DoubleBarrel
New Member
Hi, we were having a go at our first batch, just a can kit of stout, it fermented perfectly in the bucket, then we transferred to the pressure barrel and it was on it's 7 days standing indoors before it's moved to a cooler location (as the kit says).....and it emptied itself
I went to move it away from the cupboard door to get a tablecloth and it was light as a feather. Apparently, the tap unscrewed itself and the beer disappeared between the floor boards. I am so upset.
So, what did I do wrong? it was a second hand barrel, it's a Boots barrel with the tap at the bottom, I hadn't pressurised it, I had vaselined the lid and the tap threads to seal it (read that on a forum) and I had done it up tightly but not excessively - I'm a girl, it wasn't like I screwed it on to destruction with big man hands or anything.
As this was a second hand barrel, we don't know what a new one comes with, we thought it was complete, it has a plastic white tap, and that tap has a rubber washer on the outside but just a screw thread hexagonal nut on the inside. Have we got everything we need or should there have been a second rubber washer? what do you think went wrong for this to happen? fermentation was complete, I checked the gravity before moving it so it wasn't blowing up, but the pressure safety valve is spring loaded so you can't tell if it was activated and has returned to it's rightful position.
I want to make a second load since the house drank the first but I am scared to lose another. Any advice?
I went to move it away from the cupboard door to get a tablecloth and it was light as a feather. Apparently, the tap unscrewed itself and the beer disappeared between the floor boards. I am so upset.
So, what did I do wrong? it was a second hand barrel, it's a Boots barrel with the tap at the bottom, I hadn't pressurised it, I had vaselined the lid and the tap threads to seal it (read that on a forum) and I had done it up tightly but not excessively - I'm a girl, it wasn't like I screwed it on to destruction with big man hands or anything.
As this was a second hand barrel, we don't know what a new one comes with, we thought it was complete, it has a plastic white tap, and that tap has a rubber washer on the outside but just a screw thread hexagonal nut on the inside. Have we got everything we need or should there have been a second rubber washer? what do you think went wrong for this to happen? fermentation was complete, I checked the gravity before moving it so it wasn't blowing up, but the pressure safety valve is spring loaded so you can't tell if it was activated and has returned to it's rightful position.
I want to make a second load since the house drank the first but I am scared to lose another. Any advice?