Beer engine

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Beer through a sparkler

For other uses, see BEER Engine (game system).

A beer engine is a device for pumping beer, originally manually operated and typically used to dispense beer from a cask or container in a pub's basement or cellar. It was invented by the locksmith and hydraulic engineer Joseph Bramah. Strictly the term refers to the pump itself, which is normally manually operated, though electrically powered and gas powered ^[1] pumps are occasionally used; when manually powered, the term handpump is often used to refer to both the pump and the associated handle.

The visible handle activates a pump below the bar called a beer engine that pulls beer through a flexible tube to the spout, below which the glass is placed. Modern hand pumps may clamp onto the edge of the bar or be mounted in a more permanent fashion integrated with the top of the bar.

A pump clip is usually attached to the handle by a spring clip giving the name, and sometimes other details such as the brewer's name, beer type and alcoholic strength, of the beer being served through that handpump.

The handle of a handpump is often used as a symbol of cask ale, although this can also be served by electric pumps, air pressure pumps, or by gravity. By contrast, keg beer dispensers usually feature illuminated countertop fittings behind which a handle opens a valve that allows the gas pressure in the keg to force beer to the attached spout.

1 Swan neck
2 Sparkler
- 2.1 Brewery preference
3 Pump clips
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Swan neck

A swan neck^[2] is a curved spout. This is often used in conjunction with a sparkler^[3] - a nozzle containing small holes - fitted to the spout to aerate the beer as it enters the glass, giving a frothier head; this presentation style is more popular in the North of England than in the South.

Some beer drinkers, especially in the South of England, abhor swan necks: "the only swan neck I want in a pub is on a tenor saxophone" is one example of expressions deploring them.

[edit] Sparkler

Nozzles with (left), and without a sparkler

A sparkler is a device that can be optionally attached to the nozzle of a beer engine^[4]. Designed rather like a shower-head, when beer is dispensed through a sparkler, the beer becomes aerated and frothy which results in a beer that has a noticeable head on it. Some CO₂ is carried away into the head, resulting in a softer, sweeter flavour due to the loss of normal CO₂ acidity ^[5].

There is some dispute about the benefits of a sparkler. There is an argument that the sparkler can reduce the flavour and aroma, especially of the hops, in some beers ^[6]. The counter argument is that the sparkler takes away harshness ^[7].

[edit] Brewery preference

Breweries may state whether or not a sparkler is preferred when serving their beers. Generally, breweries in Northern England serve their beers with a sparkler attached and breweries in the South will serve them without, but this is by no means definitive. The Good Beer Guide indicates where a brewery has stated a preference that their beers should be served without sparklers^[8].

[edit] Pump clips

A George Gale HSB pumpclip

Pump clips are badges that are attached to handpumps in pubs to show which cask ales are available. In addition to the name of the beer served through the pump, they give other details such as the brewer's name and alcoholic strength of the beer.

They can be made of various materials. For beers that are brewed regularly by the big breweries, high quality plastic, metal or ceramic pump clips are used. Smaller breweries would use a printed plastic pump clip and for one-off beers laminated paper is used. There are exceptions on the material used, it all depends on how much the brewery wants to spend to advertise their beers at the point of sale. Pump clips have also been made of wood, slate, even stickers attached to compact discs. Older pump clips were made of enamel.

The term "pump clip" presumably originates from the clip that attaches it to the pump handle. These could consist of a two-piece plastic ring which clamps to the handle with two screws. Plastic and laminated paper pump clips usually have a white plastic clip fixed with a sticky double-sided pad that simply pushes onto the handle.