9 Gallon Cask

[bones]

Hi, Guys
Has anybody used this type of cask?
If so what were the results?

 

[Aleman]

They are used by the Wibblers Brewery at Maldon, and Phil says they are excellent. Just as easy to use as Stainless casks, but half the weight and 1/3rd the cost :) . . . . Publicans don't like them though apparently . . . but Phil says that's down to the ability of the Publican.

I might get myself a couple of pins (4.5 gallon) for fun and when I go to festivals . . . Sold by Barley bottom

 

[adeybambam]

How do you go about cleaning these things? I assume that you rack into them straight from the fv and then prime and seal, but can't see an easy way of cleaning them out and streilising....

 

[jamesb]

Publicans don't like them though apparently . . . but Phil says that's down to the ability of the Publican.

Pah.

A number of problems:

They're too light to be used properly on some types of auto-tilting stillage.
They can break when there's a long drop to the cellar.
If used with gravity taps (i.e. at beer festivals), then when they haven't got much beer left in them, they can move and disturb the sediment when you turn the tap.

 

[bones]

Publicans don't like them though apparently . . . but Phil says that's down to the ability of the Publican.

Pah.

A number of problems:

They're too light to be used properly on some types of auto-tilting stillage.
They can break when there's a long drop to the cellar.
If used with gravity taps (i.e. at beer festivals), then when they haven't got much beer left in them, they can move and disturb the sediment when you turn the tap.

OK... so there are issues with pub usage
But what about the process in the brewery?
Cleaning
Filling
Sealing
Priming
Fining
And end condition of the beer

 

[jamesb]

OK... so there are issues with pub usage
But what about the process in the brewery?
Cleaning
Filling
Sealing
Priming
Fining
And end condition of the beer

They tend to "bounce" when you're hammering the shive in, but for everything else, treat as stainless.

 

[bones]

Sorry james.. but i have no experience in a comercial brewery..
When filling do you fill up as complete as posible?
Priming and Finings (isinglass) are added at the same time, i assume straight from the FV.

 

[jamesb]

Different breweries do it different ways but the way we do it is quite common.

Put a new keystone in, then to clean/sterilise, fill it up with a chlorinated caustic (like antiforim) and leave it over night. Rinse thoroughly.

Fill it to within 10mm of the inside of the cask. Don't add priming sugar as there should still be enough fermentables there - many commerial breweries crash cool their beer when it's fermented to 2 points above the expected FG and then rack it off. Add your finings (100ml is a good average, but testing is advised) and then bang the shive in. Store in a cool place.

 

[bones]

Cheers for that :

 

[bones]

Hi Guys, How do i remove he shive? :wha:

 

[bones]

This one.. :wha:

 

[jamesb]

Brute force and ignorance.

Try sticking a screwdriver in through the tut hole and prise it out.

 

[bones]

I have filled the keg and 24 hrs after the shive popped out and left a very wet smelly floor in my shed. :?

Onced sealed how robust are the keystone and shive.

Does this hapen often?

 

[jamesb]

I have filled the keg and 24 hrs after the shive popped out and left a very wet smelly floor in my shed. :?
Onced sealed how robust are the keystone and shive.
Does this hapen often?

It shouldn't happen at all.

What gravity did the beer finish at?

Did you soak the keystone and shive in any particular type of sanitiser?

 

[evanvine]

Makes me think that there may be a lot to be said for pressure barrels/kegs!

 

[bones]

I have filled the keg and 24 hrs after the shive popped out and left a very wet smelly floor in my shed. :?
Onced sealed how robust are the keystone and shive.
Does this hapen often?

It shouldn't happen at all.

What gravity did the beer finish at?

Did you soak the keystone and shive in any particular type of sanitiser?

Keystone and shive sanitised.. :thumb:

I must say the gravity was a bit high but stabalised for 3days at 1016... windsor yeast.. flew off but then left it on the high side. So i kegged

 

[jamesb]

Sounds to me like it hadn't finished fermenting. Possibly the transfer to the cask may have given it a bit of a rousing and restarted fermentation.

Chalk it up to experience ;-)

 

[bones]

Yep cheers james...