Disaster!!!!

[paulpj26]

Casked my beer into my firkin last sunday hammered the shive and keystone in and just walked into the garage this evening and the keystone was on the floor with any empty firkin :evil: (funnily enough the spilt beer was no where to be seen, thankfully the firkin was sat at the front of the garage next to the door so I think it must have seeped out onto the drive! :rofl:) .

Think i casked too early though, my idea was that if I casked just before primary fermentation ended I wouldn't have to prime the cask clearly there was too much pressure in the cask and the keystone popped out. I can see why breweries crash cool there beer before they cask lol think in future I will let the primary fermentation just ferment out completely and prime the cask once transferred.

Its the first time I've used my firkin so I'm hoping it is the way I've casked the beer rather than there been something wrong with my firkin. Its was my 4th AG brew and my first disaster so I guess it had to happen sometime lol.

Anyway i'm brewing this weekend so hopefully it won't happen to this batch

You live and learn!!!

 

[Dieseljockey]

Sorry to hear that P...bummer when you think of all your hard w**k gone down the drain...
but as they say ..pick yourself up dust yourself off and start all over again..

What brew you on for the next one??...don't forget we NEED picies..must have picies :rofl:
and recipe/notes.

 

[jamesb]

What temperature did you store the firkin at? What was the gravity you casked at?

Commercial brewers may crash cool and cask early (2p above expected FG) but we store it in the cold for secondary fermentation. If you store it at room temperature or above, it will pop the keystone. Don't ask how I know this.

 

[paulpj26]

What temperature did you store the firkin at? What was the gravity you casked at?

Commercial brewers may crash cool and cask early (2p above expected FG) but we store it in the cold for secondary fermentation. If you store it at room temperature or above, it will pop the keystone. Don't ask how I know this.

I just stored it in the garage and with the outside temp been around 20 degrees (i'll assume the garage will be around that temp too) and the gravity i casked at was around 1.012 FG was supposed to be 1.010. Thats my answer then :lol:.

If I let my next batch ferment out to FG is it safe still to prime the firkin with malt extract or will that force the keystone out?. I'll be pulling it through me beer engine so there's actually no need for the beer to be fizzy.

Sorry to hear that P...bummer when you think of all your hard w**k gone down the drain...
but as they say ..pick yourself up dust yourself off and start all over again..

What brew you on for the next one??...don't forget we NEED picies..must have picies :rofl:
and recipe/notes.

Tell me about it! 60 pints gone just like that but as my dad said you learn more when things goes wrong then when they go right! :lol: Can't remember what I'm brewing :lol: got all my details at home but I'll get some pics etc and put them up hopefully if everything goes right with my firkin I'll have a pic of the final product too :drunk:

 

[jamesb]

If I let my next batch ferment out to FG is it safe still to prime the firkin with malt extract or will that force the keystone out?. I'll be pulling it through me beer engine so there's actually no need for the beer to be fizzy.

I'd just prime with sugar.

The beer shouldn't actually be fizzy, it's just to give it a bit of condition. It certainly won't be fizzy after it's vented and tapped.

Either way, you've still got to keep the firkin COOL. They're not designed to hold much pressure. Even less than a polybarrel.

 

[paulpj26]

I'd just prime with sugar.

The beer shouldn't actually be fizzy, it's just to give it a bit of condition. It certainly won't be fizzy after it's vented and tapped.

Either way, you've still got to keep the firkin COOL. They're not designed to hold much pressure. Even less than a polybarrel.

What temp do you recommend?

 

[jamesb]

I'd just prime with sugar.
The beer shouldn't actually be fizzy, it's just to give it a bit of condition. It certainly won't be fizzy after it's vented and tapped.
Either way, you've still got to keep the firkin COOL. They're not designed to hold much pressure. Even less than a polybarrel.

What temp do you recommend?

Under 16degC. As close as 12-13 as possible.

 

[paulpj26]

Cheers James I'll see if my spare fridge is bigger enough to take the firkin, if not is there any other way I could keep the temp down?

:thumb:

 

[jamesb]

Cheers James I'll see if my spare fridge is bigger enough to take the firkin, if not is there any other way I could keep the temp down?
:thumb:

Stick it in a friendly micro's cold room?

You could cover it with a towel or sacking and keep the cloth wet. It's not a perfect solution but it does work to some extent.