One thing I would love for my beer is a 'hand pull' tap - Like they have in Pubs.
Can you get these for normal kegs (such as Budget Barrel or King Keg)? I can't see why it would be difficult. I you could get a beer line into a lid with an air tight seal, have a floatation device so you aren't getting the sediment.
With hand pulled pints, they seem to have very little carbonation, relying entirely on being pumped to serve them.
Ideally this is how I would love my pints to be served! I wouldn't get a pint of froth and have to wait about 20 minutes before I can slowly top up....
Would be interesting to know if something like this has been done or is already available!
Can you get....
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deadlydes
See my post here
http://jimsbeerkit.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1923
there is another thread somewhere on here also i will try to find it
http://jimsbeerkit.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1923
there is another thread somewhere on here also i will try to find it
LOL-
PieOPah
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deadlydes
yeah a cask breather does pretty much that.
you dont need any pressure in the keg to pull a pint since the beer engine 'pulls' the beer through. what a cask breather does is when you pull a pint you create a negative pressure in the keg, this makes the cask breather 'open' and allow CO2 in until atmospheric pressure is reached.
as i said i recently i didnt use a cask breather as such i made one by just turning on my gas the tinyest fraction and it seemed to work ok. i will keep doing this until it becomes a problem.
cask breathers are around £25 + VAT
you dont need any pressure in the keg to pull a pint since the beer engine 'pulls' the beer through. what a cask breather does is when you pull a pint you create a negative pressure in the keg, this makes the cask breather 'open' and allow CO2 in until atmospheric pressure is reached.
as i said i recently i didnt use a cask breather as such i made one by just turning on my gas the tinyest fraction and it seemed to work ok. i will keep doing this until it becomes a problem.
cask breathers are around £25 + VAT
I've been keeping an eye on ebay for these, and there are a few on the go, but some of them seen to be quite expensive (or maybe I'm just a tight-wad 
). There's one up to about £80 at the moment, though most seem to go for around £30 + £10-£15 p&p.
The cheaper ones tend to be advertised for pick-up only - they don't seem to attract so many bids (for obvious reasons). Unfortunately, they all seem to be at the far end of the country from me, but may be OK for you southerners.
). There's one up to about £80 at the moment, though most seem to go for around £30 + £10-£15 p&p. The cheaper ones tend to be advertised for pick-up only - they don't seem to attract so many bids (for obvious reasons). Unfortunately, they all seem to be at the far end of the country from me, but may be OK for you southerners.
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eskimobob
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deadlydes
keep an eye out occasionally you get a bargin! i got 2 angram 1/4 pint cylinder pumps for £10!
it is worth noting that you do get various different designs in the mechanisms of the beer pumps and subsequently you do get what you pay for. certain brands are much better than others. you want one with a decent non return valve so that beer is not sucked back into the cask/polypin etc when you pull a pint. the cheap and nasty ones have a rubber non return valve which is crap.
next time your in the pub look when they push the handle back. the liquid level in the glass should not reduce. if it does their pump needs a good clean and service.
paying £35-45 for something as cool looking as a beer engine is not expensive! the look on peoples faces when they come round for a homebrewed beer expecting it to come from a crap looking dirty plastic keg and tastes like crap (you know the sterotype) but what they actually get is a great pint served from a beer engine 'just like in the pub' is worth the £40 alone. and the creamy taste you get from a beer engine is so much better.
it is worth noting that you do get various different designs in the mechanisms of the beer pumps and subsequently you do get what you pay for. certain brands are much better than others. you want one with a decent non return valve so that beer is not sucked back into the cask/polypin etc when you pull a pint. the cheap and nasty ones have a rubber non return valve which is crap.
next time your in the pub look when they push the handle back. the liquid level in the glass should not reduce. if it does their pump needs a good clean and service.
paying £35-45 for something as cool looking as a beer engine is not expensive! the look on peoples faces when they come round for a homebrewed beer expecting it to come from a crap looking dirty plastic keg and tastes like crap (you know the sterotype) but what they actually get is a great pint served from a beer engine 'just like in the pub' is worth the £40 alone. and the creamy taste you get from a beer engine is so much better.
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PieOPah
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deadlydes
the worthside ones are good
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BEER-PUMP-Traditi ... 0051803259
also the angrams although generally slightly more expensive
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BEER-PUMP-Traditi ... 0051803259
also the angrams although generally slightly more expensive
