My cowboy golden lager has been in the fermenter just over 3 weeks but I had taken a couple of shot samples recently and it is still very cloudy and doesn't seem to taste quite right.

I shined my flash light in the keg and it looks pretty clear but then I noticed that the trub along the bottom had reached up to the spigot and some was coming out in every sample. So I've elevated the keg for over 24 hours but the trub has not receded.

I'm pretty sure it's ready to bottle but worried that I am going to get a lot of trub in every bottle. I have considered taking a sanitized spoon and scooping back the trub before bottling. Also considered just saying eff it and bottling and see what happens. Or maybe just leave it elevated longer and see if it recedes.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Sorry if it's a stupid newb question, but I searched around the forums and couldn't find a similar question.

depends on what equipment you have:

if you have a siphon, siphon out of the top of the fermenter and stop before you start sucking up any trub.

if you have a bottling bucket and simply drain the fermeter into it (like i do) then let the beer sit a few minutes after moving it to the bottling bucket before you bottle. this will give any drained trub an extra few minutes to settle out before it goes into the bottle.

if you just bottle right our of the fermenter, than it shouldn't be too big of an issue if you get any small amount of trub sucked in. label those bottles 'trub' so you know why they carbonate in one day. but it shouldn't be too bad, like i said... conditioning time will help smooth everything out.

and, cloudy beer doesn't have anything to do with the taste when you pour it into a pint, it just looks cloudy. then you can tell your friends some long winded, seemingly-complicated, jargon-filled answer if they ask why it's cloudy looking. "Well, homebrews don't get filtered like commercial beers so the cloudy appearance is nothing to worry about. when i gave it quick hydrometer test, i found the final specific gravity and abv were at the point, after high-krausen, that i knew my international bittering units and lovibond rating were at my desired levels, according to the standard reference method." that doesn't mean a damn thing, but they don't need to know that. works every time.

Ha, love the explanation for friends.

Only my 2nd batch so I've only got the basic equipment that came with the MB kit. I like the idea of just bottling the way it is.

I'll probably try some of the other methods you mentioned soon. Right now I'm just trying a few new things at a time and enjoying (drinking) the benefits.

Will bottle in the next couple days. Decided my next batch will be a stout. Can't wait!

Bottling it from the keg shouldn't be an issue. I've had some batches with a ton of trub. THe first few ounces of a sample will have a little trub with it, but then it creates a little "path" and you will get clear beer out. Just don't move or wiggle the keg, because then you will get tub again.

Also, any trub that does make it into the bottle will settle out during conditioning time.

I say just bottle, it's always worked for me.

+1 on not worrying about the trub being near the spigot. Maybe the first one or two bottles will be cloudier, and depending on how determined you are to bottle every last drop, the last bottle or two may also be cloudy. By the time they've carbed and cold conditioned, everything will be sitting on the bottom of the bottle. Careful pouring will keep it in the bottle and out of your mug or glass.

I set the keg on the counter with something under the back end to keep the spigot low so I get the most beer possible. Let is sit for half an hour so everything settles back down. Then I unscrew the lid a turn so it can vent well and put a glass under the tap and open it wide open until it runs clear. Set the glass aside and the trub will settle to the bottom and you can drink the under carbed, young beer while you bottle. Now that the spigot is clear I go ahead and bottle (whithout shaking, moving or disturbing the keg).