Cask Ale From Cornie Kegs

[andrewg]

Hi all
here is my set up for serving real ale from cornies:


A picnic tap is connected to the gas disconnect and the keg is tilted on the wooden frame to enable gravity driven pour. The keg is primed and allowed to condition for a week or so before serving. Gives a great pour with a decent head and low carbonation, and stored in the shed during Melbourne winter the ale is at perfect serving temperature.
cheers
HStB

 

[Ross]

Hi all
here is my set up for serving real ale from cornies:
View attachment 14038

A picnic tap is connected to the gas disconnect and the keg is tilted on the wooden frame to enable gravity driven pour. The keg is primed and allowed to condition for a week or so before serving. Gives a great pour with a decent head and low carbonation, and stored in the shed during Melbourne winter the ale is at perfect serving temperature.
cheers
HStB

looks good - But how are you replacing the headspace as you pour?

Cheers Ross

 

[KoNG]

get through em quick fast i'd guess.??!

 

[Pumpy]

Hi all
here is my set up for serving real ale from cornies:
View attachment 14038

A picnic tap is connected to the gas disconnect and the keg is tilted on the wooden frame to enable gravity driven pour. The keg is primed and allowed to condition for a week or so before serving. Gives a great pour with a decent head and low carbonation, and stored in the shed during Melbourne winter the ale is at perfect serving temperature.
cheers
HStB

Sounds a great idea HSB .

Did you dry hop it ?


Pumpy

 

[fixa]

how are you getting liquid from the keg? it looks like you've connected to the liquid out, but wouldn't the dip tube be uncovered since your kegs are tilted like that?

 

[T.D.]

From my interpretation he is pulling the beer from the gas connection.

Is that right HStB?

I would also like to know how the headspace is being replaced. You could potentially attach a beer disconnect to the liquid post with nothing on the end of it. That would draw O2 in as beer is taken out. As much as that is the way real ale should be, I agree with KoNG that the kegs won't last long!

 

[Sammus]

A picnic tap is connected to the gas disconnect and the keg is tilted on the wooden frame to enable gravity driven pour. The keg is primed and allowed to condition for a week or so before serving. Gives a great pour with a decent head and low carbonation, and stored in the shed during Melbourne winter
HStB

how are you getting liquid from the keg? it looks like you've connected to the liquid out, but wouldn't the dip tube be uncovered since your kegs are tilted like that?

Says he connected to the gas out.

From my interpretation he is pulling the beer from the gas connection.

Is that right HStB?

I would also like to know how the headspace is being replaced. You could potentially attach a beer disconnect to the liquid post with nothing on the end of it. That would draw O2 in as beer is taken out. As much as that is the way real ale should be, I agree with KoNG that the kegs won't last long!

I'm not HStB, but yes, I assume it is from what he wrote in his post


And I too would like to know how the headspace is filled - he says its primed so maybe the pressure from that helps it out a little...and it just gets flatter and flatter as time goes on

 

[Ross]

Also, if the headspace isn't being replaced, it wont pour under gravity for long before stopping.

I'd be connecting a CO2 bulb or sodastream (at lowest possible pressure) to the beer in post, then it should work a treat. I might adapt the idea with my aspirator.

cheers Ross

 

[T.D.]

I'd be connecting a CO2 bulb or sodastream (at lowest possible pressure) to the beer in post, then it should work a treat.

I would also be very tempted to use CO2, would also keep the beer from spoiling. But I guess it wouldn't be real ale in that case. Depends how pedantic you want to be I guess!

 

[KoNG]

i guess, if you are going to start using co2 to push it out, why would you bother with all this..? just prime your keg and serve it as normal...?

where are you HaigSt...? i'm wanting to know what your doing now... :lol:

 

[Cortez The Killer]

How does cask beer usually work?

Is there an opening to draw air into the cask?

So would it be the case that spoilage is an issue without a high turn over of casks?

Cheers

 

[T.D.]

Yep, usually they lie on their side with an opening at the top that allows O2 to fill the headspace as beer is drawn out (by gravity). So yeah, spoilage is a big problem if you don't drink the kegs quickly.

 

[T.D.]

Here's a pic I found on the net (from http://www.thehappygnome.com/media/1994/firkin.jpg)

 

[Ross]

i guess, if you are going to start using co2 to push it out, why would you bother with all this..? just prime your keg and serve it as normal...?

where are you HaigSt...? i'm wanting to know what your doing now... :lol:

Wasn't suggesting using CO2 to dispence at all - Just to replace the headspace, otherwise it won't pour. You could use air via the beer post if the diptube is angled into the top corner, but it will spoil quite quickly.

Cheers Ross

 

[T.D.]

:lol: so maybe set the reg for 1000 hectopascals (or whatever the atmosphesric pressure is at the time)...

 

[dicko]

Ah Ha!

I have just found a use for my 12 litre cornies.

I would imagine the easiest way to replace the air space is to replace the original pick up tube with a gas in tube and fit a qd or a small amount of Co2 as Ross suggested.

Ah! Cask ale during the winter,

Cheers

 

[colinw]

I have achieved quite authentic tasting cask ale flavour by storing the beer at a winter ambient temperature of about 14C-16C and priming lightly with about 50g of dextrose in a corny.

Prime then leave to condition for a few days, venting the head space via the poppet about once a day. It will settle at atmospheric pressure with light carbonation that is enough to raise a head but not sparkle in the glass.

For serving, gas to a normal serving pressure. Pour with a picnic tap to splash directly into the bottom of the glass and draw air into the glass - this simulates a handpump pour. At the end of the session vent the remaining CO2 with the poppet and leave.

The beers I have had the most success in treating this way have been very basic bitters fermented with plain old Safale or similar. English malt + 3% crystal and 1% black malt, 30-35 IBUs or so of Fuggles for bittering then some EKG or Styrian. OG in the 1.040 range. Mash coolish - 64C-65C (advice given to me by a commercial brewer in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire). A beer made this way seems thin & lacking in character when handled in the normal Aussie "freeze & fizz" manner. Treat it like I have described above and it shines.

 

[Jye]

If you dont have an aspirator could you try filling one of those large smiley balloons with 10L or so of co2. It should hold the co2 but not be so inflated to push it back out like a normal party balloon. Hook it up to the gas in post and the keg can then suck co2 from the balloon.

Not a very elegant solution but it should work.

 

[dicko]

I would imagine the easiest way to replace the air space is to replace the original pick up tube with a gas in tube and fit a qd or a small amount of Co2 as Ross suggested.

My mistake,

If you fitted a gas in tube with the keg full and on an angle then fitted a qd, the beer would run out the qd while the level in the keg was above the qd.
As Ross said "bend the dispense pipe toward the top corner of the keg from the bottom"

Cheers

 

[Tony M]

:lol: so maybe set the reg for 1000 hectopascals (or whatever the atmosphesric pressure is at the time)...

Zero on your regulator is already one atmosphere (1000 Hpa) so you would just give the keg a hit with the reg set at 2 or 3 Kpa to maintain your desired pour rate and carbonation level. Practice would get it right.