Looking for a cask breather

[flytact]

Good morning,
I've got a engine/hand pump that I've used for 4 batches and it's about time I got a breather. Currently I am bleeding off the keg and taking the hose off the "gas in" connector for "breathing". After a days session I refill the corny with CO2. By doing this I've been able to keep a 5 gallon (19L) corny going for about 4-5 weeks. I am, however, using up a lot of gas.
I was reading on some earlier posts about keg sealing, I put popsicle sticks under the "lid legs" for a better seal.

Anyway, the only cask breathers available over here are about $75 (~40 pounds). Has anyone purchased one lately or know how much they are? Shipping may be an issue, but if I strap it to the back of a sea turtle it may be worth purchasing overseas.
Just read about how to post pictures of the setup and it appears as though I'm SOL.

Thanks,
Dave

[eskimobob]

Funny enough, I was just asking on another thread about using a cask breather with a cornie.

Have you got any links to the ones you mention?

[flytact]

http://www.ukbrewing.com/ then click sundries

[eskimobob]

Interesting, thanks flytact. It seems easy enough to connect up.

A bit pricy but it seems that it can be connected up to several kegs so not so bad.

Odd that it is ukbrewing with a union flag but then prices in dollars

Edit: Just found this short articlefrom the Cambridge CAMRA trying to determine whether cask breathers affect the beer.

[mysterio]

Is it easy enough to connect a beer engine to a cornie? Anything special involved?

[Kev.]

Yep it's easy enough. You have to remember though that beer engines don't have a non return valve so if there's is positive pressure in the cornie when you connect.......well let just say you'll have wet feet!

[flytact]

Here's what i put over on the kegerator topic:
"When I hook mine up I use the same diameter beer line from my standard tap and step it up to fit the engine right at the inlet. there is a homebrew club here called Brewers United for Real Potables (BURP) that has a real ale competition with 40+ kegs of homebrew. What some of the people do is take a new corny lid, drill a hole in it and run a 1/2 inch line to the bottom (using fittings of course). That way there is no restriction caused by the line. That's next on my list. Like I said on my other post, I've got pictures, just no way of getting them up here."

To answer some questions: the UKbrewing site is actually in Philadelphia, PA. Yes, very pricey for a simple demand valve, which is why I'm asking you guys if they are cheeper there. As for the positive pressure in the keg, I utilize that to fill the cylinder on the engine, you just have to be quick on the pressure release.

[eskimobob]

According to some websites, Brupaks sell cask breathers but the Brupaks website has been undergoing reconstruction for ever (or thereabouts ) - can't seem to find them among there old web pages.

Do you find that you waste a lot of beer between sessions flytact where it goes stale in the engine and you have to pull some through and dispose at the start of each session? - This would seem bad to me as currently with my pressurised cornie system and taps I only lose about 1/8th stale pint from the beer lines.

[flytact]

Eskimobob, I just take into consideration that when all is said and done, there will be another 3/4 pint to drink. This is from the cylinder and line after disconnecting. Big hassle.

[Frothy]

I was drooling over that ukbrewing website for a while ( & the Northern Brewer site) until I realised it's all the way over seas.

Isn't it possible to use really low pressure on the regulator i.e. 2-5psi? and just use a regular gas system.

Matt

[steve_flack]

I was drooling over that ukbrewing website for a while ( & the Northern Brewer site) until I realised it's all the way over seas.

And apart from the postage and shipping time (USPS Airmail is surprisingly reasonably priced and fairly quick) what is the problem?

[flytact]

Isn't it possible to use really low pressure on the regulator i.e. 2-5psi? and just use a regular gas system.

I've found any amount of CO2 I put on the keg will force beer through the engine. I can't dial my regulator in well enough to keep a steady 1psi.

[RabMaxwell]

Hello all i got my cask breather from www.hallamshire.co.uk . I think it was about £26 if i remember correctly it was a while ago. Cheers Rabmaxwell(Brewing in Ayrshire)

[deadlydes]

i just turn my reg on the smallest amount and it does the same job as a breather. you can even hear it add gas when you pull a pint

[Andy]

I was drooling over that ukbrewing website for a while ( & the Northern Brewer site) until I realised it's all the way over seas.

And apart from the postage and shipping time (USPS Airmail is surprisingly reasonably priced and fairly quick) what is the problem?

you kind of get the impression that ukbrewing import their kit to the states from UK so shipping it back to the UK would be a bit bonkers Ideally we could locate their UK source and purchase from there....