what is better ?

[DeanoD]

i have a lager brewing which should be ready the weekend after next now ive read the instructions about adding sugar when bottling but is it better to store it in a preesure barrel or put it in bottles ? how long would it last in a barrel ? as this seems the easist option as i can drink it straight from barrel and i dont have to mess around with 40 pint bottles plus all sediment that happens in the 2nd fermentation will be trapped at bottom of barrel any advice would be great

 

[bobsbeer]

Depends on how fast you drink your beer. Bottled beer will last months to over a year, but a plastic keg is limited to just a few months.

 

[DeanoD]

40 pints will last me a good 6 months i expect , will it still last up to year in plastic bottles ?
i do have some glass bottles as well but im very wary about adding sugar to the glass ones or should i allow 2nd fermentation in the pressure barrel then bottle it after a couple of weeks ?

 

[bobsbeer]

I find that secondary racking helps to have a clearer beer by bottling/kegging time. But it's not a must do. Just make sure it has finished fermenting before you rack and prime into your bottles. There is no problem with glass bottles, just look on the supermarket/pub shelves. PET's should be ok but the jury is still out. Certainly some like the Coopers ones say they have a oxygen barrier, so in theory they should be better than pop bottles.

 

[ScottM]

Regardless of age, you won't get a good enough fizz in a barrel unless it's a VERY specific barrel or you take extreme measures. Bottling all the way IMO.

If you're planning on using a corny keg then that should be OK. I would always recommend a secondary vessel though :)

 

[DeanoD]

i brought 24x1 litre plastic bottles and lids from an online homebrew supplier so was going to use those the idea of using the pressure barrel was to make sure i had a easy way of putting the beer in the bottles as i tend to make a mess when bottling from my fermenting bucket

 

[ScottM]

That sounds like a plan. I did that for a bit until I got a second bucket.

Transferring from the FV to the barrel and allowing to sit for a couple of weeks, in the cool, will do it a world of good.

 

[bobsbeer]

No need to spend money on a pressure barrel for bottling if all you want is the tap. Use a little bottler and attach it to your siphon tube. Makes bottling a breeze.

 

[DeanoD]

i suppose i could buy a secondary fv with a tap that way i could add my sugar syphon it into the 2nd fv give it a good stir then transfer it to bottles straight after ? a 2nd fv will be cheaper than a pressure barrel :thumb:

 

[bobsbeer]

I use a Chapplewood Storage bucket (£4.99 free p&p)with a little bottler fitted.

 

[DeanoD]

oh man im well gutted wish i knew about them before purchasing my 1st fv i paid 9 quid for it , think i will order 2 of those ,

 

[wilsoa1111]

i bought one of those buckets and fitted an airlock-tbh airlock was a bit of a waste of time as getting the bucket to seal is nigh impossible but good if only leaving brew there for a week or two to ferment- personally i wouldnt want to leave it there for a long secondary- much prefer my big wilko fvs they cost a lot more ( but the airlocks sure are useful indicators/mood music) :lol:

the buckets are gd for country wines that need squeezing and top cropping yeast though

 

[Crunchie]

40 pints will last me a good 6 months i expect , will it still last up to year in plastic bottles ?
i do have some glass bottles as well but im very wary about adding sugar to the glass ones or should i allow 2nd fermentation in the pressure barrel then bottle it after a couple of weeks ?

6months!! Bl**dy 'ell I must be a right alcoholic then. :drink: A 40 pint keg of ale will only last me about 1-2 months

 

[wherespete]

6months!! Bl**dy 'ell I must be a right alcoholic then. :drink: A 40 pint keg of ale will only last me about 1-2 months

I'm very concerned abut mine - SWMBO has invited a few friends around on the 15th and told them all I've got a keg of beer waiting.

On the one hand it'll be good to share it and get their feedback... :thumb:

On the other hand I'll have to share it! :nah:

 

[pittsy]

you better get some more beer brewed then

 

[wherespete]

you better get some more beer brewed then

I was thinking that myself, I'll need to refill the keg for Xmas!

:

 

[bottler]

40 pints will last me a good 6 months i expect , will it still last up to year in plastic bottles ?
i do have some glass bottles as well but im very wary about adding sugar to the glass ones or should i allow 2nd fermentation in the pressure barrel then bottle it after a couple of weeks ?

6months!! Bl**dy 'ell I must be a right alcoholic then. :drink: A 40 pint keg of ale will only last me about 1-2 months

Oh god, im much worse 1-2 months thats an eternity :shock:

 

[no1troyboy]

BMATM we have done 30 bottles of wine and iv got about 6 or 7 pints of bitter left in like a month thats why iv got 3 batches on and more to come but : :drink: