Beer Forum

I'm very interested in setting up a beer engine (hand pump) and a cask breather so that I can have English style beers on a hand pump. I'm bidding on engines from the UK but the shipping is a killer. Is there a place in the states that I can get real ale supplies? I found www.ukbrewing.com/ with the help of a guy in my homebrew club, but I'd like to compare products and prices. Anyone got an idea? Are there DIY options for cask breathers? Thanks.

I don't know about a DIY for a cask breather, but I know for a fact that someone has done a DIY beer engine. I think it involves a small cooler, and one of those RV/Camper water pumps. I think that they use a corny and naturally carb the beer when it is ready, they "tap" the cask by opening the bleeder valve and leaving it opened. The problem, of course, is that the beer will spoil in a very short period of time.

This guy claims you can use a liquid propane gas (LPG) low pressure valve instead of a cask breather.

http://www.franklinbrew.org/brewinfo/ho ... skale.html

I've also heard of people filling a second corny keg with gas, releasing the pressure and then letting that feed the keg with beer in it. I've not tried either, so YMMV. Cask breathers run about $60 in the UK (without shipping).

I'm excited to hear how you get on!

As far as I know UKBrewing is it this side of the pond. Paul Pendyke does have pretty hefty prices but IMO deserves to get them because he is a commercial supplier who is willing to patiently deal with us homebrewers, our interminable questions and our orders for 3 soft spiles.

The last time I put a breather on a pin (half a firkin) and left it it ripped through a whole tank of CO2 overnight. I don't know how this happened but it did - the thing was not leaking gas that I could see. If I'm taking a pin to a real ale function no breather is to be as I would be whapped over the head with a CAMRA guide and driven from the room if I appeared with one. These real ale types can get pretty serious. I once got a scoresheet back from a competition where all the entries were pulled through pumps with the phrase "I do not condone the use of the sparkler" on it.

For serving ales from the pump at home I have the keg (an ordinary Sankey keg) hooked up to CO2 in the regular way except that the regulator is set just to the point where the needle is off the pin (different kind of pin here - the one at 0 on the gauge) and the shutoff valve at the coupler gas in port is closed. If someone asks for a pint from the engine I open the CO2 valve just long enough that a couple of drops of ale start to come out of the spout and then shut it off again. I then pull the first pint (the "night watchman") and dump it and then procede to draw beer. A few pints can be drawn this way and leave enough CO2 in the keg to keep the beer conditioned until the next time. Were I to have a crowd over for a session I'd probably put the breather on (it's right there on the wall with quick disconnects on both lines). Or just go open that gas valve for a few seconds every third or fourth pint. IOW I seldom use the breather and wish I'd saved the money.

Thanks for all of your helpful comments. I think that ~$20 for a LPG regulator is a worthy gamble, so I'll give that a try. If I fail miserably, I'll likely just do the low pressure serving or the two keg method. I'll repost when I've given it a try. Thanks again.

Nice info AJ. I was wondering if any of you have ever tried doing real ale, gravity fed, from the 5L mini-casks? I've not had any experience with them but imagine they could be a good workaround if properly vented, and kicking 5L before spoilage would be easier than 5 gallons.

As for CAMRA... I have views. I think they did a wonderful job saving ale in Britain. I fear that with the insistence on not allowing breathers they will force companies to make rather mediocre beer that sells well instead of more complex, unique beers that might not sell a firkin (87 UK pints) in 5-6 days. Too often in the UK I get rancid pints, or have to try the beer before I buy, just to see if its spoiled. I can't say I mind the latter too much, but the former is annoying. Just my $.02.

I've recently started making some Cask Ales, and I bought the "Rocket Hand Pump" for RV trailers. It's the most inexpensive one you can find, and it works great. I also built a little hose extension on the end of it and drilled some holes in it to make a pseudo-sparkler, and that helps froth it up.

As for the breather problem, I'm still working on that. Right now, I just put a little gas back into the keg after each pint I pull. It's kind of a pain in the ass, but it works for now. I'm planning on trying the LPG regulator idea, because that sounds like a good way to do it. I'll let you all know if I figure anything else out.

You may want to contact this guy:

http://www.boathousebrewery.com/