where can i buy barrels of Lager from

[alexstoneage]

well just about to build my own bar in my house and my not sure on the roots to take to get Lager in barrels also on how to fit the system in any help. i would be very greatfull

[Wurzul]

I wouldn't advise trying to put a barrel of lager in your house.  To dispense it you need co2 (750 psi bottle pressure) or mixed gas (2500 psi bottle pressure)  pressure valves to then regulate the gas (most kegs will explode above 60 psi, quite lethal), a flash cooler (or it froths all over the place) plus, once beer and lager kegs are opened (connected up and dispensed from) only have FIVE days shelf life.  Also, you have to clean the lines to the taps every 7 days to get the yeast and proteins from the beer out, or it goes cloudy in the lines, and you need to use a lethal chemical which is chlorinated caustic alkali, which you need to be trained how to use.  If ingested it will kill you in a matter of hours by burning from your stomach outwards.  My advise would be to stick to cans and just pick up an old lager counter mount at a boot sale to make the bar look real. How would I know any of this?  I'm been a tech services fitter for 26 years.

[alexstoneage]

ok thanks for that

[scubadiver]

Its not lager, but most real ale brewers will sell smallish kegs of beer in various sizes, that are ideal for home use

[Buenchico]

(Posted in 2 parts because of length):

Wurzul seems determined to get you worried! I've worked in and run loads of bars in my time, including holding the licence in some. Some of those bars have been in small sports clubs, etc, with volunteer staff. So how long does it take to teach a 75 year old volunteer pensioner everything there is to know about changing kegs and changing the gas? About 2 minutes at the outside! OK, you've got to get the system installed first but that's no problem.

Step 1: Find a small, local brewery. It doesn't matter that they only brew real ale - they'll almost certainly distribute lager as well (and, being a small concern, they'll probably be happy to help you. I've had a local brewery get a brewer in Hamburg to pay for fitters in London to make a 150 mile round trip just so that we could sell one keg a month of their product - all done for free).

Step 2: Explain your requirements to the brewery and let them install the equipment. (Wurzul is correct to say that there are dangers but these are no greater than having a domestic gas supply installed in your house. You trust the Corgi-registered guy to do his work properly and, after that, it's completely safe).

Step 3: Order your lager (and gas).

Step 4 : Connect it up. (It's as easy as connecting a gas bottle to a camping stove).

Step 5 : Drink & enjoy.

Step 6: Every 7 days, clean the lines. (OK, you should be trained to use the cleaning product - just ask the brewery. Time taken to train someone? Another 2 minutes!)

[Buenchico]

(2nd part):

And shelf life? Yes, I know some breweries might give a 5 day guideline but I'd defy anyone to tell me the difference between a pint of lager from a 'fresh' keg and one which is a month old! (I've ordered a keg of lager before now which sat around for a few weeks before being connected up in a bowls club bar. It was the end of the season and only a third of the keg was drunk in the last few days before the clubhouse closed over the winter months. Over 2 months later, a pub I worked in ran out of lager so I collected the part used keg and attached it to the lines in the pub. Result? A perfect pint of lager!)

Don't let Wurzul worry you! Definitely get the system professionally installed - after all, you wouldn't let a novice fit a gas cooker would you? - but then sit back and enjoy your lager!

Chris

[Artemis]

Can understand where Wurzul is coming from as I've been in the licensed trade for 30 years. But as Buenchico says get expert advice. It's not rocket science but compressed gas and pressurised kegs can be dangerous. Do it right and you can have a lifetime of pleasant drinking at home.

[Wurzul]

Yes, Buenchico, it's NOT rocket science.  However, I would hate to have a repeat of an incident that happened 5 years ago when a taxi driver on the south coast tried to set himself a bar up.  He didn't get the right advice and connected an oxygen bottle to the keg to dispense the beer.  He came round in hospital minus his right arm! You MUST get a qualified person to install the gas system. Please note, NO brewer will install anything in someone's house.  The brewer will be responsible under the brewers 'code of practice' (a legal requirement) for the safety of the gas system. So you've held the license in some bars have you? When did YOU take the H.A.B. or B.I.I. acreditation? That's the qualification that says you're safe to run a bar and understand the dangers of untrained people installing this kit.  On a lighter note;- a couple of years ago there were small shelf coolers knocking about that had their own built-in compressors to dispense the beer with.  They were great, but dissappeared into the great unknown.  They're out there somewhere. As for the shelf life, beer or lager cannot be of guaranteed quality once it's been opened too long, as it absorbs the gas and the yeast in it starts to grow again, but there are small 30ltr kegs about.  You can buy those from wholesellers (Beerseller etc). Look around for a brewery fitter and see if he knows where one of these coolers is and then cross his palm with silver to make sure you're safe and to train you to clean the lines. THEN you can sit back and enjoy!

[Buenchico]

Wurzul: Let's not fall out! What you, I and Artemis have all agreed on is that professional installation is required. (I'm sure none of us want AlexStoneAge to blow himself up!!).

I could name at least 2 brewery companies (in Suffolk) and one independent firm of bar fitters (London-based) who would be happy to install the equipment in someone's home. They would probably either insist on the homeowner entering into a maintenance contract with them or ask the homeowner to sign a disclaimer saying that they will take responsibility for ensuring that any future maintenance is carried out by a properly trained person but they would still do the work.

All I've been trying to say is that installation is difficult and potentially dangerous but using the system is an absolute doddle.

Chris

[can-b-done]

tempory and home bars are installed often mainly through the brewer as described by eddie51 but most independant dispense companies can sort u out no probs. training nessesary but not rocket science, if the equiptment is be installed permanent by a enginneer then all pressures and dispense speeds would be set to spec.all thats left is the maintenance of equiptment ie cleaning of pipes and occaisional cleaning of vent on flash cooler.not sure how much u could end up spending as this stuff isnt cheap, ive got it all at home built ready for christmas 2003 but never used which wasnt a loss to me because like wurzul im in the trade. although having draft beer in your home or garden can look the part, for all that hassel you might be better spending the money on another source of entertainment and just get a load of crates from the off licence.only large events such as weddings etc ever seem to benefit from outside bars.