Keg Blocked?

[chopdog]

Hey guys, I have just finished carbing a IPA and when I hooked up the beer line I can't get any beer out the line. Im thinking that maybe the pickup tube is blocked as this is the first time I have dry hopped pellets in the keg. How can I fix this???





Cheers :icon_chickcheers:

 

[Bubba Q]

might not be the pickup tube, try having a look at your beer lines, i had an issue once where all the beer in the lines were frozen solid.

 

[pk.sax]

if it is indeed the pickup tube, connect the gas line to the beer out, via a NRV and give it a spurt to unblock it.

 

[chopdog]

might not be the pickup tube, try having a look at your beer lines, i had an issue once where all the beer in the lines were frozen solid.

Thanks mate but already checked that and all the other beer lines are fine, they dont work on that keg either

 

[DUANNE]

did you throw the pellets in the keg loose? if so i can see alot of frustration before the keg blows. the above method is what has worked for me in the past.

 

[the_new_darren]

If you threw pellets directly in the keg, then you are rooted.

Degas, pull off disconnect. Clean poppet. Probably best to transfer beer to another keg as it will just happen again.

Take home message: Never throw pellets straight into a keg!!

cheers

tnd

 

[TasChris]

If you threw pellets directly in the keg, then you are rooted.

Degas, pull off disconnect. Clean poppet. Probably best to transfer beer to another keg as it will just happen again.

Take home message: Never throw pellets straight into a keg!!

cheers

tnd

Rubbish Darren.

Fine to throw pellets into the keg, just put them in a sterilized hop bag first
The will settle to the bottom in a little time. Maybe a stainless steel scrubby over the end of the dip tube will screen out most of it.
Cheers
Chris

 

[mxd]

if it is indeed the pickup tube, connect the gas line to the beer out, via a NRV and give it a spurt to unblock it.

+1

 

[bignath]

A little off topic, but kind of related given some of the above information.

i know you can either put the gas connect on the beer out, or the beer out on the gas in. I know one of them will give you a disconnect stuck on the post, which one is ok and which one isn't....I forget.

 

[Amber Fluid]

Cover the post and push the poppet to ensure it maybe a blocked tube. Beer will come out if it isn't blocked.

If blocked then do what practiclefool suggested. If not blocked then it is not a keg issue.

 

[Batz]

Rubbish Darren.

Fine to throw pellets into the keg, just put them in a sterilized hop bag first
The will settle to the bottom in a little time. Maybe a stainless steel scrubby over the end of the dip tube will screen out most of it.
Cheers
Chris

I think Darren was making that point Chris, use a hop bag or tea ball. If the hops were chucked in without putting them in some type of retainer your going to learn to hate that keg real quick.

Batz

 

[jamiefbacon]

Ive done this once before thrown loose hop pellets in i tryed everything. But the hops pellets had broken up into to small a bits and were top to bottem of keg in the beer so i couldnt syphon to new keg easily without getting hops in new keg i threw it and learnt a lesson dont throw loose hop pellets in keg!!! Good luck

 

[Ross]

A little tip to get you out of trouble..... unscrew the beer post & remove the poppet, then screw your post back on. You'll need to connect the beer disconnect before the gas one & leave it on till the keg's finished, but it will stop your keg getting continually blocked & solve your problem.

cheers Ross

 

[Batz]

A little tip to get you out of trouble..... unscrew the beer post & remove the poppet, then screw your post back on. You'll need to connect the beer disconnect before the gas one & leave it on till the keg's finished, but it will stop your keg getting continually blocked & solve your problem.

cheers Ross

A few hops in your glass, good idea Ross. Will the disconnect still work ie will the pin push up?

 

[benno1973]

If it's not the keg/post/poppet that's the issue, it may be the tap. I use a randall with pellets, but sometimes the pellets are so fine that they get through the mesh screen, which ultimately blocks the taps (I have the euro taps with flow controllers). Remove the tap, dismantle it and clean it thoroughly. It's also worth running beer out the font without the tap coinnected, to clear out any hop debris before putting the tap back on.

 

[Batz]

I use a randall with pellets,

I'll like to see a pic of that Kaiser.


Batz

 

[Florian]

Will the disconnect still work ie will the pin push up?

No, it won't.

 

[Batz]

No, it won't.

Well I know that mate just wondering how Ross got around it.

Having a nice Pilsner atm cobber.

Batz

 

[TasChris]

I think Darren was making that point Chris, use a hop bag or tea ball. If the hops were chucked in without putting them in some type of retainer your going to learn to hate that keg real quick.

Batz

Hmmm I fired from the hip without reading properly. My apologies Darren. Thanks Batz

Cheers
Chris

 

[benno1973]

I'll like to see a pic of that Kaiser.


Batz

Hey Batz,

I use one of these 5-inch water filters that I picked up on ebay for $5. I use the supplied 10-micron mesh filter, and I have a beer-out keg post screwed into the RHS of the unit, and a small length of line with a beer-out QD from the top. That way I can connect it inline easily and disconnect it easily when the contents are done.

It works a treat with most pellets, unless you get the powdery pellet dust at the bottom of a bag. These pass through the filter and block my tap.

When I built it I took pics to post, but I obviously never got round to it. So some pics as follows: