Makeing and Keging beer

[Woods Dweller]

I don't know if this is the place to post this?
Anyone make beer in a wood keg? My son & I have been making and bottling beer for a long time. I bought a 2 letter wood keg, when it was time to bottle the beer I filled the keg. This did not work out to good because the pressure that build up seeped out in droplets and a mold started to grow where the leaks were. Not much beer leaked out, [7 or 8 table spoons] I bought a book from Jas-Townsend and son on wine & beer making in the 1800. Beer did not have the fizz we have in beer today. In other words it was a flat beer. Anyone ever mess with this? I have made myself get use to drinking beer at room tempter, and I like it. Do I just get use to drinking a flat beer? I have another keg ordered for me and my other son. He likes to make wine.

 

[coloradoclyde]

Kegs come charred, uncharred, paraffin lined and, lined with brewers pitch.

Guess which keg you need?
J.A.S. Townsend sells brewers pitch.

unlined kegs need to be pre soaked.

I'm not a cooper but beer kegs seem to be built differently than wine water or whiskey kegs.


I would try again and install an airlock or pressure release ....The colder the beer is the more C02 will be in suspension.

heres a video you might like https://youtu.be/xm40bMUfl44

 

[coloradoclyde]

Here is some more links
https://youtu.be/1bNp3E-SuQw
https://youtu.be/k6GtHMDFvbs
https://youtu.be/Kr7GqFAjV0U
https://youtu.be/PSmtqzbaDdo

FYI I was at a brewery and saw a wooden keg with a Sanke valve on it...when I asked about it they said it was a real keg inside of a barrel. other than the coupler ring you couldn't tell.

 

[Silky921]

I make plenty of wine, but not necessarily in the primitive manner. If that helps any down the road, let me know. :v

 

[Loyalist Dave]

JA you need a pitched keg.

Are you making "beer" or "ale" as the words mean different things today than they did two and a half centuries ago.

You should be fermenting the beverage in a cellar or in a controlled temp area at about 60-65 degrees for an 18th century "beer". Then after ten days you should rack it and store it at about 55 degrees, It will end up with light carbonation.

It was normally served through a "beer engine", not simply poured.

You might want to refer to:
Libations of The 18th Century, it might help.

LD

 

[coloradoclyde]

I have made myself get use to drinking beer at room tempter, and I like it.

It is always hard to understand what someone means by room temperature. I suspect room temp in south Florida might be in the high 80's
Here is a guide for storing and serving your beer.

There are 3 storage temperatures used to lay beer down for maturation and/or storage. Not only will you want store your beers at these specific temperatures, but also you'll want to serve them at the same. Your strong beers (like barleywines, tripels, dark ales) will be their happiest at room temperature (55-60F), most of your standard ales (like bitters, IPAs, dobbelbocks, lambics, stouts, etc) will be at cellar temperature (50-55F) and your lighter beers (like lagers, pilsners, wheat beers, milds, etc) will be at a refrigerated temperature (45-50F). Usually the higher alcohol, the higher temperature and lower alcohol, the lower temperature ... you get the point.

 

[Billnpatti]

As you can see in the quote that you included, room temperature has a specific definition as being between 55 and 60 deg. F.

 

[coloradoclyde]

As you can see in the quote that you included, room temperature has a specific definition as being between 55 and 60 deg. F.

Yes it does in regards to beer. That is why I posted it.
As you will see by the link provided there is no standard room temp. So it is defined by use. For example measuring tools affected by temperature are calibrate to a specific/ listed temperature. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Room_temperature

 

[coloradoclyde]

First off I would like to mention that we have not heard back from the OP since his initial response. I call this a Ghost Post. I see these from time to time and always raise an eyebrow. :shocked2:

Temperature is critical to the making and the serving of beer.

I have never been to an establishment that serves beer and does not serve some beer incorrectly.

This Includes brew pubs/brewery's
Frosted mugs, wrong glasses, wrong temperatures, lemon wedges, and my latest pet peeve....calling an ale a lager, and I won't even begin to talk about what uneducated wait staff do when pouring a beer.

 

[George]

Frosted mugs, wrong glasses, wrong temperatures, lemon wedges, and my latest pet peeve....calling an ale a lager, and I won't even begin to talk about what uneducated wait staff do when pouring a beer.

Sounds pretty bad. Doesn't involve me, though, as far as I'm concerned they should put all the beer back in the horse. :haha: :haha:

Spence

 

[coloradoclyde]

Do I just get use to drinking a flat beer?

NO! this may help you. http://www.draft-beer-made-easy.com/carbonation.html

 

[coloradoclyde]

OK I'll bite....your beverage of choice is?????

 

[George]

I'm partial to cold buttermilk. :haha:

Spence

 

[coloradoclyde]

MILK!! :shocked2:

Here's some history for you.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milk_sickness

 

[George]

I don't have to worry about that. I don't get my milk from a cow, just the thought of that is disgusting, I get mine from the supermarket.

While you are brewing beer, make a batch of this:

George Washington's 1757 notebook:

"To Make Small Beer."
Take a large Sifter full of Bran Hops to your Taste -- Boil these 3 hours. Then strain out 30 Gall. into a Cooler put in 3 Gallons Molasses while the Beer is scalding hot or rather drain the molasses into the Cooler. Strain the Beer on it while boiling hot let this stand til it is little more than Blood warm. Then put in a quart of Yeast if the weather is very cold cover it over with a Blanket. Let it work in the Cooler 24 hours then put it into the Cask. leave the Bung open til it is almost done working -- Bottle it that day Week it was Brewed."

Kegs might be good for that one.

Spence

 

[coloradoclyde]

Supermarket......that's udderly ridiculous. :grin: Ain't no teats on a supermarket....unless you go to Cost-cow. :rotf:

 

[George]

OK, that's it, I'm out'a here.

Spence

 

[coloradoclyde]

While you are brewing beer, make a batch of this:

George Washington's 1757 notebook:

"To Make Small Beer."
Take a large Sifter full of Bran Hops to your Taste -- Boil these 3 hours. Then strain out 30 Gall. into a Cooler put in 3 Gallons Molasses while the Beer is scalding hot or rather drain the molasses into the Cooler. Strain the Beer on it while boiling hot let this stand til it is little more than Blood warm. Then put in a quart of Yeast if the weather is very cold cover it over with a Blanket. Let it work in the Cooler 24 hours then put it into the Cask. leave the Bung open til it is almost done working -- Bottle it that day Week it was Brewed."

Kegs might be good for that one.

Spence

Ok Spence, you talked me into it. I extrapolated some of the amounts and formulated a working recipe, it should come out at 2.6% alcohol .....so that would be a small beer.
I reduced the total end volume to make a 1 gallon batch.
Now I just have to grind enough wheat to get the bran I need, and decide on a yeast strain.

Do you think the molasses was from sugar cane or sorghum?

 

[Loyalist Dave]

You can buy wheat bran. The molasses was from cane sugar. Small beer is a form of "light beer" and it was consumed at breakfast and lunch in many households. In fact in some "lady's companion" cook books...the woman who draws the small beer from the barrel is instructed to stir the barrel a bit to raise the spent yeast.

So the drinker was getting a purified water source, with a small amount of alcohol, AND a dose of yeast = B vitamins. Depending on any adjuncts added, they might have been getting vitamin C as well.

LD

 

[coloradoclyde]

Well now I'm having second thoughts. After reading every account that I could find of those who have tried to duplicate this beer , The reports are that it tasted terrible.

Better that I should stick to the
Reinheitsgebot.