Feelin' The Pressure!...(or not enough?)

[HopScotch]

Hi Folks

Hope you can help?...

Time to own up!...have always bottled my brews , basically because I dont understand the hows and whys of pressurising a keg!

But just bit the bullet and bought a Keg?...So could someone please tell me how to use it?...as far as I can work out too much pressure causes problems and too little pressure causes problems!!...surely to do it properly you need a gauge?...but then what pressure do you need!..(I've heard you need to keep a steady pressure in the keg but then reduce it before drawing off a pint!!)...how do you know when to add pressure?...Ive seen impressive set ups that use the Widget World system and yet some folk seem to get perfect use out of Sparklets!!??

Anybody help?..( and well done for running such a brilliant forum, I've learned Tonnes!!)

[RK]

what kind of keg is it? a cornie?

[HopScotch]

Hi RK

No..just a Hambleton Bard 5 gallon Plastic Barrel!

[Jim]

It's fairly easy to manage. You do need some form of CO2 injection system, though, such as an S30 valve and cylinder (have a look in homebrew suppliers for those).

Just prime the barrel with 2 or 3 oz sugar (or you can use the equivalent amount of spraymalt) and leave it in the warm for a week followed by 4 to 6 weeks in the cold (14C will do) - just the same way as you treat bottles, really, except a barrel takes longer to clear as the yeast has further to fall.

You should be able to serve the first 1/2 gallon or so before you need to inject a bit of gas when the flow slows down slightly.

[MightyMouth]

If its a bottom tap then you just need positive pressure to prevent air entering through the tap depending on how fizzy you like your beer, I add 80g of sugar desolved in treated boiled water to the keg with some finings. and just let it do its thing, it will be plenty fizzy for an ale, even 60g sugar would be enough if you like quite flat ale.

[MightyMouth]

You should be able to serve the first 1/2 gallon or so before you need to inject a bit of gas when the flow slows down slightly.

Jim obviously drinks faster than me I have managed to empty a full top tap using 80G of sugar without using any extra co2.

[HopScotch]

Hi..

Thanks guys...I have to admit it does take me a long time to go through a 5 gallon batch!....is it just a case of adding gas when no more beer comes out or should you add gas every time you draw a pint and if so how much?

Sorry to be pedantic about this but I have this fear of my beer going off because I havent kept the pressure up!....I like the simplicity of just buying a cylinder or sparklets and just injecting the odd amount as and when needed (whenever that is!!) but I then think that maybe investing in the WidgetWorld system is the better way to go!

Drink more and more often!...thats the answer!

[MightyMouth]

There is nothing wrong with adding a squirt of co2 every now and then but i wouldnt wait until no moor beer comes out because what will actually happen before that is a glug of air will enter through the tap and can oxidise the beer. What I have done is added a pressure gauge to the lid of my kegs and that way can monitor the pressure.

If it drops below 2psi I add some co2.

[agentgonzo]

I don't prime my casks, I just rack it from the primary after the krausen has fallen but there is still a more fermentable sugars left in the beer. This then ferments in the cask to pressurise it. This pressure will normally be enough to get half the beer out. Once the pressure drops (you can tell this) and BEFORE you get a glug of air through your beer, I normally serve by unscrewing the top a little to let some air in as it's serving, then re-seal the top. This will make the beer go off, but the bottom half of the barrel is normally gone in under a week and it doesn't start to go off in this time. If you drink slower, then you may experience problems. I very rarely inject CO2 as haven't really needed it so far.

[HopScotch]

Cheers!...I really like the idea of fitting a pressure gauge so I'll see if I can find one somewhere!
Thanks again.

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Cheers!...I really like the idea of fitting a pressure gauge so I'll see if I can find one somewhere!
Thanks again.

Yeh, me too... BarnsleyBrewer is having a scrounge round at work tomorrow to "borrow" one!! Lol

BB

[HopScotch]

Hi all..

FYI..Ordered a small Pressure Gauge on Wed pm and it arrived today!....best of all it has the same same thread size as the Vent on my Hambelton Bard barrel lid so I didnt even have to drill a hole!!.....(currently holding at a steady 5psi)

Its funny how the simple addition of a "dial"...that you can stare at and nod approvingly, every now and again, makes you feel all professional!

Cheers.

[prolix]

hang a tick sheet by the side to note down the pressure and sign and date it every time you look at it, then you will be a cellarman!

[Jim]

Hi all..

FYI..Ordered a small Pressure Gauge on Wed pm and it arrived today!....best of all it has the same same thread size as the Vent on my Hambelton Bard barrel lid so I didnt even have to drill a hole!!.....(currently holding at a steady 5psi)

Its funny how the simple addition of a "dial"...that you can stare at and nod approvingly, every now and again, makes you feel all professional!

Cheers.

Give us a link to where you got it from, then!

[HopScotch]

Hi

Im ashamed to say I dont know how to add a link onto my reply!.....but it was from a place called "Cellars" in Cardiff, the website seems to be"homebrewwales.co.uk" ...very good service!.

Cheers.