Polypins.. Anyone use them?

[MartinOC]

I'm going to have my work cut out getting through 10L of 6% in a week before oxidation causes problems :beerbang:

You're just not trying hard enough!!

 

[jphowman]

I'm giving this a crack at the moment.

I'd stay away from the ones from Super Cheap Auto. The thread at the top of the container is soft plastic and I found it impossible to get a proper seal.

I've got one from BigW now and it has significantly thicker walls as well as a rigid thread. I've got some sugar and water fermenting in it at the moment it test how well it functions.

 

[Bribie G]

Cheers Bertie.

It never occurred to me that TV is not reality, you could be onto something there. Must investigate further.

 

[freek]

Cheers for sharing some good info Cosmic Bertie. I was struggling to get my head around cask ale but I think I am there now.

I always liked the idea of setting up a gravity dispensed, lightly carbonated ale but this has its problems for long term use. Any beer vented at atmospheric pressure would eventually go flat and I would be lucky to drink a full batch in less than 6 weeks.

As you have mentioned in previous posts sparklers would remove all carbonation anyway, so why bother carbonate in the first place. It would seem weird to me gravity feeding completely flat, headless beer into a pint glass. But with the beer engine + sparkler setup you can still get a head on a flat beer.

I hope I have it right. Next thing is to get a beer engine.
Cheers

 

[CosmicBertie]

The sparkler puts so much air into the beer it can take 10 mins to clear! And the head stays to the bottom of the glass too.

 

[S.E]

The sparkler puts so much air into the beer it can take 10 mins to clear! And the head stays to the bottom of the glass too.

How can a sparkler put air into the beer? My understanding is it knocks co2 out of suspension. The sparkler should be at the bottom of the glass completely submerged.

 

[CosmicBertie]

Yup. You're right.

However, if you pull a pint with the sparkler right at the bottom, you'll get a beer with no head. You have to learn how to pull a pint, theres an art to it. If you pull it too high in the glass, you'll get a massive head.

I'm guessing its some kind of gas, dont ask me how, other more intelligent people can probably tell you, but it forms a head, and I can only guess that its 'air' making the tiny bubbles. Maybe its the dissolved CO2 which is forced out.

Poor choice of words for me earlier post.

 

[Bribie G]

I believe it "thrashes" the beer to release the CO2 in smaller bubbles, a bit like the restrictor plate in a nitro tap.

When I lived in Cardiff, Brains beers were always served via sparkler and had a smooth, creamy taste with a thick head, but little gas. Tetleys did something similar with their bitter in Yorkshire.

They would often put a cask of SA on the bar at my local and serve it on gravity as that was suddenly trendy with the students who lived in that particularly bedsit area. Tasted completely different, almost fizzy. Preferred the sparkler version.

edit: a well pumped pint - note the gas still settling out

 

[CosmicBertie]

When I used to drink in the Yorkshire pubs around where I grew up, all the beers were served via a sparkler. You got a flat beer with a thick, creamy head. If you went insane and ventured 'down south', the beer was served without a sparkler, and it always reminded me of used dishwashing water.

They then introduced the 'smooth flow' beers, which negated the need for a decent cellarman/landlord, the taste of the beer completely changed and I used to avoid them.

That reminds me, my YPA must be ready now (Yorkshire Pale Ale ), im trying to clone a Rooster beer......man, I miss those.

Crikey Bribie, we're starting to sound like old men.....do you remember when all this were fields?!

 

[Malted]

I am not sure that I like my BCF collapsible water containers anymore http://www.bcf.com.au/online-store/products/Collapsible-Water-Container-20L.aspx?pid=114174#Cross. The taps get hard to turn and the handle snaps off them. This was after I soaked them in PBW solution for some time. Maybe PBW makes the plastic go brittle?

 

[felten]

I asked USplastic for a quote on 4x 1gal cubitainers, and they reckon they could send them for $7.72 + $24 shipping. I didn't follow through with it though, but maybe someone else might be interested.

Apparently their shipping price is based on weight, so larger cubitainers would probably be a little dearer in that regard.

 

[Bribie G]

Bertie, ayup sethe, by goom.
Where in Yorkshire? I popped out in Pontefract.

 

[treefiddy]

I am not sure that I like my BCF collapsible water containers anymore http://www.bcf.com.au/online-store/products/Collapsible-Water-Container-20L.aspx?pid=114174#Cross. The taps get hard to turn and the handle snaps off them. This was after I soaked them in PBW solution for some time. Maybe PBW makes the plastic go brittle?

Sodium percarbonate is the main ingredient in PBW, which produces peroxide. Peroxide is what does the cleaning and is also a strong oxidiser which can damage plastics, often making them brittle.

You could try something else to clean them, or just use starsan for a few rinses.

 

[CosmicBertie]

I am not sure that I like my BCF collapsible water containers anymore http://www.bcf.com.au/online-store/products/Collapsible-Water-Container-20L.aspx?pid=114174#Cross. The taps get hard to turn and the handle snaps off them. This was after I soaked them in PBW solution for some time. Maybe PBW makes the plastic go brittle?

I've never had that happen...though I dont use PBW on plastic....

 

[CosmicBertie]

Bertie, ayup sethe, by goom.
Where in Yorkshire? I popped out in Pontefract.

Ee by ecky thump.

I was sprogged in Cleckhuddersfax!

In a small place called Liversedge. Champion.

 

[Malted]

Sodium percarbonate is the main ingredient in PBW, which produces peroxide. Peroxide is what does the cleaning and is also a strong oxidiser which can damage plastics, often making them brittle.

You could try something else to clean them, or just use starsan for a few rinses.

Cheers for that.
Note to self 'Malted, do not leave plastic items soaking in PBW for extended periods!'

 

[Yob]

ere.. possible stupid question coming..

you cant barrel age then store in these polypins or collapsible container types? you could easily purge them out and fill them.. a few of these 10L jobbies would come in very handy if it was a plausible action.. somehow I doubt it though..

I rekon Im going to need a lot more kegs...

 

[welly2]

Trying to find collapsible water containers and none of the websites seem to be advertising them. Tried BCF with no joy and Bunnings. Neither seems to have them or if they do, they're not on their website. Does anyone have any suggestions where to pick one up from? Ideally 20L but I could go for two 10L ones alternatively. Planning on brewing an English bitter this weekend and so want to get my hand pump into action!

 

[Grainer]

I bought mine from ebay in china. They are great and do the job

 

[Grainer]

ere.. possible stupid question coming..

you cant barrel age then store in these polypins or collapsible container types? you could easily purge them out and fill them.. a few of these 10L jobbies would come in very handy if it was a plausible action.. somehow I doubt it though..

I rekon Im going to need a lot more kegs...

Nah mate long term storage not advisable cause of oxygen permiation