Hello and a quick question please

[AndyA]

Hi all, it's been around 35 years since and I last made any homebrew beer and I'm about to give it a go once again.

I've just bought an MYO Irish Stout kit and I've had a quick read of the instructions and would like to check something. When bottling, they say to add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar per bottle, I'm going to be using a Pressure barrel though. As the kit makes 40 x 500ml of beer, will I simply be using 40 x teaspoons of sugar, or is there a preferred amount?

Many thanks

 

[tondy79]

Well I guess your calculation would be 40 x HALF teaspoons to equate to the 40 bottles. This would be about 80g, and seems to be about standard advice for priming a ~40 pint pressure barrel.

I don't like my beer so carbonated though (particularly stout), so I would probably drop down to 40 or 50g as a personal preference.

 

[jof]

Oh, and if you do bottle it, rather than trying to guess 1/2 a teaspoon, you can use one of the little coffee spoons or a kitchen measuring scoop

 

[AndyA]

Thanks tondy and jof, much appreciated Yes, 1/2 teaspoons!

 

[Clint]

I only used 50g for a pb as I think they're rated at 14psi.
But then I could be wrong!

 

[Rwilts]

Should we signpost @AndyA to all the discussions about PB now or later ??

 

[Twostage]

I only used 50g for a pb as I think they're rated at 14psi.
But then I could be wrong!

Yes, I think it is around 14-15. Then the laggy band thing around the vent starts to let some of the pressure out.

 

[Clint]

That's if your keg has one! The cheapest ones don't.

 

[matt.]

Are you considering batch priming?
It's been a game changer for me.
There is a calculator on the net for establishing the best volume of sugar for your brew.
Brewers Friend I think.

I've just used it for my Mangroves Jack IPA Grapefruit beer.
21 litres was ,90 gm.
Allowance can be made for temperature and CO² content.

After fermentation finished I rack into a bucket with a bottling tap attached and mix in the sugar. And away I go.
Just making sure the sugar is properly dissolved.

The last two brews have carbonated well.

I guess if you're going to use a barrel it will be a simpler operation.
I use bottles. Luckily I have the time and space to bottle.
I also think I'd drink way more if my beers were on tap. Too easy to return for a top up.

 

[AndyA]

Thanks everyone.

I've ordered a King Keg pressure barrel, bottom tap and with a pin valve. There don’t seem to be any homebrew businesses around here any more, so I thought I'd go with the pin valve cartridges as they should be more readily available.

I have been looking through some posts here, trying to decide between using pb's or bottles, but I came away wanting to try a PB again.

 

[jof]

I've been looking through some posts here, trying to decide between using pb's or bottles, but I came away wanting to try a PB again.

I use bottles because my modus operandi is to have 1 bottle a night.

If your use case is to get your mates round for a weekend session, then pressure barrels are the way to go.

Kegs are the next step up from pressure barrels if you persue the hobby further.