APA - too much pressure in the barrel?

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puzzlemonk

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Hi folks.

My first homebrew has conditioned nicely and cleared. A youngs APA kit brew.

However, when I draw the beer out the pressure barrel it comes out like a rocket and will spray everywhere or simply spew out foam.

Consequently I have to open the tap a tiny amount to pour the beer and then it's pretty flat.

Should I release some of the pressure with the cap valve?

Have I done something wrong?

Any thoughts/guidance greatly appreciated.
 
Seemingly over carbed,loose a little gas out by either loosening the cap or if you have a S30 valve in the cap lift the rubber collar with your finger nail to vent through the valve
 
Hi folks.

My first homebrew has conditioned nicely and cleared. A youngs APA kit brew.

However, when I draw the beer out the pressure barrel it comes out like a rocket and will spray everywhere or simply spew out foam.

Consequently I have to open the tap a tiny amount to pour the beer and then it's pretty flat.

Should I release some of the pressure with the cap valve?

Have I done something wrong?

Any thoughts/guidance greatly appreciated.
I have had similar issues myself when using a PB and asked the same sort of question. You might like to read the resulting thread:

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=69804

That said, I think I will stay clear of using My PB in future.
 
Adding a piece of silicon tubing to the tap which reaches down to the bottom of the glass can help reduce foaming, but don't expect to get the level of carbonation you would get from a bottle or a corny keg. It will be more like real ale levels of carbonation.

Sent from my LG-D855 using Tapatalk
 
I got the impression this is quite normal for a pressure barrel. Tap control is the key. I pull half a pint let it settle then top up.

Sent from my GT-N7105 using Tapatalk
 
Thanks guys. Much appreciated. I will try a combination of tube and pressure release on the valve.

I feel better knowing it wasn't something I did wrong but a common fault.

I'm about to start a Pilsner but I think that'll be put straight into a bottle for conditioning.

Thanks again.
 
As a pressure barrel user it is a bit of an art getting the perfect pint out of one. Certainly when you first crack into it they can be a bit over pressured. I just try to open the tap slowly to the point of getting a slow steady pour but with some foaming so you get a head. Can take a minute of two to pour a pint at that speed.

One of these days I'll look into some better taps for mine, the plastic drum style taps standard on King Kegs are a right PITA to control.
 
Thanks guys. Much appreciated. I will try a combination of tube and pressure release on the valve.

I feel better knowing it wasn't something I did wrong but a common fault.

I'm about to start a Pilsner but I think that'll be put straight into a bottle for conditioning.

Thanks again.
Have a go at using a piece of tubing on the tap as Aphid suggests. This worked really well for me. Tube into the bottom of the glass and tap on slowly, came out lovely.
 
I loosened the cap and let out some of the pressure. Now getting a decent flow and less foam.

Didn't have any tubing that would fit over the tap so that's next on the list.

Thanks again.
 
I loosened the cap and let out some of the pressure. Now getting a decent flow and less foam.

Didn't have any tubing that would fit over the tap so that's next on the list.

Thanks again.
Glad to read that you are getting a better pour.

The tubing I used was cut from a length of unwanted syphon tubing that came with my starter kit. If you soak the end in boiled water for a short while (15-30 seconds?) it becomes very soft and pliable and will stretch over the end of your PB tap. Takes a bit of patience but your reward is a nicely poured pint. Every cloud....
 
With my pressure barrel if I only open it a bit it sprays but if I open it fully its ok. Quick turn to open and let it pour and if I need more head close it slowly so you get some like the OP is getting to add the head.

Its not down to overcarbing but the weight of the beer pushing down and the pressure you want in a pressure barrel (theres a clue in the name). Forcing it through a small opening is a bit like when you put your thumb over the end of a hose, you need to open the tap fully so it can work as its designed to do. By letting some of the pressure out you will probably find that when its about half full there isn't enough pressure in there and you will get the dreaded glug a lot earlier.
 
Ok, so I followed the advice given above but the beer was still foaming a lot and was really flat.

So, undid the cap and released all the pressure which means I can actually pour a beer without it coming out as foam.

It's still flat but it was anyway, so I'm a little confused. Is the pressure barrel supposed to be used to 'gas' the beer?

Not sure what the purpose of the pressure barrel is supposed to be.
 
Ok, so I followed the advice given above but the beer was still foaming a lot and was really flat.

So, undid the cap and released all the pressure which means I can actually pour a beer without it coming out as foam.

It's still flat but it was anyway, so I'm a little confused. Is the pressure barrel supposed to be used to 'gas' the beer?

Not sure what the purpose of the pressure barrel is supposed to be.
First how can your beer be 'foaming a lot' but still 'flat'??
Anyway by releasing all the top pressure you will not have anything to force beer out of your PB. So you will have to loosen the cap to let air in, or, sooner or later, air will glug through the tap to equalise the pressures. Either way by letting air into your PB you will start a steady decline in the quality of your beer. Its just like a cask in a pub. A limited life once tapped.
Finally PBs are normally pressurised so that you can dispense the beer without letting air in. If you aren't happy with foamy beer I suggest you force carbonate with an S30 cylinder which will allow you to maintain a low head pressure throughout. CO2 from priming and one shot bulbs do not allow you to do this.
Personally I have no problem dispensing beer from a fully pressurised PB. I just take my time and don't open the tap very much. That way you get a pint of liquid not a pint of foam. I'm sure others do the same.
 
How cold is it? Cold allows the co2 to stay in the beer. If it's room temp, when the beer hits the air, the co2 will exit real fast.
When carbing you need to keep it fermentation temp. But after, you need to chill it to condition. This will drop out stuff as well as force the co2 into the beer for serving.
 
So you live and learn I guess.

I did try letting the beer out slowly but it was still flat when a full glass was poured.

So therefore it sounds like it's not been cold enough to condition properly.

First brew in years, so I'll just keep learning and show more patience I guess.

Thanks again folks.
 
TerryM

If I opened the tap fully or even half all I was getting was foam but then when it settled there was no gas in the beer.

That's why I was confused as hell. I think the temp might have something to do with it.

This is new to me so just trying to understand what I'm doing wrong or whatever.
 
How cold is it? Cold allows the co2 to stay in the beer. If it's room temp, when the beer hits the air, the co2 will exit real fast.
When carbing you need to keep it fermentation temp. But after, you need to chill it to condition. This will drop out stuff as well as force the co2 into the beer for serving.

So what temp should I be conditioning the beer at approx? What's the min temp?

All help appreciated.
 
@puzzlemonk
It seems to me you are confusing carbonation with conditioning.
Conditioning is all about allowing the beer long enough to mature so that some of the early 'off' flavours disappear. This can be anything from a few days to a few months dependant upon the beer, and is started in the FV and continued in the bottle or PB or wherever you have put it. Informed opinion has it that cooler temperatures get better conditioning results but its not absolutely essential to have low conditioning temperatures.
Carbonation is the period after packaging when the residual yeast works on the priming sugar to form CO2 and a little alcohol. This is normally ideally done at about 20*C ish. Dependant upon temperature, amount of priming sugar and yeast this phase usually takes one to two weeks.
But I still cannot understand why you can dispense foamy beer from your PB which then quickly becomes 'flat'. Are you saying that the beer quickly loses its head? If so that does not necessarily mean its 'flat'. Its still carbonated, it just doesn't have a foamy head. Some beers do this.
Hope this helps
 
TerryM

If I opened the tap fully or even half all I was getting was foam but then when it settled there was no gas in the beer.

That's why I was confused as hell. I think the temp might have something to do with it.

This is new to me so just trying to understand what I'm doing wrong or whatever.

Sounds like a carbon copy of what happened to me with my first brew in a pressure barrel. Gas litterally blowing foam back out of the glass and almost flat beer. Read Aphids advice about using the tube on the tap and pouring improved substantially.
Being my first brew I used exactly the recommended amount of priming sugar. Could never open the tap fully until near the bottom of the barrel.
Carbonation straight from the tap was a 1-2 out of 10. With the tube attached and pushed to the bottom of the glass, carbonation was more like a 5 out of 10 and made for a nice pint.
 
Had the same issue with my cheap PB and **** tap. Loads of foam ages to pull a pint, I had to release pressure and still was a poor pour. On my bottom tap King keg I couldn't be happier it has a w and duval tap on and it's great! Not much help with a full barrel bit if you have a white tap (youngs/wilko) try a better tap.
 

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