrMindbender Initiate (0) Jul 13, 2014 South Carolina

    I'll second @jbakajust1 about just pouring it off in the first few pints. I keg hop with similar 300 micron tubes and have particles in the first few pints off a keg, but it stops soon after.
     
  4. makisupapolice14

    makisupapolice14 Pundit (799) Jun 5, 2005 New York

    It's probably been more than a few pints thus far but still sediment. I'll be patient and try some more or jump of need be
     
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  5. Mohican88

    Mohican88 Initiate (0) Jan 20, 2010 Ohio

    I'd probably jump it to another keg and let things settle out for a few days, pull the debris with the first few pints and not look back.
     
  6. makisupapolice14

    makisupapolice14 Pundit (799) Jun 5, 2005 New York

    Never jumped carbonated beer from one keg to another. Any special tips for the transfer in terms of pressure, etc?
     
  7. Mohican88

    Mohican88 Initiate (0) Jan 20, 2010 Ohio

    I usually purge the head pressure on the keg I'm transferring from and set it to about 4 psi and jump as usual. It'll be a bit slow at this pressure but this is the method I use to prep for bottling from the keg and it works well here, too.

    I also run a tube or open cobra tap hooked to the beer in connection into a bowl of water or sanitizer to vent co2 and keep the transfer entirely closed. Alternatively, you can just open or slightly unscrew the prv valve.
     
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  8. GreenKrusty101

    GreenKrusty101 Initiate (0) Dec 4, 2008 Nevada

    This...coupled with moving the keg around and having the audacity of brewing a NEIPA and thinking the extra hopping wouldn't affect it's pourability (at least initially). :slight_smile:

    I had one NEIPA where I used coarse bags instead of fine and I ended up having to take my flow control faucet apart for cleaning.
     
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  9. jbakajust1

    jbakajust1 Pooh-Bah (2,552) Aug 25, 2009 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah

    Jumping carbonated beer is fairly simple. Take a length of beverage line, attach liquid out disconnects on both ends. Hook each up to the liquid posts on the kegs and push the beer from keg 1 with CO2 pressure into the next keg. Pull the PRV every so often on the filling keg to ease the pressure inside.
     
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  10. GreenKrusty101

    GreenKrusty101 Initiate (0) Dec 4, 2008 Nevada

    Yes, did it yesterday with a couple of beers I wanted to blend (and get more room in my keggerator. Just something that might make keeping the jumper clean easier for the OP...put an mfl fitting (screw on) on one end so that you can drain and sanitize quickly (I keep StarSan in mine when storing.
     
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  11. jbakajust1

    jbakajust1 Pooh-Bah (2,552) Aug 25, 2009 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah

    For sure. I tend to do things at the same time, like cleaning the keg after jumping out of it, and I will use that to push cleaner through the jumper line. I left beer in mine last time I used it and looked to find some nasty mold in the line. Time to replace the tubing.
     
  12. makisupapolice14

    makisupapolice14 Pundit (799) Jun 5, 2005 New York

    Just a quick update....after letting the keg sit for weekend my 2 pours last
    Night still had about the same amount of debris. Ended up transferring as recommended above and the transfer went well. I'll report back in a few days on taste and appearance. Thanks for the guidance!

    Ps...surprisingly the hop cylinder was still intact and suspended upon opening the original keg after the transfer. It appears all hop debris must've diffused out through the larger holes on the lid. Looks like I'll have to get some stainless mesh screen to cover these larger holes next go round
     
  13. makisupapolice14

    makisupapolice14 Pundit (799) Jun 5, 2005 New York

    Alright been settling since Sunday and hop debris free. Tastes damn good and haven't noticed any issues since the transfer. Thanks everyone! This will be brewed again soon!
    [​IMG]
     
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  14. hezagenius

    hezagenius Initiate (0) Jan 3, 2011 Iowa

    @makisupapolice14

    Another option down the road is to try a floating diptube system. I've seen multiple versions online. I use the Clear Beer Draft System. Instead of a metal diptube that runs to the bottom of the keg, it is a short diptube that you attach some silicone tubing to. The other end of the silicone tubing attaches to a stainless bobber that keeps the opening near the surface of the beer. This allows you to always draw beer from the surface instead of the bottom of the keg. I dry hop in the serving keg for many of my NEIPAs and this makes a huge difference.
     
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  15. makisupapolice14

    makisupapolice14 Pundit (799) Jun 5, 2005 New York

    Interesting looks like I have some reading to do
     
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