Flat mild

[Bigd2657]

Hi all.

Ive recently made a Geordie mild, of which I put in a Youngs keg I allowed it to condition for a month, and I went to pour the mild and it is as flat as a pancake, has anybody got any way of how I would be able to recover this as it is 40 pints going to be binned otherwise.

Thanks in advance

Big D 2657

 

[BeerCat]

You probably have a leaking seal, either the tap or more than likely the lid. You could test it by gassing it up and spraying water over it to see if any bubbles come out. If it leaks open and reprime and put some vaseline over the seal.

 

[Ale]

I have a youngs PB. I did half and half of my last brew in it and bottles. It leaked so a few days after I moved the beer from the PB to bottles and reprimed with less than normal for primingso its all now bottled. I have used different shaped bottles for the them so which are which and will be careful of infection or anything in the second batch to be bottled. Now got new taps and will reseal and try again. Maybe fill with water and put a CO2 bulb in to see if it releases the excess pressure. I think the seal on the cap wasnt releasing the pressure.

 

[Sandimas]

Your beer will probably be OK because it's producing a blanket of CO2...it's just that some of its escaping from the keg. It's a common problem.

Have you got an S30 cap on the keg? If not get one, so you can inject some CO2 and listen for any leaks - no need to move the beer from the keg. These kegs can be a bit temperamental so, rather than leave things to chance and wait a month for it to gas us as you have done, get some way of injecting CO2 from a bulb or a small gas bottle and give it a squirt of CO2 as soon as you close the lid - that way you'll be able to tell if there's a leak.
http://www.hambletonbard.com/products/wine-beer-making-equipment/s30-home-brew-co2.html

I'd say 7/10 times I find a seal leak when sealing mine, I've either done the lid too tight or too loose.

 

[zippy40]

what everyone else said. Don't bin a brew unless it is rank. If your barrel is leaky and cant be fixed then reprime and bottle.

 

[Dutto]

Okay, you have learned a valuable lesson that is normally taught in "Using Pressure Kegs" where it says in Chapter One, Paragraph One, Sentence One ...

"TWO DAYS after carbonation has begun
CHECK that fermentation has started AND that the PB is sealed,
by gently cracking open the tap to ensure that the brew is being discharged under pressure."
​

I'm sure it won't be any consolation to learn that I (and many others on this Forum) also learned this lesson the hard way!

Enjoy! :thumb:

 

[Brewmarc]

As others have said. But you wont be able to force carbonate in a pb so you will have to reprime & wait another couple of weeks to carbonate. Wont do any harm.

 

[terrym]

Try this its all in there!
Guide to a Standard Home Brew Pressure Barrel

 

[Cwrw666]

The last cheapo PB I had developed a split in the seam on top of the barrel. I didn't know this, obviously, so filled with beer and primed. 2 weeks later it's totally flat. So I assumed the cap seal was leaking and re-primed the barrel. 2 weeks later - totally flat. Getting annoyed now. Re'primed again and still flat. So I just bottled the lot and it was totally fine, actually very nice indeed after it's long conditioning time.
I found the leak by pouring a kettleful of boiling water in the empty PB, putting the cap on, giving it a good shake to give it pressure then turning it upside down to see where the water dribbled out from.
It was a Youngs PB. They are so badly made. Got one of the new Wilko ones now. A bit dearer but it does seem to be well made. Thicker plastic, much better cap seal and the tap doesn't leak either!!!