New pressure barrel from Wilkos

munkian · Aug 10, 2016

http://www.wilko.com/homebrew-accessories+equipment/wilko-pressure-barrel-5-gallon/invt/0441260

25 litre capacity
Integrated handles for easy lifting
Wide neck for easy cleaning
If you're into homebrewing, our pressure barrel is a beer maker's must-have. It has a 25 litre capacity and comes with integrated handles for easy lifting. Its wide neck allows for easy cleaning too.

Warning:
Max pressure 15 PSI
Ã¯Â¿Â½Ã¯Â¿Â½ÃÂ£30.00

Its not clear if the cap is a standard cap or has a Co2 inlet.

They also seem to be doing a new tap and seal plus a tap/bottling wand for a fiver

http://www.wilko.com/homebrew-accessories+equipment/wilko-bottling-wand-with-tap/invt/0441127

Also looks like there's a few new own brand kits on there too including an IPA

terrym · Aug 10, 2016

It's good to see Wilko continue to commit to supplying stuff for the homebrewer. I had my suspicion that they might be giving up after the recent sale of Wheat Beer and Golden Ale kits at heavily discounted prices. However they have introduced some new items which is encouraging. So although their range is not massive it's worth buying from them now and again even if its only a few items, so that they continue to stay in the market. After all most people are within normal shopping distance from a Wilko shop. LHBS's are closing down, certainly mine has, and it's not always convenient to buy off tinterweb especially since the postage costs can be excessive unless you spend about ÃÂ£60 or over.

munkian · Aug 10, 2016

I tend to buy the odd emergency bits and pieces from them - especially as I don't drive and P+P costs are prohibitive.

I'll see if I can nip in soon and have a look at the keg 'in the flesh' as my old one has given up the ghost.

stevey · Aug 10, 2016

I'm liking those pressure barrels. :thumb: I much prefer the budget ones to king kegs, apart from an old one splitting at the seam; I've had no trouble with mine. The king kegs always seem to be a pita to seal. The 4" lids are for me the king kegs only redeeming feature.
I'm gonna get at least one of these. :)
It looks like the lid just has the pressure release like the old 2" ones. Hopefully the thread will be the same as king kegs, so I'll use those.

munkian · Aug 10, 2016

stevey said:
I'm liking those pressure barrels. :thumb: I much prefer the budget ones to king kegs, apart from an old one splitting at the seam; I've had no trouble with mine. The king kegs always seem to be a pita to seal. The 4" lids are for me the king kegs only redeeming feature.
I'm gonna get at least one of these. :)
It looks like the lid just has the pressure release like the old 2" ones. Hopefully the thread will be the same as king kegs, so I'll use those.

Not used my King Keg yet. My old barrel's neck has gone oval shaped and isn't keeping the pressure.

Graz · Aug 10, 2016

They look pretty good, the main reason I've got King Kegs is the wide neck for cleaning. Not much else going for them really though I suppose spares are easy to get etc.

Would buy one of these if I needed another barrel.

Dutto · Aug 11, 2016

Just broke my thermometer (SWMBO wanted something out of the garage when I was brewing and "Voila!" one broken thermometer. Which was "all my own fault" apparently. :whistle:)

I reckon that my hydrometer is off by 0.006 points so I need another one and I promised myself a Bottler for Christmas!

Christmas came early this year so perfect timing and I will pick up from my local Wilco in a couple of days! :thumb: :thumb:

stevey · Aug 13, 2016

I had a look at one of these yesterday, and the gas inlet is fitted. So not bad for ÃÂ£30 I reckon.

Dutto · Aug 13, 2016

stevey said:
I had a look at one of these yesterday, and the gas inlet is fitted. So not bad for ÃÂ£30 I reckon.

Er .... one of what? :lol: :lol: :lol:

Just realised - one of the kegs! :doh:

Brain doesn't work until after first pint and then quits around number five! :whistle:

pete71 · Aug 13, 2016

I had a look yesterday and could not see a pressure relief valve unless its part of the co2 valve. I was using the old boots brown barrel and that had a separate pressure valve and co2 injector. Unfortunately my barrel has split so need to replace it :sad:.

Dutto · Aug 13, 2016

Dutto said:
Just broke my thermometer (SWMBO wanted something out of the garage when I was brewing and "Voila!" one broken thermometer. Which was "all my own fault" apparently. :whistle:)

I reckon that my hydrometer is off by 0.006 points so I need another one and I promised myself a Bottler for Christmas!

Christmas came early this year so perfect timing and I will pick up from my local Wilco in a couple of days! :thumb: :thumb:

Thank You Santa! :whistle::whistle:

The instructions that came with the hydrometer are:

"When the hydrometer has stopped moving,
and is not in contact with the sides or bottom of trial jar,
take reading as shown on the diagram."

Check out the photograph below and then Google "reading a hydrometer" where you will get +/-388,000 results ...

... and I have only found one that mirrors the Wilco advice! :doh:

Back to testing my hydrometer. :lol::lol:

Cwrw666 · Aug 14, 2016

munkian said:
http://www.wilko.com/homebrew-accessories+equipment/wilko-pressure-barrel-5-gallon/invt/0441260

25 litre capacity
Integrated handles for easy lifting
Wide neck for easy cleaning
If you're into homebrewing, our pressure barrel is a beer maker's must-have. It has a 25 litre capacity and comes with integrated handles for easy lifting. Its wide neck allows for easy cleaning too.

Warning:
Max pressure 15 PSI
Ã¯Â¿Â½Ã¯Â¿Â½Ã¯Â¿Â½ÃÂ£30.00

Its not clear if the cap is a standard cap or has a Co2 inlet.

They also seem to be doing a new tap and seal plus a tap/bottling wand for a fiver

http://www.wilko.com/homebrew-accessories+equipment/wilko-bottling-wand-with-tap/invt/0441127

Also looks like there's a few new own brand kits on there too including an IPA

Hope these are better quality than other budget barrels as I took the plunge last night and ordered one online.

Dutto · Aug 14, 2016

Cwrw666 said:
Hope these are better quality than other budget barrels as I took the plunge last night and ordered one online.

Please keep us posted on quality. :thumb: :thumb:

Cwrw666 · Aug 18, 2016

Well my barrel arrived yesterday and I now have a lifetime's supply of bubblewrap...
First impressions are very positive - this seems so so so much better made than your average budget barrel. Nice tidy seams. The neck of the barrel has a thick, smooth brim to it. The cap seals with a round rubber ring just like the old PBs I used to have from Boots. In fact this barrel seems to be fairly well based on those Boots barrels which can only be a good thing.
Took a hell of a lot of effort to get the cap off. Which let out a loud hiss as it finally began twisting off. So I can only assume that it was pressure tested in the factory. Another plus. And the seal and the threads had already been greased with vaseline. It looks to me like Wilko have been sick and tired at having their old budget barrels returned to them as being basically c**p.
So now I've swilled it out with boiling water to sanitise it and transferred 5 gallons of `Smokey Ghost', a ghost ship clone with a bit of added smoked malt which I've had sitting in an old non-pressureable budget barrel for about a month now, along with 3oz of sugar to prime.
I'll let you know how it works out. Whether it holds pressure. Whether the tap drips etc.
Only thing I don't like about the barrel is that the tap still screws into the barrel rather than going through a hole with a nut and washer on the inside, which I would much prefer.
But as of now, I'm very impressed with this.

terrym · Aug 18, 2016

Cwrw666 said:
Well my barrel arrived yesterday and I now have a lifetime's supply of bubblewrap...
First impressions are very positive - this seems so so so much better made than your average budget barrel.
But as of now, I'm very impressed with this.

It's refreshing to read something positive on this Forum rather than concerns about fruit flies, infections, the dreaded 'oxidation', stuck fermentations, and, dare I say it, leaky PBs.
Brilliant :thumb::thumb:

munkian · Aug 22, 2016

Cwrw666 said:
Well my barrel arrived yesterday and I now have a lifetime's supply of bubblewrap...
First impressions are very positive - this seems so so so much better made than your average budget barrel. Nice tidy seams. The neck of the barrel has a thick, smooth brim to it. The cap seals with a round rubber ring just like the old PBs I used to have from Boots. In fact this barrel seems to be fairly well based on those Boots barrels which can only be a good thing.
Took a hell of a lot of effort to get the cap off. Which let out a loud hiss as it finally began twisting off. So I can only assume that it was pressure tested in the factory. Another plus. And the seal and the threads had already been greased with vaseline. It looks to me like Wilko have been sick and tired at having their old budget barrels returned to them as being basically c**p.
So now I've swilled it out with boiling water to sanitise it and transferred 5 gallons of `Smokey Ghost', a ghost ship clone with a bit of added smoked malt which I've had sitting in an old non-pressureable budget barrel for about a month now, along with 3oz of sugar to prime.
I'll let you know how it works out. Whether it holds pressure. Whether the tap drips etc.
Only thing I don't like about the barrel is that the tap still screws into the barrel rather than going through a hole with a nut and washer on the inside, which I would much prefer.
But as of now, I'm very impressed with this.

Cheers for this, my local Wilko haven't updated their stock yet but will definately get one once they are in.

My current PB isn't holding pressure and has 3 gallons of Cwtch in it

Cwrw666 · Aug 27, 2016

Well I've started drawing pints from my new barrel. I've got pressure. And there are no drips at all from the tap, which works smoothly and delivers quite a bit of foam along with the beer, but nowhere near as much as the taps on my old budget barrels. So a pint glass filled from the barrel after a few minutes settling equates to about 1/3 pint of head and 2/3rds beer. The tap seems a much smaller diameter than my old ones so maybe this has something to do with it.
I've criticised those old budget barrels before as being really poorly designed and also badly made as well. But this new barrel seems like it has been put together by someone who actually knows what they're doing. Think I may well buy another one.

Dutto · Aug 28, 2016

Cwrw666 said:
.........
But this new barrel seems like it has been put together by someone who actually knows what they're doing. Think I may well buy another one.

Thank goodness for that resounding endorsement! :thumb: :thumb:

I persuaded SWMBO that it was the bargain of the year, explained exactly where it would fit on the trailer when we head off for France in a couple of weeks time and it is now sat in the garage waiting for it's first brew ...

... which will be the Muntons Gold IPA that I started last Thursday. :thumb: :thumb:

YEGODS55 · Aug 31, 2016

I'm after one of these whilst i research the corny keg or crusader set up I'm hoping to have by the end of the year.. Does this take the 8g co2 sparklets and do you need to buy the bulb holder also on sale for a fiver?
Thanks

Sent from my XT1068 using Tapatalk

Cwrw666 · Aug 31, 2016

So far I'm approaching half way down my barrel and the pressure is starting to run out (as one might expect). The cap does have the valve thingy on the top for using CO2 bulbs but as I haven't got any and the nearest Wilkos is 20 miles away, which I think would be the nearest supplier, then when the pressure runs out I'll just whip the cap off and re-prime, leave it for about 3 days and then I'll be back in business.

New pressure barrel from Wilkos

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