BREW FERM ABBEY carbonation

[bbb]

My abbey beer finished in the FV last week, it was then put in pressure keg with priming sugar & kept in warm place to carbonate.
So far no carbonation & stil very cloudy, I was'nt expecting it to clear for a while yet but did expect a few bubbles, it does have a nice flavour & no off smells.
Is there a fix for this or patience to do its own thing, it did remain a constant 1012 for a couple of days which is why I kegged it.

Thanks in advance for any advice. :pray:

 

[winelight]

Even if it's reached 1012 I still leave my FV in the warm / with the heater on for 2 weeks, and then move into the cold for one week so it clears a lot (or even completely) before kegging or bottling.

Doesn't matter, just leave it longer. Minimum 2 weeks in the warm to carbonate.

 

[morethanworts]

You did well to get down to 1.012. Mine had 10 days at 25C and only made 1.018 from OG 1.072 (9.5L batch, with 550g Goden Syrup), which is around what a lot of people report for an FG with Abdij, despite what the instructions say. What was your OG and what sugar did you use at the start?

Anyway... pressure barrels are always more of a faff to me with carbonation, with pressure release valves and other places where the pressure can be lost. Assuming you primed with around 80-90g white sugar in a 9L batch (as per instructions fro this one), then you'd expect to have some pressure build up within a few days at room temperature. That's a lot of sugar for most brews, but appropriate for the style. That's not to say that the CO2 will have been nicely absorbed by the beer - that's what cold conditioning is for later, but it should be pushing its way strongly out of the barrel after a few days. Better to leave it, though.

Possibilities:
a) you haven't waited long enough yet
b) it's been well under 18C
c) you may have put the usual 9L batch size into a 23L barrel and there is too much head-space for the pressure to have really built yet. Maybe it's a smaller keg...
d) You have a leak (did you grease any O rings with vaseline and test the barrel first?)

How many days has it been in the barrel?


I think this is a brew that will really be better in bottles next time. Long maturation required (and a lot of head-space in a 5 gallon PB unless you double up the batch size).

 

[wilsoa1111]

if its been a few days and no pressure, my moneys on the pressure barrel having a leak, easy to test by putting a bit of co2 in and seeing if it stays there- usually the top cap with the valve being turned too tight- so that the seal gets squeezed out creating a big ol opening, if so will need to remove seal heat with boiling water to reshape, replace, reprime and tighten lightly - better yet and better for the style bottle the lot with a reprime

 

[bbb]

seals were greased, just tested with CO2 bulb & overpressure valve hissing, soapy water tested cap 7 shraeder valve OK, just the over pressure hissing.
Sorry did'nt take OG, Used spraymalt in the brew which was a double( 2 kits) & kegged with sugar. Temperature is 20 c been like that for 8 days now.
Do I leave it or can I restart or try some yeast nutrient & sugar.
given the time to mature I should have bottled, is this still an option, flip tops or similar.
AS i say does'nt look good but the flavours are all there, just don't want to bugger it by doing nothing.

Cheers n Thanks :

 

[morethanworts]

Hmm. There's a lot of priming sugar involved in these Belgians, so I'd want to know all the first priming sugars had fermented away before adding another 180g or so (if it's two kits batch) and bottling it. And some strong bottles too.

Make sure you fill one plastic bottle as well if you do bottle it, so you can monitor the pressure.

I'd have expected big pressure at 8 days 20C with 180g in the double brew.

 

[bbb]

Thanks morethanworts, I have primed a 750 Ml bottle & put the brew in it & into the water bath with my next brew, will check in the morning if its gassing.