Beer in a Bag + Engine.

Hello,

I am starting a build for some English ales I have in the pipeline. I just purchased the following from
McMaster Carr.

1 each 3047K11 FDA-Compliant Plastic Drum Pump Curved Spout, 5 oz/Stroke $34.00 each 34.00
1 each 4414T3 Collapsible Low-Density Polyethylene Carboy 5 Gal Cap, W/Faucet, 11-5/16" X 11-5/16" X 11-5/16" $12.16 each 12.16

The plan is to build a case which holds the bag and the pump and slides into a standard refrigerator.

Has anyone has used this approach?
Joel

what bag and what pump? what exactly are you doing?

So you will be serving the beer kinda psuedo cask-conditioned, or carbonated? It seems like you couldn't store carbonated beer in this thing, but I could be wrong.

audger said:

what bag and what pump? what exactly are you doing?

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After the secondary I am moving to the bag with a little priming sugar, then use the pump to pull the beer from the bag.

I guess this very common in the UK both for homebrew and for real ales.

I will post pictures of the build

Joel

TopherM said:

So you will be serving the beer kinda psuedo cask-conditioned, or carbonated? It seems like you couldn't store carbonated beer in this thing, but I could be wrong.

Click to expand...

On the UK homebrew sites they carbonate in the polypins (bags) and serve directly for something similar to a cask ale.

Some of the pictures at this site (http://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=11340) look like the bags are going to pop.

Joel

Starting the build.

that's fantastic, any pressure ratings on the bags? could you hook one of these up to a beer engine?

runningweird said:

that's fantastic, any pressure ratings on the bags? could you hook one of these up to a beer engine?

Click to expand...

It appears that is the plan... except it is a hand pump from mcmaster.

I like the idea, but how do you keep the bag from generating too much pressure? a pressure relieve valve maybe?

Looks very cool. I'm looking forward to seeing how this progresses. That pump looks like a cost cutting yet viable alternative to a real engine.

You know you will have to incorporate a removable sparkler on to the faucet.

This looks cool, I have 3.5 gallons of bitter coming up from a partigyle and I think it would fit perfectly in one of these. Subbed

Good idea. How is this different from serving out of a well conditioned corny keg? I'd like to try this without the bag. Any reason why it wouldn't work?

runningweird said:

that's fantastic, any pressure ratings on the bags? could you hook one of these up to a beer engine?

Click to expand...

It seems it is common in the UK,(http://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=17088)
in fact you can purchase commercial product in in a "poly pin".

I have yet to test for the pressure, but I am targeting and English ale, so I will be keeping the pressure low.

horseinmay said:

Good idea. How is this different from serving out of a well conditioned corny keg? I'd like to try this without the bag. Any reason why it wouldn't work?

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You will need to vent the keg.. Here is the thread:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/would-like-use-corny-kegs-beer-engine-79647/

PantherCity said:

Looks very cool. I'm looking forward to seeing how this progresses. That pump looks like a cost cutting yet viable alternative to a real engine.

You know you will have to incorporate a removable sparkler on to the faucet.

Click to expand...

Yup... I am looking for a good sparkler.

Here is the sparkler, Lowe's had one which gives a press fit. Just rip out the fine plastic part of the aerator and use the screen. I also picked up some 1/2 inch hose to connect the bag to the pump. Just need to brew up some English ale to test out the finished product.

Please post a picture of a pint that you've served out of that thing. How's the real ale character?

Subscribing for awesomeness! :rockin:

that would be a wicked party accessory.

Excuse me everyone while I wheel out my custom made real ale wagon. No... no... ladies please I'm married. Well I guess I could sign a few bras.

horseinmay said:

Please post a picture of a pint that you've served out of that thing. How's the real ale character?

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I trying to duplicate the cask ales I had in England. White Hart in Holbert had Fullers on the beer engine, low carb and very nice. I am going to brew a clone this week.

and subscribed. :et us know how it goes and then hopefully you could be so kind as to post up some procedural pictures and directions

Also subscribing as I would like to know the results.

At first - skeptical. Then - curious. Now - think it's cool.

But why the faucet adapter on the end?

I suppose this would provide an ever-so-slightly carbonated beer.

VERY interesting. I like the oddity-appeal.

I just had an image... imagine if this 'bottle' burst in your house somewhere. LOL! SWMBO would be un-impressed.

birvine said:

At first - skeptical. Then - curious. Now - think it's cool.

But why the faucet adapter on the end?

I suppose this would provide an ever-so-slightly carbonated beer.

VERY interesting. I like the oddity-appeal.

Click to expand...

It is supposed to be similar to the sparkler used on a beer engine....

A sparkler (also called a sparklet) is a device that can be optionally attached to the nozzle of a beer engine.[4] Designed rather like a shower-head, when beer is dispensed through a sparkler, the beer becomes aerated and frothy which results in a beer that has a noticeable head on it. Some CO2 is carried away into the head, resulting in a softer, sweeter flavour due to the loss of normal CO2 acidity.[5][dead link]

There is some dispute about the benefits of a sparkler. There is an argument that the sparkler can reduce the flavour and aroma, especially of the hops, in some beers.[6] The counter argument is that the sparkler takes away harshness.[7] A pub may favour sparklers because the presence of the head means a beer with a larger head.

birvine said:

I just had an image... imagine if this 'bottle' burst in your house somewhere. LOL! SWMBO would be un-impressed.

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Good point. That is why I have stuck it in the cooler.

I have brewed 10 gallons of an English Ale to test. In a couple weeks I plan to bag 5 gallons and keg the other 5. I will post side by side, and document the process as it gets closer.

great idea.

Hey guys I have 3.5 gallons of bitter coming up and I'd really like to try this. One question, though: how long can a beer be served on cask before any off-flavors or loss of flavor occurs?

I am curious to how this will turn out. My first thoughts were that it would be awesome for long term storage of real ale as the "keg" would not be vented. But then i realised that once the bag collapses a little the small amount of CO2 in the beer will begin to gas off and leave a pocket of CO2 in the top of the bag, but since real ale once tapped is at atmoshperic pressure I'd still be keen to give this a go... Damn... one more project to add to the ever increasing wish list... curse you rosienej

Thought you guys would like this
My brother-in-law is from england and about 10 years ago he complained to his mum about the beer here in the states so she sent him 2 of these brew in a bag set-ups. Well he forgot about them and they sat out in the garage for a couple years. That was a little after I started brewing and then he remembered about them and gave them to me. The instructions were to boil 21 liters of water and add it to the bag and shake it for 10 minutes, hang it from a hook and let it cool to room temperature, pull a retaining ring on the pressure release cap then pitch the yeast it came with.. I did it but used a fresh pack of s-04.. Wasn't expecting much because the LME was old. It was crap!! All I could taste was the old molasses taste of old beer... So I chucked the first one not thinking about it... More recent with the second one I decided I wanted the bag for nostalgia so drained out the LME, cleaned it out and just left starsan in it hanging on a door..lol.. Sorry for the long story but when I seen this thread I laughed saying "i got a old one of those that came from england"

Let's say you had a corny keg and a 5 gallon food grade plastic bag (I've used them for fermenting in, to help with cleanup in a bucket.

Anyway, assume you could mount a faucet on the lid of the keg. If you inserted the bag into the corny, and managed to pour in your beer, and then seal the bag against the O-ring when you closed the lid, wouldn't that perform as a hand pulled beer engine?

The only thing you would "ruin" is the lid, and that can always be plugged again easy enough.

Of course you'd need to fashion a dip tube of some sort as well, but that doens't seem too hard IMO.

I put 5 gallons of the English Ale into the bag today with 0.2 oz of priming sugar.

Here is the photo, before and after. I will check the pressure for the next couple of days and burp as required. I figure I will make up a pressure relief valve using a 5 lb/in spring ( or so) so I don't have to tend it next time.

I am using my three gallon kegs to keg the rest.

1) force carb only.
2) priming sugar + a shot of CO2 to seal the keg.

I will draw a pint from each and take photos.

You have a kink in your line there where it connects to what I guess is the faucet contraption.

weirdboy said:

You have a kink in your line there where it connects to what I guess is the faucet contraption.

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Thanks. It is not hooked up yet. I am going with braided line since it will not kink. I will post photos.

Checked it today. There is some pressure in the bag, looks like it is carbonating nicely.

Subscribing.

Another guy on this forum did the same thing, but built his into a cabinet.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/beer-engine-jockey-box-like-beer-engine-161736/

I've wanted to try this for awhile. I've also seen where a guy put his pump in the fridge on the top shelf, and the plastic bag on the bottom shelf.

frailn said:

Another guy on this forum did the same thing, but built his into a cabinet.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/beer-engine-jockey-box-like-beer-engine-161736/

I've wanted to try this for awhile. I've also seen where a guy put his pump in the fridge on the top shelf, and the plastic bag on the bottom shelf.

Click to expand...

I missed that one. Looks really good.

First draft from the bag. Not bad at all, and it has wheels :rockin:



Joel

If you let the beer from the keg sit for 10 minutes, the ale from the bag and the keg are very close to one another.

I will see how the two age.

Had a couple more pints. The bag will collapse as beer is removed, but a day later it firmed up (pressurized) again.

Serving it next week. It seems to work.