Help: Party Pig Pouch Problem

Do any of you guys have experience with PP pressure pouch not activating?

I can't get the pressure any higher to make it pop. I'm using the hand pump and its at a high enough pressure that you can't squeeze the bulb any more.

I even tried using the counter and leaned on bulb but its rock hard.

I'm wondering it the yeast & sugar will do the job for me if I leave it this way.

BTW - I have no CO2.

Sorry bud I've never used one.

I have used them twice, and all I know is that activating the pouch is always a lot more work than you would think.

Like, putting it on the counter and putting all of your body weight on it.

I got it now. Last night I put the bulb on the corner of the table to see if it would get more pressure. Its seemed to allow me to get a few pumps into it but I had given up after it blew the bulb off twice.

Got up this morning, tried the same thing and it blew off the bulb except this time I got a warm splattering of beer on me as the hose flailed about wildly.

It makes me wonder if I got it last night....Pressurizing these things suck.

I am amazed at force at which the beer come out of the thing. My friends have a few of these but the beer only trickles out.

Right now I am drinking warm Amarillo Pale Ale from the bleed off.

I was just about the type that you probably popped it but didn't notice. There has been a couple of time we didn't know "for sure" but when we served the beer it expanded just fine. Glad you got it!
Those pouches are kind of a pain but there is a couple places we take it where the pig works great so in the end it's worth it.

how much sugar do you use to carb your avg american pale ale in these guys? in the past i have followed the party pig recommendations and ended up with highly overcarbed beer, i would say half of the time. ia m going to be throwing some more beer into one of these tomorrow or the next day and i want to make sure to not overcarb...

Schlenkerla said:

Do any of you guys have experience with PP pressure pouch not activating?

I can't get the pressure any higher to make it pop. I'm using the hand pump and its at a high enough pressure that you can't squeeze the bulb any more.

I even tried using the counter and leaned on bulb but its rock hard.

I'm wondering it the yeast & sugar will do the job for me if I leave it this way.

BTW - I have no CO2.

Click to expand...

They are a pain activating and knowing when the pouch has popped. I sometimes will bleed off some beer and pump up again. The pouch could of activated later after you put it way. I guess that the corn sugar for priming could also activate later when it's carbonating but I'm not sure.

How much corn sugar have you been using in the pig? The last one I did had bouts of foam instead of a good beer flow.

As for priming.... This is first time using it. I used a 1/3 of a cup. For the heck of it I weighed how much was in 1/3 cup and it was ~ 2.3oz.

I'm thinking it might be high

My friends have pigs but I think they gyle everything. The flow out of their pigs are pitifully slow.

I added this spread sheet. I think mine is way over carbed... This assumes you want 50% of what is needed for the average well carbed beer. ~2.7-2.8 vol.

View attachment Pigcarbing2.xml

Yeah, I've had problems too. I don't use mine anymore, but I found I had to prime the beer just to get it to build enough internal pressure to pop the bag. The bulb didn't work. I'm thinking if you installed a check valve in the side, you could just serve via gravity, while still priming, etc. Anyone ever try that?

Schlenkerla said:

As for priming.... This is first time using it. I used a 1/3 of a cup. For the heck of it I weighed how much was in 1/3 cup and it was ~ 2.3oz.

I'm thinking it might be high

My friends have pigs but I think they gyle everything. The flow out of their pigs are pitifully slow.

I added this spread sheet. I think mine is way over carbed... This assumes you want 50% of what is needed for the average well carbed beer. ~2.7-2.8 vol.

Click to expand...

I'll try the 1-oz next time I fill a pig.

I use the pigs since i don't have anywhere to put a kegging system. Its 50/50 for me with how easily the pouches activate. I have had over carbonation and undercarbonation. I typically use 1/4 cup sugar in 500 ml of water.

Just set two pigs. have my fingers crossed. Overall I like the product. Besides, I got them off craig's list fairly inexpensively.

I use Party Pigs a lot. My method is to siphon beer from carboy on counter to pig in a chair. After adding pouch and priming sugar and sealing the pig, I insert the activation tube and pump the bulb with my foot. This frees up both hands for holding the tube in the pig's "mouth" and depressing the pig's "nose." Then it's easy to hear the pouch activate. Just let the remaining air out and you're ready to go.

Mark

I'm with CremaCat (Mark), I use my foot to pump the bulb. This methods works great for me, and I have not had any of the problems described above. I really am a fan of the party pig. I usually bottle half of my batch, and pig the other half. I just bought a second party pig so that I can have two of them in the fridge at any given time. woo hoo...or oink oink??

How Much Sugar Do People Use. I Use 1/4 Cup And Get Decent Carbonation Most Of The Time. Anyone Experimented With Different Amounts To Get Different Carbonation Levels?

Yes, I use about 1/4 cup of priming sugar too. And like I said, I have had great success with the party pig.