billf2112

Recipes 

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.

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Bill from Pa

On Deck: Irish Stout,
Primary: Pumpkin Ale
Secondary: Empty
Completed: Red, Wit and Blue, Irish Stout, Red Ale, German Style Amber Lager, All Grain Brews: Irish Red Ale, American Stout, Honey Weizen

BootstrapBill

Recipes 

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.

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Primary: In search of something different.
Secondary: Kolsch, Red IPA
Kegged: Hard Blackberry Lemonade, Bitter
Notable Empties: Pecan Porter, NorthWestern Pale Ale, Double IPA, Red IPA, Amber

TopherM

Recipes 

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!

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Primary #1 - Summer Hopped Hefeweizen
Primary #2 - EMPTY!
Primary #3 - EMPTY!
Secondary #1 - Downtown Flanders Brown (Due June 2013)
Secondary #2 - Pinot Noir Wine (Due December 2013)
Keg #1 - Bavarian Pilsner Ale
Keg #2 - Hard Cider (Spring SeaCider)
Keg #3 - Centennial Blonde
Bottled - NONE!

unionrdr

Recipes 

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Everything works if ya let it-Roady(meatloaf)

Waynep005

Recipes 

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.

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"Stupid Should Hurt"

Gameface

Recipes 

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.

rvklein

Recipes 

Yeah but 3x the flavor!

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Tapped-Out Brewing & Pub Build

ajbram

Recipes 

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.

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Back off man! I'm a Scientist.
On Deck:
Primaries: Invincible Double IPA, Agave Lime Wheat
Secondaries:
Bottled: Orange Vanilla Cinnamon Mead, Gentle Giant English Mild.
Kegged: Blackstrap Molasses Porter

blacksailj

Recipes 

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.

mbauer013

Recipes 

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.