Leaking tap - how to fit a new one?

shinnster

Hey all

New to this beer making malarky so sorry if this is posted in the wrong place, but am after a little guidance if possible.

I have the beer starter kit that comes with the pressure barrel and am in the middle of my first batch of beer.
It was all going well, transferred my beer into the pressure barrel to leave for the second stage of fermentation but noticed a drip from the tap!!

I checked the tap position to make sure it was in the correct off position, it was, but it still leaks.I tried various positions but no joy.
it seems to be coming from a slight gap between the sections in the end of the tap.
The kit is brand new but in a rush i bought a new tap to get it replaced asap but this is where I think i'm gonna struggle.

the tap comes with a nut to fit to the back of it, but how the hell do i get behind the tap to hold the nut?
the barrel opening is no where near big enough to get my hand / arm in to hold the nut, so what kind of tool is needed? am worried this batch of beer is going to be wasted

any help is appreciated.

HBO_Staff

With the standard pressure barrels with a 2" neck the taps just screw in and out of the barrel, they unscrew in an anti-clockwise direction, and tighten up in a clockwise direction. There is no need to use the back nut with the standard barrels, as you say, you would never get your hand in there to tighten it. The taps often come with backnuts as they can be sued in different ways and on different vessels, so just discard the back nut when fitting to a standard barrel. By placing the barrel on it's side and unscrewing the tap with the white 'lugs' moulded into it, it should be removed, then the new tap can be tightened into place until the black rubber washer begins to compress. You will need to tighten with a spanner or pair of grips as hand tight is not enough

MWHB

Hey, sounds like i have a similar problem. how did you get on replacing the tap? 

I found my barrel with a little puddle of ale around it this morning. As the barrel was only around half full, im guessing there was far too much pressure in there so i unscrewed the top to let it out, is this completely the wrong thing to do? i have a co2 bulb left so i could always pop that in to add pressure right? My 1st brew was perfect then the 2nd was good but this problem is new to me. could my tap be done for? Thanks in advance for any help! 

HBO_Staff

Releasing the pressure will stop or slow any leak, it is best to check the tap by turning it clockwise with a spanner or grips to check it is tight, as the amount of pressure inside the barrel can get very high. You need to keep some CO2 in the barrel but releasing a little wont do it any harm if it is very high

MWHB

Ok sounds good. I'm due to test the taste next week, if it is particularly flat I will inject the co2 bulb. Since releasing the pressure there has been no more leaking. so i'm just nervous that it will be flat but the co2 bulb will perk it back up yeah?

Thanks a lot!!!

shinnster

sorry for the delay in posting, been busy!

thanks for the replies,and much appreciated. New tap fitted easily and no leaks now (fitted about 8 days ago)
Now to wait for my beer to get fizzy and to have a nice refreshing pint!

MWHB

hey shinnster, did you have to inject a co2 bulb? have you done so before? I wonder if it will just ramp up the pressure again in my keg? maybe i have a faulty release valve or something (if that makes any sense) 

Still got a week to wait for mine!

HBO_Staff

You could inject a CO2 bulb to get it back up to pressure and limit any exposure to air, you could also add a little more sugar (perhaps 30g or so) before sealing back up and that will re-prime the barrel and secondary ferment and then naturally re-pressurise it

shinnster

i havent used a C02 bulb ( no idea what it is as i'm a beginner) but i do have another question.
mine has been in the barrel for 14 days now, it has lots of pressure when i pour a drink but it still isnt that fizzy.
the barrel has lots of pressure as the beer flies out the tap, maybe a bit too fast, and unless i only turn the tap on slightly the whole glass is foam / head, but once it settles there are no bubbles in it.

do i just have to wait longer?
i am brewing coopers mexican cervea

HBO_Staff

You're exactly right, this is a sign it is not yet ready, the Cerveza is best left for a few weeks if possible to condition and the carbonation will develop. You may find it is still cloudy at this stage too, another sign it just needs to be left longer. As the beer conditions it clears and carbonates, if you have somewhere cooler, around 12 to 13 degrees C or so, this will help it clear and condition, otherwise it may just take a bit longer. As the pressure builds up it can make the first glass very frothy, but this too will calm down as you drink it, pouring it slowly when it is under a lot of pressure is the key, and the pressure will lower as you draw the lager off

shinnster

thanks for another reply, much appreciated.

i thought it may just need longer but didnt want to leave it for a few more weeks if it wasnt actually doing anything.
It is already quite clear at the moment , it looks and tastes good, is just the lack of fizz that worried me.
I shall wait another few weeks and hopeflly it'll be ready.

MWHB

shinnster said:

i havent used a C02 bulb ( no idea what it is as i'm a beginner) but i do have another question.
mine has been in the barrel for 14 days now, it has lots of pressure when i pour a drink but it still isnt that fizzy.
the barrel has lots of pressure as the beer flies out the tap, maybe a bit too fast, and unless i only turn the tap on slightly the whole glass is foam / head, but once it settles there are no bubbles in it.
do i just have to wait longer?

I have had this problem too in previous brews, found i could only turn the tap halfway. it takes a while to pour a pint but its perfect in taste. 

I guessed that as my current brew is an ale and therefore not needing to be fizzy like lager I unscrewed the top to let out some pressure. Is this mental? haha.

Oh and i tried some that i bottled too, it was a touch fizzy but when left for a little while it was spot on. made a very satisfying pop too when i opened the swing top on the bottle! 

Cheers HBO staff and shinnster

:-)