Show Us Your Beer Engines

[drsmurto]

It came with the engine, it just a bit of flat bar, easy as to make. Want a pic?

Batz

Yes please batz!

Still to attach my drip tray.

 

[Batz]

Yes please batz!

Still to attach my drip tray.

Batz

 

[yardy]

I have finished rebuilding one of my beer engines and I'm stoked with it. Many thanks to NNL for the parts and assistance.



Batz

bloody beauty that is :icon_cheers: , who's the tall skinny bloke with the elongated head reflected in that shiny handle ?

Dave

 

[drsmurto]

Thanks Batz, nice and simple. :icon_cheers:

 

[Dicko ACT]

Thanks mate. Should be pretty simple to knock up...

 

[Innes]

I picked up my beer engine today that I purchased off ebay. It's a Angram CO pump with half pint standard cylinder.



It needs a little bit of cosmetic work, but besides that it works perfectly. I hooked it up to a spare 9L keg filled with water using a 6mm barb disconnect and a length of PVC hose to the 1/2" barb on the engine to give it a test run. I was concerned after reading posts from others where they had to modify their keg lids to allow for greater flow, but I was relieved to find that mine doesn't have a problem drawing through the disconnects.

Now I just need to purchase a check valve, aspirator, a few other bits and brew a nice bitter or IPA to christen it with.

 

[sav]

I picked up my beer engine today that I purchased off ebay. It's a Angram CO pump with half pint standard cylinder.

View attachment 43018

It needs a little bit of cosmetic work, but besides that it works perfectly. I hooked it up to a spare 9L keg filled with water using a 6mm barb disconnect and a length of PVC hose to the 1/2" barb on the engine to give it a test run. I was concerned after reading posts from others where they had to modify their keg lids to allow for greater flow, but I was relieved to find that mine doesn't have a problem drawing through the disconnects.

Now I just need to purchase a check valve, aspirator, a few other bits and brew a nice bitter or IPA to christen it with.

How much was the freight mate and was it from the UK

sav

 

[Innes]

How much was the freight mate and was it from the UK

sav

I bought on eBay from a guy only a few suburbs away. Just drove to his place and picked it up.

I've been after one of these for years, but could never bring myself to buy one from the UK and pay the same or more in postage as what the item cost. But when this one came up for sale, I couldn't say no.

 

[Offline]

Well after sitting on my Hand Pump for almost a year

I bet it's a relief to be no longer sitting on that.
Looks good, I'll have to get both of mine up and running properly.
As far as set up advice goes I'm in the same boat as you.

Off'y

 

[brendo]

Now I just need to purchase a check valve, aspirator, a few other bits and brew a nice bitter or IPA to christen it with.

You only want an aspirator if you are planning on running it as a true cask system to avoid creating a vaccuum. I have check valves on each of mine and they run beautifully through the disconnects, I just top them up with gas as required.

 

[JonnyAnchovy]

Roughly how much are people forking our for their engines? I'm thinking of asking my better half to pick one up when she is in the UK in feb. Any tips?

 

[slacka]

Roughly how much are people forking our for their engines? I'm thinking of asking my better half to pick one up when she is in the UK in feb. Any tips?

Get her to put as many into her luggage as she can muster. Excess luggage may still be cheaper than postage. They'll sell like hot cakes here

 

[Back Yard Brewer]

Roughly how much are people forking our for their engines? I'm thinking of asking my better half to pick one up when she is in the UK in feb. Any tips?

Only just bought another last night and it came in at $140 aus delivered to a UK address. Mind you I could have bid instead of hitting the "Buy Now" button. If all goes to plan it should be in Aus on the 20th of this month. (along with a few other nick knacks)

BYB

 

[Innes]

Roughly how much are people forking our for their engines?

I purchased mine for $200.

You only want an aspirator if you are planning on running it as a true cask system to avoid creating a vaccuum.

I can't see the point of going to the effort and expense of purchasing a beer engine if you're not going to use it to serve cask ale.

 

[brendo]

I can't see the point of going to the effort and expense of purchasing a beer engine if you're not going to use it to serve cask ale.

Yes and no... realistically and aside from parties 19l of beer is a lot to get through in a HB setting in the normal 2-3 days a cask served properly will last (good to have the option though I guess).

I can attest to the fact that served via the beer engine on a CO2 driven system certainly does a good job of changing the mouthfeel of the beer to more of a real ale feel. Would CAMRA like it - no, but then they are going to have issues with your aspirator too...

 

[Bribie G]

I noticed in Wellington last year most of their hand pumped ales are served from bag-in-a-box, which means that no oxygen gets into the beer - the bag just collapses as the beer is served.
This was also used in the UK by Hull Breweries back in the 70s (the brewery that Ringwood Yeast originally came from)

In recent years these polypins have again become very popular in the UK. I wonder if it's possible to get them sent over in "knocked flat" form ?

 

[NickB]

Camping stores sell the 20L collapsable water containers, I was considering using one once I can acquire a beer engine, thinking of using a smallish bar fridge solely for the purpose as well....

Cheers

 

[Shed101]

Camping stores sell the 20L collapsable water containers, I was considering using one once I can acquire a beer engine, thinking of using a smallish bar fridge solely for the purpose as well....

Cheers

Ditto ... except there's really no reason for a beer engine apart from for the bling and a bit of aeration through a sparkler. The main issue for me is keeping the beer fresh.

 

[JonnyAnchovy]

I purchased mine for $200.

I can't see the point of going to the effort and expense of purchasing a beer engine if you're not going to use it to serve cask ale.

Isn't CAMRA divided over this? Most rational voices seem to agree that a breather that avoids the beer getting oxadised to shit is far better than an almost religious fanaticism about avoiding all CO2. Remember, it isn't artificial carbonation - it is just exuding air from the cask.

Sometimes I really feel that diehard CAMRA types aren't too far removed from Islamic fundamentalists - they are fanatically obsessed, wear strange beards, and are generally boring.

Camping stores sell the 20L collapsable water containers, I was considering using one once I can acquire a beer engine, thinking of using a smallish bar fridge solely for the purpose as well....

Cheers

I'm thinking of using something precisely like this.

 

[Shed101]

Pretty sure I've posted this before - John's CO2 recycling system

If I wasn't such a lazy so&so i'd probably have a go myself.