I've got my dad back in the UK on the lookout for one for me. With the (sadly) large number of pubs closing down there are bound to be a few floating around, and the cost of shipping it over is likely to be less than the ludicrous sums I've seen them selling for on TradeMe.
If I get one via this route I'll let you know what the costs are like, and how successful the exercise is.
Martin
My dad has come through for me! He has found a source of Ancram beer engines in the UK and has picked up one for me for 50 pounds (I guess about $140 at current exchange rates). He's currently looking into shipping costs. My old man has sent me the photo below, which is a bit naff but appears to show a near-mint Ancram beer engine. The guy who got this one for my dad has more available if people are interested.
Brendon did the leg work. I'm pretty sure he found these guys great to deal with.
I can totally recommend the quality of the product. Well worth the $350 - or so - that I paid for them.
For those DIY inclined people you can also consider trying to fudge something out of a caravan/marine water pump. I actually bought one but them acquired the beer engines.
I was also thinking, Mike, you can get 5litre water jerry cans from the supermarket which could be the go also? Not sure about the taps on some of them but if you find one with a barrel tap youre in business!
I had prepared two bottles, one 750ml and one 2.25 litres (the smaller one as a test) which had no secondary fermentation in the bottle.
Experimented a little, but found that if you set the weedsprayer to "stream" (not spray) and position the nozzle just above the level of the beer as it rises in the glass, you get the best effect: a reasonable head on the beer.
We thought it ended up tasting like flat beer with a head, but the majority of guests didn't seem to mind. Or were too polite to say anything negative :)
The impact of wandering around with a weedsprayer topping up people's glasses was worth it though!
Of course you can do the pint-by-pint option by using a syringe too (preferably a clean one, rather than one you used earlier in the evening for heroin - similar advice applies to the weedsprayer, nothing like round-up to knock the hop character out of your pale ale).
Im actualy about to use my weed sprayer tonight I might Put a bit of RIS in it as it should knock over the weed like it knocked over my father on Friday night then once im finished I will fill my glass brilliant!!