Best beers for putting in a pressure barrel...

[Brew_George]

Hi all,

Onto my 4th brew, 2nd BIAB and hopefully first beer that won't need bottling.

Do people have suggestions for beers that cope well in barrels? I'm not intending on spending loads for an expensive kit just now, only your basic plastic system to save on bottling time etc.

My last brew was a Hefe and I assume this type of beer wouldn't respond well to being put in barrels, are styles more akin to ales etc better at coping with barrel conditions more consistently? What's the maximum amount of time you can keep beer in a barrel for before it starts to fade?

Thanks in advance!

 

[eggman]

You won't get enough carbonation for lagers in a barrel but they're fine for bitters, pale ales etc.
Six months is about maximum time for plastic kegs, so if you're planning to store for longer bottles will be your best bet. I use 3 youngs kegs as i only do ales, ok they can be a fiddle to seal right at first but once you get your head round that they're perfect and good value :thumb:
If you do get a barrel get one with an s30 or pin valve in the lid so you can add gas. Have a test run before you add your brew to it, fill it with water, put a smear of vaseline on the thread and lid washer, seal it up gently( i only do it up with thumb and forefinger), add gas and check its holding pressure

:

P.s as i could only select 1 option i voted for Bitter

 

[anthonyUK]

Ales and stouts for me. In fact I prefer them from a barrel TBH.

 

[fbsf]

I would also go for porters/stouts and bitters - mainly due to the lower carbonation that these styles require.

I would suggest some sort of CO2 injection system though (sparklets+suitable barrel cap have lower upfront costs but higher running costs than an equivalent S30 system - I use an S30 cannister and a barrel cap with my budget barrel and it works well).

If you don't have it, once the barrel gets down to about half full, you'll run out of pressure in the barrel meaning that air will need to get in somewhere to continue dispensing, and this will oxidise the brew pretty quickly.

The S30 system is pretty simple - it has a screw thread in the barrel cap, which the cannister just screws onto, tighten it for a couple of seconds to gas the barrel, then unscrew it. It's also cheaper - once you have bought the cannister (normally £25), you can swap an empty for a full one for about a fiver.

 

[Brew_George]

Brilliant guys, thanks for the information and sharing your experiences.

I shall go brew Stouts, Bitters and Ales; it's certainly the right time of year for them.

 

[rpt]

Brilliant guys, thanks for the information and sharing your experiences.

I shall go brew Stouts, Bitters and Ales; it's certainly the right time of year for them.

All year is the right time for them.

 

[DamageCase]

Bitters, ales and stouts. Lagers/Pilseners and Wheat beers are better bottled.