sparkler attachment

[crow_flies]

I'm not brewing at the moment as I expect to be moving up to Norfolk in the next couple of weeks....cant wait to get started once I get there!!!

Anyhow, I was in Keighley 2 weeks ago and stayed at a very nice pub overnight, downing several pints of TTL. Man was it good - the main difference from any pint of it I have tried in the south was the head - it was literally like someone had floated cream on the beer.

So my question/challenge is this - is it possible or has anyone managed to make a sparkler attachment for a barrel that will result in the tight creamy head? I normally just use standard naturally conditioned barrels which when highly gassed result in a huge uncontrolled head of foam. What if this could be directed using a sparkler attachment on the tap - would this work....

Jim/Daab - masters of invention, any thoughts?

/CF

[Jim]

Haven't you answered your own question there, CF?

It'll just be cask ale delivered from either an electric pump or handpull fitted with a sparkler. These have exactly the effect you describe.

I understand that southern types prefer not to use these, as they work by forcing the gas out of the beer, and apparently this takes out some of the flavour as well.

Maybe I've misunderstood the question, though.

[Mashman]

I know I'm a soft southerner and this may (will) be contentous (spelling) but, head = bad. Sparklers = stripped flavour. Real ale straight from the cask, no sparkler, no beer engine= real ale.

[Wez]

I use these on 3 x TTKK and 1 x BeerSphere and get great results!

CLICKY!

[SteveD]

I know I'm a soft southerner and this may (will) be contentous (spelling) but, head = bad. Sparklers = stripped flavour. Real ale straight from the cask, no sparkler, no beer engine= real ale.

Yeah, it's contentious. So, according to you, they stopped serving real ale in 1785, when the beer engine was invented by Joseph Bramah.

While it's true that tight sparklers can knock out flavour from the beer, especially bitterness, which becomes concentrated in the head, recipes for beers brewed for 'northern dispense' are formulated to compensate for this, which is why they often don't taste good served southern style, and vice versa. I think that may be part of the reason for the north south beer divide.

A pint of properly served Landlord or Old Peculier in Yorkshire is a delight as is a properly served pint of Ringwood 49er in Hampshire.

[bettyswallocks]

Wife says yer cant beat a good tight head.

[Horden Hillbilly]

Here is the link to the pics of my set up, my king kegs are fitted with Lyne flip top taps & extensions. Unfortunatly I don't think they are available anymore. Mrs H bought me these for Christmas a few years ago.

There was also a problem with these taps, the flip levers were prone to snapping off, as you can see in the following photo by comparing the two levers. Replacements were available, but what a pain in the neck it was to have to change one if you were half way through a brew



I decided that a permanent solution was needed, therefore I carefully
drilled through the sides of the levers and the tap plunger & pushed a steel pin through, as shown in the next two photos.





Before I had these taps I was given a couple of sparklers by a friendly club steward, I simply pushed some plastic tubing onto the sparklers & the drum taps.

[Horden Hillbilly]

Time to go to Specsavers!

[flytact]

There is something over here called a creamer faucet that works with a pressurized dispense. You pull the handle towards you until you get near the rim, then push away and air is mixed in to give a creamy head.
Use the googler: "creamer faucet"

[Bobwagon]

Do the sparkler taps for the king keg top tap setup attach ok to a budget barrel with bottom tap, is the only issue here the length of the tap ? My barrels usually perched over the edge of something anyway so that shouldnt be a problem.

[spearmint-wino]

There is something over here called a creamer faucet that works with a pressurized dispense. You pull the handle towards you until you get near the rim, then push away and air is mixed in to give a creamy head.
Use the googler: "creamer faucet"

A lot of the chrome taps we use with our corni kegs over here have a 'creamer faucet' - the way TTL is served 'up north' is through a swan-neck 'tap' with a sparkler and gives a very different result: a super-tight lasting head, very much like a Guinness one.

[Andy]

I had a pint of TTL yesterday in a sunny beer garden. Was served southern style with minimal head - lovely

[mysterio]

The key to getting that kind of texture of head is to use the white sparkler on a beer engine (the kind that sprays the beer out like a shower head into the glass). No other method has come close for me.

[Bobwagon]

Do the sparkler taps for the king keg top tap setup attach ok to a budget barrel with bottom tap, is the only issue here the length of the tap ? My barrels usually perched over the edge of something anyway so that shouldnt be a problem.

I cant see why not

In that case i might just have to give one a try I do have king kegs but ive fallen out with them at the moment, think i'll give them to my bro.

[PieOPah]

Before I bought my KK, I was going to buy a sparkler tap for my BB however when I called up the Brew Shop (can't remember which one - H&G I think) I was advised against this due to the tap 'requiring' a back nut.

I now have a KK top tap with sparkler but it never really occurred to me to actually try it on the BB....