Tips for a fresh beer in a leaky keg?

[bombdog]

Hi all,

I've just kegged up a fresh batch of beer but have found a very slight leak in the seam at the base of the barrel. Releasing (what little) pressure prevents this, but I can see the whole lot being pressured out at some point. It's been in the barrel for about 5 days now, so hasn't gone to maturity yet. Tastes a little vinegary too, which I'm disappointed about as it was a fancy kit from Pops Homebrew in Cheltenham, with 2 bags of hops in addition to the tins of malt.

Anyway, the main question is - should I dacant the whole barrel into another similarly sized barrel before I lose it?
Will moving it cause me any problems with the conditioning, or should I wait?

The barrels I have are these ones from Wilkinsons - http://www.wilko.com/homebrew-accessori ... vt/0022554 . I've probably put about 10 brews in the (seemingly now leaky) one; should they last much longer than this? Should they 'go' at the seams after little over a year? I've got a replacement cap on it for co2 (if required), plus a better screw-in tap, but it seems the leak is disappointingly from the moulded seam.

Here's the seal.... http://s16.postimg.org/amvko1os5/IMG_0094_2.jpg

Any advice appreciated!

Thanks
Bombdog

[Ditch]

Sounds grim, mate. I have those types of BK's here. Had them for years. Never had a problem ~ except the tap handle recently snapped off on one. Probably due to plastic fatigue! Perfectly understandable, considering the punishment it had taken ~ back and forth like a sewing machine .....

I don't like the sound of Sarsons, mate. Never would. But, yeah, if ye have another keg available? Get it in there! Worst that can happen is that it's already happened

[chris.pearse.9]

I got one from wilko leaked from the cap took it back they gave me the cash back for keg plus kit

[racinsnake]

Hi bomb
I'm using Youngs barrels, can't see why they'd be much different, had over 20 kits through my original one with no dramas ........... Gulp!
Gotta be worth trying to get a refund from wilkos.

Rob.

[gibbiem]

Drink it!!!

[IPA]

[jmc]

Drink it!!!

+1

If there's a hint of vinegar now its only going to go downhill from here.
You could move it to a better keg, but you risk adding more oxygen and chance of it turning to vinegar more, and infecting the other keg.

If its drinkable I'd drink it with some mates while there's still some condition from the dissolved CO2.

If the keg is new take it back once you've drunk it / transferred.

[RAS]

If it's really turning to vinegar then you need to either drink it or pour it down the drain, now. But if it's just a bit sharp tasting because it's not quite there yet then no real problem. I've had a couple of barrels (old secondhand ones) split like this, with a new brew in them. What I've done is, like you, let the pressure out without letting any air in and then got a new barrel on order. It'll be fine for a while as long as no air gets in. Then I've siphoned it into the new barrel and added three tablespoons or so of sugar (about half what I normally use) to reprime. Stick it in a warm place for a day or two to get the CO2 happening quickly and then back to normal. Both times the beer was just fine or possibly even slightly better than usual.

Richard.

[bombdog]

Thanks all!
I checked it last night, and it is currently slightly wet to the touch, so I relieved the pressure slightly and I'll look into rebarrelling before it gets too leaky.
I had a small glass, and it's a little bitter but hopefully in a week or two the flavour hidden in there somewhere will be more prominent.