Brewing in Polypins ( Cubitainers) and hooking up a beer-engine

[markhet]

A search of these terms shows that most topics are somewhat old so forgive me for starting a new one.

I have been brewing and dispensing english style bitter from polypins for years. I have been sourcing the polypins by having relatives in the UK post them out to me but this is getting more and more expensive so I am looking for an Aussie supplier. I have tried buying some cheap water cubitainers but haven't dared use one for beer because the thread on the cap is somewhat weak (it flew off when I yanked the container by the cap) and the exit is very low in the container. I rely on the exit being slightly high so that the beer can settle out in the polypin with the sludge sitting on the bottom while I despense from the higher level. If there cheaper cubitainers that don't have these two problems, I would be very interested in hearing.
Does anyone got any advice on polypins or cubitainers?

For those intertested my process is to boil and ferment in a bin as normal, then syphons into a jar where I add more malt extract and hops for a secondary fermentation and a good settle. My primary fermentation leaves the beer very cloudy. Finally I syphon into a polypin with more malt extract and a hop-bag (dry hopping) and place polypin in a wooden frame (I don't bother having the containing cardboard box sent over) standing upright and dispel as much air from the polypin as possible. The tertiary fermentation then bulges the polypin (still upright) and I release pressure every other day as required. All air is then released from the polypin and the only contents are beer and its own gas allowing it to keep for a couple of months at least. Once the bulging stops, I leave it as bulged as I dare and rack the polypin in its frame ready for dispensing. It takes 2-3 weeks for the beer to clear and it is naturally conditioned by the resident gas and pressure for the first part of dispensing but the beer does get flatter and flatter as the polypin loses pressure and contracts.

I have been encouraged by older topics in this forum to try hooking up a beer-engine to my polypins. I read somewhere that if one does this then the conditioning is excellent and there is no need to have a secondary (tertiary in my case) fermentation in the polypins itself.

Does anyone have any advice on using a beer-engine in this way?

Does anyone know of any Aussie suppliers of beer-engines?

Does anyone have a beer-engine for sale?

 

[S.E]

You can use cubes as casks, they work really well. You just need to lubricate and seal the plastic tap with keg lube or Vaseline to stop it dripping under pressure and your good to go.

I have an engine and it is easy enough to connect to the cube, just push fit 13mm tube over the tap. You could use a jubilee clip to secure it but I find it’s not necessary. I mostly gravity dispense from the cube at home though.

[SIZE=11pt]You’ll find info and pictures on cube conditioning in this thread. http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/70056-carbingconditioning-in-a-cube-before-keg/[/SIZE]

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Have a look in the thread (Casks and Hand pumps), that will answer your other questions Sean has some good advice in that also.

 

[markhet]

SE i in a post you made in another topic on 1 Feb last year, you said:

"If a creamy head is desired on a beer served directly from a cube or cask this can easily be achieved by using a syringe."

Can you (or anyone else) explain how this is done please?

 

[markhet]

From reading the other topics I have learned that BCF and Bunnings supplied suitable ones in the past. Neither seem to supply anything like that anymore.

The one from Bunnings looked ideal.

I have attached a picture of the one that I am thinking of trying (with Vaseline on the thread as advised). Is this good enough?

Does anyone know of suppliers that supply recommended ones as were supplied by BCF and/or Bunnings?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Rambo]

Not sure if the picture you posted is of the one you want or the one you have, but looks exactly like the one I got from aldi a while ago... Keep an eye on their catalogue, they seem to sell them a couple of times a year and with easter coming up they may have some more camping stuff for sale.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Found the link to answer more of your questions.
http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/78151-cask-and-hand-pump/

 

[Howlingdog]

Not sure if the picture you posted is of the one you want or the one you have, but looks exactly like the one I got from aldi a while ago... Keep an eye on their catalogue, they seem to sell them a couple of times a year and with easter coming up they may have some more camping stuff for sale.

Available this Saturday Aldi this Saturday, catalogue in stores now. $3.99 each doesn't say what capacity.

 

[jimmy86]

Have a look at nnlbeersupplies.com.au
Not sure if they sell to the public or not

 

[dannymars]

there was a good deal on beer engines in the ebay/gumtree thread... from UK, but ultra cheap.

 

[Rambo]

Available this Saturday Aldi this Saturday, catalogue in stores now. $3.99 each doesn't say what capacity.

Mine is 20L

 

[S.E]

From reading the other topics I have learned that BCF and Bunnings supplied suitable ones in the past. Neither seem to supply anything like that anymore.

The one from Bunnings looked ideal.

I have attached a picture of the one that I am thinking of trying (with Vaseline on the thread as advised). Is this good enough?

Does anyone know of suppliers that supply recommended ones as were supplied by BCF and/or Bunnings?

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I was referring to the ridged cubes. You can get them in Bunnings, they are the same ones used for no chill and fresh wort kits.

I prefer cubes over polypins as they are easy to clean and reuse, I’ve been using the same ones for years. They also hold up to a fair bit of pressure (about 20 psi) so the beer will condition and clear faster.

They don’t collapse like polypins but you can keep them topped up with co2 if you can't empty them over a week or so. I think Keg King do a cheap co2 party keg injector kit if you don’t have a co2 set up.

I meant you need to pull the tap apart and lube/seal it, not lube the threads.

With the syringe you just need to pour a beer then use it to suck a little up and squirt it back in to the glass a few times. Try it with the tip of the syringe tip submerged first if you don’t get the desired result hold it a few cm above the glass.

Have a read through the thread that I linked and also the one wide eyed and legless linked and you should find all the info you need on cubes and engines including how to build a DIY engine.

Cheers Sean

 

[spog]

Drool !

 

[wide eyed and legless]

That's a ball tearer spog, all it needs is a monkey to sit on the top with a tin mug :lol:

 

[spog]

That'd be me

 

[Bribie G]

Mate that unit would have to so feckin old it makes the eyes water, hasn't been anything like that in UK pubs for a hundred years or more.

 

[MartinOC]

I feel a certain, inexplicable tingling in my nether regions looking at those photo's, Spog...or maybe.....'Wonder where Cocko is right now.....?

 

[spog]

Amazing how a photo can, make a home brewers balls tear,bring tears and a tingling in the nether regions ?
Yep,we are a weird mob......
Truth be told it damn near gives me a chubby .

 

[Seeker]

I've been using collapsible water containers with a water pump.

Given up for now a the heat in the garage over summer was leading to hot beer, and mold. I'm using the bags with gravity feed now, and a syringe to get the hand pump effect, which definitely works. I read that Guinness used to sell a syringe just for that reason.

If you want to try the bags the best ones I bought were from Kathmandu. Coleman one was also ok. I've also had concertina ones from ebay that work, but not very tough. Good for 10L and you can have the tap at the top and it will collapse perfectly. None of them are great for carbonation though, and I've found that plumbers tape around the tap is required as they don't seal too good.

My next plan is to use the hard jerry cans with a Co2 tank and cask breather made from an LPG regulator. They kick out less than 1PSI I believe, and a decent Jerry can will easily take that.

If that works well I'll try them with a stout tap, and maybe add nitrogen.

Hand pumps and casks are great in English pubs, but Queensland garages - not so much. Too much beer held in the pump. I did think about mounting the whole thing in the fridge, and still may go down that route if none of the above works satisfactorily.

 

[markhet]

Hi seeker,

Thanks for the information. I am an absolute novice when it comes to syringes. Where would I get a suitable and how is it used?

I've been using collapsible water containers with a water pump.

Given up for now a the heat in the garage over summer was leading to hot beer, and mold. I'm using the bags with gravity feed now, and a syringe to get the hand pump effect, which definitely works. I read that Guinness used to sell a syringe just for that reason.

If you want to try the bags the best ones I bought were from Kathmandu. Coleman one was also ok. I've also had concertina ones from ebay that work, but not very tough. Good for 10L and you can have the tap at the top and it will collapse perfectly. None of them are great for carbonation though, and I've found that plumbers tape around the tap is required as they don't seal too good.

My next plan is to use the hard jerry cans with a Co2 tank and cask breather made from an LPG regulator. They kick out less than 1PSI I believe, and a decent Jerry can will easily take that.

If that works well I'll try them with a stout tap, and maybe add nitrogen.

Hand pumps and casks are great in English pubs, but Queensland garages - not so much. Too much beer held in the pump. I did think about mounting the whole thing in the fridge, and still may go down that route if none of the above works satisfactorily.