Using Coffee pump thermos as a Keg

[pherball]

I had a thought as i was pumping myself a cup of coffee out of one of those large pump containers which hold coffee at 7-11. What would happen if you used this container to condition your beer and then dispense it beer engine style. Could it work as a cask conditioned ale dispension method on the cheap. I really think i might try this if nobody can tell me why it would be a bad idea. As long as the thermos was airtight it seems that it ought to be a suitable conditioning vessel and technically speaking the piston pump which operates it should work in principle analogously to a real beer engine. Surely someone has thought of this. The only drawback i can see is that it might look silly. Also the containers are small enough to allow for consumption to outpace oxidation right?

 

[malkore]

I suppose it would work. Drink it in a few days and you'd never taste the stale, oxidized flavor from pumping air into it.

I suspect they'll blow half the carbonation out of your brew while dispensing, and I have no idea if they're designed to hold 2 volumes of pressure like the carb'd beer would contain. It might vent itself at 5psi or something crappy like that.

 

[Kevin Dean]

I've got several of those pumps and I'd strongly suggest NOT using them. They're not air tight.

They're designed for short term, temperature controlled holding, not long term storage and they're useless in terms of dispensing beer.

 

[bradsul]

If he's just going to use for short-term real-ale cask serving it may be worth a try. Traditionally they're barely carbed (~1 volume) and they're supposed to oxidize and be had within a couple days. That said I very much doubt you could carbonate IN the container, but I'm sure it would be possible to serve from it. Not sure that it would be worth it though, you'd have an extra racking of carbonated beer to deal with.

 

[Kevin Dean]

Well, if we're talking VERY short term, like three hours, then yes.

The seals on those things aren't air tight so as the gasses are coming out of solution, they're going right out of the vessel. I can imagine it would preserve the carbonation about as long as an equal sized pint glass which does work itself in the short term.

Truth is though, those things are small. Which means that an experiment wouldn't loose TOO much beer even if it failed horriby - are you up for a try?

 

[Schlenkerla]

Sound like it could work as a growler. Fill'er up before heading out to the HB meeting.... - Interesting Idea though.

 

[BlindLemonLars]

technically speaking the piston pump which operates it should work in principle analogously to a real beer engine.

Is it truly a "piston pump," or do they work by slightly pressurizing the vessel by pumping in air? I always assumed the latter, but I've never taken a close look at one. Obviously the pump approach would be better for beer.

I agree with those that think it would be okay for serving low-carbed beer for a few hours. Having recently guzzled a LOT of cask conditioned ale in London, I can definitely say that it has a very low level of carbonation...most Americans would think it was flat. I didn't expect to care for it, but found it to be very refreshing. The low carbonation and ABV (most of the engines had the ABV listed) is very conducive to social drinking...you can put back a lot without feeling bloated, or hitting the floor. But I'm getting

In any case, I'm glad to know I'm not the only one looking at every gizmo in my environment, and wondering how I can apply it to my brewing hobby!

 

[Kevin Dean]

Is it truly a "piston pump," or do they work by slightly pressurizing the vessel by pumping in air?

You're right, the latter. There's a button or a lever on the top of the thing that collapses a bladder and forces air into the chamber. That pressure increase causes the liquid to spew from the nozzle.

 

[bradsul]

...I can definitely say that it has a very low level of carbonation...most Americans would think it was flat. I didn't expect to care for it, but found it to be very refreshing. The low carbonation and ABV (most of the engines had the ABV listed) is very conducive to social drinking...you can put back a lot without feeling bloated, or hitting the floor...

I couldn't agree more. When my local pub started carrying actual cask-conditioned english-style ales from a local brewery I wondered what they would be like from the beer engine in the traditional style. Now I can't get enough of that stuff when I'm there.

 

[Jo3sh]

You're right, the latter. There's a button or a lever on the top of the thing that collapses a bladder and forces air into the chamber. That pressure increase causes the liquid to spew from the nozzle.

And any gas that come out of the beer will likewise pressurize the vessel, spewing beer out that nozzle.

Overall, this probably won't work well. Use growlers, minikegs, a Tap-a-Draft, or a Party Pig instead.

 

[Schlenkerla]

I think this would be better. $49 @ Northern Brewer!!! :rockin: http://www.northernbrewer.com/bottling.html

 

[bradsul]

I think this would be better. $49 @ Northern Brewer!!!

That is freakin' cool! I just got a 2L specialty growler from the liquor store (christoffel winter bier or something, nasty btw) that would be awesome with that! I gotta see if NB ships to Canada and if so put together an order to make it worthwhile.

Edit: crap they ship UPS to Canada - nuts to that

 

[Schlenkerla]

I did a closer look $49 only gets you the tap.

Mr Beer has it for $35

http://www.mrbeer.com/category-exec/category_id/97/page_num/2