Handpump Beer Engine advice

[The Baron]

I will tell you my set up.
I use the reusable strong plastic/foil types that can be bought in several sizes. They have a tap on them which you will need a connector that goes on the tubing that goes to the hand pull.
The bags I use I fill from a cornie of ale that I have not added co2 or should I say just enough to purge and to flow the beer into the bag.
Once you have filled the bag squeeze out as much air as is possible and put the screw cap on.
You may find that over the next day or 2 some co2 will come out of the beer and inflate the bag slightly I then take off the screw cap and expel as much of this and then put the cap on again.
If you buy the small bags I think they are 5 ltrs you can chill in a fridge if you want but I generally only do handpull when the ambient temp has dropped say Autumn/Winter and leave then stood up freestanding on the floor with the tap at the bottom or you can use a cardboard box.
I find the ale will keep for 2 weeks in the bag and maybe longer.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/144258202804?_skw=beer+bags&itmmeta=01J80H65K476NFTV776SBTYEDX&hash=item2196757cb4:g:FUQAAOSwUKJhbVds&itmprp=enc:AQAJAAAA4HoV3kP08IDx+KZ9MfhVJKmvKwBoJoshvFU5EWQW0xh59rRFBBij7PYGGaIVhatg+V8ab5DTXZ8J2l05Mx1MxDNuliyF+Lbj8axgcuLzBgho+C+LLS4U9LiyQPzZ5Hlood/bQaznx6NhHjSWY8M3M1DAvkWmFlDL9HpDgx6EkfA0Yh+YpN0Ky245lNPjEHfTcvmi1WJ4rfDYimJL89/6FIv+r0RMBQTYaJa4MW9S/oqgfI0hkIQ430JsQEFeXZy8hcMp5QddJod2lWcQN2YdS3125iSd/LmI48sqDZFnZ/aW|tkp:BFBM2NmYkcBk
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/355877375358?_skw=wine+bags+connector&itmmeta=01J80H99A9VX2EC8QBHA7DGND5&hash=item52dbf1cd7e:g:2r8AAOSw98hml4Nq&itmprp=enc:AQAJAAAA8HoV3kP08IDx+KZ9MfhVJKmorBroDTqqwuX69/VMoFYFajE/1o9sxdNVvr2GrpC/JBSsm0id+tZ/Ew2+BRJ/DcgVxrcESiEcMSldQOBzurgz0MYmvJB2iKqmQGiKujENvor8FDW+l0GzVmI/VrpVfpi6CZl7l9Kx4oIP4lmiGh6yHiI8+j2qej2le0PU+HNigmpaUF2IEKZIvqkGVGAuTi12f8qbLtCJ1iEMedfZ1CT9YHF1Ql89ogCucls8CDatlXBuQOnKQevvoLGTLAHVHFkFQiwBAJ45P/UyLTlNawWxO/GVwITf4TcrDe3tOPWidQ==|tkp:BFBMnpWlkcBk
Ps the bag of beer will collapse on itself as you draw beer so oxygen does not get in as long as your pump is not leaking which helps to keep the beer. Note this not absolute true cask but a work around and some are using cornies instead of bags with a different set up

 

[MashBag]

Thanks. What I prefer with the bags is not having to use gas.

 

[peebee]

Beginning to wonder if the pump is necessary...

I was planning a response before you put this. Which came down to:

No ... it isn't!

I have a hand-pump for "field use". But, although hand-pumps are really simple, they are also very big and very heavy. The hand-pump I have for "field operations" is a clamp-on ("CO/CQ") but will still require a decent picnic table (wooden bench seat at a pinch) to fix to. Anyway, project failed before getting an opportunity to try it out.

But two years ago, I was faced with a problem that I had to solve without the hand-pump. My "Ale" project. Getting the "Ale", which has no obvious "carbonation", to a tap. The "Ale" did have CO2 supplied at the minimum (50mbar, I didn't have the 20-300mbar regulators then otherwise I'd have used 20mbar; "breathers" are never appropriate with Corny kegs 'cos seal about the lids can fail). Still not enough pressure to lift any "ale" to the tap. But I could up the pressure when required. A 12V electric pump was inserted inline; actually, to the output post. A few weeks of this and:

Still with me? Eee, I do like telling stories!

Anyway ... the fippin' stuff has got a head! Remember; uncarbonated and only under 50mbar top-pressure (about 3/4 PSI) so as to keep bugs out.

So, how's this relevant to this discussion?

Hand-pumped beer may have a great head despite serving very low carbonated beer. The pumps can do this because of the space and turbulence in the cylinder and by being forcibly ejected from the pump at high pressure forcing the remaining CO2 to breakout (hand-pumps fill glasses in a fraction of the time of "keg"). I'm suggesting a 12V pump does the same thing because the electic pump's impeller is creating loads of turbulance (and there's plenty of "tight gaps" in those 12V pumps to further breakout CO2).

Not sure about those "diaphragm" pumps though. They are very gentle on the beer (I use them for transfers because they don't create loads of foam). They do squeeze the beer through some pretty tight gaps though.

So: The headline without all the explanation:

Why not try little 12V electric pumps to deliver beer like a hand-pump?


I'm planning to "enhance" my pair of keg taps (bar mounted) to have electric pumps fitted. I'd then have the keg taps available for "other" uses, like serving "Ale" again, or cask style when the hand-pumps are already in use.

 

[peebee]

I'm sure I was answering a different thread for my last post, not this thread?

[EDIT: Ha! Found it ...

I am going to be joining this party real soon. Have a few bib kicking about, don't know why I haven't tried before.

Can anyone recommend a simple hand pump please?

].

Still, seems to work, so I'll tackle the next:

Thanks. What I prefer with the bags is not having to use gas.

If you want to retain a sniff of positive pressure to hold it to a desired carbonation level (say 1.0 or 1.1 "volumes") stick a weight on the bag.

I haven't played about with what weight does what - that's for you to mess about with.

The biggest problem I've encountered with this approach is the short shelf life of beer in polythene liners ... about 3-5 weeks (due to gas permeability). The laminated bags supposed to be better, but I don't know where they're up to (they have been problematic).


Those tap connecters @The Baron posted look good, I've been waiting a couple of weeks for mine to turn up ... so, I can attach these "cider in a bag" boxes to one of my pumps:

https://www.rosiescider.co.uk/visit-our-shop/

(Just up road from me! Well ... beer-brewing is a bit sparse at moment!).

 

[MashBag]

We are thinking along same lines. But I am not sure who should be most scared

I don't need it to travel very far, but was thinking about sediment, so would prefer to draw from the top.

Weights. You say. Hmm.