Fellow homebrewers, meet my new beer engine . . .

[BrewingRob]

So, 10 - 15 pumps per pint (accounting for head)? Is it hard to pump?

 

[chucke]

I may have exaggerated.
It's maybe something like 10 pumps per pint.
It's not too hard to pump.
I just have a short attention span.

 

[Jonnio]

My only update is that I have gone to pumping water through it before and after use it. All is fine. I don't mind the 1 ozish pump amount. For me it is more of a special thing though,ie friends for a night. Vs everyday use

 

[BrewingRob]

After each use? Do you disconnect it, pump water through it, and reconnect it every time, or do you tend to only use it with groups and parties (so, there's nothing left)? Or does the little bit in the line go stale over night?

My plan it to keep about 2-3 gal of low alcohol session ale in my basement at all times. I will probably drink that in a month or less. My house is well over 100 years old, and my basement is made of rocks (a true cellar) with some concrete on the floor. It is naturally cold. Here in Witch's Teet even the summers are cool. The temp in the cellar swings from 45-55 in the winter to 55-65 (max) in the summer.

My goal is to put the cubitainer in a rubermaid container with a hold drilled in the top, setting it on the concrete of the lower part of the cellar. The cubitainer will (hopefully) keep most of the oxygen out for the month of the brew's lifetime, and the rubermaid container will give it some stability so that its not just a blob on the concrete (I'm also somewhat concerned that a critter might chew through the thin plastic of the cubitainer!)

Anyway... I'd like to keep this connected. Maybe I'll just have to dump a draw or two each time I use it.

I'm fairly new to homebrewing (on my 6th batch -- one partial so far), hence all the speculation. Although I have studied beer for years , I am pretty fuzzy on the mechanics of storing, kegging, etc. I have not bought cornys yet. If this works, I might not go that way for awhile (if ever).

I'll keep you posted.

 

[chucke]

If you're regularly pumping beer through the line, and it stays cool, you're probably OK to just flush it after each batch.
Maybe clean every other batch with an Oxi-clean solution and BLC (beer line cleaner) every few months.
You may need to do more cleaning, maybe- but that's where I would start.

 

[BrewingRob]

It's done!

I have a nice little box with the pump installed on top.

The only problem: water leaks out of the handle of the pump. There's no way I damaged it. Has this happened to anyone else? Is there something that I need to tighten, or do I need a new one? I currently have it hooked up to 20 ft of line and a bucket of water for testing.

 

[jbrookeiv]

It's done!

I have a nice little box with the pump installed on top.

The only problem: water leaks out of the handle of the pump. There's no way I damaged it. Has this happened to anyone else? Is there something that I need to tighten, or do I need a new one? I currently have it hooked up to 20 ft of line and a bucket of water for testing.

I ordered one of these pumps from Amazon, and it literally shot water out of the side of the handle when I received it. I sent it back, and this one leaks about one drop every pump. I contacted the manufacturer, they are working on a replacement and don't stock these pumps anymore. They offered a replacement once the new ones come out, so I will make due with my current pump until then.

 

[BrewingRob]

Wow. That's a bummer. The guy at the shop had two. I guess I'll try the other one. You'd think that would have been mentioned by someone on the Internet. Maybe I just missed it?

 

[BrewingRob]

BTW: Mine is in the shoots water like a squirt gun category. (for anyone keeping score)

 

[jbrookeiv]

Wow. That's a bummer. The guy at the shop had two. I guess I'll try the other one. You'd think that would have been mentioned by someone on the Internet. Maybe I just missed it?

Yea, it seems a lot of people have had trouble with these. Seems as though Valterra is redesigning them, and it looks like they will have quite a few replacements to send out one they finish the redesign.

 

[Jonnio]

Yea, it seems a lot of people have had trouble with these. Seems as though Valterra is redesigning them, and it looks like they will have quite a few replacements to send out one they finish the redesign.

I feel fortunate - I haven't had a problem with the one my wife got me for Christmas...but now I wonder if I am going to want one of the re-designs

 

[DubbelDach]

Just got one a month ago and it dribbles slightly at the handle... no squirting, but.... damn. Anyone ever take one apart and fix it?

Sent from my DROIDX using Home Brew Talk

 

[BrewingRob]

I tried to take the nut off the handle. Be careful -- it's plastic.

 

[BrewingRob]

This would be its home if it didn't leak like a sieve.

 

[BrewingRob]

The company sent a replacement. It's working great. What a company!

I drew my first pint of Scottish Ale. It has a little bit of a plastic taste. Maybe the polypin needs to "season" a little bit. The beer definitely needs to mature a little more. ...not a clear review yet...

I'm going to need to develop a good routine for filling, storing and serving from a plastic bag.

 

[Bearsmith]

Anybody ever try going this route?

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/to... + Hand Pumps&cm_cat=Google&cm_ven=Aggregates

 

[weirdboy]

I got tired of the Valterra pump.
It works fine, but it dispenses about an ounce per pump.
It's quite the novelty at first, but after a while it's just a huge PITA.

If I use cubitainers I just gravity dispense.

One other method
-Fort Pak container, 2.5 or 5 gallon
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=23516&catid=576
Drill a large hole in the cap, which has a secondary thread for 3/4" NPT.

Add a spigot, which is threaded for 3/4" NPT, like this one
http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/item.aspx?itemid=24273&catid=810&clickid=searchresults

Prime with sugar and sit the Fort Pak on its side, so that the spigot is down and the small, second hole on the Fort Pak is up.

Open the small, second hole when dispensing.

I realize this is kind of old, but is that container going to hold up to carbonation pressures?

 

[chucke]

To 1 volume carbonation, which is typical of cask ale- yes.
I do it all the time.

 

[sonvolt]

 

[sonvolt]

More . . .

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&...jItMjRlMDVlNTlmOTg1&hl=en_US&authkey=CIjj9-oD

 

[BrewingRob]

There are links to the articles online from BYO.

The Altera model:

http://www.byo.com/stories/projects...-it-yourself/349-build-a-beer-engine-projects

An older and more expensive version:

http://www.byo.com/stories/projects.../20-build-it-yourself/348-build-a-beer-engine

 

[compact007]

In the process of ordering all the parts, have to figure out a way to store the beer, the 5l mini kegs seem like a fine idea, everytime I keg to the corni, run 5l off to a mini keg prime and set aside for the real ale experience!

 

[Kingfish]

Absolutely awesome. I want to get into kegging but the budget is just not there. This though is an awesome idea. 1 gallon cubes should do the trick nicely. I will have plenty of fridge space. I have always enjoyed low carb ales.

 

[jmarshall]

Looks like it has been a little while for action on this thread. I have seen some negative reviews for the rocket pump most people have used for their beer engines. Has anyone tried this:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BGJX88/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20


It doesn't look as much like a true beer engine, but the reviews on Amazon are glowing, and it is just a little more expensive, so maybe better quality? Also looks like it is begging to have a nice hard wood box made for it to sit on top of. I may buy and try it for a mini-keg system that I have been day-dreaming about if I don't hear anything bad from you guys.

 

[BrewingRob]

My big problem with the altera was the leaking and the "plastic" taste. I have a new one in shrinkwrap (the company was very responsive and apologetic about the leaking). If anyone knows how to fix the plastic taste, please advise. I love the idea.

 

[BrewingRob]

Here's a crazy idea: What about this?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0014HZU3U/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[chucke]

My main problem with using the Altera pump for cask ales is that it was designed to dispense hand soap. It only dispenses a very small amount per pump. You have to pump it (I don't remember exactly) maybe 10 times per pint. This is OK the first few but after a while it gets to be a PITA,

I've removed the Altera from my cask ale system and just gravity pour.

 

[generalzod4791]

There are links to the articles online from BYO.

The Altera model:

http://www.byo.com/stories/projects...-it-yourself/349-build-a-beer-engine-projects

An older and more expensive version:

http://www.byo.com/stories/projects.../20-build-it-yourself/348-build-a-beer-engine

Yar har har, these pictures not beer engine. Look moar like houseboat toilet. Beer engine has elegant handle and not look like something from somewhere where you'd drop a deuce.

 

[chucke]

After playing with this for some time, this is what I use.

The tube coming out the top is connected to CO2 via an LP regulator. This keeps the CO2 blanket on the beer, thus prolonging the life.

 

[compact007]

I am thinking of picking up one of these to use in my system.


http://www.williamsbrewing.com/175-GALLON-NEW-BALL-LOCK-KEG-P3049C109.aspx