Masons Shakespear Beer Engine

[RoomWithABrew]

I'm really wondering if take the pump out of the system.
Beer in bag and have it above the beer engine then apply pressure to the bag with some weight. Brick books or something else, the switch you mentioned when triggered will allow beer to flow through the beer engine.
I suspect the pressure generated by the pump is taking the place of the cylinder draw pressure and you would need to make this pressure by external means.

 

[peebee]

I'm really wondering if take the pump out of the system.

And ... (did you overlook finishing the sentence?).

Beer in bag and have it above the beer engine then apply pressure to the bag with some weight. Brick books or something else, the switch you mentioned when triggered will allow beer to flow through the beer engine.
I suspect the pressure generated by the pump is taking the place of the cylinder draw pressure and you would need to make this pressure by external means.

I have in mind "weighting" the beer in the bag, but only to keep some CO2 condition in the beer: The electric (or air driven) pump will provide propulsion in place of the hand-pump's no-existent cylinder mechanism. Some resistance in the serving line, such as an up-stream check-valve (a real one, not a hand-pump demand-valve) and a "sparkler" on the nozzle should produce the turbulence (and CO2 breakout) to emulate a hand-pump cylinder. The latter might need some tweaking to get right, but that will be easy undemanding tweaks.

I'd been considering pumps following my "Stitch Ale" experiment last year. And then along comes this "sham" hand-pump query with a pump associated, and I find my objection to "sham" hand-pumps vanishes. "Sham" hand-pumps don't have to serve fizzy beer (as I had thought), with an electric pump they can serve low-carbonated ("cask conditioned") beer as if out of a hand-pump; but without the significant workload of managing a "real" hand-pump in a home-brew situation. Wish I'd thought of it before.

@Three Guinea Pigs Pub: Firstly, have you changed your username? If not, apologies for previously addressing you as "The Guinea Pig Pub"! Earlier you said the pump you have is not self-priming? Don't worry, they are! It's a "diaphragm pump", and if it wasn't self-priming it wouldn't pump either (it's how they work). You've picked up some misleading info there.

I may suggest you use an "impeller" pump instead (the common, often magnetically driven, type) because of the turbulence they create, but a diaphragm pump has the advantage of being self-priming and "seals behind itself" so works as a "check-valve" too. Six of one, half dozen of the other, at the moment.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

I've had a little trial with my G56 pump running from a compressor with a 6 litre tank, set at 50 psi gauge out and the tank builds to 125 psi when I turn on the tap on the out liquid the pump kicks into action and liquid is pumped from an open container out through the tap.
Seems after about half a pint the compressor kicks in.
Of further note the pump makes a regular loud clicking noise probably due to a valve for the gas opening and closing. This is loud and you wouldn't want that noise in your bar area. I'm hoping it's muffled inside my beer fridge in my case and I will try and sound shield it more if needed.
The pump noise, plus air release and the clicking would be most unsatisfactory in the open.

I think cut your losses and hunt down a traditional beer engine.

 

[Three Guinea Pigs Pub]

I've had a little trial with my G56 pump running from a compressor with a 6 litre tank, set at 50 psi gauge out and the tank builds to 125 psi when I turn on the tap on the out liquid the pump kicks into action and liquid is pumped from an open container out through the tap.
Seems after about half a pint the compressor kicks in.
Of further note the pump makes a regular loud clicking noise probably due to a valve for the gas opening and closing. This is loud and you wouldn't want that noise in your bar area. I'm hoping it's muffled inside my beer fridge in my case and I will try and sound shield it more if needed.
The pump noise, plus air release and the clicking would be most unsatisfactory in the open.

I think cut your losses and hunt down a traditional beer engine.

I have heard the clicking noise before when I was a bar manager. I know that sound well lol.

I have since got a normal Anagram engine which is working fine, my only issue is working out where its leaking, around the butterfly clip or the actual Vitop. Oh well half way there (I am sure Bon Jovi joined in then)

If anyones interested heres a video of what its all about.
You can ignore the PC explanation at the.beginning and end

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Watched it, surprised you need the heater given the watts that PC must chuck out.

Didn't realise the G56 was right under the pump handle. That would drive you bananas, can you get the fridge under the bar in the corner? Long trailing tubing from its' current position. Holes in the fridge door to let the tubes out? and a controller to get the beer to cellar temp as I doubt it will want to run at 12C.
Noise of pump on my system bearable in the fridge I have.

 

[Three Guinea Pigs Pub]

Watched it, surprised you need the heater given the watts that PC must chuck out.

Didn't realise the G56 was right under the pump handle. That would drive you bananas, can you get the fridge under the bar in the corner? Long trailing tubing from its' current position. Holes in the fridge door to let the tubes out? and a controller to get the beer to cellar temp as I doubt it will want to run at 12C.
Noise of pump on my system bearable in the fridge I have.

Nah the G56 isnt there thats only the engine internals. The G56 is lying on my matle piece at the moment

Thats exactly what I have done to the fridge except drilled through the sides not the door.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Riskier move drilling through the side as often pipework in there. Well done to avoid it.
I used to drink at the Guinea Pig pub in East Grinstead. So named as it was round the corner and the local for the pilots being rebuilt at the Queen vic hospital.
The patients called themselves McIndoes Guinea Pigs, sadly pub knocked down and replaced by townhouses. The hospital carries on but not sure if any Guinea pigs are still alive. I worked on a few in my time there, but they were all old heroes.