Beer engines, good, bad, ugly, advice, for sale ?

[andytork]

All,

Looking at possibly getting a couple of beer engines.

Anyway, done a bit of searching, reading etc. I do a lot of cellarmix carbonation, enjoy English ales etc.

So questions are :-

• Cooling, I read that you chuck your keg in a fridge purposely don't chill the lines , taps (you can't anyway). Anyone any experience (good or bad) and advice on this. If I had long lines, could I use a temprite that is set at a higher temp than normal to help. I don't think I have room for a keg fridge under the bar, mine are remote in a large freezer around 3 metres away with cooling supplied to my normal font from a tiny freezer
• Styles of beers and gas levels etc. Do I carbonate to different levels knowing its going on the engine ?
• Commercially : Does anyone know what kegs the engine stuff is supplied in , I read there were some bag-in-box and small kegs from the UK ?
• Anyone have any advice on which engine to buy, have a good source, one for sale, locations of spares etc
• Any other gotcha's issues etc.

Thanks in advance, I know this has been done a few times but some of thread I found were quite old etc

Andy

 

[Rurik]

Hey,

I have an Anagram 1/2 pint unit that does the job really well. I

I usually dispense from a corni keg with the PRV left up, I tend to only use mine during the winter so I don't bother to cool anything. As to styles of beer, well I tend to brew milds for my hand pump because that is what I like. I have had good success with stouts and even wound back APAs (think best bitter done with American hops). I have gotten all the bits I need through Marks Home Brew or NNL brewing supplies. If you don't have a unit already I would try NNL brewing first, they used to sell reco units. Look up an old thred called 'Show us you beer engine' that has a bit of info there.


Rurik out.