Polykeg to Beer Engine? The ABCs Please

[Maynewater]

I'm planning to get hold of a Polykeg and a Beer engine to serve from it.

I have to say I'm a real novice when it comes to the dispensing side of the hobby, all the information about sankeys and return valves has left me totally confused!

Can someone give me an idiots guide as to the bits I'd need and a simple method of connecting a polykeg to a beer engine (I don't need to chill)?

[Pcpogo]

I'm interested in this too. Has anyone got this set up they can share?

[DaddyLouLou]

I have this at home. I can't say how it works with beer yet, that's still in the FV. But I have done a test with water.

CO² - Sankey S connector - Polykeg - Check Valve - Beer Engine

I also have a valve in place between the polykeg and check valve, to allow me to clean the line and beer engine without disconnecting the keg.

[Pcpogo]

Daddy,

Thanks for the reply. Any chance of a pic of the set up, in particular the valve you have for cleaning without disconnecting?

[Pcpogo]

Anyone got an update re the above please

[steambrew]

This has been covered by Jim in great detail I suggest you check search all the information you need is there

[Pcpogo]

This has been covered by Jim in great detail I suggest you check search all the information you need is there

Thanks you for the informative reply.

The reason I asked the question is that I can not find the detailed info that Jim has done using the search facility nor in the forum sections.

I mainly use a mobile device with tapatalk to access the forum so this could be the issue.

If anyone has the knowledge of the whereabouts of such information, I would be deeply grateful if they would be willing to share the link.

[ajclarkson]

This has been covered by Jim in great detail I suggest you check search all the information you need is there

Thanks you for the informative reply.

The reason I asked the question is that I can not find the detailed info that Jim has done using the search facility nor in the forum sections.

I mainly use a mobile device with tapatalk to access the forum so this could be the issue.

If anyone has the knowledge of the whereabouts of such information, I would be deeply grateful if they would be willing to share the link.

I know Jim has covered hooking up polypins to beer engines, but are you talking about actual plastic kegs rather than the collapsible bag pins?

If so, I can't help you as I haven't done it myself, but just hoping to help clarify for other forum members

[Pcpogo]

Aj,

It's the polykeg which is a mini hardish plastic keg with the Sankey connection, not the collapsible bag type.

I fully understand how it works etc after reading other posts however it's the more finer details on how to flush the pipes with it all still connected ie how to fit a y piece for cleaning and at the same time turn off the flow to the beer engine so that the pipes and engine can be flushed.

The other query is, can I use a cask breather connected from my co2 to keep it topped up to help keep the beer in condition. I've used one with my cornies to beer engine and it works well but doesn't seem to work with the polykeg?

[ajclarkson]

Aj,

It's the polykeg that asda was selling which is a mini keg with the Sankey connection.

I'm not familiar with those, sounds interesting though!

Definitely sounds like you want the setup DaddyLouLou was explaining earlier though


CO2 bottle with regulator, to gas in of sankey connector

Beerline off sankey dispense connector with a check valve then beer engine.

That check valve makes sure that the pressure of the CO2 can't force the beer straight through the engine as soon as you connect it up. It does so (I think) by waiting for a vacuum to be created on the other side (beer engine side) which then causes it to open.

I don't have a setup like this, just going off what I have read, so if I'm wrong hopefully someone will come along and correct me!

[ajclarkson]

Just seen that you edited your post with a bit more info while I was typing mine

Can't help you with the finer details I'm afraid, as mentioned I don't have this setup. Hopefully someone answers you because its what I'm building towards as well in the future!

[steambrew]

Check the post on my beer engine set up on what I have found

[GrowlingDogBeer]

Here's how I use mine. OK not a polykeg, mine are stainless but the principle is the same.

First I fill the keg. That's the easy bit.

Then I connect it up to the gas and beer out lines. I have the gas set to 5 psi, I leave it at this for a few weeks while it is conditioning with a stopper in the beer out connector. When ready for serving I leave the gas at the same pressure, disconnect the coupler then connect the beer line. The other end of the beer line goes into my demand valve and from the demand valve I use silicon hose to connect to the beer engine.

A few pictures to put it in context.

Regulator set to 5 psi



Connector on keg with gas in (grey) and beer out ( yellow stripe)



That beer line then goes into the demand valve then a short bit of silicon hose between there and the beer engine.



Then you can pull a nice pint of green hop beer.



I don't have any other connectors in the lines. I only clean these lines between keg changes and the lines get cleaned when I have cleaning stuff in the kegs. Sometimes I do a clean off all the lines but I just use a keg full of cleaning stuff and run it out through all the beer lines by connecting the connectors to the kegs.

[Pcpogo]

Thank you for the replies folks.

Steam brew, thanks for the advice re your post.

GDB,

Many thanks for the pics and post. That's a great setup. Does the beer in the pipes on the beer engine side of the check valve get spoiled or is it just pull and pour when you start again.

[GrowlingDogBeer]

I lose about half a pint between drinking sessions which is basically what's between the check valve and in the beer engine. Small price to pay for an excellent beer.