Sheisse

[suityou01]

Please please read on, there follows a very very sad story. I post this here to try and help prevent others befall the fate that happened to me last night.

As you know money is getting tighter, so it's getting harder and harder to put groceries on the table. We have had to take out some of our own austerity measures. Yes folks, shop bought beer has to go.

But it's ok because I am a happy happy happy homebrewer

And I got bought a shed load of beer kits for Christmas

So all it costs me is a kilo of sugar to brew 40 of your English pints.

I resurrected me pressure barrels, set to work and in the past week have barrelled 80 pints (two barrels worth) and am working on liberating a barrel left over from Christmas that still has a few pints left in

No the thing is with these barrels is that you need to inject CO2 into them from time to time, and the CO2 bulbs that you get from Wilkinson are a very expensive way to go about this. Years ago you could use a soda stream canister, just wind it on the thead of the regulator until you hear a shooshing noise, hold for a couple of seconds and then unscrew.

So I perked up when I saw sodastream canisters in Asda for £18.97, and bought one.

This is where the story takes a tearful twist folks. The S30 regulator on my barrel that used to fit a sodastream canister no longer does. They changed the fitting on the sodastream



And the only place that does a coupling is in Germany!

Please please please do not fall into this trap, learn from my mistake.

Thank you for reading.

[Platypus]

I'm in Germany next week, want me to bring one back for you?

[vetran]

New Hambleton Bard Super S30 Co2 Cylinder - For Homebrew Pressure Barrels | eBay

[suityou01]

I'm in Germany next week, want me to bring one back for you?

Ta bud. I didn't know that when I ordered it

[suityou01]

New Hambleton Bard Super S30 Co2 Cylinder - For Homebrew Pressure Barrels | eBay

Quite

The postage makes it more expensive than nipping to Asda to get a replacement canister. The widget from Germany will pay for itself in about 4 barrels time and then keep on giving

[vetran]

co2 pub | eBay

Supersize me

[DaveB]

No the thing is with these barrels is that you need to inject CO2 into them from time to time,

No You Don't. If the brew is working properly in the barrel the natural CO2 in there will pressurise it nicely. Think about traditional cask ales. Wooden barrels, no CO2, just a tap on the front. If it gets to the point where you can't pour a pint easily anymore then just open the cap of the barrel slightly to allow it to pour properly, then do it up again after. This only really happens when you get near the end of the barrel anyway.

I've been brewing for almost 20 years and have never had to use a CO2 cartridge on a barrel.

[vetran]

I'm with DaveB I prefer natural fizz.

also means less obnoxious wind! (You still get it but not so much or so smelly).

[cojak]

I bottle.

The fizz is about the same as draught pub beer and it tastes the same to the last bottle.

[suityou01]

No You Don't. If the brew is working properly in the barrel the natural CO2 in there will pressurise it nicely. Think about traditional cask ales. Wooden barrels, no CO2, just a tap on the front. If it gets to the point where you can't pour a pint easily anymore then just open the cap of the barrel slightly to allow it to pour properly, then do it up again after. This only really happens when you get near the end of the barrel anyway.

I've been brewing for almost 20 years and have never had to use a CO2 cartridge on a barrel.

To release the vacuum and pour a pint of flat ale

Remind me never to drink round your gaff.