Pressure barrel Vs Corny

[Scroogemonster]

Hi all, just thinking about my recipe for AG#3 (probably going for the Hydes original clone form BYORAAH)

I've got a white plastic pressure barrel. I was thinking of putting it in there as my corny won't be empty.

Does anyone have an opinion on whether there will be a taste difference in the long run by kegging it as opposed to a corny.

Does force carbonation give better stability than the traditional secondary fermention in a barrel?

Are there any issues (with lightstrike for example) when kegging in white plastic as opposed to stainless steel?

In short are corny's better than kegs?

Kev

[Aleman]

In short are corny's better than kegs?

No . . . . They are different . . . but not better

[Scroogemonster]

No . . . . They are different . . . but not better

Different, in what way?

[Kev888]

I don't think it should taste different as such, assuming you've cleaned the barrel properly anyway. You may notice a difference in carbination though, if you normally pressurise your corneys quite a bit then the beer from a pressure barrel probably won't be as carbinated so it may seem different (and the type of tap can make it seem different too). That suits me as I prefer less gassy beer myself, but its a matter of personal taste.

I don't see that beer in a properly primed pressure barrel should be unstable. But you'll need to keep the barrel at the right temperature for the second fermentation to work and afterwards there will probably be more sediment to keep still/settled than in the corny's (i.e. if you don't prime them in the traditiaonal manner).

I've used white plastic pressure barrels (and FVs) for around 20 years now; I don't keep them in direct sunlight but have never had a problem with lightstrike.

Cheers
kev

[Kev888]

No . . . . They are different . . . but not better

Different, in what way?

In case its of use, I looked into this a while ago. There are lots of differences but the ones that mattered most to me were that cornies were shinier, had a smaller footprint and took higher pressure, but had smaller capacity a more complex gas/fittings system and were 'probably' not as suited to less carbinated beer. So neither was 'better', but I felt that pressure barrels were 'better for me'.

cheers
kev

[Dr. Dextrin]

I think most plastic barrels are made from some form polyethylene. Of the commonly-available plastics this is one of the most permeable to oxygen. In fact, none of the common plastics keep oxygen out very well (nylon and PET are the best, but still not perfect). This means that the beer will receive a continuous dose of oxygen which can give it a different taste to beer kept in glass bottles (which are pretty oxygen-proof) or in a metal container like a corny (where oxygen is only likely to enter through the attached hoses).

Beer soaks up oxygen like a sponge. Initially, the effects are acceptable and not unlike the taste you get in pub cask beer where air can enter the cask. Eventually, however, the beer tastes oxidised and eventually becomes undrinkable. Usually the beer is finished before this becomes a problem, but when a barrel is nearly empty, the same amount of oxygen is going into a much smaller volume of beer. The beer can then go off quite rapidly. A corny should give you a much longer storage time if you need it.

[Garth]

No . . . . They are different . . . but not better

well, from the amount of folk on here who have converted to using cornies and say they prefer them and would not go back to pressure barrels, I would say they are. They are a much more professional piece of equipment available to the homebrewer.

[chris_reboot]

I used to use pressure barrels till recently when I went over to the shiney side.
Cornies are great in many ways, but I am still to perfect serving, so dont get a pour quite the same as that from a pressure barrel, which in many ways was more pub-like.

having said that, I wouldn't go back from cornies now, as, yes, they are a little smaller -which is no problem, as I brew 23L lengths, and bottle some off.
above all, they give a more standardised performance, and are more predictable in serving and storing.

no oxygenation issues, controllable pressure, better serving options, and mine fit nicely into a converted chest freezer that is my kegerator, so in that, I also have now temp control, so am infinately more satisfied with consistency in serving.

all-in-all, cornies are not perfect, but on balance, for me, better. more expensive to get rigged up, but by god they are nice and shiney!

[Kev888]

Hmm, interesting. i'd heard that the pressure in pressure barrels stops oxygen from seeping in (although Co2 can leak out instead, which isn't ideal). is that wrong?

I Hope not - just replaced all my old barrels with new ones! I was tempted by cornys, there's no doubt that they're great bits of kit, but the capacity, extra cost and complexity sort of put me off, plus they're not as available locally. The clincher though was that I gathered they weren't as good with low pressures, and I really don't like much gas in my glass - just enough to tempt it out of the tap really.

Though that said, in the many years i've been using barrels I can't say that i've noticed a problem so probably all is fine. Perhaps I drink it before any of the longer term things have chance to happen; several weeks in the barrel for maturing and drinking is probably about normal for me.

Cheers
kev

[Dr. Dextrin]

Hmm, interesting. i'd heard that the pressure in pressure barrels stops oxygen from seeping in (although Co2 can leak out instead, which isn't ideal). is that wrong?

Unfortunately the two gasses behave independently. There's more CO2 inside than out, so it diffuses out (not that it really matters). There's more oxygen outside than in, so it diffuses in.

[Kev888]

Hmm, I see. Oh well, I guess as long as I carry on drinking it within a reasonable time all will stay well. Maybe the perforct solution would be a corny with a tap at the bottom...

[chris_reboot]

the (another) good thing about cornies is you can run line to a tap anywhere

[TC2642]

No experience of cornies, only plastic barrels. I also condition in plastic just with an airlock for several months at a time and have never had any problems, I wonder if this method is closer to traditional wood casks vis oxygen diffusion?

[Kev888]

...I also condition in plastic just with an airlock for several months at a time and have never had any problems, I wonder if this method is closer to traditional wood casks vis oxygen diffusion?

In a couple of decades of plastic barrel use, for both wine and beer, I've not noticed any problems either. I also much prefer the lower pressure, less gassy approach to dispensing too, so the extra cost and complexity of cornies doesn't completely appeal to me, although there's no denying that they're very tempting bits of kit that I'm sure suit many home brewers. Stainless over plastic certainly seems nicer too - maybe I'd be tempted if they were a bit bigger and had a tap in the bottom..

Good point about oxygen in wooden casks - maybe there is a little oxygen getting in and it just tastes as I expect it to; if so though its certainly not bad! I guess really I should be trying traditional kegs (there's a good post here somewhere about kegs, but i can't find it at the mo), but pressure barrels are seductively easy to use..

[tanglefoot]

I started off with King Keg top taps mainly because i just couldnt wait for the recommended settling time , but after a few months i moved to the shiny side of homebrew . Now i have 4 Corny kegs and have made a kegerator , i enjoy the lighter coloured summer ales like brewers gold which for my personal preference i like lightly carbonated at around 5psi . I did have some slight trouble when i started using cornys with fobbing but i think i over did the co2 at 10psi for too long .

I know only use plastic barrels for a weeks secondary settling before racking off to the cornys .