Wherry temperature in barrel

[slippy16]

Hi All,
I'm new to this game, so excuse any daft questions, but... I put a Woodfordes Wherry in the fermenter for two weeks and had to put it in the pressure barrel yesterday with 4.5 oz of brewing sugar as I'm nutso working for a few weeks, so it was my only chance. The gravity was about 1020, maybe a bit less and I think it started at 1042
So, will it be OK, just a bit on the weak side? Also, what temp should the barrel be at for the first week - I'll stick it in the garage after that.
Probably been answered many times... I just can't find the thread!
Cheers.
Slippy16

 

[bobsbeer]

Welcome. : You will probably be fine. Be mindful of the pressure in your keg, it may be slightly over carbonated.

 

[slippy16]

OK, thanks - I'll stick the barrel in a trug, just in case. Thanks for the info, will go easier on the sugar next time.

 

[jonnymorris]

Was it 1.020 before you added the priming sugar, i.e. at the end of fermentation? If so, it probably hadn't finished fermenting. If you then added priming sugar you're going to have some pretty fizzy beer. Does your keg have a pressure release valve?

 

[slippy16]

Yes it was before adding the priming sugar. The keg has a S30 valve in it and I read that these have a release vale in them? Keg is currently in a trug covered in a plastic sheet in the warmest part of the house (downstairs loo, for some reason). Should I expect to hear a loud bang? It doesn't seem to be doing much at the moment.
Next brew I'm taking regular readings... live and learn, eh?

 

[PD]

I think you fell foul of the dreaded wherry ferment stick at 1020 !

at that reading it will not have finished fermenting and may start up again at anytime....and with your added priming sugars.............. :electric:

he hee just keep it covered and every so often release any hard pressures from the barrel....

 

[slippy16]

Hahah - blimey, it could only happen to me.... best go and check that UXB (and the downstairs loo) is still there. Wish me luck.

 

[jimsx]

I've done slightly the opposite of you!

I'm also a newbie & I transferred my Wherry (also my first brew kit) into a 5 gallon barrel last night. I had started it on Fri 30 Aug 2013 and then on Sat 7 Sept 2013 it had an ABV of 1015 ish. Last Tue (10 Sept) I transferred to a secondary FV & added 40g Golding hop pellets - so it has been in the secondary FV for a week or so, is down to 1010 ish & hasn't been showing any activity for quite some time.

So - I decanted into a barrel & added 40g dextrose plus 40g brown sugar (which had been melted in a drop of boiled hot water) to prime - but I then filled 20 one pint bottles from this barrel (hopefully the sugar has mixed in evenly).

As the barrel was only left half full, & wondering if it would have enough pressure, I decided to add CO2 from a small "single shot" 8g bulb (my barrel also has a S30 valve fitted with an adaptor). However, worried that I may have now "over pressured" the barrel (& not sure what I'm doing / whether the valve does have a safety release!) I unscrewed the lid a bit this morning for a few seconds to let some pressure out.

Do I need to do anything to the barrel / add more CO2 (or sugar) or anything - or just sit back now & wait for a few weeks before I can start quaffing? I'm hoping to just leave the bottles for a couple of months & use the stuff up in the barrel first.

 

[slippy16]

Ha, between us we'd probably make a decent brew! I can't help with your question - I'm new too, so maybe one of the more experienced lads or ladies can answer?

 

[twoshots]

jimsx you're good to just wait, or take a cheeky taster right now... :shock:

As another beginner I have right now a batch of Wherry in a barrel about half full. I started fermenting mine on the 27th, barrelled 9 days later and the other half of the barrel seems to have gotten lost :wha:

I did not tightened the brass nut on the back of my pressure barrel valve (idiot!) and didn't get any pressure initially, but after realising my mistake it took <24 hours to have enough pressure to pull a half (for progress evaluation only, you understand). I have not needed to add any CO2 as yet.

If I did another I'd wait a week before quaffing so heavily, but it was a learning experience. Given the smell emanating from my rear it's one my wife hopes I don't repeat! (It tasted pretty good but was very cloudy!) After one week in the barrel in the warm, it's now sat on the concrete floor of my garage as I see if it'll clear.

I now have the quandary of a home brewer, is my barrel half full or half empty?

 

[jimsx]

I now have the quandary of a home brewer, is my barrel half full or half empty?

Oh - I think the barrel is always half empty ... so you'll have to get another brew started :