Keg vs bottles, one cloudy one not.

[Halestorm]

I searched quite a bit on this subject but nobody really had a situation like I had.

I had a hopped up IPA kit kegged a little over a month ago, I let the ferment go and left it for about 2 weeks after any action stopped.

I filled my keg, and then I had some left over so I put some in bottles and dropped some dextrose in the bottles for carb.

I left both of them un-refridgerated for about a month like I said, I saw the bottles are extremely clear and nice and firm. Tried one of those and it was amazing beer, so that told me tonight its time to force carb my keg and its good to go.

Only problem is that my keg is super merky and has that sweet/bitter "yeasty" taste. Let the keg sit in the fridge for a few days and it still is pulling merky beer. So exact same beer, same aging time, one had a bit of dextrose to clear up any left overs for carbonation the other did not.

this happened the same for the last 4-5 batches I have had since I got my kegs.. The only one that has been clear is a cerveza that was crystal clear going into the keg.


QUESTION:

Am I doing something stupid? After aging for a bit, should I be putting it in the fridge for a few days with no carb then draw off a few pints, THEN force carb it?

Not sure, but thats the only thing I can think of that I am doing wrong, but I'd like any feedback you guys have.






Also long time lurker, first time poster

 

[hunter_le five]

How did you carb the keg? Crank-and-shake, or set-and-forget?

I like to carb and age my kegs simultaneously. Keep it still and cold for at least 2 weeks while it carbs up at serving pressure. This forces all the yeast to settle at the bottom for clear, crisp beer. I also cold crash my primaries before transferring to the keg to ensure as little yeast ends up in the keg as possible.

 

[Fordmi]

Does your liquid tube go all the way to the bottom? You could be picking up sediment that settled to the bottom. I trimmed about 3/4" off my tubes and they're fine now.

 

[BigFloyd]

How did you carb the keg? Crank-and-shake, or set-and-forget?

I like to carb and age my kegs simultaneously. Keep it still and cold for at least 2 weeks while it carbs up at serving pressure. This forces all the yeast to settle at the bottom for clear, crisp beer. I also cold crash my primaries before transferring to the keg to ensure as little yeast ends up in the keg as possible.

+1. I don't shake carb anymore for this very reason. Two weeks at 10-12psi in the 38*F keezer seems to do the trick without creating problems.

I also cold crash 4-5 days @ 35*F before bottling and try hard to not slosh the fermenter when setting it up to rack to the bottling bucket.

 

[Halestorm]

I've been "setting and forgetting" fast version. So setting at 30-35 psi cold and leaving for 24 hours or so. But not actually shaking to force the gas in there.

And yes my tube does go right to the bottom I'm pretty sure so that's good to know as well.

All good things to try so I appreciate it. I wish I could cold crash my primary but don't have any room to do it hah.

 

[Fordmi]

as with anything cutting dip tubes open to debate. You should really only get a cloudy pint or two before they clear up. If you find you're getting more than that, there might be another issue.

I've been "setting and forgetting" fast version. So setting at 30-35 psi cold and leaving for 24 hours or so. But not actually shaking to force the gas in there.

And yes my tube does go right to the bottom I'm pretty sure so that's good to know as well.

All good things to try so I appreciate it. I wish I could cold crash my primary but don't have any room to do it hah.

 

[isihac]

I had the same issue with my last APA and would love some help to work out why.

I filled two kegs and nine bottles with the last batch.

I had two fermenters both running the same yeast (1272) from two seperarate two litre starters. Fermenter 1 was kegged with no finings. Fermenter 2 had 10m if isinglass added 1 day prior to kegging & bottling.

The bottles had 1 tsp of table sugar added.

The kegs were put straight into the keeser at 3 deg C. Keg 1 was shaken at 30PSI then allowed to drop to 12psi. Keg 2 has been left at 12psi, though I have only been connecting the CO2 on twice or thrice a day as I have a leak in the system somewhere.

The bottles have been in a cupboard at about 19 deg C, and I now have one in the fridge after 3.5 weeks, not yet opened but it looks great.

Beer sampled from the first keg (no fermenter finings) was very cloudy so I added finings to the keg, the first time I have done this. I have also added 50g of hops pellets to the 2nd keg. The first keg is almost gone (it still tastes OK, but not wonderful). The keg tubes are full length but with only a litre or two left in keg 1 it is still cloudy, there is no apparant sediment in the glass or jug.

24 days after kegging both kegs are very cloudy and the flavour is not at all "fresh". I have not yet opened a bottle but they are crystal clear and appear well carbed.

Ideas?