Clog in keg?

[thatguy314]

I brewed an oatmeal stout, I thought I racked it pretty well, but I apparently had a little bit of yeasty sediement in my keg. I didn't worry too much at first. It's now carbonated and I've been drinking it for a little while. But now that I'm halfway through the keg, I found a clog of my dip tube. I blew it out but releasing the pressure valve and running CO2 through the dip tube, but it keeps clogging again after half glass or so is poured.

What are my options here?

[Mylo]

That sounds like more than just yeast that is clogging the dip tube (hops? trub?). I think your only option is to let it settle, and then re-rack to another keg, using a racking cane.


Mylo

[TapItGood]

It is a good idea to take about an inch off the end of the dip tube to avoid this problem in the future.

[San_Diego_Matt]

It is a good idea to take about an inch off the end of the dip tube to avoid this problem in the future.

I heard this mentioned on the first drunk Sunday Session show this morning on the way to work on the trolley. Matt Bryndlson (sp?) from Firestone was there and some guy was talking about having dry hopped in his keg without a hop sack and it kept clogging his dip tube.

They mentioned either using a hop sack or cutting an inch off the bottom of hte dip tube to allow stuff to settle without causing any clogging.

I haven't started kegging yet, but i'm gathering parts to do so and I'm wondering how much actual beer will be left on the bottom of the keg with a 1" shorter than normal dip tube? None of my beers have been super clear yet and at this point it's really not a goal of mine, but if i ever start making really clear beers, is there going to be a condierable amoutn of it that's unreachable?

[Mylo]

It's probably 2-3 pints or so.


Mylo

[ApresSkiBrewer]

I haven't trimmed my dip tubes yet... but if I dry hop and whatnot, I sometimes get a little bit of hop particulate into the keg, and rarely into the glass... but on the clarifying note, I don't filter yet (just tried gelatin for the first time), but I noticed that after 4 weeks or so in the kegorater at 38-40... The beer clears up really really nice... not crystal, but a step down.

I don't know if I can risk those three pints... but it's probably better in the long run.

Case in point, you can get clear beer... even without filtering or using gelatin, and just 'lagering' in a sense.

[SacoDeToro]

On rare occasion, I've had gelatin finings clog my dip tube. I simply bleed the pressure out of head space on the keg, sanitize my CO2 fittings (keg and gas supply), and fire a quick burst of CO2 down the beer fitting. Granted, the gas fitting doesn't really fit on the beer fitting (ball lock), but you can get things pushed on just enough for the gas to get in there. That's always seemed to clear whatever clog I may have had and I've never had a keg re-clog afterward.

[Quin]

I think I have heard others saying they laid the keg on its side with the gas side down and transferred through the gas side? You might try that after blowing out the dip tube.