Pressure barrel bulging!

[Davemc]

I barrled a woodford wherry last week that had been fermenting for about four weeks (I did it before my holiday and decided to leave in secondary fv rather than rush it).

Can't remember the fg as I am in work so don't have my notes but it certainly wasn't high. Added priming sugar a per instructions and left it to prime.

I noticed on Thursay that the pressure barrel is not level, the rear feet are off the surface as the domed bottom of the barrel has pushed out slightly. I have taken off about a pint of beer, but this has had no real effect. Obvioulsy it will release pressure as more beer is drawn off but it is a bit green at the moment so I would prefer to leave it to leave it to mature.

Is it safe to do so and will the barrel return to shape or is it now deformed for ever?

Interestingly the baller lid does have a valve with a rubber seal which is supposed to vent excess pressure but this is cleary not working.

 

[Personal91]

I barrled a woodford wherry last week that had been fermenting for about four weeks (I did it before my holiday and decided to leave in secondary fv rather than rush it).

Can't remember the fg as I am in work so don't have my notes but it certainly wasn't high. Added priming sugar a per instructions and left it to prime.

I noticed on Thursay that the pressure barrel is not level, the rear feet are off the surface as the domed bottom of the barrel has pushed out slightly. I have taken off about a pint of beer, but this has had no real effect. Obvioulsy it will release pressure as more beer is drawn off but it is a bit green at the moment so I would prefer to leave it to leave it to mature.

Is it safe to do so and will the barrel return to shape or is it now deformed for ever?

Interestingly the baller lid does have a valve with a rubber seal which is supposed to vent excess pressure but this is cleary not working.

what pressure barrel is it ?

+ if in doubt just put some water over the top of the pressure release bit and around the other seals

then proceed to pour out a bit of brew , it should then show some activity around the seals

 

[BarlingStu]

My pressure keg leaks and bulges if I prime with any more than 65g of sugar, always has.
If it's bulging I would suggest carefully and very slowly releasing pressure by loosening the cap, but be very careful whilst doing this for obvious reasons. Worst case if the keg is over pressurised is a split occurring and a nice redecoration of your wall , ceiling and floor!

 

[wfr42]

you don't need to loosen the top, it should have a release valve, if you carefully push the band down you should hear some gas escape.

 

[Davemc]

It's a Hambleton Bard barrel I believe, I have had it for some years but only restarted home brewing a month or so ago. y

Will try pulling the rubber down on the valve to vent some pressure.

 

[terrym]

Under pressure the barrel cap is a potential projectile, so do NOT release any pressure from your barrel by loosening the cap.
Much safer options are to do what wfr42 has suggested and release pressure through the RV band, or turn the barrel on its side and release it through the dispensing tap. Latter method gives you full control over what you are doing although when returned to upright you will have to give it a few days for the yeast to settle again.
Having said all that, if your Wherry is now clear through the tap, it is likely that the yeast has finished carbonating so any further increase in pressure is unlikely.

 

[Sandimas]

I noticed on Thursay that the pressure barrel is not level, the rear feet are off the surface as the domed bottom of the barrel has pushed out slightly.

Like this? Some of them do that, I think it's quite good as it lets you know there's good pressure in there. Mine bulges regularly, only when the bottom gets too egg shaped do I start to worry. Just move it into the cool and start drinking the beer.

 

[Davemc]

Yes exactly like that. So it goes back into shape ok as you drink the beer?

 

[Fil]

bulging is ok the pressure relief valves ( wide lazzy band over holes) isnt a precision instrument

Sometimes however if you have been zealous with chemical cleaners some residue can 'stick' the lazzy band in place, check this by simply pinching the band so it lets some pressure out.

 

[Sandimas]

Yes exactly like that. So it goes back into shape ok as you drink the beer?

Yes, the plastic just flexes - it'll relax as you take beer out and the pressure falls. When it's like that, it has a really good amount of CO2 which should be sufficient for all the beer in the keg so you shouldn't need to top up.

Mine's about 4 years old now and has been flexing like that since I bought it.

Mine originally came with a cap that didn't have a pressure release valve, but I fitted a new lid which had an S30 valve so I can add CO2 if necessary.

 

[pete_pete]

im brewing youngs harvest pilsner lager and 6 days after barreling, the bottom has bulged and taken it off its feet. i have a 5 gallon youngs pressure barrel.
the above advice is very useful. :thumb:

 

[pete_pete]

forgot to say i released the cap to allow the gas out, its very warm here at the moment so the gas will no doubt build up again fast. i do have a valve on the cap its a white rubber thingy. :lol:

 

[Dutto]

forgot to say i released the cap to allow the gas out, .............

Lucky-Lucky, and not just for safety reasons. :thumb:

If the contents are over-pressurised enough to deform the PB then loosening the cap can result in a "gusher" with beer everywhere.

Thinking on a bit, to take the cap off my PB I need to use a wide-mouthed wood cramp and a LOT of leverage. I doubt if my ageing muscles could manage to remove the cap if it was under any significant pressure; so how did you manage it?

 

[pete_pete]

its only a plastic screw cap. i got the barrel from wilko. when i unscrewed the top, the gas just hissed out, (like opening a bottle of coke) no beer has leaked. must be lucky i suppose lol

 

[terrym]

its only a plastic screw cap. i got the barrel from wilko. when i unscrewed the top, the gas just hissed out, (like opening a bottle of coke) no beer has leaked. must be lucky i suppose lol

'Only a plastic screw cap' nevertheless has the ability to go anywhere if you try to remove it under pressure. I agree, you were lucky, not only because you didn't lose any beer but importantly that the cap didn't fire off towards your face. I remember one member reporting that he had unscrewed his PB cap under pressure and it had shot off somewhere, much to his surprise and then relief that he had not been hurt.
If you have not done so already I suggest you read my post 6 above.
And on a more mundane note, now you have released the pressure you will probably find it will not build up as before and you may have to reprime and/or charge with CO2 to get down your PB.

 

[Sandimas]

its only a plastic screw cap. i got the barrel from wilko. when i unscrewed the top, the gas just hissed out, (like opening a bottle of coke) no beer has leaked. must be lucky i suppose lol

Sounds like there wasn't much in there to start with. There's none in there now after you let it out, so you won't be able to get the beer out. After 6 days, the amount of CO2 produced starts to level off as the priming sugar has been mostly used up, so it may not re-gas itself.

 

[Godsdog]

finger nail under the S30 outer rubber band is the way to go if you have one fitted

 

[Soton]

Ahh I remember the days ( late 70s early 80s) of bulging.....cheap pressure barrels, before the king keg came along, mind you they use to bulge but they always looked like they could take it
What I use to do was this.............drink some of the beer, it was young but it was beer and I made it :lol:

 

[pete_pete]

finger nail under the S30 outer rubber band is the way to go if you have one fitted

If only i had finger nails :lol:

 

[pete_pete]

Ahh I remember the days ( late 70s early 80s) of bulging.....cheap pressure barrels, before the king keg came along, mind you they use to bulge but they always looked like they could take it
What I use to do was this.............drink some of the beer, it was young but it was beer and I made it :lol:

King keg you say, i might have to buy meself one of these. :thumb: