25L jerrycans to mature/clear and stockpile?

[floydmeddler]

I've encountered my first problem with these: The white circular lid seal is pretty rubbish. Any suggestions as to where I could get a rubber one? Measured it. Approx 5.5cm

Cheers!

[floydmeddler]

How about these? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/10-x-Black-55 ... 2c67c5831b

Or these? http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/20-Pcs-Indust ... 2ec14d6785

[The Dribbler]

Our kegs are not identicle, but have just looked at my 25L kegs.

I have a vast array of orings in stock. The 47mm ID x 3.5mm are a perfect fit in mine. Need just a little push and stay in place.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-x-ORINGS-O- ... 2a220ff0a2


If you pm your address I'll post a couple for you to try.

[stevetk189]

I clingfilm the neck before screwing on the lid fitting and it's fine. To the point one of my recent primed beers (Cascade IPA going into bag-in-a-box for handpull) swelled the container until it could no longer stand up and just sort of rolled over. Once I was happy it had conditioned, i chilled it then racked it off into another jerry can with gelatine. Gave it a couple of days then racked it into the bag for dispense. Kept it at 4C until the day before starting serving then reset the beer fridge to 10C. Worked a treat. Just having a pint of it now and it's clear, has a nice conditioned sparkle to it and tastes good man.

[floydmeddler]

Our kegs are not identicle, but have just looked at my 25L kegs.

I have a vast array of orings in stock. The 47mm ID x 3.5mm are a perfect fit in mine. Need just a little push and stay in place.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-x-ORINGS-O- ... 2a220ff0a2


If you pm your address I'll post a couple for you to try.

This is really kind of you! Will do so now.

[floydmeddler]

I clingfilm the neck before screwing on the lid fitting and it's fine. To the point one of my recent primed beers (Cascade IPA going into bag-in-a-box for handpull) swelled the container until it could no longer stand up and just sort of rolled over. Once I was happy it had conditioned, i chilled it then racked it off into another jerry can with gelatine. Gave it a couple of days then racked it into the bag for dispense. Kept it at 4C until the day before starting serving then reset the beer fridge to 10C. Worked a treat. Just having a pint of it now and it's clear, has a nice conditioned sparkle to it and tastes good man.

Interesting! Will defs use clingfilm as a back up in the future. Do you keep your bag in box chilled?

[stevetk189]

I clingfilm the neck before screwing on the lid fitting and it's fine. To the point one of my recent primed beers (Cascade IPA going into bag-in-a-box for handpull) swelled the container until it could no longer stand up and just sort of rolled over. Once I was happy it had conditioned, i chilled it then racked it off into another jerry can with gelatine. Gave it a couple of days then racked it into the bag for dispense. Kept it at 4C until the day before starting serving then reset the beer fridge to 10C. Worked a treat. Just having a pint of it now and it's clear, has a nice conditioned sparkle to it and tastes good man.

Interesting! Will defs use clingfilm as a back up in the future. Do you keep your bag in box chilled?

Once I've primed and conditioned in the jerrycan I drop the temp to around 4C to try and keep any co2 present dissolved in the beer. Contrary to what the baginabox info says, the bags do swell and I've had 2 with the gas trapped between the bag layers which was a pain. Once racked into the bag from the jerrycan I keep the baginabox cold until a few hours before serving then I raise the temp to 10C. Once a few pints have been pulled off there's room in the bag for any additional gassing. So far so good and so far, no soggy boxes either. I do fibre tape the flaps shut on them as even slight swelling of the bag can pop them open.

Floyd, on another topic re local honey from here I was going to send you, I've finally found out why the lack of honey. It seems the cantankerous old bastard that lives in one of the houses in our hamlet has complained to the local mayor about numerous bee stings and the mayor has forced our beekeeper friend to get rid of his hives. It's all BS, the hives are not far from our house and our garden is usually filled with bees and we've never been stung once. So, no more honey thanks to a mardy old sod.

[floydmeddler]

The crying old fecker! That's sickening. Imagine driving a fellow neighbour to packing in his passion/hobby.

[floydmeddler]

So Steve... you're using Baginbox. Do you use the 5L bags? Also do you use the connector? http://www.baginboxonline.co.uk/vitop.html

I'm considering going down this route. Works out pretty cheap if you buy in bulk. A big plus too is that they come pre sanitised and at around 70p a bag, that's pretty damn good. Would you recommend then?

Cheers

[stevetk189]

The crying old fecker! That's sickening. Imagine driving a fellow neighbour to packing in his passion/hobby.

Yes, it gets worse. The old git has driven Anthony (our neighbour) to uproot his whole Organic veg business and move out of the village. Sounds like the old sod has been quite a bully to him and his wife. They're only in their late 20's and a really lovely, gentle couple. I'm furious and I have written to the Mayor voicing my suspicions on who has been responsible for the spate of vandalism to their outlying field areas and livestock. They've had two lots of chickens and geese killed by "persons unknown".

This year they've managed to build up a thriving twice weekly market on their land, 200+ folks a week visiting and I've been working on an organic beer that will use our own, organic hops (and honey bah!) next year (if I've managed to get sorted with Customs by then)... very cross indeed.

Anyway, rant over, back on topic.

Jerrycans and the post you've made while I was typing.

Yes I use the vitop connectors. They're good but you have to be dead on lining them up before turning the tap. They leak like a bast if not fitted dead on. Not that easy to turn the tap either once it's stuck in a fridge. You may be lucky and have enough fridge depth to have the box facing forwards. My fridge is crap and the boxes have to sit sideways.

I use the 10l bags and have some 20l ready for parties. This years party hasn't happened due to "neighbourhood friction" in a hamlet of three families FFS!

As far as recommending baginabox, at first I was hating the set up and I was under the impression they were re-usable. Not so, you have to pretty much destroy the tap getting it out BUT I've rigged up a system using a spare vitop connector and beerline to reverse flow the bags after they're empty. I first half fill them with water and blow them up, give them a swirl round. Repeat this and then fill them with starsan. Once I've swilled that around I drain most off, leaving a small amount behind to periodically swill around the bag until it's ready to re-fill. I've done this on one bag 4 times so far with no signs of problems. It's a bit faffy but the shipping here was high and a 70p bag becomes even better value if it can be re-used.

I've currently got a Cascade IPA on handpull and it's the clearest yet. Definitely recommend gelatine in the jerrycan, chilling then racking to bag. I put the box in the fridge with a wedge of foam under the back so there's no need to tilt it as it empties. 1st pint out was a tad hazy but after that it's stayed clear and been disconnected/reconnected a couple of times.

To clean the line I have a baginabox tap that i clip into the vitop connector and then drop it in a bucket of hot water, then cleaner, then rinse with cold water and finally star san leaving the line and beer engine filled with starsan ready for next time.

[floydmeddler]

God! They sound like right old evil b@stards. Absolutely disgraceful. Hopefully they'll die soon or something. Then you could throw a SERIOUS party!

Cheers for the info on the Baginbox. I'm fed up with bottling and corny kegs just seem like a faff too. I love the idea of having a beer engine set up permanently so that I can have that pub experience at all times at home.

Here's another idea I've been considering: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=53660

[floydmeddler]

Big thanks to The Dribbler for posting me a few O rings. I can confirm that the size is: 47mm ID x 3.5mm.

[floydmeddler]

The crying old fecker! That's sickening. Imagine driving a fellow neighbour to packing in his passion/hobby.

Yes, it gets worse. The old git has driven Anthony (our neighbour) to uproot his whole Organic veg business and move out of the village. Sounds like the old sod has been quite a bully to him and his wife. They're only in their late 20's and a really lovely, gentle couple. I'm furious and I have written to the Mayor voicing my suspicions on who has been responsible for the spate of vandalism to their outlying field areas and livestock. They've had two lots of chickens and geese killed by "persons unknown".

This year they've managed to build up a thriving twice weekly market on their land, 200+ folks a week visiting and I've been working on an organic beer that will use our own, organic hops (and honey bah!) next year (if I've managed to get sorted with Customs by then)... very cross indeed.

Anyway, rant over, back on topic.

Jerrycans and the post you've made while I was typing.

Yes I use the vitop connectors. They're good but you have to be dead on lining them up before turning the tap. They leak like a bast if not fitted dead on. Not that easy to turn the tap either once it's stuck in a fridge. You may be lucky and have enough fridge depth to have the box facing forwards. My fridge is crap and the boxes have to sit sideways.

I use the 10l bags and have some 20l ready for parties. This years party hasn't happened due to "neighbourhood friction" in a hamlet of three families FFS!

As far as recommending baginabox, at first I was hating the set up and I was under the impression they were re-usable. Not so, you have to pretty much destroy the tap getting it out BUT I've rigged up a system using a spare vitop connector and beerline to reverse flow the bags after they're empty. I first half fill them with water and blow them up, give them a swirl round. Repeat this and then fill them with starsan. Once I've swilled that around I drain most off, leaving a small amount behind to periodically swill around the bag until it's ready to re-fill. I've done this on one bag 4 times so far with no signs of problems. It's a bit faffy but the shipping here was high and a 70p bag becomes even better value if it can be re-used.

I've currently got a Cascade IPA on handpull and it's the clearest yet. Definitely recommend gelatine in the jerrycan, chilling then racking to bag. I put the box in the fridge with a wedge of foam under the back so there's no need to tilt it as it empties. 1st pint out was a tad hazy but after that it's stayed clear and been disconnected/reconnected a couple of times.

To clean the line I have a baginabox tap that i clip into the vitop connector and then drop it in a bucket of hot water, then cleaner, then rinse with cold water and finally star san leaving the line and beer engine filled with starsan ready for next time.

Steve... Just put a 5L bag into a pot of shallow water and put a lid on. Brought to the boil then simmered for around 5 mins. Took the tap off and just chucked it in. The outer bag seemed to fuse with the inner but other than that, no change. I filled it with water then applied pressure; more than a 'real ale' would create through build up of Co2. Could handle it no probs. Going to try it again and fill with beer. If it works, then I'll stick 5 bags in the pot next time and simmer with lid on. What an easy way to sanitise/sterilise these!

[stevetk189]

I didn't really think sanitising the outside was all that necessary really. Casks used to come bouncing over mud and drop 8 feet into our cellar, they were filthy by the time they were gantried yet we just scrubbed and sanitised around the keystone and (i'm forgetting my words) shive before tapping and soft pegging. The outside of the cask stayed fairly grubby apart from the daily hose down to keep the floor nice and clean.

[floydmeddler]

No... this should also sanitise/sterilise inside too as the entire bag will reach 100c. I reckon so anyway.