First batch seems to be long time clearing

[Ballistic]

Hi - I've used a kit with a 5 gallon starting bucket and a secondary fermentation 5 gallon pressure barrel.

It seem to take off slowly at first and what was going to be a week in the first bucket , I ended leaving for 2 weeks.

Transferred to the pressure barrel with some priming sugar , but what was going to be 2 weeks hasbecome 4 because it is not clearing.

It is still not clear even though it smells and tastes quite nice and there is quite a lot of natural pressure in the barrel (I have no way to add additional CO2).

I'm not sure how much longer to wait although I am keen to add as few chemicals as possible.

It has in total 1.5 kg of sugar not including the seconday primiing sugar. This was a combination of light brown sugar and 500 grams of spray malt and it was a tin of some generic dark English ale.

thanks in advance for any advice.

cheers

 

[carnevoodoo]

What is a pressure barrel?

 

[Ballistic]

It's sold commonly in English brewing supplies stores for secondary fermentation. It's basically a large plastic barrel with a lid with a rubber seal so it keeps the pressure in produced naturaly during secondary fermentation. I could post a picture. Just imagine a very large plastic container that can hold pressure.

 

[bearkluttz]

I can see it holding pressure but it doesn't sound like the kind of thing you would want to have beer in when you add your priming sugar. Carb'ing beer should be done in either the bottle or keg. In order to clear up your beer search for Gelatin and see if you like the sound of that. Then when its clear to your liking rack to a bottling bucket add priming sugar, bottle, wait 3 weeks and ( i believe this is right ) Bobs your uncle.;-)

 

[Ballistic]

I can't add anything at all at this stage because the barrel is pressurised and removing the lid would defeat the whole object.

Now I've started down this route of using a pressure barrel, I really just need to know why it seems to be taking so long to clear.

Maybe there's also some differences in the way beer is typically brewed in the US and UK which is why we're having a few probs with the lingo?

 

[carnevoodoo]

Oh, those look neat. It is like a real ale type thing.

 

[carnevoodoo]

Yeah. We don't havve pressure barrels in the US. Or if we do, they're not as common. We bottle or we keg. That's just how it goes. I wouldn't mind at all having a barrel like that though.

 

[IFMracin]

Link to what you're using?

Sounds interesting.
After the pressure barrel, then what do you do with it?

 

[Kauai_Kahuna]

Ballistic - I always complain about yeast that do not perform to my standards, but the truth is they work on their schedule and don't understand or care about mine.
Just understand that with a pressure barrel you are combining conditioning and carbonation. So with a basic 1-2-3 schedule you should allow 4-5 weeks minimum. If it is not rocking your world in 6 weeks I think the barrel is broken and you need to send it to me for testing for a couple of years.

 

[Ballistic]

Thank you for all the replies - I have a few more questions if that's ok. Firstly here is the pressure barrel you wanted to see. I took this photo just now so this is how it actually looks. These barrels were sold in the UK by "Boots The Chemist" who no longer sell any beer brewing equipment and have gone up market.

There are fitments on the barrel lid where a CO2 injector can be added but I don't have one fitted and the barrel builds up it's own pressure through the natural process.

I am pleased that no one said my beer is dead. Presumably it just needs longer to clear. I could feasibly still bottle it up after this stage but the barrel has a tap on and I thought the idea with English Ale which is drunk slightly warmer than normal beer would be to drink it straight out of the barrel.


Presumably I could tap off a 2 litre bottle and place it in the fridge or do you think I should just stick with the original plan and drink it straight out of the barrel?

I would also like to know what the process is for livening up the yeast before pitching into the wort? I am using sachets of dried yeast which come with the kit and striring it straight into the wort. Is it possible to add it to warm sugar water for example and if so for how long would you leave it to start to grow?

Using my method, the dried yeast just caused sporadic bubbles to rise in the bucket and there was no major activity to be seen although the hydrometer readings did show that the sugar was being turned into alcohol eventually.


cheers

 

[simat]

Have you been moving your beer around at all? I use a similar pressure barrel (only done 1 brew so far) and I found that whenever i moved the barrel around even slightly, it got less clear. After it had been left in the same place for a few days it was nice and clear.

I just drank it out the barrel. Only thing is, without a CO2 injector, once the pressure in the barrel decreases to a certain level, no more beer will come out. You'll have to open the lid slightly to let air in so there's enough pressure for the beer to be released. However, once you do this, it will get flat quite quickly.

 

[Ballistic]

No - I haven't moved the barrel at all in the last few weeks, only moved it to a cooler part of the house as instructed after the first few days of secondary. I take your point about the pressure running out when I start drinking it.

Does anyone have anything on my previous point about getting the yeast off to a better start with my next batch?

 

[Ballistic]

Just logging back in on this thread to say that this first batch is the most amazingly well balanced smooth crystal clear and beautifully tangy taste I have ever possibly imagined. All it took was a whole month longer in secondary than I read in the instructions.

It's so nice, I don't even care if it always takes that long, and I'm going to start an identical batch on Saturday.

cheers!

 

[Kauai_Kahuna]

Ballistic - Man I was hoping your send the pressure barrel to me for "testing".
Glad it came out ok, to answer you previous question, dry packets of yeast may or may not need to be reconditioned with warm water. Check your packet if it is recommend.
Second, airate your wort once it is cooled as much as you can before pitching the yeast.
Lastly, some yeast just go a little slower.
Glad it came out fantastic and hopefully you have some more batches in the pipeline.

 

[tranceamerica]

just fyi - I usually primary my beer for 4-6 weeks before bottling. by that time, all fermentation is done, and it's fairly clear. (I don't secondary)

Then, when it's transfered (in my case, to bottles, in your case, to the pressure barrel) a bit of yeast does get stirred into the beer, so it's not clear again. It usually takes another 1-2 weeks to clear again.

if it's not clearing, then just wait.