Pressure barrel tap and carbon dioxide question (newbie)

[ThreeSheets]

Hello everyone,

How long should it take to develop about 5-8g co2 in a pressure barrel using only secondary fermentation? I've been using 23 litres of wort resulting in about 2 inches of clearance.

On one of my recent brews I put 85g fine brew sugar in before I siphoned the primary wort into the barrel, after a week or two there didn't seem to be much pressure developed (air kept coming back into the barrel). Needless to say I surrendered and injected some in after a while.

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I also had another question regarding the tap: My current brew is coming out very turbulently and I'm getting way too much head: Is this because I have too much pressure or should I be using a better tap? The tap is a typical lever tap you'd get with any old pressure barrel.

Cheers.

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If you require more info: Brew temp 22'C (+-1'C) , SG: 1.035, FG: 1.008 (after approx 8 days)

 

[Mark1964]

when we brewed using pressure barrels 2 weeks produced enough c02 to dispense well. Then a further week to cool condition. This was done using normal sugar to prime with

 

[eggman]

Did you leave the barrel somewhere warm for a week or so after you'd syphoned your brew in?
I usually have some pressure in mine after only 24hrs so if yours had none after a couple of weeks then you've got a leak either on the lid sealing washer or from the gas valve.
Check the nut inside the lid on the bottom of the gas valve as sometimes they come only finger tight. Most likely the leak was cause by over tightening the lid and distorting the washer, when i do mine up i only use my thumb and forefinger :thumb:
The taps take a bit of practice but you just have to pour it slowly then give it a burst at the end to give it a head. Next time when the pressure drops add some gas before the tap starts glugging because when it draws air in your brew will go stale very quickly
:

 

[ThreeSheets]

Thanks Mark, I'll be sure to avoid touching my current batch for two weeks.

Eggman; I did leave the barrel in a 22'C area after transferring the brew. I think you're right, it's likely to be a pressure leak more than anything; seems like the tap didn't get enough loading. I'll take care to make sure the lid washer isn't overloaded next time too.

 

[Sandimas]

I'm starting to go off pressure barrels as I've had a few distasters with slow leaks from both of mine. Now I inject some gas at the start every time, just to be sure, then leave it in a warm place for 1-2 weeks after which it's gassed up from the added sugar (plus I always add a tablespoon of the yeast from the bottom of the bucket, as recommended somewhere).

I actually prefer the budget barrel to my decent top-tap keg, as the budget one deforms when it's got some pressure, giving me a warm feeling that it's gassed up.