Real Ale Cask Options

[pete_andrews19]

I've been brewing AG for a few years now (23 litre batches), mostly English-style Pale Ales and am keen to find a way to dispense small batches which is as close to "real ale" as possible ie: without gassing the beer. I've been bottling up to now and haven't ventured into kegging so I don't have a dedicated beer fridge. I've seen a fair bit of info around about small (5 / 10 litre) casks / kegs. Has anyone used anything like this for gravity dispensed beer ? I'm open to using a cask-breather / blanket Co2 to extend the life of the beer as it would take me 2 weeks to get through a batch. I live in Melbourne so cooling would also be a problem in the summer.

I'd really appreciate any advice, I got into brewing to reproduce English bitter and being able to dispense it at home in something close to authentic style would be fantastic. All ideas gratefully received !

 

[argon]

Could always build yourself one of these and just hand pump it out..

 

[mje1980]

No chill cube. Add priming sugar, shut lid. Wait two weeks. Cool to temp. Connect hose to end of cube tap. Pump. Enjoy. Very simple, and works well!!!.

 

[Wolfy]

I'd really appreciate any advice, I got into brewing to reproduce English bitter and being able to dispense it at home in something close to authentic style would be fantastic. All ideas gratefully received !

If you know someone in the UK you could have one of their plastic 'casks' shipped out, they are essentially a pressure vessel that you serve the beer from, very popular in the HB scene over there.

5L 'mini' kegs are also an option, either recycled 2nd hand ones or new ones that are now available in Australia.

Polypins - essentially a plastic bag not unlike a 5L cask-wine container - are also possible, if you can find any at a fair price within Australia.

The garden sprayer solution as linked by argon is probably one of your best and most realistic options.

However, with some support (like putting it in a milk crate) the 20L plastic cubes should (most likely) hold enough pressure to serve as English Ale.

 

[Shed101]

Nobody ever reads this link when i post it ... but it keeps me happy.

whatever you do don't click on this

 

[vic45]

5 and 10 litre spring water containers from the supermarket work very well with a beer engine.

The ones with the soft push in tap will hold 1 volume of carbonation for weeks in the fridge.
Then when you want to serve just push the tap out, put in the hose from your beer engine and off you go.

But for use over a few weeks you will need a co2 blanket at very low pressure.
See Terry Foster's article in may/june 2010 B.Y.O. magazine.

 

[pete_andrews19]

Great stuff...thanks to all for the suggestions. Off to do some homework and then write up a shopping list. Cheers

 

[argon]

after thinking a bit further about this.. i reckon you should go down this road with one of these;

 

[Bastow]

Where do you get those?

 

[argon]

Where do you get those?

http://www.homebrewing.org/Cornelius-Keg-H...Pump_p_109.html

 

[Shed101]

Make sure you let us know what you go with and if it works ... please :icon_cheers:

 

[sjcampbell]

You could also use the cask aspiration valve shown half way down the page here

http://www.cfbsonline.co.uk/

It looks just like an LPG reg which makes sense. You don't want to carbonate a "Real Ale" type beer/stout so putting CO2 into the keg at 4 psi or lower (if you have an adjustable one) would be ideal. It would just replace the volume of liquid used with low pressure CO2

I would love to get one of those beer taps(engines) as well, but they are a bit exy.

Cheers
Steve

 

[///]

Like Mark said, the IBU's have got it all down pat!