Excess Barrel Pressure?

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Laurentic
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Excess Barrel Pressure?

Post by Laurentic » Wed Apr 24, 2019 8:05 pm

Hi again - second query is on barrel pressure.

All my brews over the past few months have been fermented out until the SG doesn't move, then racked off into a KingKeg barrel with between 120 and 150 grams of Medium Spray Malt dissolved in about 300ml or so hot water, cooled and added to barrel before the beer is racked into it.

In all cases, the pressure in the barrel has been sufficient to last the whole 25 litre of beer out. However, each pint takes ages to pour as I have to wait while a pint of foam settles and is topped up a few times, the glass is usually full of just foam on first pour, before I have a pint of beer with a small head. I have not had to add extra CO2 for months! On the one hand I am pleased not to add extra CO2, on the other, there seems to be an excess of foam/froth. The barrel is fitted with a "Sparkler" type tap.

So what am I doing wrong?

Chris

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alexlark
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Re: Excess Barrel Pressure?

Post by alexlark » Wed Apr 24, 2019 8:21 pm

If you've got the sparkler fitted maybe remove it. My standard bottom tap pressure barrels require a very slow pour until the gas pressure drops but I am able to get a pint without loads of foam.

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Eric
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Re: Excess Barrel Pressure?

Post by Eric » Wed Apr 24, 2019 8:37 pm

I find 50 to 75g of invert or brewing sugar usually last the whole barrel.
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Re: Excess Barrel Pressure?

Post by guypettigrew » Wed Apr 24, 2019 8:48 pm

And I don't prime at all! Just add a bit of gas if needed.

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Re: Excess Barrel Pressure?

Post by IPA » Thu Apr 25, 2019 8:06 am

If you prime 2.5 g a LITRE of plain white sugar is all that you need. That makes 57.5 g for 23 litres.
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charliemartin
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Re: Excess Barrel Pressure?

Post by charliemartin » Fri Apr 26, 2019 11:19 am

A length of silicon tubing attached to the tap and long enough to reach the bottom of your pint glass can help reduce foaming. Still have to pour fairly gently and keep the tube on the bottom of the glass till poured, but does help in my experience. Not sure if it would work with a sparkler tap though.

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richard080561
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Re: Excess Barrel Pressure?

Post by richard080561 » Fri Apr 26, 2019 9:12 pm

charliemartin wrote:
Fri Apr 26, 2019 11:19 am
A length of silicon tubing attached to the tap and long enough to reach the bottom of your pint glass can help reduce foaming. Still have to pour fairly gently and keep the tube on the bottom of the glass till poured, but does help in my experience. Not sure if it would work with a sparkler tap though.

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I just tried it, I still have a glass of foam! Less priming sugar next time
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charliemartin
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Re: Excess Barrel Pressure?

Post by charliemartin » Fri Apr 26, 2019 9:49 pm

Sorry. Worked for me. Maybe the sparkler is exaggerating the problem.

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Laurentic
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Re: Excess Barrel Pressure?

Post by Laurentic » Sat Apr 27, 2019 11:26 am

Hi - sorry for the lack of reply, have been somewhat sidetracked this week.

From what you all say it sounds like I am just over priming. I started brewing using Brupaks Craftsman brew packs and similar, before moving onto other recipe bitters from GW's book and using malt extract and hops, before moving on again to all grain brews.

All the "kits' said prime with 80gms sugar to 23 litres brew barrel, or 1/2 teaspoon per pint bottle, so I carried that over into the all grain beers. That gives about 87gms for 25 litres. But I found that before too long as one used up a barrel, at that priming levels I was soon into adding CO2 to get the beer to dispense out the barrel. I was also using cheapo Wilko's barrels initially, maybe they weren't sealing so well. I now using KingKeg barrels which are much better made and seal excellently - one Wilko barrel actually split along the top flange last year; that necessitated a very quick new barrel purchase and a transfer across as it was 23 litres full but ironically not over-primed, it was before I started upping the priming sugar levels.

However, I was advised that one could add up to 150gms priming and had been trying various amounts to see what was the difference if any in flavour - I also then changed from sugar to spray malt medium as, it maybe just me or my perception, I feel it adds a little to the flavour to my bitter, and I guess I was loosing sight of the over priming issue. Adding more priming 'sugar' obviously aids the priming; seems like I was just concentrating on what I was getting in any added flavour rather than looking at the priming issue as well.

Thanks for all the replies, was a very useful wake-up call!

Chris

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Re: Excess Barrel Pressure?

Post by Mattpc » Mon Jul 15, 2019 11:29 pm

You are massively over priming. 50g will be adequate but you will need to inject gas as you dispense to keep a good serving pressure.


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