Boom & Bust

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

I just seem to be stuck in this terrible cycle of Boom & Bust.

Whenever I have beer that's properly in condition it vanishes faster than snow in Summer. Friends and family erupt from the woodwork like slugs heading for the cabbage patch on a full moon. Next thing you know, I'm sloshing the Corny thinking Hmmm, that suddenly feels a bit light...

This invariably is the point at which I realise that I haven't actually got a replacement brew on. Next thing I know, the conditioned beer is finished and I'm stuck with freshly kegged beer that tastes "OK" but isn't really ready... but of course, you drink it anyway right? - consequently when the keg is actually coming into condition it's already a third empty

Now I know the stock answer to this one: Buy. More. Cornies. However they're not exactly cheap, and even though I now have four of 'em that doesn't seem to be helping much... There's always the one with a couple of litres of something that's a bit too strong; or the one that's cold crashing, or the one that is earmarked for the Christmas brew... Aaaaargh!!!

I am wondering whether a better idea might be to buy a load more 25L plastic buckets - they are a heck of a lot cheaper. Would it work if I were to transfer out of the FV into those and leave it to condition in there for a few weeks; then transfer the conditioned beer into Cornies for force carbonation, chilling and dispense?

 

[Rodcx500z]

Put em under lock and key i feel your pain i have 2 kids 31 and 23 at home, i leave ale in buckets for 3 or 4 weeks sometimes without any harm and it is nice and clear going into the keg then just gas it up to your prefared level of carbonation

 

[An Ankoù]

Bottle up the nice strong ones and put those away for Christmas, thus releasing your "Xmas" keg. Bottle up your bitters and milds and whatever you use for session beers in 1 litre pets that have held fizzy mineral water (it's important they've held something fizzy as the threads are designed to release the pressure before shooting the lid into space). The advantage of one litre kegs is that you then need to pour the beer into an oversize jug and serve from there. Beers dispensed in this way taste much more like cask beers as the excess condition has time to disperse and the beer gets a chance to "air" a bit.

 

[B2B]

There is a cheaper alternative to Cornies arriving soon. Ferment, carb and serve from the same place.

Fermenter King Chubby or alternatively the 20ltr Jnr.

When you've had enough take the tap to bed with you so no-one else can draw from the keg :)

 

[moto748]

I am wondering whether a better idea might be to buy a load more 25L plastic buckets - they are a heck of a lot cheaper. Would it work if I were to transfer out of the FV into those and leave it to condition in there for a few weeks; then transfer the conditioned beer into Cornies for force carbonation, chilling and dispense?

Or into demi-johns under fermentation locks? Beer won't come to any harm there. Depends how many you need, I suppose. I generally don't do batches bigger than 15 litres, so three demi-johns is enough. I have six in the house, so I'm generally covered.

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Bottle up the nice strong ones and put those away for Christmas, thus releasing your "Xmas" keg. Bottle up your bitters and milds and whatever you use for session beers in 1 litre pets that have held fizzy mineral water (it's important they've held something fizzy as the threads are designed to release the pressure before shooting the lid into space). The advantage of one litre kegs is that you then need to pour the beer into an oversize jug and serve from there. Beers dispensed in this way taste much more like cask beers as the excess condition has time to disperse and the beer gets a chance to "air" a bit.

I like your thinking

 

[AnimatedGIF]

Can you bottle when you get toward the bottom of a keg you know won't be emptied soon, thus freeing it up? Do I recall you have a counterflow bottler?
I am in desperate need of another corny. It's just a case of how to get it delivered and stored without wife asking questions.
Also I am in a not disimilar position with just the one 19L and one 9.5L corny. Keg finished at the weekend. Another brew put on today. Going to have to fill the gap with random bottles of brew from the back of the cupboard.

 

[Cwrw666]

It's always a problem. The answer is to get all your cornies filled and imediately put on another brew. Takes about 2 weeks in primary - if you ain't emptying a corny in 2 weeks then you're doing something wrong.
Don't be tempted to think I've got loads of beer I don't need to brew for a while. All that remains is for me to take my own advice...

 

[Rodcx500z]

Soon as i crack a keg i brew, i always have at least one keg full, my kids at home do drink but not overboard it's barbys that run my stocks down nobody tells me when we are having one unless i planned it

 

[dad_of_jon]

sorry I can't help I bottle mine and my stock of 200+ is down the shed and only I have the key

 

[Clint]

As forum member Dutto said...
"Critical mass!".

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Don't be tempted to think I've got loads of beer I don't need to brew for a while.

I think you’ve hit the nail on the head there …

 

[Alastair70]

Similar to @Cwrw666, I have 3 taps and 4 kegs. One to two brews a month are enough to have keg 4 carbonating as one of the others is coming up on empty.

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

I think another part of the problem is capacity in the chiller facilities: particularly in the summer, how’s a chap to manage the FV temp while also keeping the Cornies at serving temp? I can see a need for two fridges on the horizon (don’t tell the missus…)

 

[marshbrewer]

+1 for demijohns. If you search about a bit, you can get brown ones that are perfect for conditioning uber strong beers. I picked up some on faceache. You can also do different things with each demijohn, i.e. dry hop differently, oak, whatever.

But the best advice is to brew more, even when you have stock, and buy more cornies. I'm terrible at following my own advice and frequently run out, but I've got 6 cornies and won't stop until I've got 12.

 

[moto748]

+1 for demijohns. If you search about a bit, you can get brown ones that are perfect for conditioning uber strong beers. I picked up some on faceache. You can also do different things with each demijohn, i.e. dry hop differently, oak, whatever.

Back in the day, all you could get was brown demi-johns; I have some from way back when. But now, clear ones are more common, and, I have to say, much better for me; I don't require brown ones for the reason jish talks about. but I guess once you step down the corny path, though...

 

[An Ankoù]

Demijohns are great for conditioning beer as you can fill them right up. Nearly zero head space, no oxygenation of the beer. Add a pinch of F-2 when you finally bottle the stuff.

 

[Pete9586]

Cut the bullsh*t TETB! you know you're gonna get more cornies eventually so just get them now!

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Cut the bullsh*t TETB! you know you're gonna get more cornies eventually so just get them now!

Shhhhhhhh…. (think I might have convinced higher management about getting a couple of fridges…)