Half-filling a pressure barrel

[dlowe1992]

Have a feeling I've read a thread on this here somewhere but I can't find it now..
I've brewed a 10L batch (extract APA recipe), happily fermented over a couple of weeks.

Will transfer to my 5 gallon pressure barrel tomorrow eve. As the barrel will be just under a half full, any extra steps should be taken due to the large headspace?
I'll prime with a sugar solution (60g or so?). Thinking it may be worth purging the head space with a bulb or two of CO2?

 

[Agentgonzo]

You won't be able to "purge" the headspace with CO2. The best you'll be able to do is " dilute down" the O2 in the headspace.

You could chuck in some anti oxidant like sodium metabisulphite or ascorbic acid. Again, it'll reduce oxygenation but not eradicate it.

You could fill the fermenter with sanitizer, then push this out with CO2, but that would use a fair amount of CO2 bulbs and be awkward.

Unless it's a super hoppy beer, I would probably not worry too much about it. Secondary fermentation in the pressure barrel will help a fair bit too prolong the life.

Keeping it cool will probably help you out the most and is the simplest things to do

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Would 60g of sugar be too much for priming?
If you have a means to direct the ferment gas through the pressure barrel this would dilute the oxygen present.

 

[Clint]

Perhaps over priming might work....add 60g and let it vent.

 

[dlowe1992]

I was thinking a little heavy on the priming sugar may be no bad thing.

Also, wouldn’t a little injection of CO2 at least out some form of ‘blanket’ over the beer and help to minimise oxidation?

 

[RoomWithABrew]

It's complicated but oxygenation starts the moment the oxygen contacts the beer. CO2 does not form a blanket same as milk doesn't settle into a layer in your cup of tea. It is not like oil and water.

 

[Agentgonzo]

Also, wouldn’t a little injection of CO2 at least out some form of ‘blanket’ over the beer and help to minimise oxidation?

No. This is a common misconception. The gasses will mix.

 

[dlowe1992]

Right, I'll get it going with 60g sugar and see what gives.
I've got a second 10L batch following behind which will be bottled.

@Agentgonzo - you mention keeping it cool. Having been in the fermentor for two weeks, I'd planned to barrel it, give it another two weeks at the same temp (21deg or so) and then a couple of weeks as cold as I can to condition. Sound ok?

 

[Agentgonzo]

Right, I'll get it going with 60g sugar and see what gives.
I've got a second 10L batch following behind which will be bottled.

@Agentgonzo - you mention keeping it cool. Having been in the fermentor for two weeks, I'd planned to barrel it, give it another two weeks at the same temp (21deg or so) and then a couple of weeks as cold as I can to condition. Sound ok?

Sounds good to me!

 

[dlowe1992]

Sounds good to me!

Great
One other thing.. if I were to dry hop at this stage, would the secondary fermentation and subsequent cold condition give it time to clear?

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Should do you could add isinglass finings as well,

 

[MashBag]

No. This is a common misconception. The gasses will mix.

Gas flushing generally is a waste of time unless you fog with liquid.