Cask Ale And Coleman Water Containers

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RegBadgery

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I was reading about people bulk carbonating english style ales in polypins and have given it a go using a Coleman 2.5 gallon water container. If it doesn't explode or split I hope to be able to tap a lovely creamy ale from what is essentially a thick plastic bag with a tap.

cheers
reg
 
Can you post some pics Reg?

Cheers,
Doc
 
No - I don't have a digital camera - got my 2.5 gallon water container from a local camping store.

Apparently these sorts of containers are very common in the UK - something like a sort of a beer cask (along the lines of a wine cask - though a tougher container to deal with the carbonation).

cheers
reg
 
Yes - from what I've read - these devices are common in the UK

cheers
reg
 
Well it's carbonating - nothing's gone bung so far and I have it sitting in a tub just in case it splits. If this works I'll be tossing out some bottles.

cheers
reg
 
bottles? did i hear bottles? don't throw them out, i will take them off your hands free of charge :D
actually a cask sound pretty good too...
 
They're only twist-top longnecks - nothing you won't find out on the footpath on recycling night. Now if they were lovely old heavy crown-seal bottles I wouldn't be tossing them out.

cheers
reg
 
RegBadgery said:
I was reading about people bulk carbonating english style ales in polypins and have given it a go using a Coleman 2.5 gallon water container. If it doesn't explode or split I hope to be able to tap a lovely creamy ale from what is essentially a thick plastic bag with a tap.

cheers
reg
This water container that you're using, is it basically a backpack bladder for water storage during hiking?
 
Here's some related information from the craftbrewing forum
cheers
reg

From: adam.griffiths@c...
Date: Wed Mar 12, 2003 12:57 am
Subject: Polypins


Someone a loooong time ago was asking about polypins on this digest. Well I
have found a source. Kangaroo Tent City have US 5 gallon (19L) and 2.5
gallon (9.5L) Coleman brand water containers. The design is identical in
every way to the UK polypin, just the thing for those cask bitters! Unless
of course you use cornies like me :)

Cheers,
Adam.


From: adam.griffiths@c...
Date: Wed Mar 12, 2003 7:57 am
Subject: Re: [Oz CraftBrewing] Re: Polypins



Are these the ones you mean Adam?

Yes, they're the ones.


How are these sort of vessels used? Does the fermented wort carbonate
in the vessel?

I've haven't used them (yet), but according to Dave Line's books you can
use them for both fermenting and serving.

To ferment with them you remove the tap and place a bung and airlock in the
hole. To carbonate and serve, you prime in the usual way then squash it
down to get rid of any head space and replace the tap. It is important to
squash it down a bit to leave room for expansion when it carbonates. To
pour you serve under natural pressure for as long as possible, then press
down on the top to force out more beer until empty. Air is excluded from
the process all the way.

HTH

Cheers,
Adam.


From: "Julian Ward"
Date: Wed Mar 12, 2003 11:54 pm
Subject: RE: [Oz CraftBrewing] Re: Polypins


Hi Guys
As an experienced polypin user I can tell you that what Adam says is correct
except:
When the polypin starts to be no longer under pressure you have two
alternatives:
1. Stop drinking and wait a couple of days for more CO2 to generate OR
2. Place a heavy object (I use a 4 litre wine cask bladder filled with
water) on top to add a bit of pressure.

In practice I find that at the 12C or so that I keep my ales at for
drinking, the regeneration is a little slow, so the second method is always
employed.

In general, even though air is not being introduced. I find that you need to
drink the 20 litres or so in a couple of weeks.

Julian


From: "regbadgery"
Date: Thu Mar 20, 2003 9:39 pm
Subject: Re: Polypins


Some related info on using a polypin - sourced from rec.crafts.brewing

cheers
reg

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Below, I describe a method I have used to make something close
to a cask conditioned beer. You may have some difficulty getting
the equipment. Improvise using local products.

Here in England, we can buy 4.5 UK gallon flexible "polypins"
that deflate as the beer is served. This excludes oxygen while
allowing the beer to be served at near atmospheric pressure.
They are usually sold by pubs full of commercially brewed beer,
but they are so useful that we home brewers have to make this
expensive sacrifice :)

A polypin is a polyhthene cube with a serving tap. The tap can be
modified to act as a fermentation lock. Wine boxes are similar
but much less robust and much smaller. Brew bags are similar but
the wrong shape. The tap can be removed for cleaning and adding
finings or dry hops.

If my memory is OK, this method comes originally from Dave Lines's
Brewing Beers Like Those You Buy.

The procedure for brewing is as follows.

1) Make some wort in the usual way and do the primary fermantation.

2) Just before the first vigorous fermentation ends, rack the brew
into into the polypin. Add priming sugar, only if the fermentation
has become sluggish before racking. With the tap on the top
face of the polypin, attach a blow off pipe and submerge the non
tap end to make a simple fermentation lock. Make sure the tap is
open and excess CO2 can bubble off! Squeeze the box to expell any
air. If CO2 builds up, ignore it and let it bubble off.

3) When fermentation has nearly stopped, add isinglass. Close the
tap and remove the blow off pipe. Squeeze out any air that might
get in. Rotate the polypin so the tap is in the serving position.
Allow the beer to settle and clear. Watch the pressure. If the
cube becomes spherical, get some friends round to help reduce the
pressure.

4) After a few days, the beer will be very drinkable. It won't clear
as well as bottled beer. Is should taste better. It won't keep
well - so drink it quickly. This is because it is live active
unpressurised beer. This is what gives cask conditionned beer its
character.

This method is best for a party brew where the whole batch will reach
maturity and be consumed immediately or within a day or two. Is is as
close to cask conditionning as I have managed to achieve. The process
takes about 14 days from start to drinking assuming you want to make
ale and the ambient temperature is about 68F.

--
C Neil Bauers ........ Head of Computing. Norfolk |
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
RegBadgery said:
They're only twist-top longnecks - nothing you won't find out on the footpath on recycling night.
nah, not really... :(
i live in a quiet little part of the northern beaches...
most ppl here are don't drink long-necks (well maybe 1-2 a week), they buy a case 'o beer instead... i really don't want to go around looking in ppl's wheelie bins rattling bottles around for a possible long-neck or 2... ;)

guess i'll have to try to split my drinking 2 ways again, 1 case 'o longies, to 1 'o home-brew... :rolleyes:

i've had help ocasionally, but a couple of ppl want me to help get them started making home-brew, i doubt they will let me keep any longies i take over there any more...
(that reminds me, i've got to pick up those 6 from last w/end)
hmmm ~78 or so + 1 more case = ~90 (about 3 batches worth :) )
 
I can't report anything for certain. I may not have waited long enough for carbonation - once the container puffed out I started pouring. I wasn't all that happy with the results but I haven't given it another go since then. It may have been the recipe, or my technique or something else.

cheers
reg
 
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