Priming sugar

[RBennett]

Evening everybody. Just another question. My pale ale has been fermenting now for 8 days, im going to pop the lid off tomorrow and do a reading with the hyrometer (wish i knew to do one before).
I was just wondering, when it reaches the readings i want, my destructions tell me to syphon it into my keg and leave 3-4 weeks to clear, but will this not leave a load of sediment in the bottom waiting for me when i open the tap? Or will that disappear?
Also how much priming sugar would you recommend to put in the keg with it? 100g? And im told house hold sugar is fine?
I say a quick question, i meant a volley of quick questions :).
Many thanks
Ryan

 

[Hoppyland]

Hi there!
Well, I don't use barrels at all these days, preferring to bottle, but I used to a lot.
First up, don't worry about not having an initial hydrometer reading. The main reason for that is calculating how strong your beer will be. The readings you're taking now will tell you when your beer has virtually finished fermenting (know as Final Gravity, or FG readings). The basic idea is that the fermentation takes place pretty quickly at first, then rapidly drops off and stabilises. For your pale ale, I'd expect this to be about 1010, but it can vary quite a bit. If it's somewhere near this value, and has been stable for a few days, then your beer has pretty well fermented out. Don't worry too much if it isn't exactly what the kit instructions say, it's the fact it isn't changing that is most important. Don't open the fermentation vessel (FV) too often, though, or you'll risk getting too much air in - this may have wild yeasts or bacteria in it that can spoil your beer.
Yes, you will get sediment settling out in your barrel, but if you leave it long enough this will form a discrete layer below the tap. Just be careful, if your beer is very fizzy, to let it out of the barrel slowly so you don't get this stirred up a lot. And yes, the sediment won't go away!
You can certainly reduce the amount of sediment by putting the beer into a secondary FV or a 5 gallon plastic container, for a couple of weeks before you barrel it. This is also a good idea to keep your supply going - 5 gallon containers are an awful lot cheaper than barrels, so you can mature brews in them prior to kegging. As an example:
http://www.ampulla.co.uk/Shop-For-Plastic/UN-Certified---Stackable-Containers-1L---30L/c-17-170-112/

What type of keg do you have? Is it just a plain barrel, with a solid screw cap, or does it have a CO2 injection system? If it has no pressure relief valve, then you'll need to keep a close eye that you don't over-prime it. Too much sugar = too much pressure = beer that's too fizzy & possible leaks past tap seals etc. I always used household sugar (dissolved in boiling water, then cooled) with great results - others might say differently!

 

[RBennett]

Hi there!
Well, I don't use barrels at all these days, preferring to bottle, but I used to a lot.
First up, don't worry about not having an initial hydrometer reading. The main reason for that is calculating how strong your beer will be. The readings you're taking now will tell you when your beer has virtually finished fermenting (know as Final Gravity, or FG readings). The basic idea is that the fermentation takes place pretty quickly at first, then rapidly drops off and stabilises. For your pale ale, I'd expect this to be about 1010, but it can vary quite a bit. If it's somewhere near this value, and has been stable for a few days, then your beer has pretty well fermented out. Don't worry too much if it isn't exactly what the kit instructions say, it's the fact it isn't changing that is most important. Don't open the fermentation vessel (FV) too often, though, or you'll risk getting too much air in - this may have wild yeasts or bacteria in it that can spoil your beer.
Yes, you will get sediment settling out in your barrel, but if you leave it long enough this will form a discrete layer below the tap. Just be careful, if your beer is very fizzy, to let it out of the barrel slowly so you don't get this stirred up a lot. And yes, the sediment won't go away!
You can certainly reduce the amount of sediment by putting the beer into a secondary FV or a 5 gallon plastic container, for a couple of weeks before you barrel it. This is also a good idea to keep your supply going - 5 gallon containers are an awful lot cheaper than barrels, so you can mature brews in them prior to kegging. As an example:
http://www.ampulla.co.uk/Shop-For-Plastic/UN-Certified---Stackable-Containers-1L---30L/c-17-170-112/

What type of keg do you have? Is it just a plain barrel, with a solid screw cap, or does it have a CO2 injection system? If it has no pressure relief valve, then you'll need to keep a close eye that you don't over-prime it. Too much sugar = too much pressure = beer that's too fizzy & possible leaks past tap seals etc. I always used household sugar (dissolved in boiling water, then cooled) with great results - others might say differently!

Hi mate, brilliant reply that thanks!
Iv got a plastic keg with a tap on then a co2 valve ontop, im assuming you can release pressure with this valve aswell?
Ill invest in one of those large containers, good shout.
Cheers
Ryan

 

[jeg3]

Wilkos sell cheap brewing buckets which are ideal as secondary FVs but are a bit small for a vigorous 23l fermentation (as I found out this week with my Dark Ruby Mild).

Personally I find straight in the keg after 14 days with 50g sugar is fine but I like low carbonated beer.

The pressure relief valve on the cap will be set so it blows off under pressure, no intervention is required.

Also to minimise leaks around the cap and tap, smear the threads with Vaseline.

I find 2-4 weeks in the keg is ample conditioning time for a pale, low gravity ale.

Happy drinking.

 

[clibit]

The earlier you keg it the more sediment you will have in the keg. I'd suggest being patient, leave if two to three weeks in the FV, put it somewhere cool for the last few days to help it settle, then transfer to keg. I use brewing sugar to prime, and mostly bottle, 5g per litre for most ales.

 

[RBennett]

brilliant thanks guys

 

[Hoppyland]

Ill invest in one of those large containers, good shout.

If you do, note there are 2 types with an internal threaded bung and an external threaded cap. I've used the latter as its dead easy to fit an airlock to the cap.
Which reminds me - the beer should still be fermenting when you transfer it, so it will still be producing CO2 gas. This is good, because you will, despite your best efforts, have micro-organisms that you don't want, that will get in with every opening of a vessel or transference of beer. Your best defence against them ruining your beer is CO2 (apart from scrupulous hygiene, of course!). Most of the nasties that I've encountered will only flourish in an atmosphere containing oxygen - and a blanket of CO2 will stop these ones from flourishing.
I use a large (6kg net) CO2 cylinder to purge air from my all containers. But a good (simpler and cheaper) alternative is to transfer your beer to a 25l container, then squeeze the sides so that the beer pushes most of the air out of the top. Then seal it with an airtight cap. The beer will keep on producing CO2, and the container will gradually swell and resume its original shape. At this stage you can either repeat the squeezing, or fit a cap with an airlock. Either way, the beer will be under a protective blanket of CO2 (incidentally, CO2 is heavier than air - so unless the gases are agitated the CO2 will stay low, on top of the beer)
Just remembered, Ampulla also do some very reasonable fermenting bins (25l nominal, full capacity must be nearly 30), with the tightest-sealing lids I've come across (they need a smear of vaseline or silicone grease around the lip otherwise they're beggars to get off at all!!)