Pressure Barrel Pressure Issue

[GaSh65]

Hi Folks, I have three King Keg Bottom Tap pressure barrels.

Had them a few years, they've mostly been brilliant. I'm now finding that with at least one of them, the 8g CO2 bulbs last hardly any time at all. I'll put a new one in, pour a pint and then maybe the next day it's OK, but the day after it'll have run out half way through a pint.

Does this mean I have to replace the whole of the lid of the barrel, or could it be due to something else?

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Twostage]

Put soapy water around everything that could possibly leak and see if there are any bubbles.

 

[GaSh65]

Put soapy water around everything that could possibly leak and see if there are any bubbles.

Brilliant, thanks for that.

 

[MashBag]

And my money is on the big one.

A smear of vaseline (or sanitary silicone) might even cure. And should be regular maintenance.

https://brew2bottle.co.uk/products/...oogle Shopping&stkn=f51ba00cee25&gad_source=1

 

[Stevieboy]

And my money is on the big one.

A smear of vaseline (or sanitary silicone) might even cure. And should be regular maintenance.

https://brew2bottle.co.uk/products/...oogle Shopping&stkn=f51ba00cee25&gad_source=1

Yep - replace all the seals and use vaseline.

 

[Sandimas]

Best solution is to put them in the back of your car and take them to the tip. Seriously.

I had 3, they were fine initially but once the pressure problems started I ended up chasing my tail, consumed so much time, I got rid of them in the end and moved to stainless-steel kegs. Same with every brewer I know.

 

[GaSh65]

Best solution is to put them in the back of your car and take them to the tip. Seriously.

I had 3, they were fine initially but once the pressure problems started I ended up chasing my tail, consumed so much time, I got rid of them in the end and moved to stainless-steel kegs. Same with every brewer I know.

Interesting. I'll give them a go for a while longer, but will look into stainless steel as a more reliable replacement. Thanks.

 

[Buffers brewery]

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/pressure-barrels-more-than-you-wanted-to-know.89344/
This might help. In my experience the most probable cause of a leak is the gas valve rubber bands, inside or outside or both. A good spray with soapy water in and around the valve will identify if that’s the problem. If it is change them.

 

[GaSh65]

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/pressure-barrels-more-than-you-wanted-to-know.89344/
This might help. In my experience the most probable cause of a leak is the gas valve rubber bands, inside or outside or both. A good spray with soapy water in and around the valve will identify if that’s the problem. If it is change them.

Thanks for the link, I'll give that a good read too.

 

[tigertim]

Best solution is to put them in the back of your car and take them to the tip. Seriously.

I had 3, they were fine initially but once the pressure problems started I ended up chasing my tail, consumed so much time, I got rid of them in the end and moved to stainless-steel kegs. Same with every brewer I know.

This comment had me in stitches!

Whilst this suggestion could be considered controversial because there are a lot of full-time home brewers who seem more than happy with plastic pressure barrels, I have to say that I completely agree with you. I'd be tempted to say they're a good way to start out and learn the principles, but their inherent unreliability when in unmodified form can be really frustrating and my Top Tap nearly put me off brewing before I'd even started.

I was advised to ditch it and get stainless kegs instead and I got a great deal on four cornies from normannumpa which I still use to this day. They require maintenance, but in my case it's only been preventative; never had any problems. They're now worth more than they cost me back in 2009 so could be considered an investment and if they ever get to a state where they could be considered end-of-life, they can be recycled - unlike plastic pressure barrels which are just landfill.

 

[TonyT]

This comment had me in stitches!

Whilst this suggestion could be considered controversial because there are a lot of full-time home brewers who seem more than happy with plastic pressure barrels, I have to say that I completely agree with you. I'd be tempted to say they're a good way to start out and learn the principles, but their inherent unreliability when in unmodified form can be really frustrating and my Top Tap nearly put me off brewing before I'd even started.

I was advised to ditch it and get stainless kegs instead and I got a great deal on four cornies from normannumpa which I still use to this day. They require maintenance, but in my case it's only been preventative; never had any problems. They're now worth more than they cost me back in 2009 so could be considered an investment and if they ever get to a state where they could be considered end-of-life, they can be recycled - unlike plastic pressure barrels which are just landfill.

Pressure barrels are definitely a bit marmite. I’ve got four that I’ve had for about 20 years and I’m perfectly happy with them. I just echo what others have said, new seals and Vaseline. P.S. don’t google that!

 

[MCRBrew]

Fitting a pressure gauge will save a lot of messing and wasted gas - also allows you to see how conditioning is going. There are several ways to do this:

1. Easiest is to add a tyre stem to the lid. You can then use a tyre pressure gauge. You can also use large CO2 bottles (along with a suitable regulator) and top up the gas through the tyre stem. These work out much cheaper than the little 8g cartridges. With a tyre stem you can also pressure test with a foot pump which again is much cheaper than CO2!
2. Ballihoo sell a lid with this in already: Balliihoo 4 Inch Pressure Barrel Co2 Control Cap - Full System.
3. If you want it permanently attached you can put the necessary together from plumbing fittings
4. There is a chap on ebay who sells a complete set of bits to add the gauge: King Keg Homebrew Beer Barrel Pressure Gauge/Adaptor Assembly 0-15PSI (No.1/DIY) | eBay (no affiliation, just an example).

Whatever modifications you do, make sure you retain some sort of pressure relief. I replaced the whole gas in with a 1/2"bsp bulkhead fitting and a tee with a pressure gauge one end and a 15psi pressure relief valve on the other.

 

[Rodcx500z]

I started with them and had very few problems, i now use cornys for the simple reason i can get more in the fridge

 

[MashBag]

So all you need is a corny post to tyre stem adaptor then Rod.

Bujingyun 2pcs Flexible Rubber Extension Tire Valve Adaptor with Valve Cap for Universal Cars Truck Motorcycle Bike(210mm) https://amzn.eu/d/41giv2t

 

[Rodcx500z]

Why would i need one ?

 

[MashBag]

Thought you might be missing it