Conditioning my beer ...

[Cidermaker]

Hi, my first ever batch of beer, a London Pride recipe from Mr. Wheeler's book, has finished fermenting, and I'm a bit surprised to say, tastes rather nice.

My question now is about conditioning. The book says about four weeks. I've got a manucube (a plastic bag in a box, really), and was planning to use that, but is there a problem with it being sealed? Do you need some access to air for conditioning? What is ideal?

Many thanks for any advice!

[Normski]

Hi Cidermaker
I've made GW's recipe London Pride a few times myself and it is one of my favourites. I havnt used a bag in a box but Im sure if you just prime it as ussaul 85g sugar per 23l and seal the bag/box it should be fine. My AG Pride is quite drinkable after about a week, but I like to condition for a month. I'd keep an eye on the presure of the bag and if you feel its getting a bit tight, Just pour a pint and enjoy it. The presure will be Co2 created by the beer conditioning and it is needed to keep the beer fresh.

[flything]

No air for conditioning but already mentioned if using a bag in a box you do need to keep an eye on any pressure build up and either vent the bag by positioning it so the tap is uppermost and then carefully let some CO2 out or by having a pint. I did this for a mild I made couple of years ago and it worked well for this as it didn't want to be highly carbonated anyway. That said I don't think the bag (mine was a polypin I reused) is a great longer term storage solution and I certainly wouldn't leave it four weeks in one before drinking.

[Horatio]

As long as you keep the air out beer will last a fair amount of time in a polypin. I use them all the time as I don't like pressure barrels (too much like keg beer for my tastes). As has been said, keep the tap uppermost and carefully vent the Co2 when needed. When you want to drink it simply turn it tap-down and leave for a 24 hours and all the sludge at the botom will have sunk to the new bottom (if that makes sense?). Then simply pour from the tap and keep a gentle pressure on the top of the pin with a hand to stop any air going back into the pin. I have kept ale in one of these for several months with no ill effect.

[Dennis King]

You can get great beer from polypins, this thread might help
viewtopic.php?f=6&t=11340

[flything]

Interesting thread, might have to give polypins another go, have a party in a month and the brew that I've got may well end up in a pin as that will be easier than taking a corny + gas etc.

[raiderman]

If you stand the polypin on its end so the taps at the top you can force all the air out before closing the tap and vent as the pressure builds up. I've always found that beers condition quite quickly in a polypin so after a week you can carefully lay it on its side and start drawing - any sediment will slide to the bottom and shouldn't cloud the beer. You then have to drink enough ale every day to stop the pressure bursting the bag!

[Dennis King]

If you stand the polypin on its end so the taps at the top you can force all the air out before closing the tap and vent as the pressure builds up. I've always found that beers condition quite quickly in a polypin so after a week you can carefully lay it on its side and start drawing - any sediment will slide to the bottom and shouldn't cloud the beer. You then have to drink enough ale every day to stop the pressure bursting the bag!

I`ve always kept them like that, venting as necessary before finally resting

[RichardG]

I presume there must come a point when CO2 stops being produced. After that I guess there shouldn't be any need to keep venting. I ask because I allow all my beers to condition for a month, and only really drink at weekends. If I've GOT to have a beer every night, that may not be an option for me.

[Horatio]

I presume there must come a point when CO2 stops being produced. After that I guess there shouldn't be any need to keep venting. I ask because I allow all my beers to condition for a month, and only really drink at weekends. If I've GOT to have a beer every night, that may not be an option for me.

Once you have drawn off 3 or 4 pints that creates a fair amount of room for expansion in the polypin, so it should only be an issue until the first nights drinking.

[raiderman]

richard - the reason my son - a student now has my polypin! He drinks every night I can't do that sort of thing any more! With draught beer I don't think you need to condition for as long, a week is generally fine. I used to rack my beer into the polypin before fermentation had stopped and omit priming, leaving it upright with the tap partially open initially to avoid the risk of it blowing up. That way the beer was better protected against airborne infection. By closing the tap and seeing how quickly pressure built I could judge when to close the tap and start drinking. I suppose this gives a bit longer conditioning.
However the big problem is that you reach a point where the gas coming off is insufficient to fill the space in the half empty bag at which point the beer looses its life, so polypins aren't good for long storeage. BUT every brewer has the right, NAY the obligation, at least once, to have 40pts of draught in the kitchen knowing they have to go for it!!