That has been my consistent experience obtaining cask ales in England and Scotland but I must confess that I never conscientiously watched the pouring technique. Have you? For example, is it possible that upon the initial pour there is a substantial head but the beertender let's it settle out and then 'top off' with another draw(s) to result in a final product of a small(er) head? Cheers!
The 1cm/10mm metric is commonly misconstrued stateside (i.e. unnoticed). Granted, one could top-up if desired, yet the intention was to maintain some aromatics without the add-on. Reasoning: to compare not just feel, but sense. Nonetheless, the task at hand was if the malt profile could separate…standalone without perishing the hop effect -- Old video, but noteworthy considering the topic at hand…Cask Marque follows Cicerone guidelines via short spout (i.e. not submerged): long spout is submerged
Fifth Hammer New York, USA 1xActive Beer Engine Cask-conditioned Cask Tapped: Jan. 6th, 2023 Visit: Jan. 7th, 2023 English-style Pale Ale (ESB): Rare Data Grains: English Maris Otter and Crystal Rye malts Hops: Simcoe and Fuggle hops ABV: 5.5% Breather: Yes (low levels) Sparkler: On Visuals: 4 ---
It depends. If the beer is very lively there may be substantial foam and the bartender can either leave it to settle or (more likely if the pub is busy, and not a practice I approve of) pour off the excess foam. British pubs like to serve customers quickly, so they are not keen on drinks that take a long time to pour. Many pubs therefore condition their cask ale to a level that means a pint can be poured quickly without creating a lot of foam. This unfortunately also means that as the cask ages the beer becomes flatter than it should be.
Yes, a part of the beer's system is the Cellarperson. From a post I made last year: "Cask Ale is not just a ‘product’ of the brewery but also of the Retailer (e.g., Pub) since the beer needs expert handling at the Retailer prior to serving the beer. The Cask will arrive to the Retailer in a soon to be ready condition but it is the responsibility of the Retailer’s Cellarperson to manage the Cask..." For a busy Pub, ideally the Cellarperson will get the cask in a proper condition for a timely pour (i.e., at the proper carbonation amount for a prompt pour). Cheers!
The point I was trying to make is that, ideally, the beer would be a bit more highly conditioned and served a bit more slowly. A well conditioned pint of cask ale should have, if you swirl it, so many tiny bubbles just below the head that it looks creamy, similar to a nitro serve. Some (many) pubs sacrifice this for speed of serving.
One change that was quickly noticed in England was that Pubs were now set up to just tap your credit card to pay. Some country pubs would make change for cash. Some would only take the exact amount in cash. Many were cashless. I saw this as a way to speed transactions, and get by with less staff behind the bar. Germany was still a cash economy in the Kneipes and breweries.
Smaller serving units for cask beer from Greene King (morningadvertiser.co.uk) "Suffolk-based brewer and pub operator Greene King has claimed to be the first major cask brewer to launch cask pins – a 4.5-gallon unit container – to market this summer following a seven-figure investment"
First chance to post here. Place: Beachwood Brewing Location: Downtown Long Beach, Alta California Details: Beer Engine, Sparkler on. Beer: Resinator IPA, Hops Idaho 7 & Mosaic. $8.50 imperial pint glass pour. Cask Tapped: Bartender said Wednesday, January 11th. Cask Poured: Thursday, January 12, 6:08 PM Verdict: It’s ok, reviewing prior draft rating, think I enjoyed the draft version better. Glass with bubbles clinging to the upper section.
FWIW, I am of the strong opinion that hoppy beers (e.g., IPAs) are best served via regular craft. Cheers!
Andy Day, who briefly spent time in England to study under cask masters (e.g. handling, serving) & who hosts the NH Real Ale Festival: Cask.On, recently sat down with Brew Roots --- “...so many people do it badly: it’s not supposed to be flat & and it’s not supposed to be warm...The problem is that anybody who doesn’t know or respect or understand how to serve cask beer is doing it badly and everyone else is thinking - Ok, cask beer is flat, warm, and gross” The conversation touches on temperature control, natural carbonation, draft equivalents - where Andy & Alana attempt to have both on per customer comparison/conversion - etc. Source: Daydreaming Brewing Co. – Brew Roots
An exclusive cask offering from a promising start-up to a distinguished outfit, which will be closing on the 29th = The last entry under the MT handle ***there’s a possibility that the hand pump stays intact, as the new owners remodel. I suppose they may also deconstruct to assemble a Czech tower Memphis Taproom Pennsylvania, USA 1xActive Beer Engine(s) Cask-conditioned Pub Visit: Jan. 13th, 2023 English-Style Dark Mild: Keen Brewery: Carbon Copy Cask Tapped: Jan. 12th 2023 Pints x2 Grains: Maris Otter & English Specialty Malts Hops: EKG ABV:3.5% - ABV below appears to be from the last cask: Duck-Rabbit Brown Ale Aspirator: No Sparkler: No Visuals: 7 Supplementary Data (Closing & Commencing): Memphis Taproom, the pioneering Kensington pub, will close after nearly 15 years (inquirer.com) Carbon Copy, a combined winery and brewery, opens in West Philadelphia (inquirer.com) Pint #1: Pint #2:
Sad “update” from Firestone Walker Propogator. The cask was shut down pre COVID, and will likely not return. I believe I had cask here prior to the discontinuance.
Guide to 2022 Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting (ajc.com) --- 17th Annual Atlanta Cask Ale Tasting - Bold Monk Brewing Company - Atlanta, GA - Sat, Jan 21, 2023 | 2:30PM - 6:00PM (bigtickets.com)
...Anstichfaß Delaware Supply New York, USA 1xGerman Gravity Dispense Cask Acquired: Jan. 19th, 2023 (Unsettled: Release Pushed) Cask Tapped/Spigoted: Jan. 20th, 2023 (Less Unsettled) Visit: Jan. 20th, 2023 Dusseldorf-inspired Altbier (German Old Beer): Estimation @ 5% Brewery: Suarez Submerged: No Pints x3 Visuals: 4 Insights: 2 Ancillaries: 1 Visuals: Insights: --- Ancillaries: Cervecería Hércules had an Altbier tapping earlier this month via wood, which provoked an intense yearning that Suarez/DS semi-relaxed per above
BTW, @M-Fox24 thanks for keeping this thread alive. Unfortunately I have little to add, fortunately there is MUCH to enjoy. And when I do get to an actual cask pub… well, let’s just say it will be with an DD.
Maintaining this thread & keeping cask awareness alive via news, events, updates, visuals…will be dodgy. So, assistance/contributions are much appreciated, as this subsection will inevitably die, considering the onsite nature. With any luck, NERAK, CASK.ON - post pandemic events - will reinvigorate the landscape --- Another pub visit pending, from today, which comes with a slight bias = one of the frontrunners, for northeast cask ale, given their flagship. Nonetheless, this was a (new) collaboration with an intense – bready – yeast characteristic at play They are working on a new space, which will initially act as a production facility; howbeit, draft lines & hand pulls are imminent…will get around to the details tomorrow, or Monday, pending time
