Layers In A Keg

[Reignman]

Been kegging for a long time. I wonder if anyone else who kegs notices differences in their beer as the level goes down. Sure, the beer is much better after a month, I get that. But my last keg of Kolsch tasted off, then on, then good, then kind of bland. I clear with gelatin and transfer to another keg and carb it up. This keg had different tastes almost on a daily basis. Funny, my bottle conditioned beer seems to taste the same.

[kombat]

I can't say I've noticed that many changes in the same keg - just that it gets better and clearer the longer you leave it. Is there potentially an issue with your glassware or serving lines?

[Reignman]

I don't think so. The difference isn't a lot, but with a Kolsch anything is noticeable. This time of year I brew more beer than normal as it is 17 C - 20 C in my basement so I can toss carboys on my brew bench and close the door if needed. I will bottle condition a few cases for the summer and maybe compare batches with the same brew in kegs.

[jamatron]

. I clear with gelatin and transfer to another keg and carb it up.

Wouldn't this defeat the purpose of clearing your beer in the first place? Normally your first pour sucks all the sediment out around the bottom of the diptube up and into your glass to be dumped, or if your like me, drank anyway. Transfering to another keg would just put it all back in suspension. Unless of course your siphoning from the top of the keg?

[kombat]

No, as long as you don't disturb the source keg, you'll end up with crystal-clear beer in the destination keg.

The thing is, the gelatin causes all the gunk to drop to the bottom. The first pull sucks up the gunk that settled around the pickup tube inlet, but the rest of the stuff stays where it is, like a little doughnut around the pickup tube inlet. If you then transfer the rest of the keg to another keg (i.e., with a "jumper" tube with a beverage out quick-disconnect on both ends), and you don't jostle the source keg, then only clear beer will get transferred over the destination keg.

I don't do this very often because it's a waste of CO2. If I don't plan on disturbing the source keg, then once that first sludgy pint is pulled, the rest of the servings will be clear anyway. But if I had to move a keg (say, for a wedding or a party) and I wanted to ensure clear beer, even after transporting and jostling the keg, I'd use this method.

[Reignman]

I cut all of my diptubes 1/4". No, I run it with a thumb tap until it runs clear and transfer to a destination keg. I don't do this all of the time, but most of the time I do.