Hi,
If I do a primary ferment in the fermenting bucket, and secondary in a Stainless steel polypin Cask, is there any time limit to when it must be used?
Thanks
Metal polypin casks for secondary / dispensing
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gobuchul
Re: Metal polypin casks for secondary / dispensing
Not sure what you mean by a stainless polypin?
A polypin is normally a soft plastic container, a bit like a wine box.
If you mean the 5 litre kegs that Hobgoblin and other beer is sold in, that some reuse, the answer depends on a few things.
Are you putting CO2 in? All beers will begin to oxidise and "spoil", the larger the surface area exposed to oxygen the quicker this will happen, if you fill the dead space with CO2 then this will prevent this happening.
How strong is the beer? The stronger the beer, the longer it keeps.
If you had a keg that had CO2 in it kept at a steady reasonable temperature, then it would keep months.
It will change over time, get stronger, dryer and thinner as the remaining yeast eats the remaining sugars.
A polypin is normally a soft plastic container, a bit like a wine box.
If you mean the 5 litre kegs that Hobgoblin and other beer is sold in, that some reuse, the answer depends on a few things.
Are you putting CO2 in? All beers will begin to oxidise and "spoil", the larger the surface area exposed to oxygen the quicker this will happen, if you fill the dead space with CO2 then this will prevent this happening.
How strong is the beer? The stronger the beer, the longer it keeps.
If you had a keg that had CO2 in it kept at a steady reasonable temperature, then it would keep months.
It will change over time, get stronger, dryer and thinner as the remaining yeast eats the remaining sugars.
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beatts
Re: Metal polypin casks for secondary / dispensing
Hi,
Sorry, i don't know why I put Poly in front of the word pin.
I meant a stainless pin pin (4.5gallon cask) with shive etc.
Could I do my secondary ferment in one of these, add priming sugar and then leave it indefinitely till I'm ready to tap it and use via my beer engine
Sorry, i don't know why I put Poly in front of the word pin.
I meant a stainless pin pin (4.5gallon cask) with shive etc.
Could I do my secondary ferment in one of these, add priming sugar and then leave it indefinitely till I'm ready to tap it and use via my beer engine
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gobuchul
Re: Metal polypin casks for secondary / dispensing
It should be fine for quite sometime. Not "indefinitely" but a few weeks.
The secondary fermentation will create CO2 and stop the beer oxidising.
Once you start drinking it, you introduce oxygen and the beer will start to go off. Unless you use a cask breather and allow CO2 into the keg at atmospheric pressure. These are the things that the uber-CAMRA lot get upset about.
The secondary fermentation will create CO2 and stop the beer oxidising.
Once you start drinking it, you introduce oxygen and the beer will start to go off. Unless you use a cask breather and allow CO2 into the keg at atmospheric pressure. These are the things that the uber-CAMRA lot get upset about.
Re: Metal polypin casks for secondary / dispensing
Once in the pin it will last as long as it would in any other sealed container but once you pour the 1st pint it will only be at its best for about 3 days, will be drinkable for the next week and very nasty a week after that.
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Kev888
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Re: Metal polypin casks for secondary / dispensing
Yes, if the pin is metal it will largely prevent oxygen getting to the beer, and oxidation is a huge contributor to beer going off. Most plastic (even if pressurised) only slows the ingress of oxygen, which is one reason why metal containers or special PET plastics are popular. Metal also keeps the light out, which helps if you have nowhere dark to keep the beer. So in a metal container beer can keep for many, many months provided your disinfecting was up to scratch.
However, you may find that although the beer doesn't go off it may change. Initially these changes can be good, melding of flavours and reduction in any harsh notes. But things like hop aroma will fade, so some styles of beer are best not stored for too long, even though they can be.
Obviously though, if you then let air into the cask when dispensing the impervious nature of the cask is essentially bypassed. Which is okay (and some would say even desirable) if you can finish it quickly enough, before the beer becomes too oxidised, but its bad news if you can't because badly oxidised beer is truly awful. In that case, replacing drawn-off beer with CO2 rather than air is the way forward, IMO. As has been mentioned, some of the more rigid CAMRA members don't like this, but their guidelines are aimed at industry and not appropriate for many homebrew situations.
However, you may find that although the beer doesn't go off it may change. Initially these changes can be good, melding of flavours and reduction in any harsh notes. But things like hop aroma will fade, so some styles of beer are best not stored for too long, even though they can be.
Obviously though, if you then let air into the cask when dispensing the impervious nature of the cask is essentially bypassed. Which is okay (and some would say even desirable) if you can finish it quickly enough, before the beer becomes too oxidised, but its bad news if you can't because badly oxidised beer is truly awful. In that case, replacing drawn-off beer with CO2 rather than air is the way forward, IMO. As has been mentioned, some of the more rigid CAMRA members don't like this, but their guidelines are aimed at industry and not appropriate for many homebrew situations.
Kev