The Beer Engine arrived!

[IrregularPulse]

I reassembled it today an gave it a good coat of food grade lubricant, and it is working great. I think i will keg a Chocolate stout tonight with priming sugar for 1.5% CO2. Then I can try it out next weekend!

Awesome!! How/where is it mounted? Doesn't look like it can sand on it own. Looked like you clamp it to something....?

 

[Bsquared]

Awesome!! How/where is it mounted? Doesn't look like it can sand on it own. Looked like you clamp it to something....?

Exactly, It clamps to a counter top and has one inlet on the bottom. here is a little video of it at work.I was just pumping water through it testing it out.

I plan on building it a little enclosure, or attaching it to a mini fridge.I'll keep you posted.

 

[Jaysus]

That thing is foxy! Do you plan on serving from a corny, or are you going to use a pin and cask breather?

I've only ever served via gravity from my pin, but I sure would use it a lot more if I had a pump and a breather!

 

[mmb]

So I've been doing some looking around and I guess the big question is...

Sparkler or no Sparkler?

 

[Bsquared]

That thing is foxy! Do you plan on serving from a corny, or are you going to use a pin and cask breather?

I've only ever served via gravity from my pin, but I sure would use it a lot more if I had a pump and a breather!

My plan is to serve from a 5 gallon corny for now, I think I am going to set up a one way valve attached to a 20µm filter as a keg breather for parties where the keg will have a good chance to be finished, as for daily use I want to set up a Cask aspirator. MrH talked about it earlier in this thread, It is basically a low pressure gas regulator that you hook up in line to the keg. It provides 11in of pressure to the keg, so there is a blanket of CO2 protecting the beer. Its not a true real ale, but I should not drink a keg in 3 days. I know I can but really should not.

So I've been doing some looking around and I guess the big question is...

Sparkler or no Sparkler?

Yes, I have ordered a set of replacement gaskets from the UK, and a set of 3 different sized sparklers. I've read that they help out a lot.

 

[arturo7]

Pardon the noob-ish question but, what's a sparkler?

 

[mmb]

Glad you asked. It's a device that allows cask beer fanatics to complain about each other.

Basically, it's like a restricter plate from a stout faucet on the end of the beer engine spout. Looks a bit like a shower head and helps to knock more CO2 out of suspension and make a frothy head.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_engine#Sparkler

 

[Bsquared]

Pardon the noob-ish question but, what's a sparkler?

I did not know ether until a few months ago when I started looking in to this. It is a tip that goes on the end of the goose neck spout. It has lots of little holes to spray the beer out and aerate it as the beer is poured, and make the beer frothy, kinda like N2 does with a Guinness or a Bodingtons.

 

[mmb]

If you get on some forums that deal with cask beer, it can get pretty funny.

People arguing about using a device that makes their flat beer even flatter.

 

[arturo7]

Aha! That would explain it!

I enjoyed a tasty hand pulled Scottish ale at Square One Brewery in St. Louis over the holidays. It came out all frothy like a Guinness. Now I know how/why!

Thanks guys.

 

[IrregularPulse]

Nice discussion on the Sparklers. I'd been dissapointed to not get the guiness type pour. I thought that was just part of using an engine.

 

[Jaysus]

Glad you asked. It's a device that allows cask beer fanatics to complain about each other.

 

[commonlaw]

the anti-sparkler crowd (myself included, though I really don't care) say that the sparkler kills hop flavor and takes away from the natural subtlety of cask beer. I think you will find that using an LPG regulator to blanket the beer that you will get plenty of head on the beer even without a sparkler. I'd rather not even have a swan neck, but it seems hard to find pumps without it.

Or if you wanted to be really fancy you could use the sparkler when you make northern english beers and take it off for southern english beers, though some will even debate this dichotomy.

http://stonch.blogspot.com/2007/10/stonchs-survey-2-sparkler-debate.html

 

[mmb]

I was wondering if someone would post about the swan neck thing. I've never seen a pump without one but I've never been to The Jolly Olde.

*shrug*

 

[MrH]

I got a hold of a guy David from Worthside, who was supper helpful and explaned how to take apart the Engine and what to look for that would be causing the problem. He said that the gaskets should be good because the the stickers on the unit said it was last serviced in 2005,and they last a while.

Yes, I have ordered a set of replacement gaskets from the UK, and a set of 3 different sized sparklers. I've read that they help out a lot.

Bsquared, I apologize for not responding sooner. I'm starting to really get annoyed with life interfering with my fun

I'm happy to see that you got such good info from the Worthside guys. My pump body looks a wee bit different than yours , but it comes apart just as you described. I was particularly interested to see you were able to order some parts. Can you send me the contact info you have for ordering those parts? I think it would be a really good idea to have spares on hand! You can PM the info if you'd like.

I'm looking forward to seeing yours pumping some beer. Video please

MrH

 

[IrregularPulse]

+1 to a video

 

[Bsquared]

We broke in the beer engine this weekend with an English IPA pulled through a Randal filled with fuggles and EKG! I'm still enjoying the last of the keg, which is holding up surprisingly well.

I have an extra Sanyo mini fridge that I hooked up to a controller to keep the kegs a 55ºF. From there I hooked up the keg to a canister water filter filled with a few Oz's of fuggle and ekg. Then I connected the canister with a 1/2line to the beer engine and pulled it through.

To the inlet of the keg I hooked up an in line air filter that vented air in through a 20µM filter.

Also I got some sparklers and played with them a little, and decided that I don't like sparklers

 

[mmb]

I want and want some more...

Nice photos and an interesting idea to hook the enamel stripping animal to a beer engine.

 

[Bsquared]

I want and want some more...

Nice photos and an interesting idea to hook the enamel stripping animal to a beer engine.

Is that why my teeth feel fuzzy today?

 

[nostalgia]

To the inlet of the keg I hooked up an in line air filter that vented air in through a 20µM filter.

I'd be interested to hear a little more about this. Did you use a check valve to just let air in and not let the natural carbonation pressure out? Or just the filter? What sort of filter did you use?

I'm brewing an ale that's destined for cask serving today. Splitting it into two, 2.5 gallon cornies.

-Joe

 

[Bsquared]

I'd be interested to hear a little more about this. Did you use a check valve to just let air in and not let the natural carbonation pressure out? Or just the filter? What sort of filter did you use?

I'm brewing an ale that's destined for cask serving today. Splitting it into two, 2.5 gallon cornies.

-Joe

I got an aquarium check valve for $3, it restricts air flow to one direction.I installed it so it restricted the air flow to air coming into the keg. I installed it with 1/4in ID hose and hose clamps (and a zip tie because i ran out of small clamps.) I think it worked well to keep the CO2 from leaking out of the keg, but pulling air in to replace the beer that was pulled out of the engine.

The cornie worked great, I did not modify the dip tube or set the cornie on its side, the suction from the engine was sufficient to pull the beer up and out.

 

[nostalgia]

Great info, B2. Thanks for the answer!

-Joe

 

[gr8shandini]

Sorry to dig up an old thread, but I was wondering if anyone had a lead on where to pickup replacement parts for this engine? I have one that's leaking from around a small cork seal and haven't got a clue where to get a new one.

Thanks,

 

[Bsquared]

I got some replacement parts for my worthside from eBAY.co.UK here is a link for a company selling a new engine I bet they will have parts.

This is the guy I got my parts from. Retail-trading

Shoot him an email.

 

[gr8shandini]

Thanks, mate. I was hoping that there was a US distributor somewhere since I hate paying $5 shipping for a part that costs 40p. But seeing as my engine is useless without one, I guess I'll have to bite the bullet.

 

[Markd27]

Dumb question, but why are these so expensive? Looks like most of the actual mechanism is plastic, followed by a small amount of hardwood and the handle.

They are very cool, I just don't get the price tag. What am I missing here?

 

[Bsquared]

They are for the most part made in England, and for whatever reason, It costs a boat load to ship any thing from england to the US. I think for the most part too is there is not a ton of demand for these. Only a few companies make them, and as far as I know...no Chinese manufactures.

the best price I have seen for a new one is through Northern Brewer, + they sell pins and Firkins.

 

[Coldies]

Every time I see threads on beer engines I want one so bad, but the price has always turned me off. I have seen a few DYI engines but nothing looks cooler than a authentic one.

 

[Bsquared]

Every time I see threads on beer engines I want one so bad, but the price has always turned me off. I have seen a few DYI engines but nothing looks cooler than a authentic one.

Some times you just need to pull the trigger.

I love mine, but I've only been able to use it a few times. But thats going to change in the next few months I hope.

 

[Coldies]

Okay Im gonna biuld a DYI one. I plan on carbing with sugar and putting a small blanket of co2 on it. I'm gonna use a check valve that will not allow the air/blanket of co2 to escape but will pull air in through a hepa filter. Now its time to brew a mild. Thanks for the inspiration Bsquared.