dry hopping in carbonated keg disaster. need help.

Mon Jun 28, 2010 10:24 pm

I think my dry-hop pellet bag broke, or opened up somehow in my cornelius keg (I dry hop with a bag in keg, then carbonate and serve)... So I now can't "serve" but a few ounces out into a pint glass before it clogs. I'm not getting any flow. I've back flushed CO2 into the keg to clear the line, but then seconds after attempting to serve beer out again, the dip tube clogs and all flow stops.

Does anyone have any solution?
Terrazza
 
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Re: dry hopping in carbonated keg disaster. need help.

Mon Jun 28, 2010 11:19 pm

Try dispensing from the gas end. You would have to add pressure through the gas inlet then switch your dispensing line to your gas connect. Slowly tilt the keg untill the level of liquid is covering your gas intake tube then dispense as much as you can untill you need to add more pressure. I would not pressurize via the out tube because you would stir up all your sedement. The object should be to let all that sediment stay on the bottom while you slowly pull clear beer off the top. I've never done this but it should work (in theory).

Good luck.
PB

Edit: make sure its not just the bag clogging it, fishing around with a sanitized coat hanger (preferably a clean non rusty one) can be helpful.
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Pharmbrewer
 
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Re: dry hopping in carbonated keg disaster. need help.

Tue Jun 29, 2010 2:25 am

Rack into another keg and recarbonate.
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Re: dry hopping in carbonated keg disaster. need help.

Tue Jun 29, 2010 3:40 am

Could see about this http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/b ... creen.html by carefully removing the diptube enough to put it on
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Henning1966
 
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Re: dry hopping in carbonated keg disaster. need help.

Tue Jun 29, 2010 6:16 am

Terrazza wrote:I think my dry-hop pellet bag broke, or opened up somehow in my cornelius keg (I dry hop with a bag in keg, then carbonate and serve)... So I now can't "serve" but a few ounces out into a pint glass before it clogs. I'm not getting any flow. I've back flushed CO2 into the keg to clear the line, but then seconds after attempting to serve beer out again, the dip tube clogs and all flow stops.

Does anyone have any solution?


You can lay the keg on its side and transfer to another keg though the gas post. Hook the CO2 up to the liquid connector and liquid line to a gas connector.

Ideally you would want the gas post at 6 o'clock and liquid post at 12 o'clock, but you may have to roll the keg to one side to prevent hop pellets from being sucked into the gas post.

BTW, I use this method to push star-san out of my kegs which all have had their dip tubes shortened by 1".
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Re: dry hopping in carbonated keg disaster. need help.

Tue Jun 29, 2010 7:25 am

Henning1966 wrote:Could see about this http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/b ... creen.html by carefully removing the diptube enough to put it on


That was my original thought too, but if the keg is full, he's going to have to stick his hand into his beer to attach it onto the dip tube. I don't think he'd be able to take the dip tube all the way out because I don't think that screen will slip through the opening in the keg.
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San_Diego_Matt
 
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Re: dry hopping in carbonated keg disaster. need help.

Tue Jun 29, 2010 10:37 am

I had thsi same problem. I cleaned and unclogged several timed before removing the dip tube and cutting off a half inch from the bottom. I cleaned the poppets and let it set for 4 or so hours. No problems serving since.
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Re: dry hopping in carbonated keg disaster. need help.

Tue Jun 29, 2010 10:44 am

Quin wrote:You can lay the keg on its side and transfer to another keg though the gas post. Hook the CO2 up to the liquid connector and liquid line to a gas connector.


I did exactly this once and it worked just fine. The short tube on the gas line serves as a stand-off to keep the hops and junk below the pickup level. Gently raise the foot of the keg and you will get almost all of the beer out.
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