Anyone rocking a Firkin?

[bwible]

Does anyone know if isinglass requires cold temps to clarify the beer (like gelatin finings), or can you add them when you fill and prime the keg and hold it at 65F+?

I did put my keg in the kegerator to chill. But I’m not sure if thats really necessary. I don’t think casks are all stored cold in the UK?

 

[bwible]

I have a couple 3 gallon corny kegs and one 2.5 gallon. Something like this would be more managable. But 3 gallons is still about (30) 12 oz beers or about 24 pints.

I’ve thought about using 5L mini-kegs. The issue with those is there’s no good way to tap one of those without using one of the CO2 taps they make for them - at least that I know of. A 5L mini-keg is a much more managable size, and its even the right shape. If some enterprising individual came up with a good way to use these for cask ale, that would be a great service to the homebrewing community.

 

[rmr9]

If I were to use a corny keg as a cask I wouldn’t even turn it on it’s side and mess with the innards. This will require either a true to form beer engine or one of the DIY guys that are floating around the forum made with an RV water pump. Basically leave the keg upright, if you prime in the keg I would maybe “vent” for a second or so with the prv. Connect your beer engine or RV pump to your liquid out (you’ll likely have to do a bit of size changes with tubing). Pop a gas in on your gas post and either leave it open while serving or connect that to your cask breather so you avoid a vacuum. Should work eh?

Because of Covid I haven’t had anyone over to share my beer with so a pin full of porter fell to me and my wife to consume and with the cask breather it lasted a good 4 weeks. Granted the beer started to deteriorate by that point but it was by no means bad.

 

[bwible]

For hooking up a beer engine, I found this article awhile ago - and it took me awhile to figure out how to connect mine. So here it is, I’ll post it here and hopefully save someone else. They use John Guest fittings, which are sold at plumbing places and water dispensing solutions.

http://realaleamerica.com/?page_id=2083

 

[cyberbackpacker]

I use an adjustable propane regulator in lieu of a cask breather; it performs the same function but a lot cheaper here in the USA. Additionally, I also use an inline check valve that actually prevents any beer being pushed through the line or handpump if it is over 2psi-- this allows me to increase the pressure to 3-5psi vs 2psi if I know I won't be drinking for a few days.

And at 5 gallons, that is ~33 imperial pints, or roughly a pint a day over a month's time-- which is really a very moderate amount of beer to consume and the beer stays in good nick over that time frame. (I'm the only drinker in my house too)

 

[bwible]

If I were to use a corny keg as a cask I wouldn’t even turn it on it’s side and mess with the innards.

If you’re using a beer engine you’re right, you wouldn’t have to. Only if you want to lay it down on its side and do gravity dispense. You can’t really do gravity dispense unless you lay the keg down. Gravity dispense means you’re not using any CO2 to push the beer.

The reason for switching the tubes is you want the long tube to sit up high in an air pocket to allow air into the keg as you draw beer out. And yes, you would need to put an open fitting on the gas side to hold it open so the air can get in. I suppose you could also just switch your fittings, like put an open liquid on the liquid side and connect a gas fitting to a picnic tap and draw from the gas side - but that goes against what most people already have set up.

 

[bwible]

And at 5 gallons, that is ~20 imperial pints

There are 8 US pints in a US gallon, so 5 gallons is 40 pints here, a pint being 16 oz.

The web says an imperial pint is 19.2 oz, so 5 US gallons is about 33 imperial pints.

 

[cyberbackpacker]

There are 8 US pints in a US gallon, so 5 gallons is 40 pints here, a pint being 16 oz.

The web says an imperial pint is 19.2 oz, so 5 US gallons is about 33 imperial pints.

bwbible, good catch. Someone had mentioned a 3 gallon keg a few posts prior, and I had that in my head while doing the math!

:cheers:

 

[duncan.brown]

I didn't have enough room for a pin in my keezer, so I use a 2.5 gal corny keg on its side as my cask. I swapped the gas and liquid posts, cut an inch off the long (now gas) tube and turned it 180 degrees so it sits against the top side of the keg. I built a small wooden stillage for my keezer and the 2.5 gal keg sits on its side.

In the days when people could come over and drink, I'd leave the 2.5 gal keg open to the air real-ale style. You get the right amount of oxygenation of the beer, but the keg is small enough to get through without the beer spoiling. At the moment, I have it hooked up to a cask breather. I picked up a the breather (and my beer engine) from UK Brewing - 20 Years Of Supplying The Cask Ale Industry

 

[bwible]

bwbible, good catch. Someone had mentioned a 3 gallon keg a few posts prior, and I had that in my head while doing the math!

:cheers:

If you measure beer in gallons and you don’t think 40 gallons is alot of beer - you might be a homebrewer.

 

[cyberbackpacker]

If you measure beer in gallons and you don’t think 40 gallons is alot of beer - you might be a homebrewer.

Another Freudian slip there perhaps bwbible?!? 40 gallons or 40 pints?!?

But considering my bitters and milds are typically less than 4.2%, a 19.25ounce pint a day is moderate consumption!

 

[bwible]

Another Freudian slip there perhaps bwbible?!? 40 gallons or 40 pints?!?

But considering my bitters and milds are typically less than 4.2%, a 19.25ounce pint a day is moderate consumption!

That wasn’t aimed at you, it’s a fun saying I used to have in my script, ala Jeff Foxworthy. This kind of thing comes up often.

And I’m drinking just as much or more. No judgement.

 

[rmr9]

I like the creativity in finding ways to do cask ale with cronies - where there’s a will there’s a way! With the shorter shelf life it can be tough to work through that much real ale. I have a handful of 20oz imperial pint glasses that I’ll have a couple of in a nice evening. It’s still only 2 beers.....right?

 

[rmr9]

Ah autocorrect...cornies not cronies. I mean I guess cronies and works too eh?

 

[Jako]

You certainly can hook it up to beer engine or hand pump, but there is a cool factor in setting your cask out on its little stand at a party and then pounding the tap in with a mallet and letting everyone come up and serve themselves with the gravity fed tap. It feels authentic and old school for folks and adds fun to the event.

wish i had friends most are Morman. I try not to drink in front of them for respect. maybe one day someone will move in and i will have lots to share.

 

[Jako]

I like the creativity in finding ways to do cask ale with cronies - where there’s a will there’s a way! With the shorter shelf life it can be tough to work through that much real ale. I have a handful of 20oz imperial pint glasses that I’ll have a couple of in a nice evening. It’s still only 2 beers.....right?

we only count beers by how many containers not the amount.

 

[grampamark]

wish i had friends most are Morman. I try not to drink in front of them for respect. maybe one day someone will move in and i will have lots to share.

There are quite a few Mormons in this part of the world. The standing joke is: Q: How do you keep a Mormon from drinking all the beer at your party? A: Invite another Mormon.

 

[Jako]

There are quite a few Mormons in this part of the world. The standing joke is: Q: How do you keep a Mormon from drinking all the beer at your party? A: Invite another Mormon.

I have seen it first hand. good laugh.

 

[Pappers_]

wish i had friends most are Morman. I try not to drink in front of them for respect. maybe one day someone will move in and i will have lots to share.

Any homebrew clubs in your neck-of-the-woods?

 

[Jako]

Any homebrew clubs in your neck-of-the-woods?

i think we have a few but that's in Salt lake city about an hour away from my place.

 

[Twinkeelfool]

Beer engines here in Australia are astronomically expensive and not easy to find. Occasionally I’ll borrow the brew clubs engine and use my 5 litre keg to do a mild or bitter. I keep it sub 3.5% and grab some Stilton. It’s a great Sunday afternoon.

I also cheat and have a nitro setup. Not the same at all but a lot less fuss and I enjoy it as well.

Some great ideas here!

 

[cmac62]

I was thinking of getting a 2.5 gal corny because it would fit on the hump in my keezer, and this sounds like a great use for that. What the heck is a beer engine anyway. I have heard this term but have no idea what it does. Thanks

 

[rmr9]

A beer engine is basically a hand powered pump that draws beer from a cask. It’s the traditional way cask ale is served in the UK.

 

[rmr9]

A beer engine is basically a hand powered pump that draws beer from a cask. It’s the traditional way cask ale is served in the UK. View attachment 719143

A pic of my setup from the porter I brewed a few months back. Please forgive the suspect craftsmanship on the cabinet build!

 

[cmac62]

A pic of my setup from the porter I brewed a few months back. Please forgive the suspect craftsmanship on the cabinet build!

It looks good to me. LOL.

 

[Twinkeelfool]

They also transform the beers that go through them. Much more malt and hop character in my opinion.

 

[Jako]

i had a thought on my way to work today.

what if you use nitro to push the keg at a low psi? it would be a lot like mead being served off a keg.

oh and also a floating dip tube would also work as well this way using the gas post or w/e isn't needed.

 

[Jako]

A pic of my setup from the porter I brewed a few months back. Please forgive the suspect craftsmanship on the cabinet build!

i see a few screws in the edge looks like its made to last 10/10

 

[rmr9]

They also transform the beers that go through them. Much more malt and hop character in my opinion.

I agree, it really brings out the malt character and sort of softens the edges in my opinion

 

[rmr9]

i had a thought on my way to work today.

what if you use nitro to push the keg at a low psi? it would be a lot like mead being served off a keg.

oh and also a floating dip tube would also work as well this way using the gas post or w/e isn't needed.

My understanding is that serving beers on nitro originally came about to mimic the features of cask conditioned ales - it’s not exactly the same but it’s pretty close so you could definitely do that