Problem With Geordie Bitter

[Python15]

Hi guys, looking for a bit of an explanation for this problem. I've made this kit on dozens of occassions and normally put it in my pressure barrel. Always use the same amount of sugar and always check the FG is as close to 0 as possible. This kit finished with a FG of 1.002, left it a few days, checked again then into the barrel it went only this time (stupidly) I forgot to put in the priming sugar. No problem said I, it will go in at the end. Transfer finished and in goes the priming sugar. There then began a mad dash to get the pressure barrel cap on as quickly as possible as I saw the contents of the barrel race to the opening. Job done and no mess. Left the barrel on the kitchen table @ 20 deg for a week giving the occasional shake to mix the sugar then a further two weeks in the garage before sampling. There was bags of pressure in the barrel but what came out appeared like the colour of mud! It was coming out cloudier than it went in! Has anyone had a similar experience?

 

[Clint]

Sounds like disturbed sediment. Did it taste OK?

 

[Bitter_Dave]

Erm, if I understand correctly, you were shaking the barrel? If so, as clint said, the sediment probably went into solution. You don't need to shake the barrel. When I used to use barrels I would often add priming sugar at the end and never had a problem.

 

[Python15]

Sounds like disturbed sediment. Did it taste OK?

Yes it tasted fine, in fact, if you shut your eyes, you'd think nothing was wrong.

Erm, if I understand correctly, you were shaking the barrel? If so, as clint said, the sediment probably went into solution. You don't need to shake the barrel. When I used to use barrels I would often add priming sugar at the end and never had a problem.

How did you get your sugar to disolve, was it in liquid form? I don 't think I've come across sediment going into solution, please expand. As I said, it looks like there's more sediment now than when I wracked it off.

 

[Clint]

You can just chuck the sugar in.

 

[Bitter_Dave]

How did you get your sugar to disolve, was it in liquid form? I don 't think I've come across sediment going into solution, please expand. As I said, it looks like there's more sediment now than when I wracked it off.

I used to boil the sugar in a small amount of water and add this. But to be honest you can just add it dry (that's what I do when I bottle nowadays).

The point about sediment was that it may naturally fall the bottom of the barrel, below the tap. If you are racking from a fermenter using a tap the first bit may be murky, but this will sit below the tap. If you shake the barrel it will mix with the beer above the tap.

I would avoid shaking the barrel anyway, as you risk oxidising the beer.

 

[Python15]

I've maybe thrown you all off with his shaking thing. I give it a shake when it's been filled then again after 24 hrs, that's it! It's been sat for three weeks, surely it would have cleared a bit by now, not got worse? I can see a bit of sediment settling in the tap but I've drawn off 2 half pints, both like dishwater. I've never had a case of oxidised beer so wouldn't know what I was looking at really. just wondering if it's a bad kit but again, never had one of those either.