8g CO2 cartidges on pressure barrel - how many?

[AnimatedGIF]

Good morning.

I am relatively new to homebrewing, and the 6 brews I have done have been bottled. I now have a 25L pressure barrel to fill with 40 pints Festival Landlord's Best Bitter, currently fermenting.
What I [think I] know:

• The ~80g of priming sugar will allow secondary fermentation, the resultant CO2 from which will provide initial pressure in the barrel.
• At some point, depending on how frequently I drawer beer from the barrel, I shall need to top up with CO2.

Now comes the part wher I have had issues finding the answer. Most of the articles/instructions I have read talk about a 1-2 second squirt/twist of CO2. When I looked at by barrel cap, pin-head valve and 8g CO2 cartridges, it looks like as soon as the cartridge is pierced, all of the gas wll escape in to the barrel. This confused me as I didn't understand how one would do a controlled injection of CO2 periodically using such a cartridge.
I dug a little further and I think I have now understood the cause of my confusion:
This 1-2 second injection/twist is when using S30 bottles. When using an 8g CO2 cartridge, I'll need one whole cartridge per top-up. So, if I had to top up 2 or three times over the course of the 40-odd pints, I would need 2-3 cartidges.

If possible, could someone please either confirm that the above is correct, or let me know where I have gone wrong in my research please? :)


Tim

 

[Cyberjip]

100% correct. Blast in the whole cartridge once the beer become really slow to pour. (Don't let it get to the stage where air is glugging back up through the tap as this will spoil the beer)

Another option is to re-prime with some more priming sugar. When the serving pressure is gone open the top and re-prime, although I have no experience in doing this others may be able to give you more specific advice.

 

[Rodcx500z]

Hi i use one of these on a soda stream gas cylinder, you just push it in and give a one second blast much cheaper than than the bulbs, have a look on you tubehttps://www.co2supermarket.co.uk/sodastream-hambleton-bard-s30-homebrew-p498.html

 

[Rodcx500z]

https://www.co2supermarket.co.uk/sodastream-hambleton-bard-s30-homebrew-p498.html

 

[Banbeer]

Before you keg your beer it is advisable to pressure check the keg for leaks, add water to the keg and then a C02 cartridge to pressurise and then brush/spray soapy water around the lid and tap and if you don't get any bubbles then you're good to fill with beer etc, best finding out with water first

 

[terrym]

Good morning.

I am relatively new to homebrewing, and the 6 brews I have done have been bottled. I now have a 25L pressure barrel to fill with 40 pints Festival Landlord's Best Bitter, currently fermenting.
What I [think I] know:

• The ~80g of priming sugar will allow secondary fermentation, the resultant CO2 from which will provide initial pressure in the barrel.
• At some point, depending on how frequently I drawer beer from the barrel, I shall need to top up with CO2.

Now comes the part wher I have had issues finding the answer. Most of the articles/instructions I have read talk about a 1-2 second squirt/twist of CO2. When I looked at by barrel cap, pin-head valve and 8g CO2 cartridges, it looks like as soon as the cartridge is pierced, all of the gas wll escape in to the barrel. This confused me as I didn't understand how one would do a controlled injection of CO2 periodically using such a cartridge.
I dug a little further and I think I have now understood the cause of my confusion:
This 1-2 second injection/twist is when using S30 bottles. When using an 8g CO2 cartridge, I'll need one whole cartridge per top-up. So, if I had to top up 2 or three times over the course of the 40-odd pints, I would need 2-3 cartidges.

If possible, could someone please either confirm that the above is correct, or let me know where I have gone wrong in my research please? :)


Tim

If you have a new PB it is advisable to check it over before you use it. See here
Guide to a Standard Home Brew Pressure Barrel
I operate one standard PB without CO2 addition. So I have to rely on priming sugar. Initially I will add 90g max to 20+ litres of beer. My PB is in an unheated garage. In warmer weather I can more or less get down to the bottom of the PB before the pressure runs out. In colder weather the pressure might die as much as half way down. However I just reprime. (but have to move the PB back into the warm to get it carb up), and about 60-70g is about right. Do not be tempted to put any more than 100g into a PB (although some do) at the very least you will initially be dispensing foam rather than beer unless you have a few minutes to spare while you try to fill your glass.

 

[Asherweef]

Just jumping into the thread as this was something I've been wondering about. My plastic wilko style keg really struggles to pour, either dribbles or foams. Is that because it's taking air back up and needs another cartridge or is this just a problem with the barrels?

 

[AnimatedGIF]

Thank you all for your swift advice - I'm looking forward to barreling now!

 

[AnimatedGIF]

If you have a new PB it is advisable to check it over before you use it. See here
Guide to a Standard Home Brew Pressure Barrel
I operate one standard PB without CO2 addition. So I have to rely on priming sugar. Initially I will add 90g max to 20+ litres of beer. My PB is in an unheated garage. In warmer weather I can more or less get down to the bottom of the PB before the pressure runs out. In colder weather the pressure might die as much as half way down. However I just reprime. (but have to move the PB back into the warm to get it carb up), and about 60-70g is about right. Do not be tempted to put any more than 100g into a PB (although some do) at the very least you will initially be dispensing foam rather than beer unless you have a few minutes to spare while you try to fill your glass.

A good read, thanks for posting and sharing.

 

[terrym]

Just jumping into the thread as this was something I've been wondering about. My plastic wilko style keg really struggles to pour, either dribbles or foams. Is that because it's taking air back up and needs another cartridge or is this just a problem with the barrels?

If you use a bulb to charge the PB and return the following day (or the day after that) and there is no pressure your PB it has developed a leak. It is a fairly common problem. But if you have charged or primed at the outset and have got down to say half way, you need to recharge or reprime. But you should not allow air to glug back through the tap or your beer may spoil.
If your beer foams when the PB is fully pressurised this is normal. As the pressure falls foaming is less, until the pressure is fairly low.
More on leaks and other PB stuff here (again)
Guide to a Standard Home Brew Pressure Barrel