Priming Pressure Barrel

[OlsBean]

I’m fairly new to Brewing so apologies in advance if this is a stupid question. I have some Best Bitter finishing up in the FV and I’m going to rack it to a PB. This is my 5th Kit but only the second time using a PB. The PB has an S30 valve. Can I skip priming it with sugar and instead just prime it via the S30 with C02? Does carbonating with sugar bring anything else to the brew, apart from raising the ABV a little?

TIA

 

[Kman]

You can’t use co2 to carb the beer, need to use sugar


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[terrym]

You can use either CO2 or sugar. It is probably more conventional to first prime with sugar, and then top up the head pressure with CO2 as required as beer is drawn off. However, there are a few who use all CO2 injection, and others who use all sugar which is certainly needed if your PB doesn't have a CO2 injection valve in the cap. In the end it's your choice.
If you decide to prime with sugar I suggest you use no more than 95g sugar, since more might overpressure the PB, and even more should result in the pressure relief device venting excess CO2 to protect the PB.
More on PBs here...
Guide to a Standard Home Brew Pressure Barrel

 

[jeg3]

In my king keg which has an s30 valve co2 injection pressurises the keg but the prv in the valve is too low to force carb the beer.

I use 80g sugar for a 20l ale, fit the lid loosely, squirt a bit of co2 in the expel the air, tighten up and give another squirt of co2. Carbonates it lovely.

As you draw the beer off, the pressure will reduce and the beer will loose some of its carbonation - like how lemonade gets flatter as there is less in the bottle. So even though there is adequate pressure in the keg to dispense, I top up at 50% and 25% full to maintain condition

 

[OlsBean]

Thank you. The problem I found last time was heating the PB enough to initiate secondary, if I moved it (somewhere warmer) then it lost pressure, so I ended up having to reseal and top up with C02 anyway. I could gently heat it with a Heating Belt but I only have the one and I want to free it up to start some Lager (whilst the weather is so cold). I will follow your method jeg3, hopefully I will still get some secondary activity from the yeast even at a much lower temperature, quite happy to leave it much longer to condition, I am not in a hurry to drink it.

These PB's are so temperamental but I love the "Cask" type of beer they produce for Ales and it was this that probably pushed me to wanting to start brewing.

Thanks again.

 

[terrym]

Thank you. The problem I found last time was heating the PB enough to initiate secondary, if I moved it (somewhere warmer) then it lost pressure, so I ended up having to reseal and top up with C02 anyway. I could gently heat it with a Heating Belt but I only have the one and I want to free it up to start some Lager (whilst the weather is so cold). I will follow your method jeg3, hopefully I will still get some secondary activity from the yeast even at a much lower temperature, quite happy to leave it much longer to condition, I am not in a hurry to drink it.

These PB's are so temperamental but I love the "Cask" type of beer they produce for Ales and it was this that probably pushed me to wanting to start brewing.

The carbonation level required for some beers e.g. lagers and American IPAs is higher than can be safely accommodated by a PB. You can still put these beers in a PB, but they might be considered to be undercarbed. PBs are fine for ales and I think they are ideal for stouts due to the creamy head you get from the dispensing tap.
More on carbing levels here
Beer Priming Calculator - Brewer's Friend

If you lose pressure from a PB you have a leak, although moving from a warm to a cold place will result in some lowering of pressure if you leave it alone for long enough, and vice versa, due to CO2 movement between the gas space and the liquid to maintain the equilibrium which is different at different temperatures.
And provided you can keep your beer above 16-17*C it should carb up, it will just take longer at the lower temperatures.

 

[jeg3]

Moving it somewhere warmer should increase pressure as warmer beer forces the co2 out, so that sounds like a leak.

It should prime perfectly well at lower temps, it will just take longer.

I prime my ale to a carb volume of 1.5-2, so it's never highly carbed.

Leave it for a few weeks and draw off a sample