Cask Ales
 

I just read an article in the latest edition of Brew Your Own (july-august 2012) called Homebrewing Cask Ales. It looks really cool. Has anyone done anything like this?

For those who are not sure what this is, you make a brew then rack it into a cask (kinda like a keg) just like a big bottle (you add priming sugar and it carbs in the cask) they are later served directly from the cask at about 50°f in tradtional european style.

The brews tend away from malty into bitters and hoppier brews because the higher serving temp will accent the maltier flavors.

It looks really cool, great beer party idea, you get about 40 pints out of one.

You better bring some thirsty friends. Once you pop that thing, the shelf life is not that long. I applaud you for wanting to do a cask beer. I love them and think it would be awesome to have my own pull system on a bar.

I went to a cask brew festival a few months ago. I thought the concept was awesome too, but once I got to sampling a bunch of cask brews, I found I wasn't a fan. Cask brews have about 1/4 of the carbonation of typical brews. It was kind of like tasting FG wort samples, honestly. I found that I really can't do without healthy doses of carbonation.

Just my opinion!

I read the article aslo and think i is a great idea. would make a great way to do beer for a wedding reception or other large party. Something special since the start up cost would be high.

Is it considered cheating if you use nitro or something to push the beer, even if it is conditioned in the cask? It would be awesome as I love ESBs and figure I could use my standard recipe, just don't think I could kill the cask in a day. Maybe something for the next family reunion as I've been tasked with providing the beer.

Yeah but 3x the flavor! :mug:

Some people use a CO2 "breather" system that doesn't really carbonate the beer, but helps keep the original CO2 in solution and pushes the beer. I have sometimes primed and keg conditioned and then just used the CO2 to push the beer through the lines and kept it carbed that way... not a real cask ale, but a good compromise.

It's not traditional but you can use cask breathers that replaces the volume of head space from when you draw off beer with co2 making the shelf life longer.

Edit: you beat me to it.

I have also seen this done with mini kegs so you only have to drink 5 litres in a sitting vs5 gallons. Much easier on the liver.