Serving it up - Beer engine or CO2?

[Ianb]

I had a beer engine given by a friend a long time ago. I have checked it and it is working ok.

I've just finished the last of my kits (muntons midas) before I go AG and it will be ready for barelling in a few days.

In conversation in the pub the other evening a friend suggested the following rather than using CO2 for serving.

As mentioned in a previous post, I have a cooler with a python line facility. He suggested that I wrap a coil of hosepipe around the fermenter and then insulate on the outside. Connecting this pipe coil to the cooler so chilled water is circulating and chilling the beer and will hold it at a low temperature. Next skim the yeast off the top of the beer and leave for four days or so with the cooler running to speed the process of falling bright.

Modify the lid of one of the barrels to incorporate an extraction tube and an air vent (with a sterile filter from a wort aerator attached).

Syphon the beer from the fermenter into the barrel with minimal if any priming sugar, leave for a further week in a cool place, hook the beer engine to the extraction tube and serve!

Sounds too simple, there has to be a catch or two. I know the shelf life of the beer could be degraded, but to what extent?

Does anyone have any comments, idea's etc? If it all sounds feasible, I'm almost willing to try 'sacrificing' my brew in the interests of experimentation!!!

Cheers

Ian

[flytact]

Well I can't speak for your setup prior to connecting to the engine, but you will need to drink the beer within a week or it will go off.
If you have to make a choice between serving methods and aren't ready to buy into a CO2 system, maybe three smaller serving vessels so you'll have less spoilage.

[Andy]

....and consider fitting a tap to the bottom of your fermenter - makes transferring beer out of primary so much easier than syphoning.

[eskimobob]

If you do have CO2 then you could always get a cask breather or alternatively see how low you can set your CO2 regulator.

[bettyswallocks]

2 gallons barrels are ideal if you can get old of them. After fermentation, transfer the 40 pints to a couple of 2 gallons kegs and bottle the remainder. When its ready to be supped, attach the line from the beer engine to the tap, loosen the lid and you and your mates should be able to polish off 16 pints in a session. Then you still have another 16 fresh pints in the waiting.
cheeers

[Ianb]

2 gallons barrels are ideal if you can get old of them. After fermentation, transfer the 40 pints to a couple of 2 gallons kegs and bottle the remainder. When its ready to be supped, attach the line from the beer engine to the tap, loosen the lid and you and your mates should be able to polish off 16 pints in a session. Then you still have another 16 fresh pints in the waiting.
cheeers

16 pints in a session? Who needs to invite the friends round ?!?!

[bettyswallocks]

good call

[inthedark]

16 pints in a session? Who needs to invite the friends round ?!?!

Quite - I normally have my brother & his girlfriend round and maybe one other - sorts out a 20-23L batch no problems...

After all, I need to empty vessels to keep practicing