Pressure Barrel with CO2 Valve

hi i still dont no if i should use a Pressure Barrel with CO2 Valve ..or bottle my stout ...
iv not started it yet... and i would like very much some advice as to which is the best ...
if i use the barrel ..how much co2 is needed ..i see you can buy little canisters ..x10..£4
or biger bottles i think there for soda steams????

if i use bottles they will be grolsch bottles 45ml....
how much sugar goes in them bottles...

heres my bottles i have to get a few more before i use them as theres only 27..
well i got 28 but the rubber seal is gone ...plus can you buy the rubber seals
if so where ... ???


i have a second hand Pressure Barrel with CO2 Valve ...
but never used one before here it is ...

the last owner fitted a second bit for a pipe as he only used it for flushing out his set up ..
but iv blanked it off ...
as you can see in pic 2...



where do i get the co2...iv seen vids with about 9inch refills being fitted then taken off after i few seconds ...

many thanks in advance .
regards mick ...

still dont no if i should use a Pressure Barrel with CO2 Valve ..or bottle my stout ...

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I'd probably bottle things like stout and definitely lager, but put bitter in a barrel. Why don't you barrel your first brew while you collect enough bottles for the next one...

if i use the barrel ..how much co2 is needed ..i see you can buy little canisters ..x10..£4
or biger bottles i think there for soda steams????

Click to expand...

Yes use the little canisters. There should be a thing that holds the canister and screws onto the thing in the lid. The canisters were on offer at dunelm for £2.79, may still be available. You only need to use the canisters once the pressure from the secondary fermentation has gone.

how much sugar goes in them bottles...

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A teaspoon. Doesn't have to be very accurate, just don't put too much in. Most people here batch prime by syphoning the whole lot into a second FV and stirring the sugar in before bottling it. If you barrel then add 100g of sugar.

winelight said:

still dont no if i should use a Pressure Barrel with CO2 Valve ..or bottle my stout ...

Click to expand...

I'd probably bottle things like stout and definitely lager, but put bitter in a barrel. Why don't you barrel your first brew while you collect enough bottles for the next one...

[quote:2225rs60]if i use the barrel ..how much co2 is needed ..i see you can buy little canisters ..x10..£4
or biger bottles i think there for soda steams????

Click to expand...

Yes use the little canisters. There should be a thing that holds the canister and screws onto the thing in the lid. The canisters were on offer at dunelm for £2.79, may still be available. You only need to use the canisters once the pressure from the secondary fermentation has gone.

how much sugar goes in them bottles...

Click to expand...

A teaspoon. Doesn't have to be very accurate, just don't put too much in. Most people here batch prime by syphoning the whole lot into a second FV and stirring the sugar in before bottling it. If you barrel then add 100g of sugar.[/quote:2225rs60]

thank you so much for your reply ...
i think ill do it in the barral this time then ... :thumb: .

i have one more question...
its about my tap water it has a horrible taste...
so what do i treat it ...
iv read that Campden Tablets are good for this ...
but im cofused as to how much to use ..
as some people say use 1 tabblet for 40pints of water
then some say 1 tablet for evey 1 gallon....
so confuesd.com....
regards mick...

It's definitely one per 40 pints not per gallon but you may as well use bottled water if you can get it cheap from a supermarket at 17p per 2 litres.

My tap water is highly chlorinated and very hard and I don't treat it, but still the beer's OK. I will get around to using bottled water, it's on my shopping list for the next brew.

winelight said:

It's definitely one per 40 pints not per gallon but you may as well use bottled water if you can get it cheap from a supermarket at 17p per 2 litres.

My tap water is highly chlorinated and very hard and I don't treat it, but still the beer's OK. I will get around to using bottled water, it's on my shopping list for the next brew.

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thank you so very much .... :thumb:
ill get the tablets and try them ...
but also look in to buying the water ....
regards mick.... :hat: .

When using a keg you need to remember that you will not get the condition that you get with a bottle.
I find kegs ideal for bitter, which is not really meant to be fizzy.
As your keg is a bottom tap you will probably only need the priming sugar for serving, you must have a little pressure to prevent the ingress of air through the tap.
Too much pressure and you will be serving pints of froth!
A tip is to put about 2” of tube on the tap, this helps stop fobbing.

evanvine said:

When using a keg you need to remember that you will not get the condition that you get with a bottle.
I find kegs ideal for bitter, which is not really meant to be fizzy.
As your keg is a bottom tap you will probably only need the priming sugar for serving, you must have a little pressure to prevent the ingress of air through the tap.
Too much pressure and you will be serving pints of froth!
A tip is to put about 2” of tube on the tap, this helps stop fobbing.

Click to expand...

ok thank you very much indeed...
so ill just use the sugar and no co2..
but if i do botttle up then...
ill fit a small tube on the tap before... :thumb: .
regards mick... :hat: .

I would always bottle lager, bitter either way doesn't matter, stout I'd bottle for sure in the summer, but in the winter when I can keep the barrel cold, I wouldn't mind it in the barrel.

winelight said:

but in the winter when I can keep the barrel cold, I wouldn't mind it in the barrel.

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You are obviously not a moron like me, I drink my beer at room temp!

evanvine said:

You are obviously not a moron like me, I drink my beer at room temp!

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Depends on what it is! I don't mind bitter like that.

i like stout and ales at room temp...
lager or cider chilled ... :drink: ..

hi guys ...
mick here ...


this will be my first ever brew ...
so fingers x all goes well...
im going to give my australian cooper stout a go...
hopefuly this week ...

its a 1.7kg tin ...
iv got 1kg of muntons beerkit enhancer...

1kg bag of wilko brewing sugar...

and a wilko 30g ready to use beer finings
good for 40pints ...

and on the way ...
a 500g pack of extra dark sray malt ..
from ebay...

could you advise me please ...
out of what i got... which to use ...all help greatfuly received......
heres what i have so far ...



_________________
mick may

great news my brand new Fermenting Bucket...
came today ...
so getting near to starting my brew ...

You can do what you like really.. experimenting is half the fun of it.

Personally I would use the kit plus the 1Kg Wilko sugar and the 500g dark malt extract from eBay for that kit.

I've never used finings myself but it's useful to have them in case a brew doesn't clear, I suppose.

winelight said:

You can do what you like really.. experimenting is half the fun of it.

Personally I would use the kit plus the 1Kg Wilko sugar and the 500g dark malt extract from eBay for that kit.

I've never used finings myself but it's useful to have them in case a brew doesn't clear, I suppose.

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thanks winelight ...

i wouldnt like to mess up my first brew ...
and im glad of any advice i can get...
to steer me in the right direction.. :hat: /.