Pressure Barrel - filling - air gap above beer?

[thespirit3]

Hi All,

I've recently brewed my first beer from a kit. Once fermentation had slowed (actually, it seemed to stop abruptly over night) I've transferred to a pressure barrel.

However, I didn't have enough beer to totally fill the barrel; an air gap of about 1 to 2 inches exists above the beer. I understand fermentation should slowly continue (I primed the barrel with brewing sugar) and the barrel should pressurise over the next few days.

However, wouldn't the existing oxygen in the barrel cause the beer to go bad? I thought the air gap would be ok, leaving spave for a little fermentation 'froth'. However, the more I think about this, the more I'm thinking the oxygen filled void is a bad idea.

Should pressure barrels be filled to the brim?

Any thoughts?

The barrel is a standard unbranded model with pressure release valve. I haven't yet added a co2 injection cap.


Thanks,


Steve

 

[Fil]

Hi steve the headroom in a pb serves a purpose as a pressure reservoir for maintaining condition and pouring without letting air in.

so a healthy few inches of space is good, in decanting/syphoning the beer into it you will have agitated it enough to release enough co2 from suspension in the beer to form a covering blanket protecting it from air exposure as the co2 is heavier... after a day of fermenting your priming sugar in the barrel you can vent off the air by cracking the lid a bit as it will be on the top and enough co2 will have been generated by the beer to push out the air if any in there....

hope that helps.. :)

 

[thespirit3]

Hi Fil,

Thanks for your reassuring comments. Despite searching for some time online I couldn't find any similar questions or info.

Thanks again


Steve

 

[Fil]

Glad to help, as its your first kit, if it says its ready to drink in X days, Double it and then add some :)
Patience is the key ingredient to great tasting beer :)

 

[thespirit3]

Whilst taking time and care over my beer I also started a 'turbo cider'. This took one week to brew and according to my other half, is now very drinkable :

:drink: <-- this one quite appropriate as my first home brew attempt is a stout :)

 

[grinling]

We can't seem to get any pressure in our Wilko barrel of Wherry in spite of adding a tablespoon of granulated sugar on 2 occaisions. Beer tastes OK but is flat and is not being forced out in fact we are in danger of getting air in the barrel. No obvious leaks, it's been in the pressure barrel for 4 weeks or so and is nice and clear. Our other brews had a couple of CO2 blasts after drinking a bit but seems odd having to give it some from the outset? Its been pretty warm (by our standards) in the house since it was barrelled, 20C in daytime...
Puzzled!

 

[Fil]

sounds like you dont have a sealed keg? you can overtighten and pull/push the large oring out of its seat with a bit too much force on the tighten up?

a smear of vaseline or keg lube will also help the seal, and check any prv's especially those which are rubber bands on a post, they can stick open with an odd bit of debris and can also perish.

also i had an old boots bulb injector that needed a bulb in place to hold pressure? odd but as long as u saved one empty bulb it was ok.


might be worth repriming sealing and giving it a gas bulb so u can check for leaks, a spray bottle with a weak washin-up liquid solution can help spot leeks by bubbling.

the beer should be fine, just a tad stronger and a few more weeks late :)

good luck..