Sparkler for Fake Handpull

[FullDraw]

I'm kicking around an idea of "creating" the handpull feel without the engine.

Toss me your thoughts on adding a sparkler to the end of my perlick, and then (with the ability too lower it -dual body) only carb to 3-5 psi.

I know it's colder serving temps than a normal handpull, but I'll deal with it.

Anyone try, or want to modify my thoughts??

 

[Rivenin]

honestly... i don't see why that shouldn't work. However, with the colder temps, it'll change what true cask beer will be like. you would have to play with serving lines too.
I had the same kind of idea, was going to get a temp controller for a mini fridge right next to my keezer and have a CO2 line going in there for cask ale, but now you have me thinkin!

 

[FullDraw]

Yeah, I know the temperature isn't even close to ideal. It's a factor that just isn't able to happen right now for my beer fridge. I have the ability to pull this off outside the fridge for special occasions, and then the temps could be closer to normal. I just don't see a justification for a dedicated fridge, and an engine - for the occasional use this would be for me.

Hoping to get some more input, but I may just have to get some sparklers and give it a try.

 

[dyqik]

Most/many real ale types in the UK object to the use of sparklers on hand pumps, including CAMRA beer festivals. As a southerner, I would avoid them entirely, and they certainly aren't style correct from anything from south of about Nottingham. I'm not sure what style you are trying to recreate though.

However, with colder serving temps and a little CO2 pressure, I guess the sparkler will knock out some of the overcarbonation and would put you closer to style once the head subsides. Personally I keep the fridge a little warmer when there's a bitter in one of the kegs, and keep the CO2 pressure in the range you mention, and use a room temperature glass.

 

[FullDraw]

I'm not really after a northern/southern style. I have a few places around here that have hand engine beers that are the same as one of their standard offerings. For example , a pale ale served normally, and the exact same brew (same batch even), served via hand pull (they did an amber like this in the fall). There is a smooth, silkiness that comes from the engine and that's the character I'm after. Knowing my psi would be down, I thought the sparkler would provide the smooth head I'm after.
My goals would be...
Creamy head - of normal size
Lower carbonation
Not spending $500 for a hand engine (or less if DIY) because I'd hate to have beer spoil in the line.

I know I may not get it all, but it's worth the shot.
If you (dyqik) are getting those 2 factors, please let me know, in more detail, your setup.
Thanks

 

[dyqik]

I'm deliberately not going for the silky smooth head that a sparkler gives, so I probably don't have anything of particular relevance to you. It's the opposite of what I'm looking for - I'm trying to get something closer to cask ales served without sparkler, so I can attempt to clone the cask bitters from my old local breweries in Sussex, Cambridgeshire and Oxfordshire as served on hand pump. These would never have a creamy head, just a thin layer of loose foam. Pretty much what I'm after comes down to low PSI at somewhat raised temperatures to prevent overcarbonation and naturally carbing in the keg with a small controlled amount of oxidation.

Really I was just making sure that you weren't thinking that a sparkler is required to give the look and feel of authentic English real ales, because it mostly isn't.

 

[FullDraw]

Well, that information certainly helps. I may be on the right track. Since there isn't much input otherwise, I'm falling into the trap of being my own guinea pig. I think I can manage with that.
Anyone else, feel free to chime in.

 

[Rivenin]

if i had someone that sold a sparkler close by i'd test it for ya lol but no one that i know of sells them locally

 

[FullDraw]

I ran into that as well. I ordered a set on eBay in England. They should be here before I need them anyway. Just need to figure out thread pitch on them to figure out how to incorporate them with my perlick.


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[Rivenin]

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/sparkler.html has them too, but for a $3 part, $7 in shipping is ridiculous.

 

[FullDraw]

And Northern happens to be sold out. The ones I have coming are 3 sizes to help choose the spray size, or amount of head apparently. I'll have to brew up a little amber for testing. But yes, $7 to ship a $3 part is steep. It's worse, the way I'm doing it from GB. But it's for the greater good.

 

[Rivenin]

nice!
Also, have you thought about doing a swan neck? or any sort of extension to make it to the bottom of the glass? if you're using a nozzle from that high up, like on a regular tap, it's going to create a **** ton of foam instead of that cascading head.

 

[FullDraw]

Can't say I have yet. I'm understanding the need to get the nozzle low, but does it dive below the surface during the pour? I may just do a tubing extension. Unless I can get a swan like extension fashioned.


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[sumbrewindude]

Why not use a nitro tap with CO2?

I was under the impression that nitro taps have the sparkler built into them so they could infuse the beer like a beer engine, vs a straight push like a standard tap. Could be talking out my hat, too, but that's what I was led to believe.

 

[FullDraw]

I have a stout tap and I have a beer gas setup.

It's a combination of the stout faucet and beer gas that makes it work. You can not have one without the other.

The restrictor plate is what gives it the creamy cascading pour but you need high pressure (25-35psi) to be able to force the beer through it or it just dribbles at the faucet and creates a glass of slow pouring foam.

You also can't just hook up the CO2 to the stout faucet and bump up the psi or you will overcarb the beer.

That's why you run beer gas. So you can run high pressure but the C02 is blended at a much lower percentage (10-25%) to keep the beer from over carbing. The nitrogen is not solubable in the beer, it is simply there to push the beer through.

It's a slightly older post, but it's pretty clear from his experiences. Don't think they've changed much.
My brainstorming for attaching the sparkler has me either using tubing over the perlick, or a fitting, like the growler filler, up into it. If I found an old swan neck, I'd salvage the threaded end and make that work too.

 

[JKaranka]

For a sparkler you have to dive the sparkler all the way into the beer to not over-froth it. I think it suits some styles, like dark mild and porter, but pale ales (bitter, strong bitter) and other hoppy styles aren't quite the thing for them.

A sparkler hater article here:
http://baileysbeerblog.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/a-sparkler-is-device-which-ruins-beer.html

 

[gcnewcastle85]

I'm currently trying to do the same by using a sparkler on some tubing from my corny keg. I had intended on not over carbing it naturally, and just using the gas to force through a sparkler.

Any tips would be great.
Thanks

 

[FullDraw]

Well, that blog pretty well sums up what I've been after. I never did get the sparkler heads hooked up, though they are in my drawer.
My conclusion of what would be ideal is a separate fridge for a more room temperature setting with a lower serving pressure for the tap. But since I'm short on space, I'm just planning on a double body regulator and setting it lower than my standard. I drink with my mouth most of the time, and all of the time after I'm 1/4 way thru a beer. If I want to lose hop aroma, I'll just brew with less hops. If I want less co2, I'll just use less, or pour more aggressively.

 

[gcnewcastle85]

I've come to the same conclusion about a seperate fridge, need the temp constant to calculate for the balance of the system. But that very much spoils the portability of the brews. At the moment I'm trying to emulate a pub real ale as best I can. Once I've achieved it I'll probably just adjust things as and when.

What is a double body regulator?

 

[FullDraw]

.



What is a double body regulator?

The co2 regulator with two bodies and usually three gauges. Then you can set two different pressures from the same co2 tank. Nice thing for force carbing one keg and serve from another at normal pressure.

 

[gcnewcastle85]

Ah I see. That's a great idea, I'll keep it in mind for later down the line.