regulator psi adjustment

[pour-ur-own]

Hi, if i am dispensing most popular brands e.g.bud,carlsberg,guinness,heineken 1/2 keg size using bevarage air direct draw system bm23 with 25 mix gas over a 2 day period is there a diferent psi setting for each brand or is there a good average that the regulator can be set too? bye the way great forum!cheers thanks

[Scott Zuhse]

Thanks for the kudos. Guinness is the only beer you can dispense with the 25% CO2/75%N gas. All others must be dispensed with either 100% CO2 or a blend of 60% CO2/40% N. Based on your liquid temp., this will determine CO2 PSIG. Guinness should be between 28 -35 PSIG.

Scott Zuhse, Instructor Micro Matic Dispense Institute

[pour-ur-own]

very helpfull thanks.

[ANT MAN]

they drink "BUD" in ireland??

[Auld Og]

They do. I think it's actually contracted brewed, not the domestic stuff we have.

[gtpunch]

Guinness is the only beer you can dispense with the 25% CO2/75%N gas.

There are quite a few other beers that are usually nitrogen-dispensed (70-75% nitrogen): Boddingtons, Murphy's, Smithwicks, Kilkenny, Tetley's Smoothflow, Worthingtons Creamflow. All are a pale imitation of the experience of a Real Ale from a Beer Engine.

[Beer Dr]

You mention the real experience of a real ale through a beer engine, I have to admit I have limited exposure to beer engines in my area. The beer engines I have seen have been operating @ about 3 lbs. of CO2. It's my understanding that they are designed for beers that are still working. Please enlighten me if I'm wrong. A regular ale, this would not be enough CO2 to keep a keg properly carbonated throughout the keg!

[edramshaw]

Real ales are not supposed to be pushed with CO2 at all and you are right cask conditioned ales are still fermenting in the cask. A cellar person will let the secondary fermentation occur and control carbonation levels by using something called spiles. They are hammered into what is called a bung hole (yes, that is really what it is called) and allow gas to escape. Hardwood spiles will hold pressure and the soft wood allows it to escape. After perfecting the carbonation levels in the beer and allowing it to mature the beer is pulled through the system with the beer engine. The air that is allowed into the keg can cause the beer to spoil if not consumed fast enough, that is why some will push it with CO2. Bars just need to manage their casks and be certain it sells in time. The beers will change flavors too as a result of the air, it is interesting to sample the same beer at different times over a day or two. There is an organization named CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) that has a ton of stuff on their website if anyone is intersted. The website is Campaign for Real Ale

[gtpunch]

Like edramshaw said, cask real ales are generally have a low level of carbonation, and the cask needs no pressure applied- the beer engine is basically a manual pump. The beer engine is often used to push the beer through a sparkler which whips air into the beer, giving it a dense, creamy head. Sparklers aren't found everywhere in Britain though.

One small point is that to prevent the beer spoiling if not consumed fast enough many pubs use cask breathers, which don't 'push' the beer, simply replace the beer in the cask with CO2 at atmospheric pressure 'on demand' (like a scuba diving regulator). CAMRA believes that cask breathers are one step down the slippery slope to ice cold mass produced beer and disapproves of them, but in reality all that is lost is the changing character of the beer.

[Beer Dr]

Anyday you wake up and learn somthing new, it's a great day! Thanks for the info, I'll put it in the bank of knowledge! I have a large number of accounts, but have only ever had one or two that have utilized beer engines. Both of them use C02 pressure to replace the beer being removed from the barrel. I wasn't realy sure of the concept of the engine. I will go to the web site for the information. Thanks again!

[Scott Zuhse]

Yup! That is a post I would like back or should of edited. I should have stated: Quite a few gas companies are ruining the draft beer industry!

Also, I should correct the pressure statement in the post. Certain Guinness documents state 30 to 35 PSIG and others 30 -40 PSIG.

Does anyone know of any draft manuals produced for other stout / nitro products such as Boddingtons or Murphys?