So I recently got a stout tap and beer gas mix, I am brewing a Fullers ESB clone in the next two weeks (currently waiting for my kolsch to drop clear and it’s close), so I plan on putting it on Nitro served through the stout tap, carbed at 1.5 vols of Co2. I have been looking at getting a beer engine some time when I have the cash, but wanted everyone, or at least someone’s opinion who may have experience with it, is it worth spending 600-1000$ on a beer engine, or will my nitro get close enough to not waste the money? I’ve read it both ways all over the web so I’m kind of stuck in the middle still. Any input would be awesome!
Totally a matter of your preference. I get a metallic taste out of beers served on nitro, so I tend to avoid them. I think the texture of nitro is different from beer engine pulls but I don’t mind it. I’d say try burning through a couple kegs on your stout tap and decide whether you think it’s close enough. Setting up a beer engine (especially if you’re sourcing casks and/or a breather) isn’t cheap to say the least. If you’re happy with the pours on the stout tap, I’d consider a beer engine a total luxury purchase.
Thank you! And my plan if I do it was engine/breather/check valve to my corny keg. The problem with deciding if it’s close enough is I have never had a beer from a beer engine! I’ve been looking around my area and while there are more local breweries than I can count on all my appendages, I have not found one that serves beer on an engine
Cask beer was a big thing with craft breweries in the early 2010s and fell off. The good news is it’s starting to come back slowly so you might see a beer engine pop up on a bar top nearby in the next couple years. If you have any British inspired breweries or bars in the area, they’ll probably be first to jump in if they haven’t already.
I really can’t give a better answer than you need to find a beer engine in use somewhere and try it for yourself. As you’ve seen online opinions vary wildly about cask beer and beer engine vs. nitro and it’s 100% a matter of preference. Snagging a beer engine was very much worth it to me but I really like cask beer and the character a beer engine provides.
That’s kind of where I’ve been at, wait and keep looking for one at a local brewery to try it first, I just wanted to get more direct and fresh opinions on the matter. The Swan neck and sparkler/look of the pour is very appealing to me aesthetically, just not quite enough to justify the purchase until I try it first!
Nitro serving was basically a way of mimicking the beer engine. Personally, I’d rather have the beer engine. You should be able to buy one new for under $500 btw.
I procured a nitro tap and a beer gas canister to “mimic” the cask pour, but it isn’t the same thing - not bad, just different. I have considered a beer engine, but I don’t think I would go the whole cask route with soft and hard spiles, breather, etc…There is a brewpub that I frequent and it has a stand-alone beer engine on a kegerator that holds one cask (they use a stainless cask, hooked up with a floating dip tube and some other device to dispense at about 56F).
I did find Harry Masons Aston pulls for 250ish, shipping to my location is 115$ if that is what you’re talking about, that is viable yet still pretty steep of a price but definitely better comparing to the competition I’m finding. Does anyone have experience with a Harry masons engine? I always only see people talking about the Angrams. Also, does anyone have opinions or input on the cylinder less pumps?
Second that on the cask, I think that’s just for show at that point and the casks are expensive, from what I’m reading the real benefit to “cask” ale is just from the engine itself and a quality designed and executed recipe.
Second that on the cask, I think that’s just for show at that point and the casks are expensive, from what I’m reading the real benefit to “cask” ale is just from the engine itself and a quality designed and executed recipe.
I have a beer engine (it’s at a small brewery, not at home) and I love it. It shares some similarities to nitro, sure, but it’s far superior in the long run. I have a cask breather (sorry CAMRA lol) and the cask will stay good for well over a week. But that is the downside–you have to drink it fairly quick as opposed to nitrogen.
But, hell yeah it kicks ass! I put and ESB on cask Friday. It’s terrific (If I do say so myself 
).
That’s awesome! That’s a nice set up. Maybe you could snag it of the bar and send it to me for testing….
HAHAHAHAHA! Sure thing!
An update, I found a beer engine online, shipped and delivered totalling $414. With taxes showing up in the bank account I pulled the trigger. Doesn’t hurt to have co2, nitro, and engine [emoji2373]. Only way to find out if I like it is go for it. If it’s not for me at least it will be pretty sitting attached to my “bar” not much of a bar yet just a stainless table next to my keezer. Someday I have plans to build a nice in home pub…
If anyone is interested it is a pint365 by masons. Seeing a lot of good stuff on it and one of the few with a few videos on it, this unit has a built in demand valve, and can be hooked to a keg at low psi directly so I thought it was meant to be!
I figured I might as well give it a shot lol
Wow I missed the pic of the ESB. That looks very tasty and nice pour on it. Dang I am excited to try my engine out when I get it.
I think you are gonna love it. The cask breather is well worth the $65 investment. Also, I highly recommend the “cask widge” that allows you to use the cask straight up and down as opposed to on its side. It’s far superior to the side configuration.
https://www.casksupply.com/34-BSP-Thread-Flexible-Ale-Extractor-Firkin-Size_p_188.html
So I will be serving out of a corny keg with about 2-4 psi of pressure on it, I myself at home can’t get through 5 gallons of beer in a week. My wife and I both love our beer but that’s a recipe for some failing livers lol. Trying to extend the life of the beer. I do plan on purchasing some bag in box bags, to try out. I see over in UK they are very popular for at home cask ale on engines
Yep. That makes sense! But you could get the cask breather and the set up I suggested down the road if you got the itch. The cask breather does pretty much the same thing (replaces the head space of the cask with Co2). That way you can do both.
I think I will some day down the road if I have the cash, just for the more authentic feel of it. The breather is just that diaphragm that you have to install a certain direction with the arrow down or whichever way right? That just replaces the headspace at atmospheric pressure doesn’t it? So there’s never any extra pressure in the head space if I’m not mistaken