Too much pressure in barrel

[Harmergeddon]

Hi.
Usually i bottle condition all my ales but recently I was given a pressure barrel just like one of these that wilko sell http://www.wilko.com/homebrew-accessori ... vt/0022554
Thought i'd give it a go as it seems much less hassle due to far less items to sterilize. As i hadn't used one before i decided to do a simple kit from wilko's One of the recently reduced wherry ones only i steeped some grains for the wort and used a wilko ale yeast rather than the one supplied with the kit.
Fermentation all fine,after 2 weeks in primary fg was 1015 so i put it in the pressure barrel with 90 grammes brewing sugar.
After about 1 week i got up one morning to find beer all over my kitchen floor. Grrr it had leaked out of the bottom tap. Way too much pressure in the barrel as it was coming out through the rubber seal on the tap.
I eased off the pressure by unscrewing the top. Left it again this time sitting on a couple of towls(temp is 20 degrees c where i leave it by the way). Another week later a soaking wet with beer towl. Same problem.
Transfered all the remaining beer into plastics now.

Any thoughts on whats gone wrong or what have i missed. Not too cheesed off as it was only a kit beer but want to get this sorted before i stick a descent brew in it again.
Should these barrels vent off excess pressure through the top?

Thanks for any help.

[Ink]

With the FG being 1015, I'm inclined to suggest it hadn't finished fermenting.

[Derek1]

I agree - I kegged a Woodford's Wherry yesterday, also from Wilko's. and it was down to 1010.
My Hambleton Bard keg, which I've had for several years and use for secondary fermentation before transferring to a corny rather than serving from, has an S30 valve and separate pressure relief valve, but the S30 valve can also have a pressure relief valve incorporated into it. If you have the top shown here:-

http://www.wilko.com/homebrew-accessori ... 8f4503702a

then it has the S30 valve with the pressure relief valve.

[Horden Hillbilly]

Also, don't push the tap on those barrels fully back, if you do so it will be slightly open.

[Harmergeddon]

With the FG being 1015, I'm inclined to suggest it hadn't finished fermenting.

Ok. Will be a little more patient next time. It had been in the fermentor for 2 weeks but possibly not long enough then? Here is a photo of the top to my pressure barrel. Is it worth changing this for the type shown in the link you provided Derek?

[alexlark]

I had leaky PB's when I started using them. Turns out I was priming with too much sugar. Also as Horden says, don't push the tap all the way back, keep it at 90 degrees when you look at it straight on.

With regards to the S30 cap I have found them good to add pressure but they do not seem to vent pressure before it leaks from the tap.

[Derek1]

If, as Alex says, the pressure relief valve on the S30 doesn't prevent the leaking problem you had, there's not much point in swapping tops. I can't tell from the photo - does your top allow you to add CO2 in some way?

[Harmergeddon]

I can't tell from the photo - does your top allow you to add CO2 in some way?

I don't think it does. There's no screw thread on it. I assumed that it would allow pressure out in some way but clearly not.
On the plus side i opened one of the bottles last night and tried the beer. Not bad for a simple kit so all is not lost.

[IPA]

Hi.After about 1 week i got up one morning to find beer all over my kitchen floor. Grrr it had leaked out of the bottom tap. Thanks for any help.

When you get a minute look inside the barrel and check that the tap is screwed completely in. You should be able to see the end of the thread protruding slightly inside the barrel. What sometimes happens is that the thread was not cleaned out properly during manufacture and a bit of plastic moulding is preventing the tap being screwed tightly enough to compress the washer. If so remove the tap and with the aid of a scalpel or sharp small knife remove the offending be of plastic. This has happended to me several times.

[alexlark]

What I tend to do with the S30 cap is press down on the outer rubber band to release some pressure when the tap starts to drip. It's around the same time when the bottom of the keg starts to bow outwards.

There will be a sweet spot under the rubber band where the pressure is easiest to vent out when pressing it down. Maybe try pressing down on the rubber band on your cap (it should have one as a pressure release).