filtering your homebrew in pre-fermentation tank and/or Keg

[Samson's Brew&Ski]

Hey so Ive been filtering all my homebrews the past few years to what I thought was enough to be able to pour my beer out of my picnic faucet on my 5 gal keg smoothly...but every now and again I get the heart-dropping feeling knowing that my beer wont pour out of my keg due to a clog in the line, and it always happens at the worse times! Not what I like to see out of my hard-work homebrew when I'm showing my beer off to my friends and family. Im looking for a filter(s) that will fit that small neck on a glass carboy and/or a filter that fits a 5 gal slim keg hole. Anyone else run across this issue? TIA

 

[Bramling Cross]

You know your brewery far better than I do, but I can't help but get the feeling that maybe you're trying to cure the symptom rather than the cause of the problem.

What's causing the frequent clogs? Dry hops? Are you certain that the clogs are happening in your lines, not in your keg posts?

We'll help you to get this sorted out, but it would be helpful to know a bit more about what is happening.

 

[Stonehenge360]

+1 to above.

if you are dry hoping in kegs, I have never had great luck with that personally, but others have great success using filters on the ends of their dip tubes, a mesh tube that holds the hops inside the keg, a floating dip tube, or a combination of the above

if your clogs are hop or trub material but you are not keg dry hopping, we probably need to move up the process line and figure out how to avoid that getting in the keg in the first place.

 

[Samson's Brew&Ski]

You know your brewery far better than I do, but I can't help but get the feeling that maybe you're trying to cure the symptom rather than the cause of the problem.

What's causing the frequent clogs? Dry hops? Are you certain that the clogs are happening in your lines, not in your keg posts?

We'll help you to get this sorted out, but it would be helpful to know a bit more about what is happening.

So I brew my wort and then it hits first fermentation tank and then I transfer it to the secondary and then to the keg. I think what is happening is when im transferring it to the keg, I'm still transferring over left over trub and its clogging up my pick-up line.

*side note* I inspected my keg today and found when I took apart my quick disconnect, there was trub blocking the outlet to the hose to the picnic faucet. I need to make better sure in filtering the beer before it gets into the keg. Its happened a few times now and Im not sure where to go from here. I need a better filtering system possibly when im transferring it to the secondary or to the keg. Any ideas? Thanks

 

[Samson's Brew&Ski]

+1 to above.

if you are dry hoping in kegs, I have never had great luck with that personally, but others have great success using filters on the ends of their dip tubes, a mesh tube that holds the hops inside the keg, a floating dip tube, or a combination of the above

if your clogs are hop or trub material but you are not keg dry hopping, we probably need to move up the process line and figure out how to avoid that getting in the keg in the first place.

Hey please see my above response! Thanks

 

[Stonehenge360]

Are you using a syphon to move the wort around or do your fermenters have spigots near the bottom? There are a number of inline filter designs out there that you could use as you are filling the keg.

If it was me, I would grab a floating pickup tube, and see if that solves the problem. Any trub that happens to make its way to the keg should sink to the bottom when cold

I have floating pickups on all 5 of my kegs. They are a lot cheaper than a big filter setup

 

[Bramling Cross]

I don't think Stonehenge could've said it any better.

I also made the move to floating pickups on all my kegs and they're worth every penny.

Something that caught my attention is that you employ a secondary. That used to be standard practice, but during the early-90s people started to think critically about the use of a secondary. The practice has now been widely abandoned because it is generally held to cause more harm than good (there are a few exceptions, but they're pretty rare).

In your case, you're pulling excessive trub from your secondary. Clearly, something is going wrong here. A successful secondary should have little, if any, trub at the bottom of the vessel. A small layer of late-floccing yeast is not unusual, but enough material to clog a keg indicates that something is amiss in your secondary process.

I agree with Stonehenge, learning more about how you're making your transfers (and I'll add, when you're making your transfers and how you're determining that it is time to transfer) will help to move us toward a solution.

 

[apache_brew]

Need some more details on equipment you’re using and dry hopping etc..
If you’re transferring with a siphon, I’d say be as selective as you can with drawing clear beer off the top as you make your way down to the cake.

My general answer would be to cold crash your fermenter for at least 24 hours, and transfer to your serving keg with a floating dip tube and filter screen at the end of the floating dip tube (or selective siphoning) This will alleviate everything that will clog your poppets. From there, dose some biofine in you’re serving keg and then let it carbonate and be still. Dump the first cloudy pint and you’ll have brite beer after that. If you want a mobile keg, you’re gonna have to make a jumper line to transfer that beer into another corny keg to separate the fine sediment that dropped out from the biofine, using your first keg essentially as a “brite” tank.

 

[Jag75]

Agree with Apache on details of your equipment and process. Only filtration I use is whirfloc

Definitely stay away from secondaries. I tried dry hopping commando once . I immediately went back to bagging because of plugging. I even cold crashed.

On that note dont cold crash unless you have the means to stop suck back .

How long do you leave the beer in the fv ? Do you move your fv to the keg or the keg to the fv ? Sediment will kick up if you move it.

 

[Samson's Brew&Ski]

Are you using a syphon to move the wort around or do your fermenters have spigots near the bottom? There are a number of inline filter designs out there that you could use as you are filling the keg.

If it was me, I would grab a floating pickup tube, and see if that solves the problem. Any trub that happens to make its way to the keg should sink to the bottom when cold

I have floating pickups on all 5 of my kegs. They are a lot cheaper than a big filter setup

first of all, I'd like to thank everyone that has put some input in already! You guys rock...

I dont always use a secondary but with this beer I did, I know this was a falling out back when but I do enjoy having more processes to do as the beer goes along its journey.

I am a closet brewer so I do move my FV from its location to the keg in the basement from the closet. Different beers take different amount of time to ferment but I usually let them ferment for about 4-12 weeks.

I never cold crash while the brew is still in the FV, I always have moved the beer to the keg and then cool it from there.

I use a 5/8th drain from my brew kettle to the FV and then from there I use a 3/8th Syphon from FV to FV and use the same size syphon from the FV to the Keg. Theres two filters from the kettle to 1st FV and from there on, no more filters so I carefully use the syphon to suck up as much clean brew as possible.

From what Im reading, It seems that I should add in an in-line 3/8th barb filter(but at what micron?) or maybe just get a different set up in general? Maybe a different size syphon or a different fermentor that has a drain connection on it? For my ball lock 5 gal slim keg, I have a solid steel pick up line thats laid at the very bottom of the keg which will pick up any trub that may have been transferred over and clog up my faucet. Looks like what Im also reading is that investing in a floating pick up line for my keg will be very beneficiary.

 

[Stonehenge360]

To be totally honest, I am really surprised you have any trub in your keg at all,..you are way more thorough than I am. I don’t have any filters and just go from primary to keg and cool in keezer before I tap it.

I feel like the floating dip tube will help you, but i still think we have not hit on the actual cause of the problem of why there’s enough trub in the keg to give you issues. One screen should be enough to remove anything large enough to clog the poppit


Hate to even ask....possibly stupid question....but have you ever completely disassembled the ball lock fittings on the keg? Is it possible you have been dealing with the same clog over multiple brews?

 

[Bramling Cross]

Ah, ha!

Good thinking, Stonehenge! I'd pour you beer and give you five likes, if I could . Posts that have been gummed up for the duration of Samson's problem would explain the issue.

At any rate, I really don't think adding an in-line filter is going to solve the issue. Filters clog quickly, that's why I've only used my plate filter once.

 

[micraftbeer]

I agree with checking the posts/poppets to ensure debris free. One thing that also stands out to me is, the process of carrying your fermentor down the stairs before transferring. Just moving the fermentor could cause issues, but when you add in stairs, it seems like a certainty you'll get stuff all stirred up.

 

[Stonehenge360]

I agree with checking the posts/poppets to ensure debris free. One thing that also stands out to me is, the process of carrying your fermentor down the stairs before transferring. Just moving the fermentor could cause issues, but when you add in stairs, it seems like a certainty you'll get stuff all stirred up.

True. How long do you let it sit after you move it down the stairs? Even an hour under a towel to keep it dark would help

 

[Samson's Brew&Ski]

To be totally honest, I am really surprised you have any trub in your keg at all,..you are way more thorough than I am. I don’t have any filters and just go from primary to keg and cool in keezer before I tap it.

I feel like the floating dip tube will help you, but i still think we have not hit on the actual cause of the problem of why there’s enough trub in the keg to give you issues. One screen should be enough to remove anything large enough to clog the poppit


Hate to even ask....possibly stupid question....but have you ever completely disassembled the ball lock fittings on the keg? Is it possible you have been dealing with the same clog over multiple brews?

Yeah, me too! I feel like I have tried my best to keep my keg from clogging but to not avail. Im adding in a new filter on my kettle to see if that will help.

I also agree, floating dip tube will help but its not gonna fix the issue I'm having...

Funny that you ask, I just recently took apart the ball lock fittings and my pick up tube definitely was clogged up, so I went way over board and transferred all the beer back into my kettle, cleaned the $#it out of the Keg and transferred it back in, probably lost half a gallon, but now Im drinking my brew just fine! I dont think clog was from previous brews, just this one.

I honestly am thinking its due to shaking my FV as Im walking downstairs before I transfer the brew to the keg. Which sucks because thats human error and atm with my set up, I really cant help it, Ill have to let it sit for a longer period of time maybe a couple hours and then start the transfer.

Appriciate all the support

 

[Samson's Brew&Ski]

Ah, ha!

Good thinking, Stonehenge! I'd pour you beer and give you five likes, if I could . Posts that have been gummed up for the duration of Samson's problem would explain the issue.

At any rate, I really don't think adding an in-line filter is going to solve the issue. Filters clog quickly, that's why I've only used my plate filter once.

yeah I really dont want to add an in-line filter, theres got to be a better solution