Worcester Noob

[MrMrLewis]

Hi. I started brewing back in november. So far just done a couple of kits. Cant actually remember what the first one was, must have been a good brew! Then did a woodfords bitter. Have jyst ordered an extract kit from brewuk.

Really enjoying it so far. The first of probably man many questions

My local have given a me good supply of free bottles but also two cider kegs.

Theyre 22.75ltr black plastic. They have what I think is a 2" cap with vent release?

I have a 5 gallon keg with the larger cap that takes co2 from a bigish cylinder rather than the little ones. Im such a noob!

What am i rambling on about?

Can I clean and sterilise the cider kegs and use them as is or do I need a cap with one of the two valve types? Whats the difference between the two? Is the release valve for brew thats still fermenting and ergo making bubbles?

If I can use these and the keg I already have plus the now nearly 80 bottles I could practically open a pub!

I look forward to bombarding you with lots more inane and probably daft questions!

 

[BrotherMalice]

Hello & welcome to the forum :)

I dont have any answers to your questions but I am sure there will be someone along who can help, might be worth posting pictures of the kegs?

 

[RobWalker]

Good work on cider kegs. If they have a splinter in the middle they're for soda stream type capsules, if not they're for an S30 tank which is very good! Give them a good clean out with oxyclean and then sanitize, if you use VWP etc make sure you hot water rinse.

the release valve is a safety feature to stop the entire keg er, exploding from overcarbonating, and from overgassing. if you gas it heavily you will hear the valve opening, it just stops excess pressure :)

 

[charlie_mead_face]

welcome to the forum :

 

[pittsy]

welcome + 1 what Robwalker said :

 

[carl_saint]

Hi and welcome! Get on the beers son!

 

[dennisking]

Hi and welcome.

 

[MrMrLewis]

Ill take some pics tomorrw afternoon. The landlord said he had several so may be able to get a couple more too! But if the link below works, this is what they appear to be!

http://www.brewuk.co.uk/store/container ... arrel.html

 

[Pearlfisher]

Hi and welcome.

They look to be ideal , I tried to scrounge one of these from my local in Severn Stoke but the landlord said they were returnable and he had to pay a deposit on them.

 

[Cyclops]

Welcome to the forum :)

 

[Dieseljockey]

Hi ya. Your in the right place.. :clap: :clap:

 

[MrMrLewis]

Thanks. The barrels I acquired from the local are definitely the type in the link I posted. So can i use them as is once cleansed and sanitised or do I need to swap the vent release lid for a co2 type valve lid?

 

[Dieseljockey]

It looks like the old cider barrels we use to get hold of years back. It could be worth trying a Co2 cap on it, as it's good for your beer. They don't like a lot of pressure but you can live with that when there free.

 

[MrMrLewis]

Thanks DJ i'll order a coupe then as theyre only about a Fiver. I think i now have capacity for about 150 pints!