I'm thinking that I'm going to need 4 plastic kegs and a fermenter bucket, also a fridge. How do you get carbon dioxide into the keg beer? Do you prime the whole keg with sugar or do you attach a source of carbon dioxide? If it takes 3 weeks from start to finished brew. At what point do you transfer from the fermenter to the keg? Will I need more than one fermenter to achieve this?
Plastic kegs and CO2
- Thread starter Funnyday
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Drunkula
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Based on the cost per pint thread and the amount you're spending per month on Becks, then the first thing I'd say is don't get plastic pressure barrels. They're unreliable and for the scale you want to go on they're out and out crap.
Half of the forum are now cheering, half seething and the number of ***** in my bag of ***** that I give about that is unchanged.
With pressure barrels you'll be priming with sugar which is going to add time to your drinking cycle. You're also not going to be able to get to the carbonation level for lagers.
Look for a multiple corny keg deal. With those as the beer finishes brewing then depending on what it is you can force carbonate it and be drinking it within days (hours if you're scum like me).
That three week figure for brewing can also be reduced. If you've got temperature control and know your yeast you can have it fermented and cold-crashed** in 10 days. If you like wheat beers and with my recent experiment you could be drinking it in 3 or 4 days.
** Cold crashing is where you get it cold to make the yeast fall out. Gelatine can make it clear even quicker. Some people will say time will do this and I don't think you want that, and with wheats you don't even need to.
Half of the forum are now cheering, half seething and the number of ***** in my bag of ***** that I give about that is unchanged.
With pressure barrels you'll be priming with sugar which is going to add time to your drinking cycle. You're also not going to be able to get to the carbonation level for lagers.
Look for a multiple corny keg deal. With those as the beer finishes brewing then depending on what it is you can force carbonate it and be drinking it within days (hours if you're scum like me).
That three week figure for brewing can also be reduced. If you've got temperature control and know your yeast you can have it fermented and cold-crashed** in 10 days. If you like wheat beers and with my recent experiment you could be drinking it in 3 or 4 days.
** Cold crashing is where you get it cold to make the yeast fall out. Gelatine can make it clear even quicker. Some people will say time will do this and I don't think you want that, and with wheats you don't even need to.
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I assume that you have read the advice I posted here
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/hi-everyone.88807/#post-932644which directed you towards this
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/...pressure-barrels-pbs.88283/page-5#post-929409and have decided to proceed with PBs, and are now considering four PBs and not just two.
If you have best of luck with them. You may need it.
This might answer some of your questions.
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/guide-to-a-standard-home-brew-pressure-barrel.67042/
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/hi-everyone.88807/#post-932644which directed you towards this
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/...pressure-barrels-pbs.88283/page-5#post-929409and have decided to proceed with PBs, and are now considering four PBs and not just two.
If you have best of luck with them. You may need it.
This might answer some of your questions.
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/guide-to-a-standard-home-brew-pressure-barrel.67042/
AdeDunn
Member
Don't forget to also purchase plenty of towels and a good mop, just in case. 
I don't want to PB-bash, but all the above advice is spot on, based on my experience. Of particular note, as already mentioned, PBs are best suited to low-carbed ales but it sounds like you're looking to package lager? If so then I doubt PBs are the answer, irrespective of anyone's opinion on them.
Hi @Funnyday .. to answer your questions...
This is normally done using a sugar solution added to the pressure barrel (PB) before you transfer your beer from the fermenter to the barrel.
I usually allow 10 days for fermentation and another 4 for cold crashing, however fermentation is all about waiting for the SG to be constant. This is where “patience is the friend of the brewer” is good advice. Once the beer is in the PB it usually takes a week or so to carbonate and then a period of conditioning, typically 3-4 weeks, before you can enjoy your beer at it’s best.
If you’ve only got one brew fridge (like me) you won’t be able to start a new brew until your PB has finished carbonation (assuming you want to use your fridge for all temperature controlled processes) so you’re talking of a 4-5 week cycle. As an aside I have 2 FVs as sometimes I transfer my still fermenting beer after 2-3 days to the second FV, usually when there’s lots of trub, but that’s another thread.
As the previous posts from the usual suspects (
) have touched on, plastic PBs are not without their challenges but depending on your budget and your practical skills could provide you with an OK solution to bulk storage of your beer. Hope that helps.
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