Bottling using beer engine??

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drjim
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Bottling using beer engine??

Post by drjim » Sat Jul 10, 2021 5:27 pm

Is this madness?

I have a dilemma.

Made a batch of what I call BOB. Used bread instead of the wheat, a mixture of hovis warburtons, a bit of baguette - all the end bits of bread that I stick in the freezer for my home made stuffing got converted to beer. Previously made it with weetabix but had run out.

https://share.brewfather.app/2qouZxqgW9sUFx

I used the harvested WHC yeast that was felt to blame for some contaminated batches (interestingly had another unconnected batch that went the same way so I think I hadn't cleaned my beer line properly). Added two packs of crossmyloof ale yeast to be safe.

It's been resting for 35 days in the shed after coming out of the fermenter. As the hand pump was free and we have a party tomorrow for my Son's birthday I stuck BOB on the hand pump. I have a Bluebird clone that's still settling, but this is in a serving keg, so gave it a go.

It is gorgeous, hint of treacle somewhere, warm alcoholic feeling , nice and clear, and lovely creamy head which lasts to the bottom of the glass.

I sort of want to bottle some but obviously it's in my stillage cupboard and connected up with the floating dip line etc. So shall I bottle some from the hand pump?

I did stick some beer in bottles via the pump earlier this year, seemed OK, but only tried one of them.

Apart from the fact it'll mix a bit of air in has anyone done this successfully, or should I

1 Drink it all from the pump and make another batch
2 Not drink it all, stick it in a bottling bucket and bottle some?

Any thoughts??

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MashBag
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Re: Bottling using beer engine??

Post by MashBag » Sun Jul 11, 2021 6:24 am

That sounds like an interesting recipe on often wanted to try bread but never have.

Back to the op. If you prime the bottles and pull it gently I think it should be OK.

McMullan

Re: Bottling using beer engine??

Post by McMullan » Sun Jul 11, 2021 1:53 pm

No, absolutely not. Even with the best intentions, following best practices to maintain a good level of cleanliness, a beer engine simply isn't going to be sanitary enough to be used for bottling. The beer engine is a great way to serve English ales, but it is designed for serving, not packaging. I have 3. One I bought new, one reconditioned by Angram and one I reconditioned (stripped down) myself as a 'fun project' mainly motivated by the fact it was impossible to clean the 'neglect' growing inside the glass cylinder with several runs of purple line cleaner, PBW, dishwasher detergent and a thin bleach solution :shock:

f00b4r
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Bottling using beer engine??

Post by f00b4r » Tue Jul 13, 2021 7:55 pm

What’s the keg that there beer is in, corny/king?
You can disconnect the beer engine, bottle from the keg and the reconnect the beer engine but the method will depend on your setup.

Oh and what McMullen said with regard to oxidising the beer and the engine likely not being that sanitary (you don’t really want to kick off regeneration in the bottles).

WalesAles
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Re: Bottling using beer engine??

Post by WalesAles » Tue Jul 13, 2021 9:33 pm

drjim,

Oh and what McMullen said with regard to oxidising the beer and the engine likely not being that sanitary (you don’t really want to kick off regeneration in the bottles).
[/quote]

As above.
You will probably get Covid in there as well now that Boris has given us a `Freedom Day` (Freedom My Arse).
Even as I type this, people will be scared to touch their keyboards/mobiles/tablets because I said the `C` word. #-o
I`m going to wash my hands now because I said the `C` word and touched my computer.
And my phone just pinged saying I was in Nottingham with 300,000 people and I MIGHT be infected! :D

WA

drjim
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Re: Bottling using beer engine??

Post by drjim » Tue Jul 13, 2021 9:57 pm

I've concluded it's best to drink it as it is! Going to make some more 😃

The Keg is a 25L jerrycan which has a floating dip tube connected to a vitop tap - conveniently a perfect fit into the hole in the middle of jerrycan lids that come with taps fitted. Did a bit of plastic welding to seal tube in to the vitop to connect the dip. I then popped a 6mm push fit hydraulic fitting through the top of the jerrycan which then connects via an LPG regulator to provide low pressure CO2 so the jerrycan doesn't collapse as I eagerly pull beer out!

It's more the faff of switching it over to bottling approach, definitely best to drink up!

f00b4r
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Re: Bottling using beer engine??

Post by f00b4r » Tue Jul 13, 2021 11:07 pm

Oops that should have been re-fermentation.
Well I didn’t expect that about the jerry can but it’s always interesting to hear of the different setups that people have.

drjim
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Re: Bottling using beer engine??

Post by drjim » Wed Jul 14, 2021 9:06 am

25L plastic stackable jerrycans.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/JERRY-CAN-carr ... 67&sr=8-24

I also have a load of 10L ones. Store brews in after fermentation, usually still enough gas coming off the ale types to need burping a few times which gets rid of the air. Lager ones I just fill as near the top as poss and they are in a big fridge for lagering. Just taken an Aussie style lager out of there after 45 days, nice and clear into keg and tastes fantastic. There's 50L of Vienna Lager sat in the fridge waiting for Oktober!

For the hand pump setup I have a load of the 6mm pneumatic fittings in line, use speed controller valves as stop taps for the gas. Can fit 4 kegs into my stillage cupboard under the bar - has a tiled bottom connected to a circulation pump in a tank of cold water in the bottom of the bar fridge.

So I've got quite a few of the jerrycans, also use one to ferment lager in one of my £10 gumtree fridges that doesn't fit a bucket!

I should probably post some pics up.

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MashBag
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Re: Bottling using beer engine??

Post by MashBag » Thu Jul 15, 2021 7:07 am

I use them for cold crash, never thought of 'holding' beer in them.

I have often thought about a simple device to assist burping.

HDPE is gas permeable, so much more than a couple of months, and the beer might detererate (gently oxidised).

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