Werry

[Swiller]

Hi all

I have a Woodford's werry near ready to barrel up do I need to prime my non pressure barrel? Obviously no carbonation is wanted being a real ale I just wondered if it helped condition the beer?

[Lillywhite]

You mention you have a non pressure keg. I'm not sure how you expect your green Wherry to clear, condition and mature without secondary fermentation which requires 85 grams of sugar.

Without this process your 40 pints won't last long before going stale.

[KevP]

Hmmmm its a puzzler alright

[Swiller]

Thank you both very much for your advice I think! Sorry about the missing 'H' lilywhite I didn't realise we were being scrutinised for typing errors, must try harder.

[KevP]

Well, you tell us you have a non pressure barrel and obviously you don't want carbonation, so what advice have we failed to give? Lily has already informed you that its a normal for 85g of sugar to prime a pressure barrel.

[Swiller]

Perhaps it's late.
Yes, I have told you intend to use a keg which will not be pressured, 85g of sugar was the advice from lilly and I am really grateful for it thank you.

[mickhew]

Can you give a link to a picture of your barrell at all ? It might be a pressure barrell, but you don't know it maybe? Best practice is to use priming sugar in the 2nd part of fermentation. It won't make the beer FIZZY as such, but will give it a nice sparkle on the tongue. Drinking totally flat beer isn't my thing. As previous replies suggest, it won't last long transferring it to a non-pressure barrell, you need 2nd fermentation in my opinion, to aid serving, and to produce a head of Co2 to preserve it.
Mick.

[Swiller]

Thank you mick for your post that is exactly what I needed to know.
The barrel I intend to use is a budget one with a vent cap.
Cheers mate.

[mickhew]

Mate that IS a pressure barrell (if it's the one on the link below, yours has the normal cap though, which releases extra pressure) . Prime it with around 80 grams of sugar before you syphon or "rack" the beer in (dissolve the sugar in 150 mls hot water to make a solution, then microwave it for a minute or so, to heat it up to kill any nasties, let it cool, then pour into the barrell before adding the beer. Leave it one week in the warm, then usually 3 in the garage or colder area. But I drunk mine long before that.
IMPORTANT! smear vaselive on the cap seal, and on the tap seal, to ensure a good seal, not too much though, none of it must come into contact with the beer.

http://beer-and-winecraft.co.uk/images/ ... rrel01.jpg

[Swiller]

Mick you are a diamond! Thank you so much for your advice, I have been brewing for a few months now and just really getting into it. I have been given quite a lot of kit and am eager to try it all out but I thought I would do a few kits to to learn the ropes.

[Lillywhite]

Although you mentioned real ale in your opening post you still need CO2 in your keg to keep it fresh otherwise it will go stale very quickly as oxygen will get in the brew.

The real ale that you may be drinking in your local pub, where they don't use any added CO2 other than that produced naturally by the brewing process, only remains fresh for about 2-3 days once the keg is tapped and open to oxygen. That's why when they get near to end of a firkin (72 pints) the beer can start to taste a bit ropey.

[Swiller]

Thank you lillywhite much appreciated.

[Swiller]

appreciated! Damn keyboard.

[Mogwyth]

appreciated! Damn keyboard.

You could have just edited your mistake and no would have noticed

[nik_g]

I'd also recommend using some PTFE plumbers tape on the threads of the tap and lid - does a very good job of helping to seal, and is only about 60p per roll from B&Q/Homebase etc

Nik