first brew now on the go

[tom_kent]

just started my first kit brew, i got a youngs larger "brew buddy" kit from wilko lol bout £25 and i got everything i need in 1 happy little box :clap: i also got a pressure keg and the co2 kit (i hateeeeeeeeee flat lager). its now sitting there fermenting away. just need to leave it for 6 days now. then its : :drink: :drunk: :clap: :thumb: should i stick the pressure keg in the fridge when i get to that stage?

 

[31bb3]

only coffee for me today got to have a clear head up early driving

 

[tom_kent]

whats better botteling or pressure keg? i am gunna clear enough room in he fridge to keep it in there, this should make it nice and clear right????????

 

[Dunfie]

6 days is optimistic. I would leave it for 10 days before trying to move it into the barrel as these kits don't ferment down as quick as the instructions say.

If you have a hydrometer then wait until you get a consistent reading two days in a row and then you will be ready. Patience is a brewers best friend.

 

[tom_kent]

What about the barrel going in the fridge? Will this help to clear it? I got a co2 kit so do I charge my lager in the barrel with the co2 then transfer it to bottels from there? How long should I leave it in the barrel/bottels b4 guzzeling the lot lol

 

[Dunfie]

What kind of barrel did you get? If it's the plastic keg then even with the CO2 you are unlikely to achieve the level of carbonation that I think you are looking for.

You might be better bottling straight from primary.

 

[tom_kent]

It's a 5 gal clear plastic keg with the co2 port in the top. Do u think I will get poor results? Would it be better to go straight to the bottle with a t spoon of sugar?

 

[chrisb2k]

It's a 5 gal clear plastic keg with the co2 port in the top. Do u think I will get poor results? Would it be better to go straight to the bottle with a t spoon of sugar?

Hi Tom

My first was also lager, a youngs starter kit job. I put mine in a king keg after 7 days and ended up waiting about 4 weeks for it to clear and that with finings added too! At the end of that it was as flat as Twiggy's chest so I carbonated it using the little 8g bottles every couple of days and, going on advice from around the internet (wasn't a member here then), shook the keg about a bit. The end result was certainly carbonated and it tasted fine but it was never quite right. I still drained the thing over the following weeks so it can't have been that bad I spose ...

I'm now on my second which is a stout so I'm hoping that turns out ok in the keg but I would say, again going by advice on here and on t'internet, that bottling lagers would be the preferred option. That or a corny you can chill effectively.

As I say, only my second brew myself so by no means an expert, just going on my experience with my first and I am more than happy to be shot down in flames by the wiser folk :)

 

[Samarith]

Plastic kegs are usually rated between 10-15 PSI, sufficiently cooled you will probably get decent carbonation.

The main problem with the cheaper kegs is maintaining the PSI, it drops as you serve. If you add CO2 using the little sparklet cylinders, they drop all the CO2 in one burst which might blow out the safety valve. Some valves 'reset' once the PSI drops to safe levels, others have to be replaced.

Bottles give a more reliable carbonation since you open each one just before drinking but are more work to fill and do have the possibility of becoming bombs if over carbonated. Plastic bottles are safest but glass looks more professional.

It's all a matter of personal preference.

 

[tom_kent]

Well that's settled bottles are the way to go, I think I'll try a little bit in the keg just to see what happens. I have been pointed to 1/4 a t spoon of sugar in each bottle have we got any advances on this?

 

[Samarith]

I ferment out, leave an extra week to clear then bottle at a rate of 1 tsp per litre, if that helps.

 

[tom_kent]

So leave it in the fermentation barrel a extra week? Or syp in to a pressure barrel leave 4 week then bottel? Lol sorry I just wanna get it right the best I can lol

 

[Dunfie]

So leave it in the fermentation barrel a extra week? Or syp in to a pressure barrel leave 4 week then bottel? Lol sorry I just wanna get it right the best I can lol

Yes to the first bit. As long as your pressure barrel is properly sterlised then there is nothing wrong with transferring to secondary but I think it just introduces a bit of risk. You will be better waiting an extra few days in primary, let the FG settle and begin to clear and then bottle as Samarith suggests.

I have done a wee "how to" on Batch Priming that might help for future. :whistle:

Hope it goes well. :thumb: