Polypins.. Anyone use them?

[Coach_R]

Question for the ppl that use these regularly.

If/When you prime them and leave for a few weeks do you vent the Co2 out on a regular basis or is it just once it's full don't touch again until serving?

 

[Grayling]

Question for the ppl that use these regularly.

If/When you prime them and leave for a few weeks do you vent the Co2 out on a regular basis or is it just once it's full don't touch again until serving?

I rarely used to prime them at all. I would transfer the beer to the pin when it was ready, usually from a secondary fermenter, and dispense by gravity...simply pour the beer through the tap and allow the pin to collapse as it empties.

I never left beer in the pin for a few weeks before it was ready to drink...if I primed it would be with ordinary sugar and not too much..I would only vent through the tap if the pin started to bulge too much....that would mean inverting the pin and would stir up the sediment so I would avoid if possible. The method works with beer if you like it flat (which many prefer). Using a beer engine is different and I never got found to trying it....but I will one day I hope.

 

[jphowman]

Just put a random quick 15L K&K brew down this morning purely to see how the SCA bags go.. if anyone has any info on how much sugar i should use to prime one of these bad boys that'd be great!

I'd love to here how this goes. If it works I'll be making a trip to the shops. :beer:

 

[AndrewQLD]

My procedure is very simple, I want my beer to be as an English real ale, light natural carbonation. I normally rack into pin around a gravity 1012 no priming sugar and leave somewhere slightly warm. The pin will expand a little after 4-5 days so I move to my garage which at the moment is around 12c and even in summer rarely go's above 20c. If it does get too warm a wet towel will bring it down, in the UK we don't get the temperatures you do. I like to let it condition for 2-3 weeks although you can drink younger. By serving through the hand pump the action of the pump gives me just the amount of life I want. Before I got the hand pump I would prime with 80gms of sugar and serve by gravity. The beer stays fresh for at least 2-3 weeks, to be honest they normally drank within that time. My pins are 20ltr and are aprox. 13" x 11"x 11".

Thanks Dennis that helps a lot, so what is your preferred serving temperature?

 

[black_labb]

I've been using some polypins for a month or so now with my newly aquired handpump. i got some 4L "cubitainers" as they seem like a good idea, I don't want to be drinking the same beer for 20L straight. Currently I've been priming with about 1.5g/L after cold conditioning, though a bit less could be fine. All you need is to make the difference between the solubility of co2 at fermenting temps and serving temps, which is about .25 volumes. the polypin isn't there to hold pressure, just as an airlock, though they can hold some pressure if you get it wrong. I hope I don't find out their upper limit but I haven't yet

I've been leaving my pins at 20ish for a couple days (until you see the headspace starting to increase from co2 production) then I move them into the fridge at 12*c where they wait to be served.

 

[DennisKing]

Thanks Dennis that helps a lot, so what is your preferred serving temperature?

My garage tends to be around 14c to 18c range.

 

[Wolfy]

Unfortunately the poly pins that they use in the UK are difficult or expensive to find locally.

I have one of the camping type ones, however I don't think it seals near as well and TBH it smells of vinyl so I've not been inclined to use it.

 

[CosmicBertie]

Unfortunately the poly pins that they use in the UK are difficult or expensive to find locally.

I have one of the camping type ones, however I don't think it seals near as well and TBH it smells of vinyl so I've not been inclined to use it.

I use the collapsible water containers from BCF. $12 each. I CC the beer in secondary, then transfer to the bag. The beer then matures for a week before serving. I dont prime the bag either. I tend to store the full bags at 10C in the fridge. When its serving time, put the bag into one of those 50-can cooler bags, and connect to the hand pump. Works a treat, and there are no vinyl/plastic flavours in the beer either.

 

[Coach_R]

I've been using some polypins for a month or so now with my newly aquired handpump. i got some 4L "cubitainers" as they seem like a good idea, I don't want to be drinking the same beer for 20L straight. Currently I've been priming with about 1.5g/L after cold conditioning, though a bit less could be fine. All you need is to make the difference between the solubility of co2 at fermenting temps and serving temps, which is about .25 volumes. the polypin isn't there to hold pressure, just as an airlock, though they can hold some pressure if you get it wrong. I hope I don't find out their upper limit but I haven't yet

I've been leaving my pins at 20ish for a couple days (until you see the headspace starting to increase from co2 production) then I move them into the fridge at 12*c where they wait to be served.

At the minute i don't have anything to cold condition my beers (or anywhere) so my plan was to bulk prime and like you say for a few days once the headspace increases and then whacking it in the fridge.

Was going to leave it in the fridge for a week or 2 and then like Cosmic Bertie does chuck it in a cooler bag (Minus the hand pump) and either just pour pints or fill a jug and pour pints from there.

If this all works out i think i'll definitely keep it up and do 10L from every batch this way.

Can't wait till winter so i can lay down some ESB's and Porters!

 

[Coach_R]

Okay guys just a quick update on what i've done so far.

This beer was basically a trial for 3 things. An old 15L fermenter i was given by my grandad whose mate had been using for wine, a new set of bottles from a mate and then most important thing the 10L collapsible container.

The beer itself was just a quick kit with some hops thrown in at the end.

1 x Coopers Real Ale
1 x Brew Enhancer 1
- Brewed to 15L using 1 x Kit Yeast
- Dry hopped with 5g target,5g challenger and 10g EK Goldings
OG = 1.055 FG = 1.018 (Alc = 5.4%)

Yesterday i primed the bag with 10g of dextrose (1g/L) just to be on the safe side this time, if it works ok might go up to 1.5g/L next time. I've left a small amount of headspace in the top of the bag purely because that is what you do when bottling (hopefully this is right). I've left the bag sitting in a styrofoam container wrapped in an old beach towel with the tap at the top. I'm going to leave it til probably Wednesday next week and then whack it in the fridge the correct way up (tap at the bottom) for a couple of days and then get stuck in on the Saturday afterwards.

Fingers firmly crossed hoping that this goes well because i want to start doing this with most of my 23L batches just to add a little variety to each brew having 10L in cask and the rest bottled.

I'll add some pics from my "Tasting Session" once it's all done.

Thanks again for everyone's help and input on this, top work lads!

Cheers! :icon_cheers:

 

[CosmicBertie]

Just keep an eye on the bag. If it swells up too much you may have to bleed some of the gas out of it to stop it from exploding

 

[Coach_R]

Just keep an eye on the bag. If it swells up too much you may have to bleed some of the gas out of it to stop it from exploding

it's only been in the bag for 24 hours, it was pretty firm so i vented for maybe 2 secs at the most. better to be on the safe side i guess..

Should i leave it for maybe another day or 2 and then put it in the fridge sooner then i had planned?

 

[Coach_R]

Just a quick pic of what i'm talking bout, this is after i vented a little..

Edit: Don't worry bout the "flecks" that are showing in the picture that's just all the dry hopping goodness in there

 

[CosmicBertie]

I'd keep venting it so that the bag doesnt feel so hard. Do this for a week, to let it mature, then drink it

 

[Coach_R]

I'd keep venting it so that the bag doesnt feel so hard. Do this for a week, to let it mature, then drink it :

I've been venting twice daily (am/pm) i'm probably doing it too much but just to be safe for this first run. I'm going to leave it at room temperature until the weekend and then pop it in the fridge until the following weekend.

Also in the last week or so been researching other alternatives... and came across these plastic firkins and pins http://real-ale.com.au/?page_id=71 i've asked for a quote on one of the pins and shipping from Sydney to Adelaide. If anyone else is interested i'll let ya know how much they are once i find out.

 

[CosmicBertie]

I've been venting twice daily (am/pm) i'm probably doing it too much but just to be safe for this first run. I'm going to leave it at room temperature until the weekend and then pop it in the fridge until the following weekend.

Also in the last week or so been researching other alternatives... and came across these plastic firkins and pins http://real-ale.com.au/?page_id=71 i've asked for a quote on one of the pins and shipping from Sydney to Adelaide. If anyone else is interested i'll let ya know how much they are once i find out.

Those firkins/pins look ok, but you'd have to tap them to allow air (or a gas) in when you draw the beer out. This is fine if you're going to be drinking it reasonably quickly, but could be an issue if its left over a longer period.

 

[NewtownClown]

Those firkins/pins look ok, but you'd have to tap them to allow air (or a gas) in when you draw the beer out. This is fine if you're going to be drinking it reasonably quickly, but could be an issue if its left over a longer period.

Or you can use very low pressure co2, but that upsets the good folk at CAMRA

 

[srcossens]

Those pins and firkins are great. I've got two pins with my brewery name on them. I got them before I left the UK. They come from http://www.cypherco.com/acatalog/Beverage_Containers.html A lot of breweries over there have started to use them as they are cheaper than stainless ones and are also lighter to courier places. I think mine only cost about £28 each, compared to a stainless one at about £120??

If you did get them, you then need to get shives, keystones, a tap, make yourself a few spiles and if you didn't want to drink the beer in three days, then you will need a cask breather which will allow you to keep the beer for about five weeks.

 

[Malted]

Anyone tried the Bag in Box bags from EWL online store? 95 pence + 60 pence for the box + 3.90 for a connector + 5.90 for a brass key.

Go into the online store, the Bag in Box Equipment is at the top of the Catalogue Sections.
http://www.worthside.co.uk/index.html

Postage for a carboard box probably wouldn't be worth it but all the rest should be worth it, I'd imagine?

 

[S.E]

I've been venting twice daily (am/pm) i'm probably doing it too much but just to be safe for this first run. I'm going to leave it at room temperature until the weekend and then pop it in the fridge until the following weekend.

Also in the last week or so been researching other alternatives... and came across these plastic firkins and pins http://real-ale.com.au/?page_id=71 i've asked for a quote on one of the pins and shipping from Sydney to Adelaide. If anyone else is interested i'll let ya know how much they are once i find out.

I have those pins and firkins. They are ok but for home use I find it simpler to use cubes as casks.


Some of the advantages of cubes over pins and firkins I have found are:

1 They are cheaper often free and readily available here.

2 as you don’t need to tap and vent them you can sample the beer any time to see if it ready.

3 Beer lasts much longer in cubes as you don’t need to tap and vent them to serve. The first few pints can be served under pressure the rest will last about 8-9 days if you loosen the cap to pour and re-seal it each time.

4 Don’t need to keep buying keystones, shives and spiles. And just use normal cube/fermenter taps.

5 Cubes fit in a small fridge. A pin needs a fridge 60cm deep once it is tapped.

Honestly I think you are better off with cubes or polypins for home use. I find my pins and firkins only practical for club events.

Cheers Sean