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Christmas Brew


Thecko

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Hi guys it’s been awhile since I’ve been here. Have been brewing flat out since April I’m hooked.  
So with the festive season fast approaching I came up with an awesome storage vessel for a Xmas brew! I have a 15lt water container with a bung and considering using that to bottle a Pale Ale in! 
Now any thoughts and I have also considered that I would need to put equal parts sugar as per bottle but has anyone done similar and have you ran into any problems.

I’m expecting to knock this off in one session but want to make sure I have a good flavour brew!

Any tips....... 

5020EDFE-E936-4456-B8DA-692141B648D5.jpeg

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1 hour ago, Thecko said:

Hi guys it’s been awhile since I’ve been here. Have been brewing flat out since April I’m hooked.  
So with the festive season fast approaching I came up with an awesome storage vessel for a Xmas brew! I have a 15lt water container with a bung and considering using that to bottle a Pale Ale in! 
Now any thoughts and I have also considered that I would need to put equal parts sugar as per bottle but has anyone done similar and have you ran into any problems.

I’m expecting to knock this off in one session but want to make sure I have a good flavour brew!

Any tips....... 

I have never tried it.  It will be interesting to hear how you go.  Possible issues:

  • Would the vessel deform under pressure and not be able to force the CO2 into the beer?
  • Assuming the shape is not an issue, could the vessel leak out the tap/bung due to the extra pressure?
  • Any risk of catastrophic failure due to the pressure build up?

On the amount of sugar question, this vessel is a bit like a keg.  When you are kegging, the amount of sugar recommended is less than for bottling the same volume.  I would still be using the same amount of sugar, 8g/litre, as if I was bottling.  This vessel has more give than a metal keg.

The more I write this, the more sceptical I get.  If it was such a great idea, why wouldn't heaps of people be doing it, instead of using metal kegs?

I would be doing a test run first.

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Thanks Shamus I’ve used this vessel before for sterlizing my water for the wort. I often pour boiling water straight from the kettle into it whilst in cold water with the bung. It appears to hold. 
I thought it would be similar to the PBT bottles keep that  1-4 to 1/2 inch from the top and top up with sugar as you said.

I’m actually exited about it!😁

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On 10/5/2020 at 5:17 AM, Ben 10 said:

Yeah, won't work. You need something to "push" the beer our.

Carbon dioxide does that with kegs.

Then again...

If the beer is carbonated somewhat, would a gravity pour work ok given the tap is on the bottom?

You would want to brew something like a cask ale though maybe. Something that will cope ok with low carbonation?

Interesting concept.

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Yeh thanks for the responses. I figured given that it’s 15lts, The carbonation would be similar to the PET bottles with sugar during ageing. I was expecting to knock it off in one session. I know there were comments that required gas systems like a keg I figured though cause it’s one large bottle and the bung at the base and we intended to knock off in one session there wouldn’t be an issue. Also you use to see the 4lts aluminium barrels of beer kicking around where you didn’t require any gas like keg system. They were crack open the tap and drink to it’s empty! That was and is my philosophy with this experiment, that’s why I’m open for discussion and any feed back.🍺😉
I planned on using a Pale Ale?

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Pale Ale should work ok. Or the English Bitter kit. What else are you looking to put in it? I’d aim for some Light Dry Malt or the BE3 to up the mouthfeel to compensate a little for the lack of carbonation you’ll probably get as you get near the end.

By that time, after 15l or so, you probably won’t care anyway 😂

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On 10/4/2020 at 8:21 PM, Thecko said:

Thanks Shamus I’ve used this vessel before for sterlizing my water for the wort.

But that is flat water, not carbonated. Considering this vessel was made to only hold still liquid, I would certainly be trying a test with Vinegar and Bicarb Soda to see how it handles carbonation!

(Something like: Turn it upright, Pour in some vinegar and water, wrap a decent about of Bicarb Soda in cling wrap and drop it in the hole, quickly fit lid and then shake to release bicarb into vinegar. Then return to horizontal dispensing orientation as in your photo.)

See if explosion, deformation or leakage ensues......

Edited by pilotsh
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56 minutes ago, Ben 10 said:

What will replace the beer as it pours out?

I feel like I am missing something here and the obvious will be pointed out to me once I make my potentially misinformed comment.

It's a water jerry can, right.  With a tap.  How will it operate differently when filled with beer instead of water?

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Ahh love a great topic discussion there are so many different views of opinions. Everyone has a say it’s great.

Yes it’s a square shape water container with a tap, it will be filled from the same hole as it will empty from. 
 

There have also been suggestions that gas will need to be required to push the beer out similar to a keg!

This is fantastic and an experiment that I can’t wait to try. 
 

As it’s been pointed out we have a square container with a one entry/exit with tap. The beer will flow from the bottom of the container like a FV gravity fed. 
It’s most likely the beer will go flat when cracked open or will it?

The gas from inside the vessel one would think would remain at the the top forcing the beer through the tap at the bottom. With a keg the gas is pushed through into the vessel to force the beer through the lines. In this case I’m relying on the gas inside the vessel to do this for me.

Will the beer go flat when open probably most likely or will it? Like a bottle or stubby when you crack it open you don’t drink from the bottom you drink out from the top. This releases the carbonation and gas inside the bottle there by allowing the beer to sit for a long period it would go flat.

Again I point out that we are using the tap at the bottom and relying on the gas inside the vessel to force the beer out and hopefully retain the carbonation.

Its a great topic discussion and this has also provided curiosity of what might be......😁

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3 hours ago, Ben 10 said:

Jerry can you open the lid? Beer will go flat

I think @Thecko and his crew plan to drink it on the day.

I can see though, that once the pressure from secondary fermentation has dissipated and air starts getting in, it will start to go flat.  A bit like a keg that's off the gas can still give you a few pours, but eventually runs out of puff.

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  • 2 weeks later...

🙁 I can say that the pressure test failed. I honestly deep down thought it would. However wrapped up in the moment it was a great idea but the chemistry just doesn’t work.

It was a great conversation topic.😁 Back to bottling for now before moving to kegs!

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1 hour ago, Thecko said:

🙁 I can say that the pressure test failed. I honestly deep down thought it would. However wrapped up in the moment it was a great idea but the chemistry just doesn’t work.

It was a great conversation topic.😁 Back to bottling for now before moving to kegs!

Thanks for finding out for us!

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