Barrel and Mini Keg Newbie - Advice required

[andywilde16]

Firstly, I am a newbie to using a barrel (10 litre / 2 gallon) and mini keg (5 litre) as I have in the past always bottled my beers. I am after two pieces of advice:

1. How much priming sugar to I use in both the barrel and mini keg and should it be dissolved in water first and then added to the barrel/keg first before the beer is added?

2. When the beer is in the barrel I understand that the 2nd fermentation process will create the CO2, but as the beer is dispensed will I need to top up the CO2 in the barrel as my cap do not have a valve to allow for this?

All assistance is welcomed!

Thanks

Andy

 

[terrym]

Any sugar you add to a PB or minikeg will ferment to produce CO2 which will carbonate your beer and provide back pressure to force beer out of the tap. Personally I just used to put the sugar into the PB or minikeg as it comes, then fill the beer on top of it, on the understanding that it dissolves sooner or later. Others may add syrup.
I assume your minikeg is without any form of CO2 driven top tap dispensing system, but has a tap is on the side at bottom, and a top vent cap arrangement. If you are priming with table sugar I suggest no more than 15g, which should allow you to go from full to empty.
I can't advise on the quantity of sugar for a 10 litre keg but for a 25 litre PB you should use no more than 90g table so in the absence of any other advice from members perhaps pro rate that. If the pressure dies before you have emptied the PB remove the cap and add more priming sugar.
And finally although you have no CO2 injection on your PB you should check to see if your PB is fitted with a rubber band type relief system to vent any excess pressure. Operating any sort of PB with pressure inside, but without a relief system is, in my view, seriously inadvisable.