Help! Leaking barrel!

[Onthebrew]

Racked last night and got up this morning to see a puddle formed from my barrel. Not from tap but must be from under base. This was a new barrel and first use.

Can I save my brew? Obviously carbonation process started but can I transfer to bottles?

[Onthebrew]

Actually on further examination it's coming from the seal around the tap. My estimate is about maybe 250 ml leaked over night. Any ideas to save brew?

[chris2012]

Is it a wooden barrel, I'm assuming probably not though?

[Onthebrew]

No a youngs plastic one. This is first time I have barrelled. Reading forums I am hearing maybe I should put it on its side take tap off and put some Vaseline around seal and replace. However I am worried about losing carbonation.

[guypettigrew]

Difficult to see how you'd re-tighten the tap if you did this. There's no way you can get your hand inside the barrel to hold the nut on the inside if there's beer in it. Or does the tap just screw directly into the barrel? I don't have a Young's barrel.

If it screws directly into the barrel then try tightening it a bit more. Won't matter if the tap's at a funny angle! If it has a nut on the inside then you'd probably be better off gently syphoning back into your FV, tightening the nut and tap up and then transferring back into the barrel. Sanitise at all appropriate points.

The carbonation won't suffer and it will build up again once the beer is back in the barrel and the lid screwed on.

Good luck.

Guy

[Onthebrew]

Ok cheers. Screws directly into barrel so I have tightened it more, although not much as pretty tight in first place. If that doesn't work will take tap off and use Vaseline. Good to know carbonation won't be overly affected. Cheers

[Normski]

Often if a Budget barrel tap leaks, it's because the tap has been over tightened and the washer has misshapen.
If so, put the keg on it's side, tap side up. Loosen the tap, inspect thee rubber washer.
Don't over tighten the tap when refitting. Test for leaks.
Norm

[Onthebrew]

In that case, I hope I haven't overightened it just now!

[Bazz]

What Normski said, also a thin smear of Vaseline on the rubber seal can also help. When I used them I also found that if the tap was turned to far off, past perpendicular with the stem of the tap, it could also leak a little, especially as pressure built up.

[Onthebrew]

still leaking. thought it stopped but when i lifted it up there was a puddle underneath. the actual leak from the seal is not noticable, at a casual glance, cant even see a trail as its very fine and just it collects underneath.

had to go to work so left it on its side, tap facing up. will take tap off and use vaseline around the seal and replace this evening. think i will stick to bottling going forward!

[alexlark]

Also note what Bazz says. When looking down at the tap, off is at 3 o'clock. Don't push it all the way back or you will have a slight leak.

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Corney kegs are a good buy, that's the reason I packed in with nylon kegs, especially the bottom tap type.

[donchiquon]

I lost two (thankfully mini!) PB brews this way - leaked all over the cellar floor whilst I was on hols.

One was half of my first AG brew. I haven't been that close to tears in years!!!


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[jimbothenav]

I had a leaking Youngs plastic barrel once. I swapped out the tap with a new one and it still leaked! Tried all types of Vaseline and new washers to solve the problem. Lost lots of beer before one day I spotted a micro hole in the barrel wall. A minuscule stream of beer was flying out of the side of the barrel, a bit like a near invisible laser beam! Thought about using a hot poker to seal the hole but in the end just chucked the barrel away away and bought a new one. It had been a manufacturing problem that only showed itself when the barrel was pressurised. Your problem may be completely different but it does not have to be only the tap that's at fault. Why not set the barrel on some sheets of kitchen paper and check every few hours to confirm exactly where the leak appears to be coming from.

[BrewHouse]

I had this problem several times before moving over to Cornies.

It sounds as if you have the option of bottling and so I found a good solution to be:

1. Undo the cap to release the pressure in the barrel. If you have already primed then you should have a protective CO2 blanket on top of the beer and any excess will escape.
2. If you are worried about to much O2 in the head space then give it a quick jag of CO2 whilst the top is still not fully tightened and you will get a mixture of O2 and CO2 expelling out of the top without putting too much pressure on the tap. You can then leave the cap just tight enough to allow any excess gas from the priming sugar to seep out the top.
3. Use the PB as a bright tank and just leave it alone for a couple of weeks when it will be pretty clear.
4. Use a bottling stick attached to the tap and prime the bottles as you go.

I have found this to be a really good use for my old PBs. For any beer I intend to bottle, I go straight from Primary to the PB. I prime to get the CO2 blanket (rather than carbonate the beer) and then just leave it alone. It seems happy to sit there for as long as I want until I can get around to bottling and re-priming, and I end up with almost zero sediment.