Newbie

[Robinbrum]

I was wondering about that. @Robinbrum did the bottom of the barrel push out and become rounded ? Looks scary but its a sign that the barrel is under pressure.

No, the barrel is fine. Probably because the beer is so flat and lifeless - just the opposite. Last time I tried a C02 cartridge to try liven it up but it didn't make any difference.

 

[Robinbrum]

Here you go.

Although point 14 refers to "primary" sugar, when it really means "priming".

So the question is.. @Robinbrum did you add any sugar to the keg, when you siphoned in the beer and how much?

Yes I used up the entire packet that came with the kit. I transferred about 3 pints into bottles although I think that was a waste of time as I am using silicone caps which simply aren't airtight.

 

[Robinbrum]

Not a beer man so can't say with confidence but agree to get carbonation you need sugar or other fermentation and the yest must still be viable, in wine making for example if you leave it too long you have add a small amount of yeast to restart for carbonation.

The only beer or lager i guess a Corona clone was made in plastic FV but following stepped temperatures as advised by others on here, then brewing sugar added at bottling I prefer to rack to another bucket add the sugar to mix well then bottle.

Sure others wiser than me will confirm

Yes this is something that I have not done before so I added a little extra sugar and a touch of yeast to one of my bottles and I can already see what looks like foam at the top of the bottle whereas before there was none. Maybe I have to do the same to what's left in the keg???

 

[MashBag]

Yes I used up the entire packet that came with the kit. I transferred about 3 pints into bottles although I think that was a waste of time as I am using silicone caps which simply aren't airtight.

They are air tight, but they will release the pressure.

 

[MashBag]

Have you got a good book on brewing?

 

[Bitter_Dave]

No, the barrel is fine. Probably because the beer is so flat and lifeless - just the opposite. Last time I tried a C02 cartridge to try liven it up but it didn't make any difference.

In a pressure barrel a C02 cartridge is only going to push the beer out the barrel, not carbonate it. If you have to use a lot of C02 cartridges to get the beer out it is not holding pressure properly.

 

[Robinbrum]

They are good premium kits. I’m sorry it didn’t turn out great for you. I’m brewing for 4 years now and I brew kits and full extract kits. I just have a basic set up. I make the kits up as per instructions and I leave them in my fermentation bucket for 2 weeks. I then transfer the beer to to another bucket so as the bottle the beer. I add 120g of brewing sugar to 400ml of hot water to dissolve and once cooled I add to the beer and give it a gentle mix. I then bottle it into glass 500ml bottles and leave them in a warm place to go through secondary fermentation and carbonation for two weeks. I then move the bottles down to my garage for at least two weeks before I drink them. I’ve done one can kits with extra dry malt extract or liquid malt extract, premium kits and full extract kits. I’ve genuinely had great results and the beers are as nice sometimes as commercial beers. I love IPA’s, Pale Ales and Wheat Beers. Maybe it’s my water, I just use tap water from my home. I like using bottles as sometimes I may not drink for a few weeks so I can store the beers in my garage and not worry about them.

Don't really know where I've gone wrong and not sure it can be rescued now

 

[Robinbrum]

Have you got a good book on brewing?

No, maybe I should get one!

 

[Robinbrum]

Tbh kegging is a separate skillset and can be a right pain in the ***. Plastic self primed / co2 cartridge is also the tougher end of the game. But here's the kicker that final step is currently ruining your enjoyment of a good pint.

Get the process and the taste right first. Great beer awaits you.

If you do too much too soon, you won't be able to see which bits going sideways.


Brewing needs these steps..
Good recipe & ingredients
Good mash, process & controls
Good fermentation, process & controls
Good packaging & storage

Those steps need...
a chef,
a buyer,
an engineer,
a brewer,
a chemist,
a secretary,
a Cellar man
and a Landlord.

We all bring some of them to the party, and learn the rest.

Why not get some bottles and a quality kit, and make yourself grin, with a smashing glass of something you made.

It will be a lot easier, to revisit kegging with a glass in your hand

I hear what you're saying. I had no prior experience of kegging, just bottling but I assumed that the principles would be exactly the same but just pouring the liquid into a different container. I have a very small place and I don't like the hassle of bottles and the mess, but maybe I'm going to have to reconsider now.

 

[Robinbrum]

That's where you went wrong, the brewers sugar should have been added to the pressure barrel to start secondary fermentation and carbonation. You can try adding a similar amount of table sugar and leave for a couple of weeks to see if it starts.

I think that's what I did?
So essentially I have to add more sugar? And yeast?

 

[Robinbrum]

It's cloudy and flat, as you can see. The taste is very bitter more like a beer of 7-8% than 5.6. It is drinkable and doesn't taste "off" at all but it's not to my taste at all.

 

[Robinbrum]

And what it should look like...

 

[Mash Monster]

Are you using a hydrometer to check your gravity ?

 

[Mash Monster]

I think that's what I did?
So essentially I have to add more sugar? And yeast?

There shouldn’t be any need to add anymore yeast the priming sugar and a temp of about 19°c should be enough to carbonate the beer .
Bring the barrel back into the warm and it should kick the yeast off. However if there is a leak in the cap then the CO2 will escape and the beer will be flat .

 

[Robinbrum]

I forgot to take the original gravity (stupid I know) but this is the last reading I took at the weekend. I'm not very good at reading these things but it looks to me like it has reached the final gravity yet (you wouldn't know it to taste it)

 

[Bitter_Dave]

I hear what you're saying. I had no prior experience of kegging, just bottling but I assumed that the principles would be exactly the same but just pouring the liquid into a different container. I have a very small place and I don't like the hassle of bottles and the mess, but maybe I'm going to have to reconsider now.

To be honest, the sorts of beers you like are never going to be carbonated to right levels in a pressure barrel. They are not designed to take that much pressure. If you like real ales and drink quickly pressure barrels are great (assuming you can get them to hold pressure, but there is a knack to it).

I use Cooper's plastic bottles these days. They are light and you can store them in in the boxes they come in. If stacked on top of each other, they have a similar footprint to a pressure barrel. No need for buying caps or a capper. I prefer beers a bit less carbed, as my name suggests, but if I wanted to make a Belgian beer I would just have to up the priming sugar and they would easily take the pressure. Just rinse them the day after drinking and sanitise when you bottle the beer. 28 bottles for about £20 if you shop around a bit. Just a suggestion.

 

[Robinbrum]

Yeah, I did think about getting the Coopers but how do they manage to stay airtight if you can't seal the cap?

My preference would still be for kegging but maybe I need to make some modifications or purchase a different keg. I just want the beer to have a very light fizz and a decent head on it. Clear would be good too.

 

[old dog new tricks]

Yeah, I did think about getting the Coopers but how do they manage to stay airtight if you can't seal the cap?

My preference would still be for kegging but maybe I need to make some modifications or purchase a different keg. I just want the beer to have a very light fizz and a decent head on it. Clear would be good too.

I use PET bottles as said nice and light and i box them away so neat enough, I would say get the Coopers caps they have a better seal sure they call it oxygen thief or similar. They work i make cider in them and they carb very well, even too well if you are too generous with the sugar!

loads of option for storage and draining, sterilising etc I have not got that far yes as said i rinse out and store then sterilise before use. To speed this up a bottle washer is very useful I just make up 5 ltrs of Milton add a bot to each bottle leave for 30 mins give a good shake and drain.

Only reason i dont like the cooper bottles is they are slightly taller than non branded and don't fit my £4 Asda storage boxes that hold 20 bottles a nice manageable weight when full, stack-able and light when empty

 

[GhostShip]

I agree with what others have said. It's more work (to be honest, I have grown to hate bottling day), but I still think the positives outweigh the negatives. Unlike glass, PET bottles give you an instant picture of the carbonation process. Once the beer's in the bottle, I squeeze it so that the beer comes to the top and then put the screw cap on. This leaves the bottle out of shape, but just a few days later, they will have regained their original shape and feel really 'tight' - a sure sign that the beer has carbonated. This also means that the 'headspace' in the bottle, which will be oxygen, has been removed thus making oxidation less likely.