Cask Vs. Keg

Sorry I should have been more descriptive. I was asking how common it is to have steeping herbs/spices/hops.

 

Lots are dry hopped in the cask, anything else is pretty rare still

 

Hops quite often ,thankfully herbs and spices hardly ever. I've never felt that any decent beer needs propping up , I like beer to taste of beer
Regarding numbers the norm in our country pubs ( I live in a rural area ) is three to six pumps.

 

I should have read more carefully.

 

I recently had some Zombie Dust on cask and it tasted of mildew. Pretty sure that was a flaw, not me. I've had other cask APAs and didn't get that flavor before. I've also had my fair of ZD over the past couple of years.

Cask is an interesting experience but I almost always prefer the keg version (more to do with the carbonation than the temp). The only exception I can think of is a bitter.

 

I'm not joking. Tetley's Mild really was wonderful served that way. I've had the beer every way: economiser, electric, handpump no sparkler, gravity and keg. Economiser was way the best and clearly the sort of dispense the beer had been designed for.

 

I think the economiser is a little misunderstood.
Tetley's Mild is still brewed though by Banks's. Still good; the Bitter from Wolverhampton is excellent and there's no reason why the Mild shouldn't be. Whether it reaches the dizzy heights of the stuff you remember is a different matter.

 

Your "joke" has run it's course and is now tiresome.

Please go away.

 

Um? How can I convince you this isn't a joke?

I'm sad enough to have written a couple of times about my love of Tetley's Mild through an economiser:

http://barclayperkins.blogspot.nl/2007/09/pint-of-mild-please.html
http://barclayperkins.blogspot.nl/2008/05/mild-memories.html

There's probably more but it's almost time for my tea and there's some Abt that needs drinking.

 

What was an enjoyable and interesting discussion of the use of sparklers got sidetracked by your highly unusual and, I suspect, solitary obsession with Tetley Mild and economisers. I should have stopped awhile back. Like whatever you want. The only thing I will discuss any further is sparklers use on ales other than Tetleys.

 

Cask beer, mmmm! I wish I'd see more cask beer regularly here in the States.


I just had these beauts and some others on cask the other day...




I'm Dirty Bastard with Maple Syrup, Cinnamon and Vanilla Beans

I'm Porter with Black Walnuts and Bourbon-Soaked Oak Chips

I'm Dirty Bastard with Bourbon-Soaked Raisins and Vanilla Beans

I'm All Day IPA with Amarillo and Simcoe Hops

I'm Red's Rye IPA with Orange Extract

I'm Porter with Dark Chocolate and Vanilla Beans

I'm Centennial IPA with Bourbon-Soaked Oak Chips

I'm Porter with Bourbon-Soaked Raisins and Cinnamon

I'm Sarsaparilla Porter

I'm Dirty Bastard with Bourbon-Soaked Apricots and Ginger

I'm Porter with Chocolate and Coconut Extract

 

The sparkler is not necessary, unless you want to slightly enhance the aroma at the expense of the natural carbonation and texture. A modern invention to rip off pub customers in the UK by giving them an unnaturally big head (80% air in the head). Throw it in the bin - or as I have done, tie a string to it and use as a cat play toy.

 

I quite like Lees Mild through a sparkler.

 

Nice try.

 

Looks awesome and looks like you got your money's worth.

 

Black Sheep Best Bitter is superb through a sparkler. And that's definitely how the brewery want it served.

 

Couldn't agree more. Being in a cask really dials down the bite and aroma from hoppy beers. Sometimes, easing up a bit on bitterness (if that even happens...it appears to) is good, but muting the wonderful aroma of an aromatic, hoppy beer is never a good thing IMO and it's always been the case in my experience. I've had many IPAs on cask over the years and just can't bring myself to enjoy it more than keg or bottle.

For many of the other styles listed (stout, mild, bitter...), I really do enjoy cask and also strongly agree with posters who are saying it's usually underdone or not done well in the US.

 

If you ever get a chance to drink an IPA where hops are added to the firkin, that is a worthwhile beer to drink. The vast majority IPAs that I had on cask (and there were many) were not dry hopped in the firkin. I once had a Rock Bottom IPA on cask that was brewed specifically for the Yards Real Ale Invitational event that was dry hopped in the firkin, that particular beer was a real treat.

Cheers!

 

I regularly go to the Brick House in South Plainfield NJ. For the last couple months,, they've had Carton of Milk, a dry stout. It's low alcohol (4 % ABV), but it works; it's great. I don't know if it has a breather or a blanket on it. But it's usually qiuite fresh and tasty. In the past they've has Cricket Hill Hopnotic, River Horse Scotch Ale, Albita IPA and Weyerbacher Winter which were all good. They haven't had much success with Sly Fox Country Bitter.

 

here in chicago if there is a cask available i will try it first generally. if i enjoy my pint and the cask has been well kept i usually stick to it. i enjoy the mouthfeel and the temp. it also seems to make me less gassy without teh extra carbonation. i hate the trend just to throw anything and everything on cask tho. kinda feel like the classic english styles work best, but to each their own. i just wish there were more available near me.