Have I just ruined my brew?

[waltonburger]

My beer is in a pressure barrel and was holding good pressure, pouring a lovely pint with a good head.

Now I'm about a 3rd way down the barrel and the flow wasn't anywhere near a high as the first few, so I decided it was time to inject some co2.

I screwed on the bulb but when it pierced - the co2 didnt inject into the barrel. I tightened further and still nothing, then some started to escape from the bulb at the top. When I unscrewed all the co2 came out, and none into the barrel

I was hoping some had made it into the barrel and tried the tap to pour off a little bit into a glass.

There was still no pressure and the tap drew some air up into barrel!! Ahhhh!

I'm guessing I have a faulty / blocked injector cap?

And ....how long do I have to drink the beer before it is ruined due to air bit introduced?

 

[dennisking]

If you can get some gas into the barrel it is heavier than air so will cover the beer.

 

[waltonburger]

I have ordered a new injector cap which should arrive Wednesday. Will this be too late?

 

[Dads_Ale]

I would doubt that it is ruined. My only venture so far into pressure barrels I opened the cap to let air in so as I could pour a few pints. The beer was fine after 4 days with constant removal of the cap to get the beer out. ( no Co2 injection at all). In fact I was pleasantly surprised how well it held condition.

 

[Sly Fox]

Letting a bit of air into a barrel really isn't the end of the world, in fact that's how cask ales are served! However, a pub will go through a firkin of ale in a day or so, while you might want to keep your keg going for a few weeks, which is where CO2 comes in handy. The tiny amount of air that came in through the tap isn't enough to worry about, the main problem I find is that it can stir up the sediment.

 

[TRXnMe]

Letting a bit of air into a barrel really isn't the end of the world, in fact that's how cask ales are served! However, a pub will go through a firkin of ale in a day or so, while you might want to keep your keg going for a few weeks, which is where CO2 comes in handy. The tiny amount of air that came in through the tap isn't enough to worry about, the main problem I find is that it can stir up the sediment.

Seconded.

I had similar problems with my early use of pressure kegs, never ruined brew, not even when I had to swap the cap twice on one brew.

It typically takes me three to 4 weeks after conditioning to empty a barrel, depending on assistance from my friends and the cap swap was during the first week after conditioning :)