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
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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 |
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