Another appreciation thread: One dedicated to cask dispense systems (graph below), for exhibiting Real – Traditional – Ales + Lagers that are in their most organic state: Unfiltered, Unpasteurized, Naturally Carbonated Ale Example (Traditional Dispense via Hand-Pull or Gravity): UK: Fullers London Pride USA: Hogshead Chin Wag Lager Example (German Gravity Dispense via Anstich): DE: Mahr’s Ungespundet USA: Notch Ungespundet Howbeit, some leeway on traditional/real ale to near truism (e.g. BIB, Cask breathers, Caskerators, Lagerbier, Lambic enrollments, Alternate techniques to natural carbonation…), as sourcing ‘true craft ale’ – post pandemic – is either scarce, or comes with an economic Markup. Essentially a subsection that’s mostly dedicated to onsite experience(s), where the pint being served is in a natural state: helpful criteria, but not necessary – Pub Name Pub Location Pub Dispense Setup/Treatment/# Pub Pint Pub Picture(s) ***Pub in this sense = Any Establishment (e.g. Lagerhaus via faß) ***repeat submissions are advocated & commended, given the nature of the thread --- Graphs (Sources: Micro Matic & Beverage Factory): --- Piston Pump: Siphoned from the pub cellar (e.g. pin/firkin) & discharged through a goose-neck (swan-neck) spout Stored: Pub Cellar Some aliases Beer Engine Piston Hand-Pump Hand-Pull Hand-Drawn Gravity Dispense: Discharged directly from the cask Stored: Pub Counter Some variations Pin/Firkin (Steel Cask): Dimensions below Bayrischer Anstich (German Gravity): Anstichfaß, Holzfaß, Stichfaß Often matured in (horizontal) lagering tanks, before the faß, as opposed to cask-conditioned ale Flexible Cask Ale - Bit overkill, but an adequate submission nonetheless Polypin/Cubitainer BIB (Bag-in-Box) --- Keywords with condensed explanations - Parts/Supplements/Modifications: Cask: Necessitates proper technique (e.g. Stainless Steel, Wood, Plastic, Aluminum) Cask-Conditioned: Maturation on active/live yeast via secondary fermentation in the cask Natural Carbonation Methods: Priming, Kräusening, Spunding Shive: Top plug (Spile placement) Tut: Temporary placement within the Shive Hard Spile: Sealing/Equalizing Soft Spile: Venting Spigot: Tap: Gravity / Threaded Tap: Piston Keystone: Rim plug (Spigot placement) Mallet: Mallet Stillage: Positions the cask (e.g. Wood, Auto/Mechanical/Spring) Priming Sugars: Supplements to assist with natural carbonation Fining Agents: Supplements to assist with forming a clear & bright beer (e.g. Isinglass) Drip Back Systems: Auto-Bac, Auto-Vac, Economiser, or Univac per Ron Pattinson (Mostly obsolete & replaced by goose/swan-neck spouts) Cask Widge: Positions the cask upright Cask Sparkler: Aerates the ale/lager to create a denser head Cask Breather: Aspirator that extends the life & prevents spoilage, which can deter the development Caskerator: Kegerator with an upright dispense system (widge) + cask breather Sizes: (Imp-gal/US-gal) Pin: 4.5/5.4 Firkin: 9/10.8 (Most Common) Kilderkin: 18/21.6 Barrel: 36/43.2 Hogshead: 54/64.9 --- Past & Upcoming Events: USA: NH - Cask.On : NH Real Ale Festival - March 20th, 2022 NY - 2022 New York State British Real Ale Festival - May 14th, 2022 CO - Hogshead Cask Fest - June 18th, 2022 OR - Spile & Spigot: a Cask Beer Fest comes to SteepleJack Brewing - June 25th, 2022 OR - Cask Fest at Away Days Brewing - October 29th, 2022 NY - Blue Point Cask Ales Festival 2022 - November 5th, 2022 CO - Hogshead Cask Fest and Chili Cook Off - November 12th, 2022 PA - Yards 2022 Real Ale Invitational - November 13th, 2022 GA - 17th Annual Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting - January 21st, 2023 CT - An Afternoon of Casks - March 26th, 2022 Overseas: Franconian Anstich Fest Spring 2022 Great British Beer Festival Summer 2022 Great British Beer Festival Winter 2023 --- Auxiliaries: CAMRA NERAX Brewers Association: Cask Ale Joseph Holt - Guide to Cask Beer and Real Ale 2022 Black Sheep - Drink Cask Beer Campaign
Odd Bird New Jersey, USA 1xActive Beer Engine Cask-conditioned Golden British-Style Pub Ale: ‘Twas Brillig Grains: Floor Malted Maris Otter, Caramalt Hops: Whole Leaf East Kent Goldings Yeast: Omega British Ale VII ABV:4.5% Priming: Yes Fining: No Breather: Yes (low/variable usage) Sparkler: On Pictures: 3 Sparkler: Off Pictures: 2 Sparkler: On Sparkler: Off
Another recent visit to – hopefully – get this thread kickstarted: Forest & Main Pennsylvania, USA 3xActive Beer Engines Cask-conditioned Smokey Pub Ale: Suspended Thoughts Grains: Maris Otter & Crystal Malts, German Smoked Barley Hops: Fuggles and Grungeist Yeast: British ale yeast ABV:4% Sparkler: Off Pictures: 2 Pub Stout: Fore and Aft Grains: Barley, British Chocolate & Roasted Malts, Golden Naked Oats Hops: Fuggles and Polaris ABV:3.6% Sparkler: Off Pictures: 2 Honey Pub Ale: Dwelling Place Grains: British Maris Otter & Crystal Rye Malts, Golden Naked Oats Hops: Fuggles and Wolf Yeast: British ale yeast Additions: Honey ABV:4% Sparkler: On Pictures: 4 Smokey Pub Ale - Sparkler: Off Pub Stout - Sparkler: Off Honey Pub Ale - Sparkler: On
To sparkle or not to sparkle, that is the question? I have had many cask pints of beer in Great Britain and the vast majority were served without a sparkler. I was told when visiting there that using a sparkler is a northern England thing. As discussed in the below linked article: “Many British beer drinkers say the debate is geographic, with the dividing line between the north and south of the country. Debenham, a southerner, says she never encounters sparklers until at least the Midlands, two-plus hours north of London.” The alleged advantage of using a sparkler is that it creates a ‘better’ head to the beer. I have had a few US brewery beers served using a sparkler and it seems to me the downside is that the sparkler ‘knocks out’ what limited CO2 is in the beer resulting in an even lower carbonated beer in the glass. From my time drinking cask ale in Great Britain I have a preference for drinking cask ales without a sparkler in place. Cheers! https://www.winemag.com/2021/03/26/sparkler-cask-ale/
I was recently in Yorkshire for 10 days and they use sparklers to put a nice head on the ale. London, nope.
Given that Yorkshire is in Northern England it stands to reason they would use sparklers there. Jeff, did you ever ask if the beertender would remove the sparkler for an non-sparkled pour? Is this a request they would honor? Do you have a preference on the pour? Do you prefer an non-sparkler pour? I have had many cask pours in England but in locations south of the Midlands (e.g., London, Cambridge, Oxford,...). I also had several cask beers in Edinburgh (Scotland) but I don't remember whether those pubs used sparklers or not. Cheers!
I never asked, they know how to serve their beers. The beers were very good North and South. I'm not sure if theyadjust carbonation in the cask for a nonsparkler beer. Went to Germany afterwards and had many biers srved Bayerisch Anstisch. At Keesmann in Bamberg they had a bock release night in the couryard, and they were serving from jockey boxes. The Hellerbock was fizzy there.
Yeah, that is a point worth considering. FWIW I have never heard during my conversations in Great Britain or via my readings whether the brewers of Northern England vs. Southern England use differing carbonation levels for their cask beers. Maybe the brewers of Northern England use a bit more carbonation for their cask beers to 'compensate' for the sparkler delivery? Cheers!
That could be true. No way of knowing. The beers around London didn't seem to have higher carbonation without the sparklers, just less head formation.
There's a lot to take in here, but I will comment only on the list of 10 'past and upcoming events' (USA), two of which I've attended. One was absolutely wonderful. A well curated list of styles appropriate to being done on cask by people who get it. And the other was not. Fruited & hazy & pastry adjunct cask beer after beer after beer. What fresh hell is this? I can see a brewery or two going off the rails, but it seemed like the whole event was designed to murder cask. "Would you like to try our... ??" "NO! You don't do that to cask. What the phuck's the matter with you?!?!" I honestly don't understand how cask got perverted so. Broke my goddamn heart.
I've definitely been to some breweries in New England where the cask is just something that they've been sitting on for a while with some adjunct thrown in the cask. Always disappointing.
Regarding sparklers - Some time ago I had the same cask beer at two different bars (two weeks apart). The top pic is from the bar that didn't use a sparkler. The bottom pic is from the bar that did. These two results might be extremes... and there are other variables in the mix besides the sparkler... but a fun (unintentional) comparison nonetheless. The head in the bottom pic was very loose and wasn't dense.
If I had them side by side and was more focused on appreciating the differences, I might have a different reaction... but under the circumstances, I can't say I found much difference. I wasn't thinking of carbonation levels at the time. I enjoyed drinking the beer w/o the sparkler a bit more. It might have felt a bit bolder in flavor, but that could have been my imagination or a result of reasons beyond the carbonation... or simply a matter of having had it first. I enjoyed the head on the sparkler version for the novelty of the presentation.
