Pressure barrel

[Kevsan1]

Just a question about using a barrel rather than bottles. I wondered how long it lasts and what is needed, co2 etc ??

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Plastic barrels usually hold 23 litres so the beer will last until it's finished, but they are unreliable and leak. A Cornelius keg is metal and holds 19 litres but you can get smaller and they are reliable. Both will need CO2, but you can prime your wort with sugar and it will self carbonate. Personally to start I would bottle, get the beer to a good standard then look at barrels.

 

[terrym]

Wot @Cheshire Cat said.
If you are thinking of buying a PB I suggest you read this and the rest of the thread then form your own opinion of whether they are a good investment or not.
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/...pressure-barrels-pbs.88283/page-5#post-929409But if you have just bought one one this might be of use
https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/threads/guide-to-a-standard-home-brew-pressure-barrel.67042/

 

[Buffers brewery]

I wondered how long it lasts

Depends how fast you can drink 5 gallons of beer

what is needed, co2 etc

Depending on what make of barrel you buy, (I only have experience on King Keg pressure barrels), while you can carbonate using sugar solution I used S30 brewgas cylinders to ”top up” the pressure during use. A regular supply of valve rubber bands is recommended. Good practical skills are also a help if your barrel needs some “adjustment” to stop it leaking.

 

[terrym]

Good practical skills are also a help if your barrel needs some “adjustment” to stop it leaking.

 

[Buffers brewery]

Thought you'd appreciate that @terrym

 

[AnimatedGIF]

Save. Your. Money.

 

[AnimatedGIF]

In all seriousness, someone will be along shortly I am sure to let you know that if you spend all your spare time maintaining, replacing parts and modify them that they work wonderfully.

 

[Old Geezer]

I've got two King Kegs and just ordered another one all I've ever done is change the tap, surely I can't be the only one that that's had relatively few problems with them.

I usually get them from Ballihoo.

 

[Buffers brewery]

You're not @Old Geezer . I have 3 King Kegs and haven't suffered leaks from taps or shell. I've had issues with the Hambleton Bard valve rubbers which I've fixed.
There are a few members that have been scarred by their experiences with pressure barrels (probably bought cheapo versions) and now take every opportunity to rubbish all PBs. Just my opinion.

 

[Old Geezer]

The main reason for replacing the taps is that I much prefer the Brewgas sparkler ones.

 

[Doive]

Yes, another satisfied King Keg user here - I have two of them. They are just like any piece of pressurised apparatus in any walk of life - maintain the seals regularly & they will be generally fault free. By regularly I mean I have changed mine once since I bought them six years ago, never had any leaks during use, apart from an S30 valve failing - but that's hardly the fault of the King Keg. Have fitted mine with small pressure gauges to monitor the secondary carbonation, which has been very useful for dispensing reliably. Also I give the seals a fine smear of food grade silicon when it all comes apart for cleaning. Only other modification from standard, as Old Geezer has done, is to fit sparkler taps.​

 

[Old Geezer]

View attachment 29978
Yes, another satisfied King Keg user here - I have two of them. They are just like any piece of pressurised apparatus in any walk of life - maintain the seals regularly & they will be generally fault free. By regularly I mean I have changed mine once since I bought them six years ago, never had any leaks during use, apart from an S30 valve failing - but that's hardly the fault of the King Keg. Have fitted mine with small pressure gauges to monitor the secondary carbonation, which has been very useful for dispensing reliably. Also I give the seals a fine smear of food grade silicon when it all comes apart for cleaning. Only other modification from standard, as Old Geezer has done, is to fit sparkler taps.

@Doive if you don't mind can I ask you where you get the pressure valve from

 

[Doive]

@Doive if you don't mind can I ask you where you get the pressure valve from

@Old Geezer if you mean the pressure gauges, I bought them from an ebay seller - priced up all the components to make them myself, but the price he is asking was only a few quid more than me buying everything individually. Found them very useful indeed.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/King-Keg...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

 

[Old Geezer]

@Doive Yes sorry about that I did mean gauge, not valve.

I have seen them on eBay but considering I could get a gauge for £5.95 inc postage even less if prepared to wait for it to arrive from China. £18.28 (inc postage) seemed a bit excessive.

I have priced up the parts and as you say for the amount saved is it really worth the hassle so I've sent a message to the seller to see if he would combine postage if I bought more than one.

Many thanks.

 

[Old Geezer]

Update, having not received what I would consider a satisfactory reply from the seller (not really prepared to compromise on the cost or postage that much) I decided to just fit a pressure gauge myself.

The eBay one is £14.99 plus £3.29 postage total £18.28 so I was looking at around £54 for my 3 barrels

All it took was a pressure gauge 0-15psi 40mm (50mm same price just personal preference to go for the 40mm one) 1/8 BSP thread, an 8mm brass washer, 8mm rubber washer, and a 1/8 BSP nut. Total cost less than £8.

I bought a pressure gauge for £6.45 on eBay if I wanted to wait I could have got one for around half that.

I removed the Shrader valve drilled the cap out to 8mm brass washer and rubber washer on the top and the nut under the cap to tighten the pressure valve directly to the cap.

Pressure tested and all working with no leaks I have only done one but will do the others as they become empty at less than half the cost, no need for any adaptors or connectors at all.

 

[kelper]

I just bought a low-pressure tyre gauge to go on the Schrader valve. Will do all three. But when dispensing beer it's obvious when a puff of gas is needed. I have just connected on PB to a beer engine and I don't want to pull a vacuum on it.

 

[Old Geezer]

I looked for a gauge to permanently fit on a Schrader valve or an adaptor to fit a normal pressure gauge and couldn't find one. It would have been a lot easier if I could have.

 

[kelper]

I'll be interested to hear how long the gauge works. I suspect it will eventually fail due to internal blockage. Be careful not to get any beer or sanitiser into the gauge or its extension!

 

[Buffers brewery]

drilled the cap out to 8mm

Sorry to be picky but 1/8 bsp requires a 10mm hole. Schrader valves require an 8mm hole.
I’m surprised you managed to get the gauge thread to seal just with a loose brass washer and a rubber washer. Whenever I try it I always get a leak up the thread. Well done!