So this last week I kegged my homebrew for the first time and I used 2 oz of pellets to dry hop in a muslin bag. Not thinking I left the dry hops in there, then decided to hell with it it'll b ok. I bounced the keg around a bunch as I was hooking it up to carbonate and decided to take a test pour of the flat beer. It came out pretty gross and muddy looking with a ton of hop particles. Will the beer clear our as it sits in one spot at 38* for a few days or am I screwed on this one? When I checked the hops sunk to the bottom, so I would really like to avoid having to reach that far down to grab them. Looking for any advice or experience, thanks!
Regardless of how careful you are it always seems that some hop matter makes it to the bottom of the keg. You should be fine after a few pours.
Ok cool. This was my thought too but after all the work I put into it I would have been bummed if every pour is crappy. It's been one of my best homebrews yet before it poured all nasty.
As jlordi12 said, that's normal. It'll clear up after a couple of pours. Many remove the hops after a week or two, while others prefer to leave them in for the duration (I used to be in the latter group until I noticed a funky flavor that would develop after a few weeks). To remove the hops, I simply move the beer to another keg, leaving most of the hop gunk behind. Purge a clean, sanitized keg with CO2, then disconnect the gas. Hook up a jumper between the 'OUT' posts on the two kegs (you'll need two liquid connectors and a length of tubing). Pull up on the pressure release valve on the receiving keg and the beer will slowly transfer. I use clear tubing, so I can see when I've reached the dregs - that's how you can tell when it's time to stop.
Great idea. The keg I currently have is one I borrowed, so when I do purchase my own I'll make sure to buy two just for this reason alone.
When buying kegs, the rule of thumb is to take the number of kegs that you think you'll ever need for the rest of your brewing career and double it. Then double it again. (of course, that was a bit easier when kegs could be bought for under $20 shipped )
I had the same issue with my Imperial Red IPA, it settled out after a few days, then when I moved all my kegs around in the fridge this past weekend, boom, there it was again, had to settle back out again.
Muslin bags have a pretty coarse mesh, don't they? I have dry hopped in the keg with pellets in knee high nude panty hose, weighted with marbles, secured to the underside of the lid relief valve with a piece of fishing line and a stainless clamp. Works like a champ. And you can remove it easily anytime you desire. You'll certainly see some gunk initially (still tastes great), but it will clear after normal settling and a few pints.
