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Author Topic: My beer cold crashed in the keg  (Read 2962 times)

Offline ANDREW.GROGAN1

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My beer cold crashed in the keg
« on: September 11, 2016, 05:37:53 am »
I brewed a rye saison and used Wyeast 3711.  After 4 weeks and a packet of super kleer, I thought I was as clear as I could get with this yeast and I kegged it.  It's been in the keg for a week and I pulled a sample yesterday.  The beer is very yeasty. 

I remembered that when I was kegging, I had approximately 12 oz left in the bucket that I had put in a 12oz bottle and stuck in the fridge.  I tried that this morning and it is super clear.

I think the time in the fridge causes most of the yeast to drop out.  I know going forward, I should probably cold crash it but my question is, is there any harm in racking what is in the keg into my bottling bucket to get it off all the yeast in the bottom and then rack it back into the keg.  I imagine the kegged beer is so cloudy because in tube is sitting in the yeast bed that the cold crash caused.  My concern is oxidation and that the beer is at about 80% of what I want to carbonation level.       

Offline mainebrewer

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Re: My beer cold crashed in the keg
« Reply #1 on: September 11, 2016, 05:49:25 am »
I'd leave it alone.
As you noted, the "stuff" sitting on the bottom of the keg is getting picked up by the dip tube.
After a couple of samples are pulled off, the rest of the beer should be clear, as long as you don't move the keg.
"It's not that people are ignorant, it's just that they know so much that just isn't true." Ronald Reagan

Offline Stevie

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Re: My beer cold crashed in the keg
« Reply #2 on: September 11, 2016, 05:52:01 am »
Leave it, It's normal. 3711 is a bear to drop clear and the first pulls are always cloudy. The yeast will pack down and the beer will clear as the tube will form a little yeast free zone. Don't move the keg often and you won't have issues with yeast again.

Also, why did you put it in a bucket before a keg? Go straight from the fermenter next time.

Offline ANDREW.GROGAN1

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Re: My beer cold crashed in the keg
« Reply #3 on: September 11, 2016, 05:59:11 am »
Leave it, It's normal. 3711 is a bear to drop clear and the first pulls are always cloudy. The yeast will pack down and the beer will clear as the tube will form a little yeast free zone. Don't move the keg often and you won't have issues with yeast again.

Also, why did you put it in a bucket before a keg? Go straight from the fermenter next time.

I did go right from the fermenter. I just had a little over 5 gallons so a little overflow went into a bucket. Should have worded that better.


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Offline natebrews

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Re: My beer cold crashed in the keg
« Reply #4 on: September 11, 2016, 05:59:54 am »
I've never had problems with 3711 not clearing up nicely.  As other stated, you just got the shmoo that settled out of suspension after kegging.  Pull a couple more pints of it and I'm sure it will be fine.
Risk of failure should be no deterrent to trying.

Offline Stevie

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Re: My beer cold crashed in the keg
« Reply #5 on: September 11, 2016, 07:55:32 am »
You could jump to a second keg if you plan on moving it a lot. Your would go from liquid to liquid with a short line, using pressure to push the beer.

Not worth the effort in most case IMO

Offline natebrews

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Re: My beer cold crashed in the keg
« Reply #6 on: September 11, 2016, 08:06:52 am »
The last saison I did (this summer, April maybe) was with 3711 and I left it on a bit of yeast at the bottom of the keg and it was fine for quite a while.  It did start getting an off flavor to it at about 4 months, but at that point there were only about 4 pints left.  So, if you plan on consuming it within a couple months I wouldn't worry about it at all.
Risk of failure should be no deterrent to trying.