Clearing In A Keg

[Brewlord]

Guys

I have beenbrewing with kits for about 2 years and have recently started kegging. I am happy with clearing in a cube before transferring into a keg and force carbonating.

I have and heard that it might work to use a keg as a 'clearing vessel' and then with back-to-back black beer connector and a length of hose in between, transfer the cleared beer into a second keg using gas pressure to force the beer from the first (as per a normal pour) and into the second via the connection to the normal beer outlet. (I have also been told that you need to crop the dip tube slightly in what would be used as the clearing keg to reduce sediment pickup. Alternatively fit a 10 micron inline filter therfore keeping the keg to be in the same configuration as all the other and therefore reduce that 500ml of potential waste from a shorter pickup everytime you may use this keg.)

My question is that regardless of the expense of buying another keg etc for this purpose, do the merits of the final product (beer is cleared in a dark well sealed vessel containing any developed / added co2 effectively and less chance of splashing, lower level of exposure to elements etc) outweigh the normal plastic cube clearing method?

I am happy to do either method but from a clear beer / easy method perspective, just thought I'd test the water as to what everyones experiences are.

Thanks

:icon_cheers:

 

[The Big Burper]

Guys

I have beenbrewing with kits for about 2 years and have recently started kegging. I am happy with clearing in a cube before transferring into a keg and force carbonating.

I have and heard that it might work to use a keg as a 'clearing vessel' and then with back-to-back black beer connector and a length of hose in between, transfer the cleared beer into a second keg using gas pressure to force the beer from the first (as per a normal pour) and into the second via the connection to the normal beer outlet. (I have also been told that you need to crop the dip tube slightly in what would be used as the clearing keg to reduce sediment pickup. Alternatively fit a 10 micron inline filter therfore keeping the keg to be in the same configuration as all the other and therefore reduce that 500ml of potential waste from a shorter pickup everytime you may use this keg.)

My question is that regardless of the expense of buying another keg etc for this purpose, do the merits of the final product (beer is cleared in a dark well sealed vessel containing any developed / added co2 effectively and less chance of splashing, lower level of exposure to elements etc) outweigh the normal plastic cube clearing method?

I am happy to do either method but from a clear beer / easy method perspective, just thought I'd test the water as to what everyones experiences are.

Thanks

:icon_cheers:

BL,

My philosophy is keep it simple. I used to rack to a secondary and fridge for a week
before kegging. It does help to clear the beer, but then I've got another carboy to
clean. So now I leave it in the primary fermenter for 14 days and keg it straight from
there.

The end result is not as clear as racking, but it's not all that bad either. Just think of
all the extra vitamin B you are getting from the yeasties clouding the beer. This also
allows you to cut down on your consumption of Vegemite. :icon_cheers:

So, IMHO, it's not worth all the extra effort.

cheers
Dave

 

[buttersd70]

The keg transfer you are talking about is one that is mentioned in a few posts, and has been dubbed by many as the Zwickel method. With the diptube, though, don't cut or crop it- once you do, it's irreversable. Just pull it out, and give it a (very) slight bend to bring it up off the bottom of the keg more.
Personaly, that is how I planned on clearing mine. But, plans change....I never got around to doing it yet. Once the beer is clear in he keg with the diptube off the bottom, you can just dispense straight out of that. If I was planning on taking a keg out, though, I can then transfer to another keg, leaving the yeast behind.

 

[Screwtop]

The keg transfer you are talking about is one that is mentioned in a few posts, and has been dubbed by many as the Zwickel method. With the diptube, though, don't cut or crop it- once you do, it's irreversable. Just pull it out, and give it a (very) slight bend to bring it up off the bottom of the keg more.
Personaly, that is how I planned on clearing mine. But, plans change....I never got around to doing it yet. Once the beer is clear in he keg with the diptube off the bottom, you can just dispense straight out of that. If I was planning on taking a keg out, though, I can then transfer to another keg, leaving the yeast behind.

My method also, I rack straight from the fermenter to gelatine in a keg. No probs so long as you don't move your keg, if you want to take a keg or party keg somewhere, just use the Zwickel transfer method and leave the crud behind in the first keg.

Screwy

 

[Jazzafish]

My method also, I rack straight from the fermenter to gelatine in a keg. No probs so long as you don't move your keg, if you want to take a keg or party keg somewhere, just use the Zwickel transfer method and leave the crud behind in the first keg.

Screwy

Same here, but I add the finings when the beer is chilled. If I want it bright I will filter out of my conditioning keg... Depends on the beer.

Worth it for sure... that said a fermenter will do the same job... but takes up more room than a keg in my set up.