HELP! or, The Great Transatlantic Beer Engine Exchange

[GAZ9053]

I will let you know as soon as I get them

[Barley Water]

As you can well imagine, I have been lusting after a nice beer engine for quite some time. I notice for you guys in the states that you can get a factory refurbished unit for about $400. If you check out that UK Brewing website they also have a video concerning what they call a "Caskerator" which is very interesting. One day when funds allow I will take the plunge and order one. I think you could use cornie kegs and a thermo electric wine cooler (since you don't want the beer to get any cooler than 50F) and effectively make your own caskerator; it actually doesn't look all that hard. I think it would cost maybe $750 or so to get the entire setup depending on how much you paid for the wine cooler. In my case I would absolutely require a breather. Additionally it looks like using 2 1/2 gallon cornies would actually work better than using the 5 gallon variety since even with a breather I think the beer would go bad before I could drink an entire 5 gallon batch.

[Andy]

Good haul for under £70 !

[seymour]

Good haul for under £70 !

"oooh, I get by with a little help from my friends, ooh, I get..."

[GAZ9053]

Good haul for under £70 !

"oooh, I get by with a little help from my friends, ooh, I get..."

[Fil]

As you can well imagine, I have been lusting after a nice beer engine for quite some time. I notice for you guys in the states that you can get a factory refurbished unit for about $400. If you check out that UK Brewing website they also have a video concerning what they call a "Caskerator" which is very interesting. One day when funds allow I will take the plunge and order one. I think you could use cornie kegs and a thermo electric wine cooler (since you don't want the beer to get any cooler than 50F) and effectively make your own caskerator; it actually doesn't look all that hard. I think it would cost maybe $750 or so to get the entire setup depending on how much you paid for the wine cooler. In my case I would absolutely require a breather. Additionally it looks like using 2 1/2 gallon cornies would actually work better than using the 5 gallon variety since even with a breather I think the beer would go bad before I could drink an entire 5 gallon batch.

BW imho if you keep the beer under co2 in a corny or other keg even at low pressure goverened by a cask valve, you can avoid oxidation and the beer will last virtually indefinitely. i had a sweet ginger beer too sweet for suppin on tap for well over a 12month period poured for cooking only, last draw was as 'good' as the first.. hop aroma will diminish with time however, but dont worry about beer spoiling, changing in character with maturity perhaps but not spoiling..

and if looking for a beer engine do what seymour did and pipe up, a fair number of us in th UK could do with a favour in hand re pnp cost reduction looking at sites like morebeer

[seymour]

BW imho if you keep the beer under co2 in a corny or other keg even at low pressure goverened by a cask valve, you can avoid oxidation and the beer will last virtually indefinitely. i had a sweet ginger beer too sweet for suppin on tap for well over a 12month period poured for cooking only, last draw was as 'good' as the first.. hop aroma will diminish with time however, but dont worry about beer spoiling, changing in character with maturity perhaps but not spoiling...

Yep, that's my plan. I'm not going the expensive true cask breather route though; instead I bought one of these mini regulators for just $13 bucks. 2.8kpa translates to just .4 psi. I plan to add a little priming sugar to produce some natural carbonation, just like bottling, and then the CO2 tank and mini regulator will keep a nice soft blanket on my beer.

...and if looking for a beer engine do what seymour did and pipe up, a fair number of us in th UK could do with a favour in hand re pnp cost reduction looking at sites like morebeer

True dat. In fact, GAZ may have a couple more hand pumps to sell soon...