Polypin Management

[Dennis King]

Sounds a good plan with the bin liner, the fact my pins last a couple of years I don't think the cardboard would last that long. Just poured my first beer of the night and can't find any real fault with it, and it's close to the end of the barrel.

[greenxpaddy]

Hmmm. Two polypins primed to 1.3 vols CO2, 5 psi. Two and a half weeks and neither has puffed up.

I wonder if very low priming is problematic.

Anyone had failed priming like this. The beer tastes slightly sweet, so I am sure it is not a leaky connection etc

[greenxpaddy]

Update.

I have primed to the normal cask priming rate 1.3 vols. One puffed up good, the other struggled. Can't. Explain why.

I have put them in their boxes and strapped the box . It's the only way to keep it together... Prefer the boxes rather than a bin liner.

I have been pulling through a beer engine. The silicon tubing fits to the john guest pipe with a jubilee clip and other end onto the tap really snug. The taps have a little hole where the inner barrel turns in the tap, so to be totally off it's not totally turned all the way. This has been mentioned before I think. Anyhow off is at about 45 degrees angle. This little hole has concerned me. I have noticed when the barrel is pressurised, beer can squirt out of this hole. This may act like a pressure relief valve but this is no good when we are trying to suck the beer out of the bag without air coming in. Towards the end of the bag when the suction required is greater to collapse the bag this hole could pull a tiny amount of air in. Any is too much for me.... So I have taped up with a small patch of duct tape.

The taps on the different 'bag in a box' are totally different. There is a brewery in Nottingham using them. They let no air back in when pouring straight into a glass. But you can't hook it up to a beer line with that tap.

The other thing I didn't factor in is cleaning the beer engine. I was amazed how quickly the line harbours bacteria even after an overnight sanitising solution has been flushed through. I flush mine through with water every couple of days and give it a thorough sanitising every week. I disconnect the line from the polyp in when I'm not drinking for a day or so so that any bacteria does not creep down the line....

All good fun though. Can't beat it. I currently have three on the go

[stevetk189]

The taps on the different 'bag in a box' are totally different. There is a brewery in Nottingham using them. They let no air back in when pouring straight into a glass. But you can't hook it up to a beer line with that tap.

Paddy, if you're referring to the small taps on bag in a box, like you get wine in etc then you can attach a hand pull line using a vitop connector and they work very well. I've got a couple.

[greenxpaddy]

Vitop connector? I'll have to google that!

[Cozzyb]

Where can you get these polypins and can someone link me to a guide on how to use/explain how to use, they seem much easier then bottling, (I would be getting the 10ltr ones)

[woblylegs]

just noticed thease on ebay yesterday. maybe a bargain for someone close enough to pick them up.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/55-Cider-beer ... 1944011%26

[boingy]

Vitop connector? I'll have to google that!

http://www.baginboxonline.co.uk/vitop.html

[Dennis King]

Where can you get these polypins and can someone link me to a guide on how to use/explain how to use, they seem much easier then bottling, (I would be getting the 10ltr ones)

http://www.murphyhomebrew.com/equipment/cat_25.html

[Huntelaar]

[quote="Dennis King"][quote="Cozzyb"]Where can you get these polypins and can someone link me to a guide on how to use/explain how to use, they seem much easier then bottling, (I would be getting the 10ltr ones)[/quote]


http://www.murphyhomebrew.com/equipment/cat_25.html[/quote]

Wish i'd known about this site, bought a 20l polypin from a LHBS in Manchester and got spanked for £16!!

[darkonnis]

Anyone used these: http://www.baginboxonline.co.uk/buyit2.html
I'm sick of bottling, it is by far the single most boring part of the brewing process. I was using minikegs but have found them to be expensive considering how long they actually last. I was debating buying 10 * 10L boxes, and then 10 * 10L bags to use for refills, I don't begrudge paying £2 per 10L if it saves me a few hours cleaning bottles, rinsing, filling then fighting with the bottle capper. At 10L aswell I could open it, and probably sink it in a weekend with a mate. So if anyone has any experience and knows how the hell you'd fill one of these up, I'd be very appreciative for the help
Cooky

[jonnyt]

Like you I don't like bottling. I now have three Polypins on the go 10L plus 2 x 5L testing out various theories as to modus operandi, how long the beer remains fresh etc.

I've looked at those bags and they just seem to flimsy to me.

[darkonnis]

I think the same, but then if sat in a box I can't imagine all that much going wrong with them, of course. I've been wrong before.

[jonnyt]

Well I cannot get Polypins to stay in a box

[darkonnis]

Well, i thought the point of these was for "bright" beer, so you let it do what it has to in the FV, then just transfer it into the bag and its ready to run. In my case, I let it ferment out, chill it to 4c for a few days and serve from there if I'm not going for much carbonation. This isn't my final method, just what I've done lately and it seems to be holding.