CASK USA Beers

09/26/2019

03/02/2017

Cask-conditioned beer, often referred to as 'real ale', is brewed from only traditional ingredients and allowed to mature naturally.
The unfiltered, unpasteurized beer still contains live yeast, which continues conditioning the beer in the cask (known as 'secondary fermentation'); this process creates a gentle, natural CO2 carbonation and allows malt and hop flavors to develop, resulting in a richer tasting drink with more character than standard keg ('brewery-conditioned') beers.

Real ale is always served without any extraneous gas, usually by manually pulling it up from the cellar with a handpump (also known as a 'beer engine'). This is the traditional way of brewing and serving beer; only a few decades ago did filtered, pasteurised, chilled beer served by gas become normal.

The only place in the world where cask-conditioned beer is still commonly available is Britain.

04/07/2014

Have you ever walked into a beer bar or pub and noticed some of the taps both looked and dispensed beer differently? Or have you ever been to a beer festival, or beer event, where beer was served directly from a spigot in the side of a metal container propped up on a table? If so, then you may have already encountered cask conditioned beer. If not, then after you read this article, I hope you seek some out. What is Cask Conditioned Beer? Cask conditioned beer, or cask ale, is beer that is both conditioned in and served from a cask. Up until the beer is placed in the cask, the brewing process is exactly the same: mash, boil, ferment. After the beer finishes primary fermentation, it is placed in a cask with finings (a substance that causes particles suspended in fluid to drop out of suspension) to help clarify the beer. Often sugar will also be added to the cask to aid with the secondary fermentation, and sometimes even extra hops. The beer is then conditioned in the cask. Conditioning is the penultimate stage in the brewing process when the beer matures, clarifies and carbonates. In the case of cask conditioned beer, there is a small amount of yeast remaining in the beer that causes secondary fermentation, which carbonates the beer. The conditioning time depends on the beer style and can last between 24 hours and 16 days. Traditionally, the casks are conditioned at the pub by the publican, but can also be conditioned at the brewery and shipped out when ready. When the cask beer is ready, the yeast and other sediment settles to the bottom, the beer is carbonated and served directly from the cask. Cask ale is always unfiltered, unpasteurized and always best fresh. Some of the most common styles of beer found in a cask are English-styles: bitter, mild, brown, pale, ESB and so on. However, I have seen other styles, such as American IPA on cask like Ballast Point Sculpin IPA, and I've also tried Rogue Chocolate stout on cask. But what's the difference? Since cask conditioned ales are not filtered and not pasteurized, they contain live yeast that continues to add complexity, new flavors and new aromas to a beer. The exact differences vary from beer to beer. The texture of a cask conditioned beer on your palette is often more creamy and smooth than its non-cask counterpart. Furthermore, there are a few beers that are only available on cask. The cask is a barrel-shaped container that, in general, is longer than wide and has a bulge in the middle. Unlike a keg, a cask does not contain any valves or internal tubes; instead, it has two holes, one hole on the bulge on the side of the cask and another hole, called the bu****le, on the circle face of the cask. The hole on the side of the cask has a plastic or wooden fitting called a shive to regulate the flow of air into and CO2 out of the cask. The bu****le is the opening from which the beer is dispensed. This hole is sealed with a fitting, called a keytone, which is first thoroughly cleaned and then hammered out with a mallet to attach the tap. Up until the mid-20th century, most casks were made of wood, but now most are made from stainless steel, and a few are plastic. The most commonly sized cask is called the firkin, which holds 9 Imperial gallons, or 10.8 US gallons. Most other sizes are rarely ever seen. If you see your local brewpub or beer bar advertising "Firkin Tuesday" or "Firkin Friday," the chances are they will have cask beer available. Cask conditioned beer is dispensed directly from the cask in one of two ways. First is simply by means of gravity, or gravity dispense. The cask is laid on its side and a spigot is attached through one of the openings. If you attend a festival or special event of cask conditioned beer, this is likely what you will see. The second method for dispensing cask beer is likely what you will see at a pub that regularly serves cask ale: a beer engine, also known as a hand pump. The beer engine allows the cask to be in a remote location, preferably under the bar in the cellar (or some other temperature-controlled area). The beer engine is a pump, usually manually operated, that siphons beer into an airtight piston chamber. Pulling down on the pump raises the piston, drawing beer along with it, up through the spout into your glass. The spout is often a swan-neck spout and sometimes fitted with a "sparkler" to aerate the beer and create a more foamy head. Since beer sits in the piston between servings, good pubs will discard the first pull of the day. Cask Ale Should Not Be Warm and Flat Most of the time we drink our beer too cold. The first reason is practical: the colder the beer, the easier to dispense on draft without a glass full of foam. Another reason can be to cover up any off-putting flavors. Ice-cold beer is harder to smell and to taste but as it warms up, a beer can reveal a beautiful bouquet of malt and hops, or it can reek like the floor of a dank pub. The ideal temperature for beer depends on what you're drinking, but the ideal temperature for a beer on cask is most certainly not ambient temperature and not warm. Instead, it should be cellar temperature, which is about 50 - 55ºF, and well under room temperature of 67-72ºF. Good pubs will serve cask beer at the proper temperature. Try Cask Conditioned Beer If your first cask conditioned beer is not handled properly, you probably won't have a good experience. It should be fresh, cool (not warm, not cold), carbonated, not flat, and with a head textured more like soap bubbles than foam. A great way to try many cask conditioned beers at the same time is to attend a festival like Casks and Quesos or Festival of Firkins, which take place during San Francisco Beer Week each year. If you seek out cask ale at your local beer bar or pub, be sure to find a place that both has high turnover on their cask conditioned beer and stores and handles it properly. In San Francisco, try Magnolia Pub and Brewery, Toronado, or Public House. In Denver, try Falling Rock Taphouse. In New York City, try The Ginger Man or The Blind Tiger. In Toronto, try barVolo, who is also encouraging other Toronto bars to serve and properly handle cask ale. If you're having trouble finding a spot with cask ale, just send me a message on Twitter and I'll try to find somebody to help you out. Related Links from the Menuism.com Beer Blog: • All About Belgians: A Guide to Belgian Beer Styles • 15 Craft Beers to Try Before You Die All About Cask Conditioned Beer originally published on the Menuism.com Beer Blog. David Jensen is based out of San Francisco and is the primary writer and photographer for Beer 47, a blog focused on craft beer, beer events, cooking with beer and homebrewing. In addition to the blog, you can frequently find David on Twitter as , tweeting interesting news and sparking up conversations about craft beer while sipping his favorite Double IPA. By day David is a software engineer for a small Internet company.

04/07/2014

Next time you’re at a bar and see a beer “on cask,” order it: The bartender will pull a traditional hand pump or beer engine, and out will pour beer that’s a bit warmer than what you’re used to—between 53 and 57 degrees F—and texturally different than kegged or packaged beer. Cask ale matures in the same wood, steel or plastic vessel it’s served from, so the beer isn’t filtered or pasteurized; that living, breathing yeast keeps the beer fermenting and developing until it hits your glass. And casks are nearly synonymous with firkins; the latter is a cask that measures a quarter-barrel, or about 41 liters.

04/06/2014

If so, please sign up below! (We promise not to sell or give your information to anyone else, nor will we bombard you with a ton of e-mail, either!) The red center is the tut, which is replaced with a spile when a cask is gravity fed The wooden shive will swell to fill the hole completely A full firkin, with the keystone In keeping with the Heavy Seas mission—to supply beer drinkers with the finest flavors and aromas we can conjure up—we concentrate especially on cask-conditioned ale. With close to six hundred casks in our keep, we believe we are the largest producer of cask ale in the United States. Beer Alchemy This old and once-neglected serving method delivers fresh, live beer to the consumer: before it’s filtered, carbonated, or kegged, the beer is racked, or siphoned, into a cask. Krausen—unfermented wort—is added to the unfinished beer. Then, the vessel is sealed off, and the beer matures within the cask. The process transforms the aroma, flavor, and mouthfeel of the ale inside, creating a brew at once unknown and familiar. When cellared, the yeast in the cask settles to the bottom, resulting in a bright, clear glass of beer when served. Cask ale should be served at cellar temperature, between 50 and 55°. This opens up the beer’s aroma and flavor all the more. The gentle, natural carbonation creates a creamier mouthfeel. Atmospheric oxygen, entering the cask as beer is drawn from it, subtly alters the flavor, transforming the ale with each pour. Wooden Casks & Fresh Hops Sometimes, the vessel itself can alter the taste of a beer. In our collection of casks, we possess 11 wooden barrels. These barrels vary in age and make: American or European oak, toasted or untoasted wood, converted from wine or whiskey barrels. Wooden casks like these bring history and flavor nuances to the beer. Our brewers fill and flavor all Heavy Seas’ casks. They cultivate a treasure trove of fresh, local hops. They source all types of hops—Zeus, Chinook, Cascade, to name a few—from farms in Maryland. These wet hops are aroma powerhouses in a cask. In addition, our brewers use dried, whole leaf West Coast hops and, occasionally, wet, West Coast hops. Cask Ale Program By spring of 2013, we hope to institute our Cask Ale Program, a three-part initiative. We’ll offer two styles of cask ale year-round: our flagship beer, Loose Cannon, with added Palisade, Simcoe, and Centennial hops; and the sessionable Powder Monkey Pale Ale, with added Cascade and Centennial hops. In the spirit of venturing into uncharted waters, we’ll create 100-cask lots of special barrel-aged beers, such as Siren Noire aged in bourbon barrels. These one-time releases will be rare, and we’ll produce them as the wind blows us. Finally, we’ll welcome aboard industry retailers to customize their cask ale—choosing additional hops or woods through our build your own cask program. To participate, retailers can schedule times, to be mutually agreed to, to come and fill casks for their restaurants. Our wooden casks can be made available for retailers’ special events, but need to be booked well in advance. Additionally, their availability is contingent on a brewery employee’s ability to transport the vessel. If you’re a retailer, contact your territory manager for details.

04/06/2014

The Cask Beer Festival is now produced by the Washington Brewer’s Guild who was originally responsible for creating this great event. All proceeds from the Cask Festival will go to benefit the Washington Brewer’s Guild and their mission of “Building a community of brewers while advancing their common interests”. For more information (including tickets) please visit the Washington Brewer’s Guild website. Additional inquiries should be made to [email protected].

04/06/2014

The unfiltered, unpasteurised beer still contains live yeast, which continues conditioning the beer in the cask (known as 'secondary fermentation'); this process creates a gentle, natural CO2 carbonation and allows malt and hop flavours to develop, resulting in a richer tasting drink with more character than standard keg ('brewery-conditioned') beers. Real ale is always served without any extraneous gas, usually by manually pulling it up from the cellar with a handpump (also known as a 'beer engine'). This is the traditional way of brewing and serving beer; only a few decades ago did filtered, pasteurised, chilled beer served by gas become normal. The only place in the world where cask-conditioned beer is still commonly available is Britain. Is there much difference to keg beer? Keg beers are generally sterile filtered and pasteurised as part of the brewing process. This kills the yeast, preventing any further conditioning, and the beer is then racked into sealed, gas-pressurised kegs. Such beers generally taste blander than their cask-conditioned counterparts, and the use of flash-chillers or cold rooms (*very* cold!) is standard as part of the serving process. That said, some microbrewers rack cask beer into kegs - though these are usually served with extraneous gas. In many common brands of keg beer, cheap ingredients ('adjuncts') such as rice or maize are mixed with the malt to cut costs, but resulting in a 'light' beer with hardly any aroma or flavour. Chilling and the absorbtion of extraneous gas jointly mask the lack of flavour - with carbon dioxide you get an unnaturally fizzy pint; with nitrogen (or mixed gas with a larger nitrogen ratio) you get a pint with an unnaturally smooth and creamy head - either way these beers are always refreshing but usually taste of very little. Micro-breweries generally avoid the use of cheap adjuncts, so their keg products usually taste far superior to the nationally available brands. Also, all beers imported from Germany are required by that country's laws to be free of non-traditional ingredients. I'm not criticizing all keg beers, simply outlining the often little-known qualities of real ale by comparison. There are many really tasty ales which are 'keg' (but plenty more which aren't tasty!), though well-kept cask versions of the same brands would undoubtedly be found to be even more flavoursome if compared side-by-side. Keg beers have a much longer shelf life, especially when compared to a partially full cask. Real ales have to be manually vented and tapped, and left to settle (or the customer gets a cloudy pint due to the presence of yeast and protein - though harmless if drunk like this). Also, real ale will start to taste of vinegar (known as 'oxidising') if left in a part-full cask for too long. This is caused by acetic acid forming from a reaction with oxygen in the atmosphere. Many lazy, overworked, or ill-informed British landlords welcome keg (as do the major breweries seeking to simplify and standardise) as it involves less work than cask, and has less chance of spoiling through slow sales; it is only through cask ale's superiority, and discerning drinkers actively defending it, that it survives at all on both sides of the Atlantic. Isn't real ale obsolete? Major breweries aren't interested in brewing or promoting cask-conditioned beer, as it would mean lower profits and more complicated operating practices; also, most bars aren't equipped to keep cask ales - not to mention it's now totally unfamiliar to the vast majority of the population here. In the US and Canada, cask-conditioned beer does survive - but only in certain bars renowned for serving top quality and unusual beers from domestic and foreign 'micro' breweries. And interest is growing. For example, out of the thousands of bars in New York City, there were 6 known to regularly stock real ales at the beginning of 2003. At the beginning of 2004, this was up to 9 - and summer 2004 sees the 11th outlet for cask in the city (The Lighthouse Tavern, Brooklyn). Why isn't real ale dying out in the UK and Ireland? In Britain in the 1960s and 1970s, a mass attempt by that country's major breweries to replace cask-conditioned beer in their pubs with keg was halted by widespread public outcry - largely credited to the rapidly-growing Campaign for Real Ale ('CAMRA'). Today in the U.K., cask-conditioned beer can still be found in most pubs thanks to the campaigning efforts of the drinking public. However, complacency would lead to the profit-hungry major brewers quietly and gradually phasing it out - hence CAMRA currently has about 70,000 members. In Ireland, the popularity of Guinness and lack of competition has meant that cask-conditioned beer is less common than in the U.K; however, availability there is now slowly on the increase. Some people have the notion that real ale is naturally "warm and flat". This is incorrect, a cask ale is ideally served between 54-56 degrees - cool, but not chilled like keg beers - and should have a noticeable natural carbonation from the secondary fermentation in the cask. Look for the little bubbles which swirl around when you agitate your pint. Sadly, it's a fact that a few British pub landlords and their staff still don't exercise proper quality control; not cleaning pipes regularly or failing to pull off and throw away beer which has been sitting overnight in the beer engine are common causes which can make an otherwise good beer come out tasting 'warm and flat'. CAMRA urges British drinkers not to put up with poor quality, but to politely request a refund or a different beer. However, anyone not used to real ale's true texture and correct serving temperature can easily get misled when sampling poorly-kept real ale - in all probability avoiding it in future under the assumption that all cask beer is supposed to be 'warm, flat, and generally unpalatable'. This is not the case, a well-kept pint is cool, refreshing, and packed with malt and hop aroma and flavour. What about bottled beers, can these be 'real' too? As in draught beer, certain bottled beers are also 'real ales' - called 'bottle-conditioned' as opposed to 'cask-conditioned'. In fact, bottle-conditioned beers are regularly produced by many American breweries - even one or two of the larger ones have one in their portfolio, sometimes as seasonal specials. With these, look for relevant wording on the label and a tell-tale layer of yeast sediment on the bottom of the bottle; such beers should not be shaken or tipped upside down prior to pouring, and the last few drops are ideally not poured into the glass. Happy imbibing! For more information on real ale, go to CAMRA's 'Ask If Its Cask' site.

04/06/2014

Cask conditioned ale is beer that is brewed from traditional ingredients and matured in the cask from which it is served. This means that it is fresh and unfiltered and therefore has a unique flavour. Cask ale is naturally conditioned as a by-product of the secondary fermentation that takes place inside the cask, It is then served directly, without the use of extraneous carbon dioxide or chemical treatments of any sort. What you are tasting is a live product, full of flavour and character: beer in its natural state. Cask Conditioned Ale: Extended Definition Cask conditioned ale, or ‘Real Ale’ is a living beer. It undergoes an important secondary fermentation in the cask (vessel) from which it is to be served. At the conclusion of primary fermentation, the green beer is racked off into casks, leaving behind most of the yeast. A small amount of yeast is carried over in suspension, which continues to work in the cask. Finings are added to the cask in order to clarify the beer and sometimes priming sugars are added to enhance the secondary fermentation. As well, dry hops are often added to impart a flowery hop note in the finished beer. It is here in the cask that cask ale matures and comes into condition. Upon arrival at the pub, the cask is allowed to rest, while the yeast continues working and then gradually drops to the belly of the cask as the beer comes into condition over time. Real ale kept at an ideal cellar temperature of 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit should clarify within 24 to 48 hours. The cask is vented by means of a wooden spile during this time to allow excess carbon dioxide to escape. The skill of the cellarman, using both soft and hard spiles, manipulates the flow of natural carbonation until the desired level of carbonation is achieved and the beer has matured properly. Later, the cask is tapped and the beer is delivered to the bar by means of a handpump, the traditional system of dispense. Real ale develops delicate flavours and does not take kindly to temperature changes and excessive handling. However, when handled properly, cask ale delivers a distinctive, well-rounded taste. 10 Interesting Facts About Cask Conditioned Ale 1. Cask Ale is fresh! Cask ale has a short shelf life and must be served within a few days. It is as fresh as beer can be. Cask conditioned ales do not undergo pasteurization or lengthy storage at the brewery. 2. Cask Ale is local! Since it has a short shelf life, cask ale is typically served close to the brewery. The fewer ‘beer miles’ that cask ale travels also make it more environmentally friendly. 3. Cask Ale is unique! The traditional way in which cask ale is made gives it distinctive qualities. There are special nuances of aroma, flavour, and character in cask conditioned ales that are not found in any other type of beer. 4. Cask Ale is a live product! Unlike keg beer which is filtered and often pasteurized, cask ale is a living fresh beer. Its character and flavour still develop in the cask. 5. Cask Ale has been brewed this way for centuries! Cask ale is typically brewed using only traditional ingredients: malted barley, water, hops and yeast. These simple ingredients and the natural process of allowing the beer to develop inside the cask have been used for centuries to produce a great tasting pint. 6. Cask Ale is naturally conditioned! Cask conditioned ale undergoes a secondary fermentation inside the cask. This allows the beer to naturally develop carbonation, as opposed to keg beer which has been filtered and force-carbonated and must be dispensed using additional gas to restore the fizz. 7. Cask Ale is flavourful! The range and depth of flavour to be discovered in cask conditioned ale will surely astound you. From floral, citrus notes to pungent bitterness to rich, sweet maltiness, cask ale offers a vast array of aromas and flavours. 8. Cask Ale is good for you! Since only natural ingredients are used to make cask conditioned ale, you will find no other chemicals or preservatives present. Cask ale also has vitamin B and probiotic qualities from the yeast, which hasn’t been filtered out. 9. Cask Ale is great with food! The broad range of flavours and aromas, as well as subtle nuances found in cask conditioned ales can create wonderfully inspired pairings with food. 10. Cask Ale is the real deal! Also known as ‘real ale’, cask conditioned ale is considered by many to be the genuine article: real beer for real people who appreciate quality, character and distinction. Like Loading...

04/05/2014