Polypin Management

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Baldbrewer

Re: Polypin Management

Post by Baldbrewer » Sat Oct 20, 2012 10:09 am

Just ordered 4 x 5L poly pins and won a worth side beer engine on the bay so now looking forward to getting my AG#3 TTL in the pins.
My father in law likes his beer from cask so he's getting a poly for Christmas :wink:
The other 3 I shall use for engine testing!

arturobandini
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Re: Polypin Management

Post by arturobandini » Sat Oct 20, 2012 12:12 pm

Just kegged a Wheelers ESB using WLP002 and it smelled absolutely terrific.

I never get good clarity in my beers partially because I brew for 60 minutes only and more probably because I slow cool my wort overnight in a bath of cold water as opposed to more popular quick crash cooling using plate, counter flow and immersion cooling methods....but this beer was crystal when going into the Keg. I am assuming this is down to WLP002 because I've never used it before and not seen a beer so clear before.

Anyway, here is the keg alongside what 500ml bottles I could get from the 23litre batch I brewed up.
Image

Around 19 litres went into the pin and I squeezed a good amount of dead air from the pin but seems a little space still left. I batch primed in a bottling bucket with 80g sugar and 24 hours later the keg is already starting to swell. Once it has puffed up fully I am going to move it to a cooler place for the co2 to dissolve into the beer before packaging up and storing for Christmas drinking.
Planning - Not for a long while

Fermenting - I'm Done

Bottle Maturing - Hobgoblin, Fullers ESB, American Stout, TOP, Fullers London Porter, Bandini Black IPA

Drinking - Still...Whiskey

darkonnis

Re: Polypin Management

Post by darkonnis » Sun Oct 21, 2012 9:23 am

There is lots of things that contribute to clarity in beer. I too boil for 60 minutes usually but I have found that leaving it in the FV long after it has finished helps lots. I then crash cool this, then transfer to a bottling bucket, then take it from there. Nice clear beer with 2 pinheads worth of yeast in the bottom, or non at all if i go to town on the crash cooling.

arturobandini
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Re: Polypin Management

Post by arturobandini » Mon Oct 22, 2012 11:03 pm

I'm one of those guys who doesn't really give a ~%^$ about the clarity of my beer and I think the effort to make it any better would be too much for me with my current setup and time constraints when I actually do get to brewing.

That isn't to say I don't respect people who do get excellent clarity in their beer, I definitely do, I just understand the reasons why mine is rarely clear and make no effort (currently) to correct it. If anybody balks at drinking a pint of my brew which carries a slight chill haze (to be honest it is 10 times out of 10 chill haze) then they know where the offy is.

The Keg has ballooned up and is rock hard now, this Fullers yeast can be deceptive. I've moved it to the colder part of the flat for the gas to dissolve into the beer and as tradition dictates it will sit there for two months before it makes a journey up north and is cracked open on Christmas Eve.
Planning - Not for a long while

Fermenting - I'm Done

Bottle Maturing - Hobgoblin, Fullers ESB, American Stout, TOP, Fullers London Porter, Bandini Black IPA

Drinking - Still...Whiskey

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Dennis King
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Re: Polypin Management

Post by Dennis King » Mon Oct 22, 2012 11:19 pm

If got rock hard in a couple of days I would be a bit worried. It's a long while to Christmas and although some CO2
will be absorbed I personally I would store it on it's end and vent some gas out over the next week or so, better than having a bust.

arturobandini
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Re: Polypin Management

Post by arturobandini » Tue Oct 23, 2012 6:13 pm

cheers Dennis, I'll go and have a look at it now and see it has calmed down some in it's cool place. My intention is to stick it in the garage in a couple of weeks where it will sit till Christmas
Planning - Not for a long while

Fermenting - I'm Done

Bottle Maturing - Hobgoblin, Fullers ESB, American Stout, TOP, Fullers London Porter, Bandini Black IPA

Drinking - Still...Whiskey

Baldbrewer

Re: Polypin Management

Post by Baldbrewer » Thu Oct 25, 2012 8:30 pm

Poly pins now here yay! Can I fill them as is or should I clean and sterilise as per bottle/kegs?
Cheers

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Dennis King
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Location: Pitsea Essex

Re: Polypin Management

Post by Dennis King » Thu Oct 25, 2012 8:50 pm

Clean and sterilise. When I finish a pin I wash out with soda to get rid of gunk and rinse well then sterilise just before use.

Baldbrewer

Re: Polypin Management

Post by Baldbrewer » Thu Oct 25, 2012 8:52 pm

Thanks Dennis :wink:

Baldbrewer

Re: Polypin Management

Post by Baldbrewer » Sun Oct 28, 2012 4:53 pm

Here we go then, little bit of sugar to put a little positive pressure in them :D

Image

Tippler

Re: Polypin Management

Post by Tippler » Mon Nov 26, 2012 8:02 pm

Like a lot of members, I have followed this thread with great interest; thanks to everyone who has contributed. If I understand correctly, there are basically two sorts of "polypins": the fairly rigid self-supporting ones, and the bag-in-box type. I have been in contact with a seller of the bag-in-box ones and I get the impression that they are actually a bit on the flimsy side and really need the box to keep them intact. So can anyone recommend a supplier of the more robust ones which I could reckon on using a few times without upset?

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oz11
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Location: Tonbridge,Kent.

Re: Polypin Management

Post by oz11 » Mon Nov 26, 2012 9:10 pm

Murphy's...see a couple of pages ago:



Re: Polypin Management

Postby darkonnis » Tue Oct 02, 2012 5:38 pm
Yeah? these: http://www.murphyhomebrew.com/equipment/cat_25.html ?
Or like those atleast?

greenxpaddy

Re: Polypin Management

Post by greenxpaddy » Mon Nov 26, 2012 11:40 pm

There is another great use for polypins....

You know when you really should do something with that beer in the primary but you can't fit in a full bottling session...stick it in a polypin until you can bottle. It will actually be a better bottle sooner if you do this!

arturobandini
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Re: Polypin Management

Post by arturobandini » Mon Dec 10, 2012 11:50 pm

Crumbs!

The pin has been resting tap facing up since Dennis told me to vent some of the spare gas and I just flipped it into pouring position to tape up for transport and......beer soaking through the cardboard and onto the carpet!

Quick inspection shows a hair line leak in the seam at the front of the pin. Is this now a right off? Anyone have any suggestions for remedy?

Is it possible to transfer to a clean pin and re-prime?
Is it possible to transfer into sanitised bottles and re-prime?

Should I just make a superhuman effort to quaff 20 odd litres myself before it goes off?

All suggestions gratefully received.
Planning - Not for a long while

Fermenting - I'm Done

Bottle Maturing - Hobgoblin, Fullers ESB, American Stout, TOP, Fullers London Porter, Bandini Black IPA

Drinking - Still...Whiskey

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Dennis King
Telling everyone Your My Best Mate
Posts: 4227
Joined: Sat Aug 11, 2007 7:52 pm
Location: Pitsea Essex

Re: Polypin Management

Post by Dennis King » Tue Dec 11, 2012 12:02 am

That's bad luck, did it expand to much? this has happen to me twice. Both times I transferred to another pin, using tubing, try priming but I never got much pressure just had to drink it faster.

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