25L jerrycans to mature/clear and stockpile?

[floydmeddler]

I bought 4x20L versions of these for exactly the same reasons.
They do work but was not happy with the air space at the top of the can. Being above the opening there will always be air there and quite difficult to flush with co2, so bit of a worry for secondary/layering when the beers isn't producing much co2.

They are also not easy to clean as the bit above the opening doesnt drain out fully.

I drilled a hole in the first jerry can for a tap before I realised that I couldn't fit my hand inside the 2" lid to tighten the back nut! One down...

I now use them for storing mixed cleaning solutions.

I've applied taps to jerricans. To tighten the nut, use an extended-arm ratchet. (I seem to remember you guys call a ratchet something else. Spanner maybe?) This is what I mean.

Cool. Cheers. I wonder would they be able to handle carbonation if there was a tap on there...

[darkonnis]

Might sound like a daft idea, but you could always make a box for it out of wood or metal or... anything solid with 4 sides really. pressure expands and pushes the plastic out, but if the plastic won't/can't be moved then it'll just stew and push against the tap.... Probably more effort than its worth. Though you can get steel jerry cans...

[ChuckE]

Cool. Cheers. I wonder would they be able to handle carbonation if there was a tap on there...

Yes, they can handle moderate levels of carbonation.

[cellone]

Would these work for lagering prior to priming?

[The Dribbler]

Love the idea of gassing in them as well. Perfect for low carbination level beers.

I had planned just using mine as a secondary clearing vessel. But the addition of a tap and gas line opens up a world of options.

cheers for sharing

[Bribie]

I do exactly what Darkonnis suggests for "lagering" beer that has been taken off the yeast cake in primary. I store the beer in a cold fridge, up to a month.

I also use "cubes" for storing wort which indeed will keep for months. So you can brew like an idiot and get well ahead then take a break.



The ones in the photo are the 20L variant which stack nicely as well, they actually hold 21L in reality so ideal size for a brew to ferment and fill a corny plus a couple of "archive" bottles.

[darkonnis]

do you make a lot of lager Bribie? I'd like to pick your brains sometime on the best way to go about it and the different stages, finding definitive advice from people who make it is.... awkward t osay the least.

[Cazamodo]

This is a great idea. I found myself only slowing down brewing because I run out of kegs to fill. I assume there no harm in brewing, fermenting, then storing in jerry cans to mature/carb slightly, then into the keg and pretty much ready to serve?

[floydmeddler]

Cool. Cheers. I wonder would they be able to handle carbonation if there was a tap on there...

Yes, they can handle moderate levels of carbonation.

WOW! I really want to experiment with these now! What type of tap did you install? I'd be worried about the tap seeping around the seal when there's carbonation. You ever experience the like?

[floydmeddler]

Cool. Cheers. I wonder would they be able to handle carbonation if there was a tap on there...

Yes, they can handle moderate levels of carbonation.

WOW! I really want to experiment with these now! What type of tap did you install? I'd be worried about the tap seeping around the seal when there's carbonation. You ever experience the like?

ALSO... these would come in hand in my plight to reduce sediment. I could rack into these with gelatine and priming sugar, fix the lid and allow to carb up over a week or two. Loosen the lid, open the tap and fill my bottles/mini kegs. Obviously I will lose some carbonation doing this but reckon I'd still end up with enough in the bottle/keg to create a nice head. I only like minimum carbonation anyway.

[floydmeddler]

With one of these airflow taps (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1x-New-25L-Li ... 4ab8b6e91f) am I right in thinking that I can connect a beer engine to the tap and away I go? No need to worry about the 'cube' collapsing/denting inwards as the beer is drawn?? Please say yes!!!

[ChuckE]

With one of these airflow taps (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1x-New-25L-Li ... 4ab8b6e91f) am I right in thinking that I can connect a beer engine to the tap and away I go? No need to worry about the 'cube' collapsing/denting inwards as the beer is drawn?? Please say yes!!!

The advert says "no gurgle" but how does it allow air to enter without gurgling? The beer that is drawn off must be replaced with air. If that air enters below the liquid line, how does it enter without gurgling?

If it is gurgle free, sure, it should work.

Unless the spout is configured so that hooking it up to a beer engine somehow prevents air from entering. ???

I've worked on the assumption that there needs to be a secondary hole, above the liquid line where air can enter. The exception being polypin type containers which collapse as beer is removed.

[ChuckE]

WOW! I really want to experiment with these now! What type of tap did you install? I'd be worried about the tap seeping around the seal when there's carbonation. You ever experience the like?

That's just a cheap faucet.

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.a ... rchresults

Not shown in the pic above is a polypropylene nut and two ethylene propylene washers, one for the inside and one for the outside. It doesn't leak under pressure thus far. (I forgot about some beer racked to secondary and it looked like the cube was going to explode.)

Cleaning is aggravating. After each use the faucet needs to be loosed enough for water to go in and around the washers, placed in a larger container for Oxi-clean.

[ChuckE]

It should be mentioned the tube coming out of the top is linked to CO2 via an improvised cask breather. Thus beer can last for some time without going off.

BTW, in the pic above, the container just to the left is filled with apple wine. I ferment and let is sit a few months, then rack it into a cube with a faucet and the link to the cask breather.

[floydmeddler]

Cheers Chuck. I sent a message to the seller to confirm that no gurgling means NO air passing through the beer. We'll wait and see.

With regards to cleaning, have you considered steam sanitising? I use this method these days and highly recommend it. I've measured the temp inside the fermenter as it's steaming and it reaches 100c.