My Kegged Beer Is Crap Compared To My Bottled Beer

[bjl]

Hi all

An ag brew I put down about 6 weeks ago was a dark lager based on the Ayinger Altbarish Dunkel recipe in Wheeler and Protz book "Brew classic European Beers at home".
It spent 9 days in primary, seven in secondary and after filling a corny keg, I had enough left over to fill 6 largies.
The keg was then lagered for 3 weeks at 1deg, a small amount of CO2 was put on it. The largies were carbonated with the appropriate amount of dextrose, and just left to carbonate at room temperature.
After 3 weeks I decided to give the kegged beer a try only to be a little disapointed. It was very merky, no real flavour. I then checked on the largies and they were clearer through a brown bottle than the kegged beer was through a glass. Immediately I thought chill haze so I chilled the bottled beer down to 5 deg, it was still crystal clear and tasted a whole lot better than the kegged equivalent.
I had the two side by side, let the temps on both rise to 10deg, the kegged beer was still very hazy and flavourless, the bottled one the opposite. This isn't the first beer of mine to do this. I went to kegs to get rid of dextrose and save on bottle washing time but so far the results aren't impressing me.
Has anyone else out there experienced this or is there something I'm doing wrong. I don't understand how there can be so much difference between the 2. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Bjl

 

[razz]

Did you gas up the keg after only having it under "a small amount of CO2" ?

 

[Adamt]

It's likely your first glass pulled a whole lot of solids that settled during lagering (the dip tube usually goes right to the bottom). You should notice a difference in subsequent glasses poured from the keg.

 

[bjl]

Did you gas up the keg after only having it under "a small amount of CO2" ?

No, I just burped the keg, then dropped it down to 1deg. Should I be carbonating it whilst its lagering?
Also, I've emptied about 1 litre so far hoping to clear the area around the pick up tube.

 

[razz]

You need to have the beer carbed up to serving pressure. You will be surprised at the difference in flavour. Go into the wiki topics and find the article on balanceing your draught system.

 

[bjl]

You need to have the beer carbed up to serving pressure. You will be surprised at the difference in flavour. Go into the wiki topics and find the article on balanceing your draught system.

Razz,
Thanks for the input, I'll look it up. Does this help with the clarity issues to?

 

[razz]

Probably not, that may have been suspended yeast. I've been kegging for years, and there is a saying on this forum. "You now when the kegs about finished, the beer has never poured so bright." (or words to that effect)

 

[bjl]

I usually have my beer balanced at 14psi at 4deg, the reckoner says 6deg for that pressure. I'll adjust the pressure and give it time and see how it goes.

Thanks
BJL

 

[lagers44]

I've found that i have the opposite effect , i've found my bottled beers inferior to the same kegged beer. The bottles tend to have more chill haze & Autolysis flavours where-as the keg beer seems to have none of these flavours & takes longer to mature.

Lagers

 

[Weizguy]

So, tell us more about the beer. Is it any good?

I used their Schneider recipe, from the book, and it's close. Happy to discuss Schneider elsewhere. tho'.

I was eyeing that recipe, and I hear that's its the epitome of the Dunkel style. Did you use the Ayinger yeast?

Les

 

[bjl]

So, tell us more about the beer. Is it any good?

I used their Schneider recipe, from the book, and it's close. Happy to discuss Schneider elsewhere. tho'.

I was eyeing that recipe, and I hear that's its the epitome of the Dunkel style. Did you use the Ayinger yeast?

Les

Les,

I haven't tried the original Ayinger Dunkel, but I'm very happy with how this one tastes in the bottle, even after only 3 weeks. I used Wyeast 2124 bohemian lager yeast. If you're ever in the Maitland area, drop in and I'll give you a bottle, and you can give me some weizen tips. I'll PM you my details.

Cheers
BJL

 

[bjl]

I've found that i have the opposite effect , i've found my bottled beers inferior to the same kegged beer. The bottles tend to have more chill haze & Autolysis flavours where-as the keg beer seems to have none of these flavours & takes longer to mature.

Lagers

Lagers

What sort of time frame are you talking about and is this just flavour or clarity as well?

BJL

 

[Cortez The Killer]

I find my kegged beers are a little murky for the first few pints but they clear up pretty quickly

Just re-read the thread - you'll need to carb the beer up to get a proper appreciation of it

It amazing what some bubbles will do for your beer

Cheers

 

[lagers44]

Lagers

What sort of time frame are you talking about and is this just flavour or clarity as well?

BJL

Well BJL ,after kegging i usually have enough for a couple of bottles which i usually drink 3-4weeks after kegging. I know that the keg is kept at 4C during this time and the bottles at room temp & chilled for 1day before drinking which aids the keg clearing.
The flavour seems fresher & cleaner in the keg i think due to the fact that there is much less yeast in the keg than bottle and probably because secondary fermentation is at uncontrolled warmer temps where the yeast can add some esters and other flavours, also at this time the yeast breaks down more complex sugars. All this doesn't happen in the keg or as fast a bottles anyway.

Lagers

 

[bjl]

Thanks everyone for your input. A month later in the keg, the beer has cleared and is much more flavoursome.

BJL