National Homebrew Club Ireland

Buy & Sell => For Sale => Topic started by: CARA on March 30, 2014, 12:07:54 PM

Title: 9 Gallon Plastic CASKS
Post by: CARA on March 30, 2014, 12:07:54 PM
Manufactured by Global Polymer Solutions. Priced at cost €45 each. Collection from Tipp or delivery at your expense. Quite a few of these available but they are also listed elsewhere. Any questions please fire away.
Title: Re: 9 Gallon Plastic CASKS
Post by: Greg2013 on March 30, 2014, 12:25:52 PM
Any pics so we can see what we are dealing with ?  ;D
Title: Re: 9 Gallon Plastic CASKS
Post by: irish_goat on March 30, 2014, 01:25:43 PM
Pics here. http://www.globalpolymersolutions.co.uk/plastic-casks/greencask.html
Title: Re: 9 Gallon Plastic CASKS
Post by: Greg2013 on March 30, 2014, 04:21:51 PM
Looks great, now i am not familiar with cask operation so i am assuming i would need some sort of pump system to get the beer out of these ? Also i am assuming you can carbonate your brew in these as well ? ;D
Title: Re: 9 Gallon Plastic CASKS
Post by: irish_goat on March 30, 2014, 04:28:48 PM
You can buy a beer engine cheap enough or you can just simply put a tap into it, like this.

(http://newyork.seriouseats.com/images/20100927casks.jpg)

Thing is the beer will only last about 5-10 days (depending on the style/ABV) once you've tapped it so you'd need to be having a party or something to get through it all in time.

You can prime them just like you would bottle prime.
Title: Re: 9 Gallon Plastic CASKS
Post by: Tom on March 30, 2014, 04:30:45 PM
Gravity dispense is the cheapest option, but you'd still need:

Cask (and some sort of stand -stillage)
Shives, keystones, hard and soft spiles (or if you already have gas, a cask aspirator (€40) and a LOW psi regulator
Tap with downturn spout (about €15) or a beer engine for about €60 (edit: and a tap as well!)
3/8 (I think) PVC tube.
And a thirst or a party, as without a cask aspirator you'll need it drunk in a couple of days.

You can naturally carbonate in the cask, though I'd shy away from force carbing!

I'm interested Dec. Is there a rush on shifting these?

Edit: Thomas (Irish Goat) is the cellerman here!
Title: Re: 9 Gallon Plastic CASKS
Post by: Greg2013 on March 30, 2014, 04:36:02 PM
Ah not so simple so, did not realise i would need all that extra gear to operate these, pity ;)
Title: Re: 9 Gallon Plastic CASKS
Post by: Greg2013 on March 30, 2014, 04:53:29 PM
Quote from: Tube on March 30, 2014, 04:51:46 PM
Its also 40 odd litres, which is not really homebrew capacity for most people.

No i agree, just saw a good simple video on youtube from a UK brewery showing how to setup and tap a cask, seems simple but i did not realise they were such a large capacity  :(
Title: Re: 9 Gallon Plastic CASKS
Post by: hurleyci on March 31, 2014, 12:02:39 AM
I'm confused here, if you were to prime these like a bottle, why would you need all that other stuff? Granted, I have no idea what a shive, keystone or spile is.

If, hypothetically, one was to buy these, taps and had brews this capacity, could you not fill this, prime it, leave it condition and then tap it when you're having a party a few months down the line?!
Title: Re: 9 Gallon Plastic CASKS
Post by: Greg2013 on March 31, 2014, 01:46:33 AM
Quote from: hurleyci on March 31, 2014, 12:02:39 AM
I'm confused here, if you were to prime these like a bottle, why would you need all that other stuff? Granted, I have no idea what a shive, keystone or spile is.

If, hypothetically, one was to buy these, taps and had brews this capacity, could you not fill this, prime it, leave it condition and then tap it when you're having a party a few months down the line?!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlxgJ6HI6vQ
Title: Re: 9 Gallon Plastic CASKS
Post by: irish_goat on March 31, 2014, 09:37:26 AM
Quote from: hurleyci on March 31, 2014, 12:02:39 AM
I'm confused here, if you were to prime these like a bottle, why would you need all that other stuff? Granted, I have no idea what a shive, keystone or spile is.

If, hypothetically, one was to buy these, taps and had brews this capacity, could you not fill this, prime it, leave it condition and then tap it when you're having a party a few months down the line?!

Shives and keystones are essentially like your bottle caps, you need to buy new ones every time but they're dirt cheap to buy if you get a big bag. The bog standard way of doing is just like you described, brew 40+ litres, fill the cask and then whack a tap into it a few months later. Buying a beer engine with give you a better pint (and look cooler in your house).
Title: Re: 9 Gallon Plastic CASKS
Post by: hurleyci on April 03, 2014, 07:03:22 PM
That's deadly! Is anyone else thinking about buying these? Get any prices on the other stuff that's needed? Shives, keystones, taps, etc? I would be very interested in buying 1 or 2 of these!!
Title: Re: 9 Gallon Plastic CASKS
Post by: Tom on April 03, 2014, 08:18:28 PM
I'm definitely interested. I love cask dispense, and so far I'm doing a Heath Robinson affair with an old plastic pressure barrel and my lovely shiny beer engine. I also have a cupboard that is actually cellar temperature. The house WANTS me to do it.

The shives, spiles and keystones come in multipacks. 100 spiles are a tenner sterling, 25 keystones are another tenner, 25 shives also. So that's £40 for 25 casks.
A tap is another tenner, plus whatever method you need after that, so gravity is a downturn spout for £8, or a tap-pipe threaded nut thing is a quid or so. Hop filter, beer line, beer engine, if you have CO2 already then a low PSI regulator and a cask breather (now we're getting into silly money, but apparently an LPG regulator does the same thing at a fraction of the cost).

So yeah, all in all, go for it and be happy for the rest of your days.
Title: Re: 9 Gallon Plastic CASKS
Post by: Tom on April 03, 2014, 08:18:58 PM
PS: Yes I am probably going to own one of these very soon.
Title: Re: 9 Gallon Plastic CASKS
Post by: hurleyci on April 03, 2014, 09:32:29 PM
Before you buy any is there any possibility of a group buy? Even just on the small stuff like shives spiles and keystones?! Just to keep down initial costs I wouldn't mind buying small amounts of these!
Title: Re: 9 Gallon Plastic CASKS
Post by: CARA on April 03, 2014, 09:55:31 PM
I can supply everything else btw. Get a list together and I'll give you a price.
Title: Re: 9 Gallon Plastic CASKS
Post by: hurleyci on April 03, 2014, 09:59:09 PM
You can supplyAll the shives and stuff? Taps? Where are you based?
Title: Re: 9 Gallon Plastic CASKS
Post by: hurleyci on April 03, 2014, 10:00:02 PM
Also has anyone looked into delivery of these yokes?!
Title: Re: 9 Gallon Plastic CASKS
Post by: CARA on April 04, 2014, 09:45:28 PM
All gone :) I've kept a few if Hurley or Tom are still interested