Pressure barrel

[sc0tty81]

Hello,
I'm a complete noob and need some advice, I got a youngs brew buddy kit for Xmas and a plastic pressure barrel, my beer has fermented and ready for transfer into the barrel, from what I've read I'm worried about my beer staying carbonated in the barrel, have many of you had experience with these pressure barrels, I also want to know if I can transfer some beer straight into bottles when I've put it in the barrel, I'm working my way through some grolsch so I can reuse the bottles but I only have a few up to now,
Any advice much appreciated,
Scotty

 

[mmaguy41]

You are right, you will struggle to keep a lager carbonated in a barrel, and also unless you have a fridge you will be drinking it warmer than lager should be. Normally i would barrel ales and bottle lager.

 

[sc0tty81]

I don't have a problem keeping it cold, it's close to freezing in my outhouse, my worry is keeping it carbonated, should I consider a new lid that allows co2 injection, in your experience how long have I got before it would go flat?
Edit: also, once I've added the priming sugar and fermented beer to the barrel, can I fill the few bottles I have from the barrel tap?

 

[mmaguy41]

Its not that it will go flat its that the barrel will not hold enough pressure to keep a lager to the desired level of carbonation. It will be carbonated just not to lager levels, co2 on a plastic keg is really used just to keep the beer flowing out of the keg and to keep the headspace filled with co2

 

[sc0tty81]

Thank you for the advice, I'm gonna keep drinking the grolsch and save up my bottles :)

 

[mmaguy41]

Bottle some in plastic if you need to, itll be a good excuse to buy a nice ale kit to fill the barrel

 

[sc0tty81]

Ill put it all in the barrel and bottle from the tap as much as I can into all the bottles I can get my hands on, the remainder will have to stay in the pressure barrel, at least I will be able to taste the difference, then it's off to the shops for an ale kit :)

 

[bobsbeer]

Prime and fill your bottles and keg at the same time. Don't try to fill your bottles after it has carbonated or you will loose all your carbonation. Unless you reprime.

 

[sc0tty81]

Got ya, is it ok to mix the primer in the barrel and bottle from there or should I individually prime and fill each bottle?

 

[bobsbeer]

Got ya, is it ok to mix the primer in the barrel and bottle from there or should I individually prime and fill each bottle?

It's easier to do it that way. If the tap is on the bottom, just mix the sugar then fill the bottles from the tap. :thumb:

 

[sc0tty81]

Excellent, gonna have a rummage in the recycling for some plastic bottles :)
Thanks for the help :)