Issues after dry hopping in keg....

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by trevord13, Mar 13, 2015.

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  1. trevord13

    trevord13 Initiate (0) Sep 30, 2010 Virginia

    I recently brewed an all galaxy IPA (85% Golden Promise / 10% Flaked Oats / 5% C-10) using Yeast Bay Vermont Ale strain. Brew day, fermentation, and cold crash all went as planned. After cold crashing at 35 for 3 days I transferred into a fully cleaned keg and added 4oz of Galaxy hops to a cleaned and sanitized 1gal paint strainer, which I attached to the lid with unflavored dental floss ….. this is the same procedure I always use with good results. The keg was cleaned with PBW, rinsed with hot water, filled with Starsan, and purged with CO2 prior to being filled with an auto siphon.

    Now prior to the dry hop the beer was rather clear for the yeast strain, and tasted great. Following 5 days of dry hopping and a 36hr cold crash in my fridge the beer is horrible looking. It tastes really good, but looks milky? It`s very hazy with a slight hint of orange, but in no way resembles beer. I pulled maybe 3-4 pints from the keg last night with no change in the beer. Tastes like Conan + Galaxy, looks like a 3 day old melted creamsicle.

    Any idea what could be going on here? I really doubt infection, but I certainly can`t rule it out.
     
    #1 trevord13, Mar 13, 2015
  2. wspscott

    wspscott Pooh-Bah (1,958) May 25, 2006 Kentucky
    Pooh-Bah

    No idea, but I would like to see a picture :slight_smile:
     
    #2 wspscott, Mar 13, 2015
  3. GreenKrusty101

    GreenKrusty101 Initiate (0) Dec 4, 2008 Nevada

    Do you always use "paint strainers" for hop bags? I have found them to be much too coarse for dryhopping with pellets. (not to mention way too big for 4 oz of hops)
     
    #3 GreenKrusty101, Mar 13, 2015
  4. trevord13

    trevord13 Initiate (0) Sep 30, 2010 Virginia

    I have used them regularly, with up to 3oz of dry hops in the keg without any problem. This is the first time I`ve had this crazy hazy milky looking issue. I just pulled the dry hops last night, so it might clear up a little now that the bag has been removed and the beer is cold/carbing.
     
    #4 trevord13, Mar 13, 2015
  5. trevord13

    trevord13 Initiate (0) Sep 30, 2010 Virginia

    Needless to say, the DIPA that I pitched on top of the yeast cake will be dry hopped much differently. I was aiming for 3 dry hop additions - 1 in primary, and 2 in the keg, but after this I may go 2 in primary and one final 3oz addition in the keg.
     
    #5 trevord13, Mar 13, 2015
  6. telejunkie

    telejunkie Savant (1,107) Sep 14, 2007 Vermont

    just a little patience...personally think it should clear, don't think there is anything odd going on...just some odd haze issues that should hopefully clear up. Personally think it's just yeast that was slow to flocc out.

    Would also say don't bother with the multi-layers of dry hops unless you adding dry hops while fermentation is still occurring. Pro-brewers will layer their hops because of the shape of the conicals and how pellet hops settle to the bottom of the cone. That's not an issue for homebrewers. One charge is all that is needed. But be careful of volcanoes if you add dry hops to a still active fermenter.
     
    #6 telejunkie, Mar 13, 2015
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  7. PortLargo

    PortLargo Pooh-Bah (1,831) Oct 19, 2012 Florida
    Pooh-Bah

    I regularly dh with paint strainer bags in kegs, sometimes as much as 4 oz, and never had the problem you describe. I get hop sediment at the bottom of keg, but that pours off in ~8 oz after a couple of days. Conan is a low flocc'er, but it shouldn't get worse after cold crashing. My guess is you have something chemically reacting in the brew. Was this a new bag? If so, did you boil/treat the bag at all? I almost always see an improvement in clarity whilst carbing. If it tastes good now I wouldn't be shy about bending an elbow. Break out those opaque beer steins and quaff away . . .
     
    #7 PortLargo, Mar 13, 2015
  8. trevord13

    trevord13 Initiate (0) Sep 30, 2010 Virginia

    The beer tastes fine, just looks like something I have never seen before. The bag had been used before and was cleaned with hot water, soaked in PBW overnight, rinsed with near boiling water, and left in StarSan for an hour or so before it was used. Right before adding to the keg I also spray the bag, keg lid, and floss heavily with Starsan.

    Re. Multi-layer Hopping.
    My first dry hop addition will be at day 8 of fermentation, so there should still be some activity in there.
     
    #8 trevord13, Mar 13, 2015
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