Will my beer be ruined?

[mancer62]

Roughly a fortnight ago I kegged an american pale ale extract kit into my corny. I then discovered my co2 tank was empty. I got some great advice on here and batch Primed the leg with 85g of table sugar. I released the pressure after 4 or 5 days as had been advised. On the second occasion nothing came out when I pulled on the release valve.i never thought much about it and I trued again today approx a week later again nothing. I then discovered the release valve had somehow got into an open position and stuck. I have now closed it but am now worried that the beer inside will be off. I have a new co2 keg coming in a few days and dont want to be gassing up peutred ale. What do you think the chances are?
Cheers

 

[Empty bottle]

I think the chances of it being good are very very low. I have never had any beer that has been open to the elements for over a week but my guess is it will be fit for pouring down the toilet. Hopefully i am wrong and it's fine but i just can not see that happening.

 

[obscure]

You won’t need very much gas to take a sample, and while it will be flat you should at least be able to determine if it‘s turned to vinegar.

 

[Rwilts]

Won't it have been sat under a blanket of co2 that was created in that initial 4 days , I think it will be fine

(Think positive)

 

[MashBag]

99% sure it will be fine. But it will be flat (no pressure)

Don't disturb it till you have some gas.

Or

Prime it again.

Come on folks have a little more faith in the yeasties

 

[DocAnna]

The positive is that it is likely that for a few days the CO2 being produced by fermentation will have maintained a positive pressure reducing the amount of air ingress. Similarly the vapour pressure from the beer will have reduced non gas ingress. However, the amount of air entering the keg will most depend on the temperature stability of where it was kept as cooling and expansion of the head space will have caused the greatest shifts and the keg ‘breathing. Also to be bourse in mind that the alcohol content itself reduces bacterial growth.

All of this is pretty irrelevant though .

Taste it and make your own mind up. Honestly, I suspect it will be fine.

 

[mancer62]

Keg arrived today i put some CO2 in purged then put 10psi and tried the beer. Obviously wasn't perfect still lacking very much in carbonation. The taste however was perfectly acceptable and not vinegary in the slightest. A week or two in the keg I think will see a very drinkable ale. I have increased the psi to 30 and plan to leave for 24 hours. Is this a worthwhile exercise to try to get decent carbonation?

 

[Rwilts]

I carb at about 30 , I tend to pressurise , turn off gas and repeat for a week. (Paranoid about wasting a tank of co2 again)

 

[mancer62]

so once u carb to 30psi do u then disconnect and leave for a week?

 

[Rwilts]

No. Turn off gas and repeat each day for the week, basicky allowing the beer to absorbe under pressure and topping back upto 30 each day.

You could just leave at 20/30 for the week and it will work but I don't trust all my connections and lost a whole co2 bottle last year so have adopted this method.

O and temperature has an impact , colder the better.

 

[mancer62]

excuse my ignorance i am not totally sure what you mean...
so i carb my keg to 30 psi then turn gas off without disconnectingyes/no?
the next day i then turn gas back on till it gets to 30psi then turn gas off?
and do this for 7 days?

 

[Rwilts]

That's my method, BUT yes disconnect , otherwise if you have a leak all the pressure will leave the keg . But as stated above ( was editted ) others will rightly say you can leave everything connected and not have any leaks , it's your choice .

 

[Rwilts]

There are some really good old YouTube videos on kegging by craigtube ( was a must see for me years ago) .

 

[MashBag]

Excellent news.

That's my method, BUT yes disconnect , otherwise if you have a leak all the pressure will leave the ke

What he said. Gas to 30, shut off gas, disco from the keg. Repeat daily for a week in the COOLEST place you can find (preferably a fridge)

 

[MashBag]

The positive is that it is likely that for a few days the CO2 being produced by fermentation will have maintained a positive pressure

I have never... ever... experienced air ingress in a sealed stainless container (and I do have quite a few litres of stainless tankage) Positive pressure or not. To be honest stainless is purchased in many cases, solely because it doesn't and is safer and lighter than glass.

 

[RichardM]

I have never... ever... experienced air ingress in a sealed stainless container (and I do have quite a few litres of stainless tankage) Positive pressure or not. To be honest stainless is purchased in many cases, solely because it doesn't and is safer and lighter than glass.

In this case the keg had been sat for a week with the PRV open. The OP was worried that air could have got in. The material the keg is made from is irrelevant in this case.

 

[MashBag]

The point I was trying to make (badly it seems ) was the miniscule hole from the pressure release is irrelevant as there is no other gas permeability.

So pleased we didn't cover that even though co2 is heavier than air, gas purging is pointless.

 

[Druncan]

I think he was pushing 30 psi to carbonate. But as others have said the colder the beer is the more CO2 will be absorbed into the brew.
This is a good summary of the key bits;
https://actechinc.co/all-about-beer-lines-blog/correct-pressure-beer-dispense-lines