Lifeless barrel beer

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beedeji

Lifeless barrel beer

Post by beedeji » Thu Dec 04, 2008 9:33 pm

Hi, my first post here.

I've been brewing from kits for a while, finishing up in a Beersphere barrel. I've noticed that although a lot of gas is present in the keg (and frothes out when I pour) there isn't much disolved in the beer itself and it goes flat very quickly in the glass. Is this because the barrel can't take enough pressure to force much gas into the beer or am I missing the point completely?

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Ditch
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Re: Lifeless barrel beer

Post by Ditch » Thu Dec 04, 2008 10:28 pm

Where are ye keeping the keg, mate? Temperatures impinge on CO2 absorption. Not much good to have it stood next to ye chair, in 70 degrees.

ians2

Re: Lifeless barrel beer

Post by ians2 » Thu Dec 04, 2008 11:52 pm

What is a good storage temperature for C02 absorbtion? does anybody know.

Lillywhite

Re: Lifeless barrel beer

Post by Lillywhite » Fri Dec 05, 2008 9:24 am

ians2 wrote:What is a good storage temperature for C02 absorbtion? does anybody know.
Try to get it in a temperature in the range 10-15C if it's in the house. A cool bedroom, north facing with no heating (radiator switched off) will do the trick and will help the brew to absorb the maximum amount of CO2.

Some use a garage but here the temperatures are getting as low as 2-3C at present which IMHO is far too low for real ale.

beedeji

Re: Lifeless barrel beer

Post by beedeji » Fri Dec 05, 2008 10:13 am

That could be it, there is nowhere in our house I can keep it as cool as I would like but I reckon it's probably 15-18 degrees. Is that enough to make a big difference to the CO2 absorbtion?

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Ditch
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Re: Lifeless barrel beer

Post by Ditch » Sat Dec 06, 2008 3:09 am

Beedeji; At your stage in the game ye can only do the best ye can, mate. I store mine in an unheated, concrete floored room. Know what? I've genuinely no idea what the temperature is in there. Nor am I in a position to do much about what ever it is either.

Maybe, later, we can get into ATC 800's and build temperature controlled cabinets? For now though, just make do with what ye have and Enjoy yeself.

If the non fizzy beer Really isn't to your taste? There's at least one thread on here all about how Jim himself made a gorgeous 'Cool Cabinet'. Search that out and see what ye think. It's an insulated box, fitted to the open front of a disused fridge. An ATC is a 'thermostat' that can hold a temperature down, just as Thermostats normally allow them to go up, before cutting out the heating element in use.

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