Cask Appreciation: Piston or Gravity Dispense

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by M-Fox24, Nov 8, 2022.

  1. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Hmm, is the next new 'gimmick' selling uncarbonated beer to your beer customers? If so, my 'vote' is this will be a short lived thing.

    Cheers!
     
  2. galttfwo

    galttfwo Devotee (363) Jan 2, 2007 New Jersey

    Less of a gimmick and more of a trying to emulate a very old style / method of serving.
    Not going to work for 99.99% of beers out there, but for young lambic or lambic inspired beers, it can really be quite nice. Had both Cantillon and Boon lambics served still from the barrel and both were lovely. The feel of the beer goes way into the wine side of things, using the acidity and the extremely low finishing gravity to provide the balance.

    That said, not 100% sure what the Referend is doing with this would be appropriate in the "Cask" conversation, as there is no secondary fermentation happening.
     
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  3. M-Fox24

    M-Fox24 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,941) Mar 17, 2013 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    James covered this awhile back, as applied to spontaneous fermentation:

    “It is our aim to explore the full spectrum of carbonation levels afforded to us…Breweries in America are only recently recovering from the prevailing idea that a still beer is a flat beer, a flawed beer that failed to carbonate in spite of the brewer's intentions”
     
  4. M-Fox24

    M-Fox24 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,941) Mar 17, 2013 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Didn’t correlate with the above, so a second post to address what is fairly common stateside & what Deven & Avara alluded to in an earlier post

     
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  5. AlcahueteJ

    AlcahueteJ Grand Pooh-Bah (3,242) Dec 4, 2004 Massachusetts
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Did you have these at Moeder Lambic?
     
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  6. galttfwo

    galttfwo Devotee (363) Jan 2, 2007 New Jersey

    Unfortunately no. (some day though). Ages ago, they both sold unblended lambic in bag in the boxes and a few made it to Philly area during the 2010 Lambic Summit.

    edit to my original comment, I meant "still, as it was from the barrel", not "still, straight from the barrel". sorry for any confusion.
     
  7. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    I am with you here. From my perspective Cask Ale is a beer that is naturally carbonated within the serving vessel (e.g., a firkin).

    Cheers!
     
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  8. AlcahueteJ

    AlcahueteJ Grand Pooh-Bah (3,242) Dec 4, 2004 Massachusetts
    Society Pooh-Bah

    It's a helluva place, I've been. Book the trip now!
     
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  9. M-Fox24

    M-Fox24 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,941) Mar 17, 2013 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Per OP -

    The exception/leeway here pertains to the spontaneous nature -

     
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  10. M-Fox24

    M-Fox24 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,941) Mar 17, 2013 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Introductory Notes:

    Pete will be stillaging at NERAX (i.e. cellarman), and is bringing 4 real ales: two being collaborations. Harkins will also be on the floor to stir up conversation + part of an industry panel/discussion to discuss cask treatment. Albeit, that panel is not accessible to the general public. Moreover, plans on hosting NERAX North - discussed in an earlier post - are in the near future…when construction is finalized

    Outside of NERAX - there is an impending collaboration with Airline


    ---

    • Backbeat
    • Massachusetts, USA
    • 6xBeer Engines
      • 5xActive
      • Cask-conditioned
      • Cask Tapped: March 24, 2023
      • Visit: March 25, 2023
    • Burton Ale: Fay’s Fancy
      • ABV: 4.3%
      • Aspirator: Yes
      • Sparkler: No
      • Pints: 1
        • Visuals: 6
    • English-style Pale Ale (ESB): Above the Norm
      • ABV: 4.9%
      • Aspirator: Yes
      • Sparkler: No
      • Pints: 1
        • Visuals: 1

    ---

    Burton Ale:

    [​IMG]
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    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
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    [​IMG]



    ESB:

    [​IMG]
     
  11. M-Fox24

    M-Fox24 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,941) Mar 17, 2013 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Trader

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  12. AlcahueteJ

    AlcahueteJ Grand Pooh-Bah (3,242) Dec 4, 2004 Massachusetts
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Love that place, I go frequently. Gentile is a stone's throw away and will also often have casks on.
     
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  13. M-Fox24

    M-Fox24 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,941) Mar 17, 2013 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Gentile has the occasional gravity tapping…hoped they’d apply that to the ‘Boddingtons Pub Ale’ replica with BB; however, they decided on the cask emulator -



    [​IMG]
     
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  14. AlcahueteJ

    AlcahueteJ Grand Pooh-Bah (3,242) Dec 4, 2004 Massachusetts
    Society Pooh-Bah

  15. AlcahueteJ

    AlcahueteJ Grand Pooh-Bah (3,242) Dec 4, 2004 Massachusetts
    Society Pooh-Bah

    More local cask for Boston! Been awhile since Idle Hands has had a cask.

    [​IMG]
     
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  16. M-Fox24

    M-Fox24 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,941) Mar 17, 2013 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Short video taken at BB -

    [​IMG]
     
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  17. M-Fox24

    M-Fox24 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,941) Mar 17, 2013 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    “The idea that it’s just older clientele drinking cask and the younger clientele not drinking it is not true anymore. There’s also a lot of discussion about the fact a lot of customers don’t actually know the difference between cask and keg" - Fergus Fitzgerald Adnams


    Fitzgerald emphases cask within two days over the three day window, discusses the investment made in cellar management & training across team members (e.g. sales team capability/knowledge), current market + the detrimental effects on the category, when ‘real ale’ goes wrong…

     
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  18. AlcahueteJ

    AlcahueteJ Grand Pooh-Bah (3,242) Dec 4, 2004 Massachusetts
    Society Pooh-Bah

    With all the innovation in brewing in the US, I wonder if someone could recreate the cask experience but increase shelf stability.

    And I don't mean using cask breathers or nitro.
     
  19. M-Fox24

    M-Fox24 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,941) Mar 17, 2013 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Trader

  20. AlcahueteJ

    AlcahueteJ Grand Pooh-Bah (3,242) Dec 4, 2004 Massachusetts
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Idle Hands Valley Mild on gravity cask

    [​IMG]
     
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