Pressure Barrels - More than you wanted to know!

[terrym]

Always good to hear some positive thoughts about pressure barrels, King Kegs in particular, as like all commodities, there's a price scale that usually reflects the quality scale. A little unfair to tar all PBs with the same cheap brush....IMO. Good, positive thread

I do not wish to make this a good vs. evil exchange. But the simple fact, as evidenced by queries on here, is that KK PBs are not without their problems which may well be less than the cheap end of what's available in the PB market. Notwithstanding that, this thread is indeed positive, in that it helps PB users address some of their shortcomings. However if there were no shortcomings the thread would not be needed.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

I think the issue of shortcomings is ultimately where you end up...

bottles have the hassle
Cornies have the expense
and then you have PBs with their own shortcomings

I don’t think there’s a right answer but there might be a right answer for YOU.

I love my kegs

 

[Buffers brewery]

KK PBs are not without their problems

I agree @terrym , the main one being they come with no “User instructions”, at least my three didn’t. As @Hazelwood Brewery has demonstrated in this thread, to get the best from a PB you need to know how to assemble and maintain them, which this thread goes a long way in providing that info. As with most things in life, experience is a useful tool in avoiding problems. Ooer, I went all phylosophical there! Apologies!

 

[Clint]

I think the issue of shortcomings is ultimately where you end up...

bottles have the hassle
Cornies have the expense
and then you have PBs with their own shortcomings

I don’t think there’s a right answer but there might be a right answer for YOU.

I love my kegs

..such an old softy.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

What's YOUR pronunciation of FLANGE?
Flaaa

..such an old softy.

Flan - as in tart.

 

[Clint]

Sorry...got a bit mixed up...

 

[Wherrypuzzled]

An excellent informative and comprehensive write up HB

I am sure I can offer thanks on behalf of all the PB devotees on here both the ones comfortable knowing what they are about - the returners like myself who should never be too old to learn - and more importantly to those who are following on and will use your excellent piece(s) as a PB "Bible"

A sticky is the very least this "encyclopedia" deserves. Thanks again

 

[Old Geezer]

Very good and informative. you are a lubberly man for taking the time to help people with their problem barrels, though as has already been stated I think a lot if not most of the problems are to be found on the cheaper barrels.

Maybe I have just been lucky but I've had very few problems with my King Kegs one thing I do though is change the taps to Brewgas sparkler taps they are so much easier when pouring. Just wish they were cheaper.

 

[Wherrypuzzled]

I too swapped to Sparkler Taps but have been lucky enough with my KKs (on which they are fitted) to have Beer come out like HBs first set of Photos - so have not yet used the Sparkler end - but agree the actual dispensing is so much easier with them that the twist taps they replaced

As yet I dont even know whether I would tighten the sparkler to produce a better head - but I recently got through a Keg of Admirals Reserve without adding gas at any stage

 

[PenhowBrewer]

huge thanks for this thread
I have a king keg, which was fine with my first brew, but rapidly looses pressure in my current brew. I have, however, fitted quite a bit of additional hardware, these being a pressure gauge and a bicycle tyre valve for testing purposes. (i.e. I can pump air into it with a bicycle pump to test for leaks).

I have just bought a square cross section cap seal and am bottling my beer to get it all out of the barrel so I can see what’s going on with it and take whatever remedial action is needed.
I already have a German wheat beer kit sat in the wings as my next brew, so I want to make sure it’s all systems go with the KK.

this KK ‘howto’ is a fantastic resource, and has given me a few things to look at alredy...I’m eagerly anticipating the next instalment!

thanks again

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

huge thanks for this thread
I have a king keg, which was fine with my first brew, but rapidly looses pressure in my current brew. I have, however, fitted quite a bit of additional hardware, these being a pressure gauge and a bicycle tyre valve for testing purposes. (i.e. I can pump air into it with a bicycle pump to test for leaks).

I have just bought a square cross section cap seal and am bottling my beer to get it all out of the barrel so I can see what’s going on with it and take whatever remedial action is needed.
I already have a German wheat beer kit sat in the wings as my next brew, so I want to make sure it’s all systems go with the KK.

this KK ‘howto’ is a fantastic resource, and has given me a few things to look at alredy...I’m eagerly anticipating the next instalment!

thanks again

I’ve just updated the thread to finish off the “Valve related issues” (you definitely need to read about the pressure-release rubber!) and the cap seal. Hope these help with your current struggles!

 

[Clint]

Where do you normally buy your kegs from H?

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Where do you normally buy your kegs from H?

Whoever is offering the best price, taking delivery into account, for the configuration I want (bottom tap, black tap, stainless valve) but there’s less choice each time I look at the mo’

 

[Clint]

Yeah they are limited! Do you just use the 8g bulbs?
I'm tempted to buy a couple of kegs now that I understand the valve system..

 

[Barley Rubble]

IMHO there are Pros and Cons for all three systems of keeping beer.

At the end of the day, its horses for courses, which ever camp you are in.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Yeah they are limited! Do you just use the 8g bulbs?
I'm tempted to buy a couple of kegs now that I understand the valve system..

I do actually. Given the number of kegs I have I really should move to something more economical.

If you do buy a keg I hope this thread helps you to get great results trouble-free from the start. Good luck!

 

[Clint]

Yeah it's great! I may now be able to fettle the Wilko keg and get it into use.
How many bulbs do you use to get a keg empty?

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Yeah it's great! I may now be able to fettle the Wilko keg and get it into use.
How many bulbs do you use to get a keg empty?

Normally just one or two because I tend to drink no more than a couple of pints from each keg at a time. If you’re drinking from just one keg I’d say you get about six pints before you need another bulb if you don’t allow time for secondary fermentation to do it’s thing.

 

[Clint]

What’s that little tool thing you have for getting the rubber valve on?

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

What’s that little tool thing you have for getting the rubber valve on?

It’s a rubber sleeve expander. They’re used in electronics - mostly for stretching rubber sleeves over wires soldered to multi-pin connectors. Goes back to my engineering days is the RAF !