Cloudy Keg

[UsernameTaken]

I'm new to kegs and my first pale ale worked a treat.

My second however is insanely cloudy and I am wondering if it will settle out or if I filled it too quickly and pulled too much trube through?

I am pretty sure with my first keg I opened the tap on the fermenter all the way open to fill it?

The beer is the same recipe with slightly different hops. It has only been in the keg 2 days. I was just curious to check the carbonation from day to day.

My first keg sat in the fridge for 3 weeks untouched as I was away.

I was getting pretty clear beer when I was bottling and was hoping in kegs it would be even clearer without the secondary fermentation.

But so far it has been very cloudy...

Any hints appreciated???

Chers,
UNT

 

[quadbox]

It'll clear over time, but tbh if it's cloudy you would have been better off leaving it in the fermenter another day or two to clear more. And crash chill it if you are able.

If it is particularly cloudy you could always throw some gelatin in there.

Unlikely to be about your filling speed, you shouldn't be pulling up any yeast cake anyway if it is completely settled. Of course some strains of yeast are worse than others, and us-05/wlp-001/1056 can sometimes be slow to clear

 

[UsernameTaken]

It was cold crashed for 5 days and in the fermenter for a total 18 days.

Yeast is Windsor.

I have bottled this same brew many times and never seen it so cloudy?

 

[Drewski]

Gelatin will work wonders, i follow the below guide. Should get the beer crystal clear after a day or two. First pint or two will be very cloudy.
http://www.bertusbrewery.com/2012/06/how-to-clear-your-beer-with-gelatin.html

 

[UsernameTaken]

Cool. I have been considering gelatin but now I am convinced!

We do not have a microwave, do you think I could do the same thing in a saucepan on the stove?

Also, I would like to do it in the fermenter during the cold crashing, those first few cloudy pours sound like a waste!

So would you suggest early in the crash or later just before kegging?

Cheers,
UNT

 

[Blind Dog]

Pour a glass and let it warm up to room temperature (21C). If it clears, you have chill haze and there are various 'cures' available.

If it doesn't, it may well be suspended yeast which should drop out of solution over time, although gelatine or isinglass can help speed up the process,p.

It could also be hop haze which, AFAIK, is permanent.

Maybe post the recipe and photos?

 

[manticle]

Remember the dip tube is at the bottom so whatever particulate matter goes into the keg will get pulled through.

Clarify the beer (finings, chill, secondary transfer, whatever) and you will generally get a pretty clear pour very quickly. If you have haze issues related to stuff that doesn't drop out so easily (eg: starch but that should be rare and indicates major process issues), then it's harder but generally clear beer in = clear beer out.

 

[UsernameTaken]

Let a glass come to room temp, zero change, still cloudy as mud!

Will now try gelatine in the keg???

Cheers,
UNT

 

[manticle]

If you let that glass settle, covered in the fridge, see how much yeast sediment drops to the bottom over a few hours. If a reasonable amount, it's likely trub carryover that's your issue (or kegging too early with too much still in suspension).

 

[UsernameTaken]

Glass covered in the fridge overnight, no change!

Gelatine added 22 hours ago, will leave a little longer before checking?

Happy New Year!

Cheers,
UNT

 

[UsernameTaken]

Some improvement after adding gelatin to the keg but the beer is still a long way from clear?

It's an all grain pale ale with 70% pilsner, 20% white wheat, 6% cara pils, 4% crystal, 120g hops at flame out and another 120g dry.

When I was bottling this same beer it was ending up much clearer!

Cheers,
UNT

 

[klangers]

Stupid question but are you agitating the keg whenever you sample?

 

[Coodgee]

Some improvement after adding gelatin to the keg but the beer is still a long way from clear?

It's an all grain pale ale with 70% pilsner, 20% white wheat, 6% cara pils, 4% crystal, 120g hops at flame out and another 120g dry.

When I was bottling this same beer it was ending up much clearer!

Cheers,
UNT

keep in mind the gelatin doesn't make the haze particles disappear, it just causes them to settle out of solution faster. Your keg dip tube is pulling beer from the very bottom of the keg so you should expect to get a few cloudy beers before it comes clear. And like klangers mentioned, every time you agitate the keg it will stir it all up again.

 

[gap]

is the 20% white wheat raw or malted??
It will certainly add cloudiness.

 

[Gloveski]

as also new to kegging and homebrewing in general , with regards to using gelatine I decided to use it in the fermenting stage during cold crashing I know alot use it in the kegging process but for me so far 6 kegs down they have all been crystal clear . Now that I am going from K&K to all grain will be interesting to see if any difference. I also use a racking cane for what it's worth

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

I will add that gelatine in the keg on hop forward beers seems to mute the hops a little in my experience. Not sure if that's more the interaction between yeast and hops, but I've had to avoid gelatine in my hoppy beers.

 

[UsernameTaken]

Sorry, I did not receive any notification of these replies despite following the topic?

I am not agitating the keg when serving.

And I am not sure if the white wheat is malted or not? I assume it is as there are no obvious malt flakes in the bag of crushed grain!

The beer is defiantly better now after being in the keg 11 days, so I am not sure if time or gelatine or both did the trick?

I will be kegging again next week and plan to siphon from the top rather than going through the tap!

I am also now not sure if I will use gelatine again or not?

Cheers,
UNT

 

[manticle]

Gelatine in the keg is a last resort fix. Better to calrify in fermenting vessel first (whether by time, cold or fine is up to your patience) and transfer clear beer to keg.

 

[UsernameTaken]

Agreed - I have been cold crashing for 7 days with great results when bottling, so was surprised that the same process caused such muddy beer in my keg!

Am I right thinking if it is clear beer going in to the keg then there should be nothing else needing to settle or drop out?

I just crashed 2 more batches last night and am now debating the pros and cons of adding gelatine?

Kegging in 7 days time will be 19 days on the yeast which I would not want to go too far over?

Cheers,
UNT

 

[manticle]

Pretty much although depending on how you transfer and when you stop, you may bring some of the sediment back up into solution.
This is why I now do a secondary transfer before kegging, despite the unpopularity of secondary vessels.