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jknapp12105 · 07-23-2012, 02:40 AM

Hat exactly is Cask Conditioned and what is a good one to try

**Greenbasterd** · 07-23-2012, 02:58 AM

its beer aged in a cask. a good one to try is Innis & gunn 75day i think its called..

**Nugent** · 07-23-2012, 04:14 AM

It is a bit confusing. There is a cask conditioned beer and there is a cask finished beer.

Cask conditioned beer is one that is carbonated without additional CO2. It's put into a closed container, generally a stainless steel cask, and conditioned by the CO2 formed by the residual fermentation or additional 'sugar' is added to specifically add some carbonation to the beer. It's then served straight from the cask. Cask ale has a lower level of carbonation than forced carbonated beer. It's similar in process to bottle conditioning, but a different result. The beer is smooth and very flavourful. Very popular in the UK and increasingly popular in North America.

The issue with trying it is that it's served fresh and spoils after a few day of being tapped, since air is introduced into the cask rather than CO2 from a tank. So ... you'd have to go to a pub to get it; not many places in NA serve cask ale. The interwebs could tell you whether there are pubs that serve cask ale where you live.

The beer that greenbasterd is talking about is beer that is aged in an old whiskey or other type of liquor cask. It adds a character from the liquor that was in it or the oak of the cask. Innis and Gunn is a good choice.

jknapp12105 · 07-23-2012, 05:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nugent

It is a bit confusing. There is a cask conditioned beer and there is a cask finished beer.

Cask conditioned beer is one that is carbonated without additional CO2. It's put into a closed container, generally a stainless steel cask, and conditioned by the CO2 formed by the residual fermentation or additional 'sugar' is added to specifically add some carbonation to the beer. It's then served straight from the cask. Cask ale has a lower level of carbonation than forced carbonated beer. It's similar in process to bottle conditioning, but a different result. The beer is smooth and very flavourful. Very popular in the UK and increasingly popular in North America.

The issue with trying it is that it's served fresh and spoils after a few day of being tapped, since air is introduced into the cask rather than CO2 from a tank. So ... you'd have to go to a pub to get it; not many places in NA serve cask ale. The interwebs could tell you whether there are pubs that serve cask ale where you live.

The beer that greenbasterd is talking about is beer that is aged in an old whiskey or other type of liquor cask. It adds a character from the liquor that was in it or the oak of the cask. Innis and Gunn is a good choice.

Thanks for the info!! Very knowledgeable.

jknapp12105 · 07-23-2012, 05:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nugent

It is a bit confusing. There is a cask conditioned beer and there is a cask finished beer.

Cask conditioned beer is one that is carbonated without additional CO2. It's put into a closed container, generally a stainless steel cask, and conditioned by the CO2 formed by the residual fermentation or additional 'sugar' is added to specifically add some carbonation to the beer. It's then served straight from the cask. Cask ale has a lower level of carbonation than forced carbonated beer. It's similar in process to bottle conditioning, but a different result. The beer is smooth and very flavourful. Very popular in the UK and increasingly popular in North America.

The issue with trying it is that it's served fresh and spoils after a few day of being tapped, since air is introduced into the cask rather than CO2 from a tank. So ... you'd have to go to a pub to get it; not many places in NA serve cask ale. The interwebs could tell you whether there are pubs that serve cask ale where you live.

The beer that greenbasterd is talking about is beer that is aged in an old whiskey or other type of liquor cask. It adds a character from the liquor that was in it or the oak of the cask. Innis and Gunn is a good choice.

Thanks for the info! Very knowledgeable!

jknapp12105 · 07-23-2012, 05:08 AM

How long do they usually let it sit to naturally carbonate? What makes it spoil? If your letting it naturally carbonate, I am sure it is longer then two weeks. After it naturally carbonates and it is ready to serve, do you keg it then immediately serve it?

ReverseApacheMaster · 07-23-2012, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jknapp12105

How long do they usually let it sit to naturally carbonate? What makes it spoil? If your letting it naturally carbonate, I am sure it is longer then two weeks. After it naturally carbonates and it is ready to serve, do you keg it then immediately serve it?

It's served straight out of the cask. The beer is pumped out by regular air with a beer engine, which is basically a hand pump. Oxygen makes beer stale so whenever you tap a cask and start draining out the beer it starts coming in contact with oxygen and starts staling. After a few days the flavor changes in a bad way and you either have to finish the beer before that happens or dump the rest.

If you've ever used one of the picnic tap-style hand pumps on a sanke keg it's the same premise. Pump out some beer and let the keg sit for a few days and it gets stale.

patto1ro · 07-23-2012, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jknapp12105

How long do they usually let it sit to naturally carbonate? What makes it spoil? If your letting it naturally carbonate, I am sure it is longer then two weeks. After it naturally carbonates and it is ready to serve, do you keg it then immediately serve it?

After being racked, cask beer is sent to pubs pretty much immediately. Standard UK strength beers - 4% ABV or less - are sold within a week of racking. A few days in the brewery then a few in the pub to drop bright and condition.

If you keg it, then it's no longer cask beer. The point is to serve it with its natural carbonation.

bk0 · 07-23-2012, 06:58 PM

There are kits you can buy that force CO2 into the cask when serving, so that oxygen never gets in. I don't think it's pressurized though, so the beer still goes flat even if it doesn't get stale.

ghett0man · 10-17-2012, 01:12 AM

So is it possible to cask condition and ale in a corny keg or commercial keg for a couple/few weeks, tap it, and introduce CO2 at the same time you tap it? I really wanna try this with a few gallons of an amber I have in secondary.