Cask Ale Questions - Serving Temp and Small Batches - Page 2

Jaysus · 11-09-2009, 02:51 PM

I own a pin, and have used it a few times for homebrew - when I knew there would be a crowd to drink it.

A couple issues I have run across are getting bungs and spiles in less-than-bulk-quantities, and dialing in the carbonation levels to where I want it.

chucke · 11-09-2009, 03:18 PM

I let the beer sit in the primary 1-2 weeks after it reaches FG. 1 week for low gravity beers, such as milds and ordinary bitters; 2 weeks for medium gravity beers, such as pale ales, ESBs, porters. Then, rack to the cubitainer or winpack. Add enough sugar (3-4 teaspoons per gallon, IIRC.) for the yeast to bring it to 1 volume of carbonation and maybe finings.

Let it set at about 55F degrees, for the yeast to carbonate. (When using the cubitaner, the spigot will need to be upward.) If 55F isn’t possible, room temp is OK. The cask will swell. That's OK and necessary. You’ll need to monitor it and maybe release a little gas if it looks like the sucka is gonna explode.

Once it stops producing gas, release some so that it’s not under too much pressure and turn the cask so that the spigot is down. Keep cool and don’t move it for a few days. During this time, the beer is absorbing the CO2 and dropping bright. You can take a taste or three during this time.

just to make sure everything is going alright.

Serve @ 55F if at all possible.

When using the winpaks, the spigot is down and the other hole is up. When dispensing, open the small hole. You’ll have 3 or 4 days to drink the beer. The cubitainers collapse on themselves as they go... they don’t allow O2 in, so the beer can last longer. The only thing- you don’t get the additional flavors that are part of the appeal of cask ale.

commonlaw · 11-09-2009, 07:27 PM

I just brewed up a bitter and plan to serve it on "cask" from a cornie. Plan is to use the RV pump from this thread (http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/fellow-homebrewers-meet-my-new-beer-engine-10529/index2.html) but install it on my kegerator. My kegerator is fairly beat up already so I'll be drilling a hole in the top to run a beer line to the pump, which I will house in a little tower constructed out of wood.

I bought a natural gas regulator (the guy at the bbq shop said it pushed out even less pressure than a propane regulator) which I will attach between my C02 tank and the corny to keep a blanket of co2 on the beer. I will be missing the good changes oxidation can bring, but the beer should last for more than a few days. In this way I should be able to have a nice hillbilly cask setup on the cheap. I'm going to keep my kegerator around 42 degrees (maybe a bit higher even--I don't like draft beer super cold either) and just deal with the fact that the cask beer will be slightly colder than it should be. I will probably not insulate the wood tower with the handpump, so the beer will warm up a bit on its journey to my glass.

blackcows · 11-10-2009, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chucke

I let the beer sit in the primary 1-2 weeks after it reaches FG. 1 week for low gravity beers, such as milds and ordinary bitters; 2 weeks for medium gravity beers, such as pale ales, ESBs, porters. Then, rack to the cubitainer or winpack. Add enough sugar (3-4 teaspoons per gallon, IIRC.) for the yeast to bring it to 1 volume of carbonation and maybe finings.

Let it set at about 55F degrees, for the yeast to carbonate. (When using the cubitaner, the spigot will need to be upward.) If 55F isn’t possible, room temp is OK. The cask will swell. That's OK and necessary. You’ll need to monitor it and maybe release a little gas if it looks like the sucka is gonna explode.

Once it stops producing gas, release some so that it’s not under too much pressure and turn the cask so that the spigot is down. Keep cool and don’t move it for a few days. During this time, the beer is absorbing the CO2 and dropping bright. You can take a taste or three during this time.

just to make sure everything is going alright.

Serve @ 55F if at all possible.

When using the winpaks, the spigot is down and the other hole is up. When dispensing, open the small hole. You’ll have 3 or 4 days to drink the beer. The cubitainers collapse on themselves as they go... they don’t allow O2 in, so the beer can last longer. The only thing- you don’t get the additional flavors that are part of the appeal of cask ale.

Thanks. Looks like a simple method. Is real ale usually drank young? If I made a three gallon batch and split it three ways would it be a problem if it were a couple of months until it was drank, obviously once each individual container was opened it would be consumed over a few days but the others may sit for many weeks.

Mike

chucke · 11-10-2009, 02:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blackcows

Is real ale usually drank young?

Depends on the alcohol content and style. You can drink a mild in just over two weeks from brewing. An IPA take longer.

Quote:

If I made a three gallon batch and split it three ways would it be a problem if it were a couple of months until it was drank, obviously once each individual container was opened it would be consumed over a few days but the others may sit for many weeks.

No problem. Rack to the three containers, add sugar and begin the process described above. Once they start to swell just a little, take the two you’re not ready to drink, bleed off most of the air and refrigerate them *really* cold. This will stop the yeast and stall the process. When you’re ready, pull them out of the fridge, let the beer warm up and start where you left off.

kniles38 · 11-10-2009, 09:05 PM

This is exactly what I am doing. (80% there). Except I got the propane regulator.

Quote:

Originally Posted by commonlaw

I just brewed up a bitter and plan to serve it on "cask" from a cornie. Plan is to use the RV pump from this thread (http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/fellow-homebrewers-meet-my-new-beer-engine-10529/index2.html) but install it on my kegerator. My kegerator is fairly beat up already so I'll be drilling a hole in the top to run a beer line to the pump, which I will house in a little tower constructed out of wood.

I bought a natural gas regulator (the guy at the bbq shop said it pushed out even less pressure than a propane regulator) which I will attach between my C02 tank and the corny to keep a blanket of co2 on the beer. I will be missing the good changes oxidation can bring, but the beer should last for more than a few days. In this way I should be able to have a nice hillbilly cask setup on the cheap. I'm going to keep my kegerator around 42 degrees (maybe a bit higher even--I don't like draft beer super cold either) and just deal with the fact that the cask beer will be slightly colder than it should be. I will probably not insulate the wood tower with the handpump, so the beer will warm up a bit on its journey to my glass.

Omahawk · 12-09-2009, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chucke

Once they start to swell just a little, take the two you’re not ready to drink, bleed off most of the air and refrigerate them *really* cold. This will stop the yeast and stall the process. When you’re ready, pull them out of the fridge, let the beer warm up and start where you left off.

I just found this thread, and I'm interested in trying this out with a cubitaner.

How does the carbonation quality / level of the cubitaner "real ale" compare to bottled conditioned beers (say at a typical 2.5 volume)? What would the difference be in using a hand pump compared to just using the cubitaner spigot?

commonlaw · 12-09-2009, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kniles38

This is exactly what I am doing. (80% there). Except I got the propane regulator.

I ended up needing a propane regulator too. turns out the natural gas did not work out. waste of money, but oh well. love drinking the pseudo cask beer.

chucke · 12-09-2009, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omahawk

I just found this thread, and I'm interested in trying this out with a cubitaner.

How does the carbonation quality / level of the cubitaner "real ale" compare to bottled conditioned beers (say at a typical 2.5 volume)? What would the difference be in using a hand pump compared to just using the cubitaner spigot?

Less carbonation at about 55 degrees F = more subtle beer flavors come through. I typically go for 1.0 volume.

Hand pump vss spigot- I use both, depending on my mood. The pump will make the beer creamier, with a little head. The spigot- not so much.