Can I move flat beer from keg to bottle?

[Asa]

Hi there,

I'm new to brewing and have been enjoying my first attempt. However, my beer has gone flat in the barrel. I know I could put some co2 in to gas it up, but after Reading more about brewing don't want waste money buying gas and a new pressure cap. As I want just bottle in future. My question is... Can I transfer the flat beer (coopers ipa) into bottles and re prime with a bit if sugar in each? The beer looks a nice clear Amber and smells and tastes good. The beer was in primary for two weeks and then left another two weeks in the barrel carbonating. Could I just class the time in the barrel as a clearing stage and put into bottles to carbonate???

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

Happy brewing...

[trucker5774]

The short answer is "YES" Just do as you described and keep the bottles around 20C for a week or two. You may need to give them longer to carbonate than usual. Be patient. Get another brew on and forget about them for six week would be the best option.

[Kev888]

Bottling probably stands more chance than buying the CO2 actually; you can force carbonate in cornies, but (if the safety release is working properly) you can't build up all that much pressure in a pressure barrel. If you really cooled the barrel/beer you could perhaps get a bit of gas in at lkow pressure, but not huge amounts.

Usually people just use Co2 with PBs to replace the beer being drawn off, so that it doesn't suck in air once the original pressure from priming is exhausted. Air will oxidise the beer so the CO2 is preferable. That said the plastic isn't completely impermeable to gas so the beer will oxidise with time anyway, and particularly when there's only a small amount left in the PB; bottles will keep better as the glass (or even PET plastic) is more impervious.

Cheers
kev

[Asa]

Thanks guys.. will do as you suggest John and leave in the bottles for 6 weeks. Good excuse to get another brew on!

A