Brewing from a kit/ conditioning the beer

[terrym]

My leak is not from the thread it is actually from the swing tap join, it's a slowish drip but enough where I do not want to barrel my ale.

The taps on standard 2" cap PBs are usually like this .

To close it properly it should only be at 90 degrees to the axis of the tap nozzle not pushed right round. If you are not doing this, you might find this solves your problem

 

[JapanBrew]

Jaxx, I wouldn't mess with carbing in a pressure barrel. Take that one next step to bottling while you're doing kits. Get the bottling procedures down and comfortable. So as your desire grows, and it will, you'll start getting into more types of brewing and bottling shouldn't be messing your brain up at that time.
Start with teaspooning sugar into bottles but then your next upgrade is a bottling bucket. Boil 5 grams per liter of sugar with water and add that to the bucket. Let cool, add the beer and wait 10 minutes so it dissolves well. Then bottle from there.
Each brew, take a new step. You'll really like it.

 

[terrym]

Jaxx, I wouldn't mess with carbing in a pressure barrel.

Home brew pressure barrels have their place. They are far easier to clean and fill compared to bottles, they take up less space than lots of bottles, you can draw what you want, and you waste less beer. They do have obvious drawbacks like leaks (but that can usually be solved), and keeping a large volume of beer chilled if you want your beer served that way. And of course there is the initial cost outlay, and then running costs if (unlike me) you use CO2 to carb the beer rather than priming sugar.
I use a combination of bottles and barrels. I would certainly put a stout in a barrel every time, whereas an American IPA goes in a bottle.

 

[JapanBrew]

Terrym, point taken. I've just heard a ton of groans about them.

 

[Jaxx421]

Thanks guys more ideas and advice that I can work with, thanks terryM I had tried the barrel again with the tap in a different position and it seems ok. I will proberbly keg my first batch but I have an American iPa waiting to be started where I am planning on bottling ( fingers crossed all goes well).

 

[Jaxx421]

I have another question regarding the chilling/cooling the beer after the conditioning stage, what temputure is ideal for this stage to help clear the beer?

Does it matter how cold the beer gets?

The reason I ask is the fridge I have for the chilling/ cooling stage is being temperamental.

 

[ericmark]

I keep seeing the comment "You can draw what you want" with pressure barrels, but the same applies to plastic pop bottles, I use old pop bottles it needs about 12 for a 40 pint brew, easy and quick to fill just use a funnel to put half a tea spoon of sugar in each bottle, and like the pressure barrel you can draw what you want. Always fill from bottom.

OK once you tip the bottle to pour it disturbs the sediment, often have two on the go because of that, and always I pour full pint so I don't pick up the bottle too many times. But if you make an error and bottle too early you can feel the pressure on the bottles. I also now use smaller coke bottles but same applies you can replace the cap.

When bottling you need 12 inches between bottom of fermentor and top of bottle, you need an in-line tap and two bits of syphon tube, long bit tap to fermentor and short bit tap to bottle bottom. I use a clamp to hold the syphon tube to top of fermentor so it does not move and disturb the sediment. I don't worry too much about sediment as half way through ferment I swap fermentor to a clean one to reduce it, so on bottling not much there anyway.

 

[terrym]

I keep seeing the comment "You can draw what you want" with pressure barrels, but the same applies to plastic pop bottles, I use old pop bottles it needs about 12 for a 40 pint brew, easy and quick to fill just use a funnel to put half a tea spoon of sugar in each bottle, and like the pressure barrel you can draw what you want. Always fill from bottom.

OK once you tip the bottle to pour it disturbs the sediment, often have two on the go because of that, and always I pour full pint so I don't pick up the bottle too many times. But if you make an error and bottle too early you can feel the pressure on the bottles. I also now use smaller coke bottles but same applies you can replace the cap.

When bottling you need 12 inches between bottom of fermentor and top of bottle, you need an in-line tap and two bits of syphon tube, long bit tap to fermentor and short bit tap to bottle bottom. I use a clamp to hold the syphon tube to top of fermentor so it does not move and disturb the sediment. I don't worry too much about sediment as half way through ferment I swap fermentor to a clean one to reduce it, so on bottling not much there anyway.

I use 2 litre bottles as well (and in addition to PBs as above), and in fact don't bother with 500ml bottles.
I fill these with a normal siphon tube and the only precaution I take when filling is to try to avoid splashing.
I also use more sugar for priming, between 2 and 3 tsp table sugar per 2 litres according to the type of beer.
Beer will keep without deterioration for a few days after opening the bottle, allowing the beer to clear again. And carbing is fine if opened for no more than three sessions.
I use a serving jug and find that you can't get much more than a litre out of each new bottle without getting yeast carry over. The other disadvantage is that because there is more yeast in the bottle to start with you end up wasting more beer at the end since the last inch or two is too cloudy at pouring to drink, even though I always rack off to a secondary FV for a few days at the end of the primary to reduce yeast carry over.
That said I find them easy to use and wouldn't swap them for lots of smaller bottles.

 

[ericmark]

I still use one apostle tea spoon even with 2 litres I find it is enough.

 

[chuffer]

For my first 2 brews I bottled half and left the other half in the PV. Never had any issues with them leaking liquid (though I was v. careful to not overtighten, used PTFE tape on threads and vaseline on the washers etc) but in both instances the beer in barrels went v flat v quickly and I had to use a new CO2 bulb every couple of pints....whereas the beer in the bottles was bloody lovely, well carbed, great head etc etc.....so I know which way I'm heading in the future. I'll prob keep the barrel anyway (as it's very useful for me ATM as a priming vessel for bottling), though perhaps only use it to condition a stout/porter as TerryM suggested

 

[terrym]

Never had any issues with them leaking liquid (though I was v. careful to not overtighten, used PTFE tape on threads and vaseline on the washers etc) but in both instances the beer in barrels went v flat v quickly and I had to use a new CO2 bulb every couple of pints....whereas the beer in the bottles was bloody lovely, well carbed, great head etc etc.....so I know which way I'm heading in the future.

Sounds like you have a gas leak on your PB. I can nearly get down to the bottom of the barrel having primed with 85g sugar. If the PB runs out of puff, I vent it down, put more sugar in (roughly prorated to what's left plus a bit), leave it a few days, then it's good to go again to the last few drops.
Suggest you check all the lid seals, replace as necessary. Don't overtighten the lid either, one quarter turn past the point at which you have closed the joint. More and you distort the seal gasket which may provide a leak source.

 

[munkian]

Mini kegs are a good cross between bottling and barrells and fairly easy to do to.

 

[Personal91]

Mini kegs are a good cross between bottling and barrells and fairly easy to do to.

can you reccomend anywhere to get these from + does it change the taste very much ?

 

[munkian]

can you reccomend anywhere to get these from + does it change the taste very much ?

I got a load cheap on ebay before but the seller seems to have stopped selling them.

Always worth looking on amazon maybe ?

 

[Personal91]

I got a load cheap on ebay before but the seller seems to have stopped selling them.

Always worth looking on amazon maybe ?

life is life.... i can only move forwarward with these facts.....