Kegged too early??

[1984]

Hi all, bit of a novice at homebrewing, have done one batch and bottled it, which turned out pretty well. Just done my second batch recently and used a pressure barrel instead. However I'm a bit worried I may not have left it quite long enough in the fermenting bucket and didn't have a hydrometer reading - like I say novice, should probably have checked on here first!!! Anyway I just wondered what would happen if I had kegged it up a little early, if this was in bottles there is obviously a chance this could explode with the pressure build up, but with the barrel surely any excess pressure would just vent? I plan on being more thorough next time, but just wondered if the barrel was in any eminent danger?!!!!

Cheers

 

[JAK]

Hi all, bit of a novice at homebrewing, have done one batch and bottled it, which turned out pretty well. Just done my second batch recently and used a pressure barrel instead. However I'm a bit worried I may not have left it quite long enough in the fermenting bucket and didn't have a hydrometer reading - like I say novice, should probably have checked on here first!!! Anyway I just wondered what would happen if I had kegged it up a little early, if this was in bottles there is obviously a chance this could explode with the pressure build up, but with the barrel surely any excess pressure would just vent? I plan on being more thorough next time, but just wondered if the barrel was in any eminent danger?!!!!

Cheers

Hey,

How long did you leave it in the fermentation vessel for? Did you notice any activity of fermentation when you transferred it to your pressure vessel? Did you prime it before adding it to your pressure vessel?

If you didn't prime and had it in your FV for ~1 week chances are nearly all your sugar was used up and your yeasts have stopped producing CO2. The only issue you'll have here is that you didn't properly allow it to clear up before transferring it.. So you may get a cloudy beer.

If you did prime, and/or transferred it before ~5 days in your FV, your yeasts will be going crazy right now producing even more CO2. Added with the CO2 in your pressure vessel you'll have one hell of a fizzy pint! Do you have a vent valve on your pressure vessel? If so it wont explode, if not.. then depending how much pressure your vessel can handle we'll soon see!

 

[1984]

Hi, I left it in the fermenting bucket for 9 days, this was why I assumed it would be ok as the instructions said something like 4-6 days, but have now read advice suggesting should be more like 14 days, that's why I thought it may be best to check. Yes also added 85g of sugar for the secondary fermentation (actually reminds me of another question, when in the pressure barrel my brew was short of the 40 pints by maybe about 5 pints, should I therefore have reduced the sugar accordingly and as I didn't will this affect flavour etc.).

Also yes I'm pretty sure I have a vent valve on the lid of the pressure barrel, so glad to know it will be ok, not sure my partner would have been to pleased with me continuing this hobby if the second batch of beer ended up coating the walls of the spare room!!!

Many thanks for the advice!

 

[JAK]

You don't need to prime a beer if your going to keg it, both are ways to carbonate your beer.

I'd be tempted to release the pressure now before any accidents and allow your yeast to ferment off your priming sugar. You could transfer it into a secondary for a couple of days and wait until you have consistent hydrometer readings then transfer back into your clean keg. This will help your clarity issue...

At this point you could sit it in your pressure barrel with CO2 attached to fully carbonate.

Being ~2.3L short and adding the full amount of priming sugar isn't going to be too much of a issue, I'd be concerned if you had these in bottles though. Priming sugar adds no taste to your beer, it just carbonates it and adds a little extra alcohol.

 

[mickthetrick]

wont be a problem. the kegs have a pressure release built into the cap. 10 or more psi and it will vent itself.

 

[1984]

Sneaked a taste of this brew tonight - a little early than probably should have, but tasted really great, a little too carbonated which may have resulted from legging to early, but nothing that wouldn't settle out. Proper hooked now, have the next lot in the FV!!!