[jebeier]

Please help!!  I used gelatin for the first time and I can't get the beer out. I was short on time trying to get a keg ready for a party so I added gelatin and cold crashed and then force carbed in the serving keg. I'm guessing the dip tube is down in the gelatin cake at the bottom and can't draw the beer into the tube. Any thoughts on the best way to try and save this keg? I'm thinking either release the pressure on the keg, pull out the dip tube and shorten it up a little or just try to manually rack it into another keg? Just not sure how well that will work since it's already carbed up. Thoughts??   

[tommymorris]

Please help!!  I used gelatin for the first time and I can't get the beer out. I was short on time trying to get a keg ready for a party so I added gelatin and cold crashed and then force carbed in the serving keg. I'm guessing the dip tube is down in the gelatin cake at the bottom and can't draw the beer into the tube. Any thoughts on the best way to try and save this keg? I'm thinking either release the pressure on the keg, pull out the dip tube and shorten it up a little or just try to manually rack it into another keg? Just not sure how well that will work since it's already carbed up. Thoughts??   

I have never clogged a dip tube with Gelatin but I have clogged them with yeast from very messy transfers from fermenter to keg. I have done that twice. Both times I turned the serving pressure to 30-40 PSI and served a beer. That blew through the clog and then I was able to reduce pressure and serve as normal.

[HoosierBrew]

I've never had a clogged dip tube from gelatin,either. OP -what was your procedure, out of curiosity? Even if the gelatin mixture were overheated to the point that it literally turned into a layer of jello, I'd think that enough gas pressure would push it out.

Is this an IPA by chance? If so (depending on your hopping procedures) your dip tube or poppet valve could be clogged with hop debris, which happens to some brewers.

Regardless, for the future, this gelatin procedure is the most foolproof I know of. Used it many, many times with success:

http://www.bertusbrewery.com/2012/06/how-to-clear-your-beer-with-gelatin.html



Edit -  I agree with the advice to turn the pressure up a bit higher, to see if the clog will clear. Worst case, you could vent the keg pressure and pull the liquid poppet, then the dip tube, and inspect to find the clog. Good luck!

[santoch]

I've never had a clogged dip tube from gelatin,either. OP -what was your procedure, out of curiosity? Even if the gelatin mixture were overheated to the point that it literally turned into a layer of jello, I'd think that enough gas pressure would push it out.

Is this an IPA by chance? If so (depending on your hopping procedures) your dip tube or poppet valve could be clogged with hop debris, which happens to some brewers.

Regardless, for the future, this gelatin procedure is the most foolproof I know of. Used it many, many times with success:

http://www.bertusbrewery.com/2012/06/how-to-clear-your-beer-with-gelatin.html



Edit -  I agree with the advice to turn the pressure up a bit higher, to see if the clog will clear. Worst case, you could vent the keg pressure and pull the liquid poppet, then the dip tube, and inspect to find the clog. Good luck!

+1

[jebeier]

Thanks for the info and feedback guys.  I pulled out the dip tube and it turned out the valve was clogged with hop debris.  Cleaned it up, sanitized it and reinstalled.  All good and now it's flowing like the salmon of Capistrano.