Dammed Pressure Barrel

[Ady1975]

Primed my Coopers Real ale after 3 days at 1008, primed with 80g of sugar, put it in the barrel (budget one from wilko)1 day ago. This morning i've got a bulging barrel and ale dripping out of the seal around the tap. I've had to let all the pressure out of the barrel and I wont be using it again, thank god I had it standing on a bath towell. what I can't understand is, if the pressure had got too much, why did it not release from the valve rather than misshaping the barrel and making it blow beer from the tap? my answer, I fear is that is what you get for buying budget.
Bottom Line is, it can't be trusted and it won't be used again. bottles for me from now on...
I'm gutted about this because the ale was tasting really nice already and I'm worried all this fannying about with it is going to upset the final outcome.

will I have to re-prime when I transfer it to bottles and should I mix the sediment back up so that the priming sugars have something to 'go at'?

cheers

[OldSpeckledBadger]

Vent some of the pressure off manually by gently pulling back the pressure relief rubber and it'll probably be OK. I wrap PTFE tape round the tap thread which I find stops any leaks. Before I use a keg, I test it by filling the barrel with water and leaving it for a while to check for any tell-tale drips.

[Ady1975]

Cheers for the tip, I've let the pressure out but i had to go to work, I'll sort it out when I get home. If it's leaking again i'm just gonna swap it out into bottles. the beer is just gonna be flat if i keep having to let the pressure out and I'm not a big fan of flat beer.
I've used it before and had no problems, bitter kit, gently carbonated and I had no leaks. I'm concerned that if i'm out and it decides to go bang! i'll be left with a right mess on my hands.
I don't really fancy 40 pints of ale running down my stair carpets.

[mickhew]

I had the exact same problem. It was as though the valve wasn't releasing excess pressure, and it leaked at the weakest point. Luckily I had a spare Co2 cap, so turned the barrel on the side, re sealed the tap, swapped caps, then re-pressurised. I amo going to use the barrel again, but get another Co2 cap, hopefully those valves are more efficient.

[lollypopp]

I've had nothing but problems with my two, anyway, went out and got a hambleton Bard Super 30, and the top bit, all together, it wrote £30 off, of course you can't use the pressure cap which you use with the Sparklet one's, so had to buy that too. now hoping that, my PB, problems are well and truly behind me (We pray )

[Lillywhite]

I.....of course you can't use the pressure cap which you use with the Sparklet one's, so had to buy that too.....

You can if you have a valve with a removable pin.

[lollypopp]

Thanks Lillywhite! I did have a gentle tug on the little centre pin with long nose pliers, but it won't budge, I don't want to damage it, but I guess if I kept working at it, it might budge????

[Nobby Novice]

I have been experiencing exactly the same problem. I put my latest brew into the youngs barrel on Friday. Coopers pale, this morning I had beer all over the kitchen floor ! I have released the pressure by releasing the top. It has now settled down.

If I were to buy a top with the co2 sparklets valve, would it let the pressure out? As my original top obviously is not working properly.

Thanks.

[Normski]

Hi Nobby Novice
If you are saying that you have a leak somewhere that the build up of presure has caused to force the beer out of. You need to get the vent on the top cap to work. you may also need to find the weak leak and sort that too, But you may find that if the top cap release valve is make to work you may not get forced leaks. shame to lose good beer. I wouldnt get a sparklets bulb valve, waste of money. Get an S30 valve and a Humbleton bard cylinder.

[Lillywhite]

I I have released the pressure by releasing the top.

Don't touch the cap. You need to make sure the white rubber on the pressure release valve is not sticking. Give it a good squeeze and release excess pressure that way.

Don't buy the valve that uses small C02 bulbs. Buy the Standard S30 valve and Super S30 gas cylinder as Normski recommends.

[Nobby Novice]

Hi Normski, guys, I think there is a problem with the white rubber on the valve. It does not let out excess pressure unless I gently lift it away from the white centre piece with a knife.

Thanks for your advice, I will look to buy the Top with the Hambleton co2 container, when payday comes.