Chain pub rant.

JD Wetherspoon.

Put them selves forward to be a good beer pub.



With good Prices.



But they use the hand pumps to advertise and make the bar look good. The commit two of the worst crimes possible when it come to Ale.....
Well not really but it bugs the crap out of me.

They leave pump clips on pumps when the beer is not on yet or sold out. 9 pumps and maybe only 4 beers on.

And the worst of all.



HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO TASTE ANYTHING WHEN IT'S THAT COLD!!!!


Okay rant done. Thanks.

I never could take the lack of atmosphere in a Wetherspoons. I liked the prices, but nothing else whatsoever.

orfy said:

HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO TASTE ANYTHING WHEN IT'S THAT COLD!!!!

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Ask them to zap it in a microwave for you? If they do it quick enough, you still might have a little head on it by the time they serve it to you.

I also notice they are using the CAMRA logo. Surely they are not a party to this cold beer nonsense!? Are there any Wetherspoons in their good beer guide? Orfy?

Oh CAMRA, please don't me jump up and down and stamp my little feeties.

I do like my beers chilled but sub 3C guarenteed is a bit (understatement) extreme...

At least you don't have Rock Bottom Brewpubs. The name says it all.

The one in Portland seem to have hired a real brewer, though. I guess even the worst of chains can adjust when there are 10 alternatives within walking distance.

I like mine at least 10°C warmer

So you like it 13°C? That is 55°F. Ugh! Sorry, but that is just gross.

Loweface said:

I do like my beers chilled but sub 3C guarenteed is a bit (understatement) extreme...

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orfy said:

I like mine at least 10°C warmer

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Then you would love this

Chill Chamber Makes Beer ‘Cooler’ Than Ever - Beer News & Opinions - BeerAdvocate

The warmer a beer is the more I can really taste the individual ingredients and intent of the brewer. And also the flaws! +1 Orfy, rant on my brit brotha!

I hear you Orfy. I used to go to this one in Oswestry. Doesn't really have a 'pub' atmosphere.

eschatz said:

The warmer a beer is the more I can really taste the individual ingredients and intent of the brewer. And also the flaws! +1 Orfy, rant on my brit brotha!

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+1 I keep the fridge that I store the stuff I am going to serve fairly soon in at 45 degrees, and then I let it warm up from there as I am drinking it. Anything below 45 and I just don't feel like I can truly taste the beer.

david_42 said:

At least you don't have Rock Bottom Brewpubs. The name says it all.

The one in Portland seem to have hired a real brewer, though. I guess even the worst of chains can adjust when there are 10 alternatives within walking distance.

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supply and demand will do that.
From a managerial point of view.. Rock Bottom scores well... from a beer fiend POV... not so much.

you now understand my internal struggle. :cross:

rabidgerbil said:

+1 I keep the fridge that I store the stuff I am going to serve fairly soon in at 45 degrees, and then I let it warm up from there as I am drinking it. Anything below 45 and I just don't feel like I can truly taste the beer.

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I usually just hold my bottle under a stream of hot water from the tap for about 10-15 seconds. Brings a 12oz bottle to good drinking temperature pretty quickly.

+1 for cool/warm beers! Lots 'o flavor!

And Orfy, I can't say I really feel that bad for you, surrounded by all that real ale and all . Hell, even your ale that isn't 'real' is still better than what we have here!. The best deal on beer here is $5/pitcher of miller lite....

And why are you drinking butt comb ale anyway?

So you like it 13°C? That is 55°F. Ugh! Sorry, but that is just gross.

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But those are perfect sipping temps for just about every English style that I can think of!

billtzk said:

So you like it 13°C? That is 55°F. Ugh! Sorry, but that is just gross.

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I don't think so....I normally serve my regular Ales at around 45 to 50 and some of the specialties at 55.

david_42 said:

I guess even the worst of chains can adjust when there are 10 alternatives within walking distance.

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Ain't that the truth of the matter. In Chicago, there wasn't anything we could find except them. I tried several beers there and tbh, they all sucked. Barely drinkable.

funny thing. back when my grandfather was in the UK during WWII, he made friends with a brit soldier and the one thing he always remembered about him was his insistence that drinking cold beer would give you "gut rot". when he came back, hed toss a couple Premiums into a fish basket until they warmed up.

im not gonna drink room temperature beer like that but less than 40/45 is just....wrong.

zoebisch01 said:

I don't think so....I normally serve my regular Ales at around 45 to 50 and some of the specialties at 55.

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Same here - ~45-50oF.

zoebisch01 said:

Ain't that the truth of the matter. In Chicago, there wasn't anything we could find except them. I tried several beers there and tbh, they all sucked. Barely drinkable.

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You didn't look very hard! Where were you? Certainly you could have headed to Goose Island or Piece!

Rhoobarb said:

You didn't look very hard! Where were you? Certainly you could have headed to Goose Island or Piece!

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Hmm, well I didn't know the area all that well. We just kind of wandered around the city on foot. I did get some Goose Island at one of those deep dish pizza joints.

In the case of a bar where they are serving too cold, I'll order a round ahead of myself. I'll start off with ordering two, knowing that one should be something that isn't as bad cold while the other warms up.

Years ago we went to a bar in a nearby college town that a friend knew had Guinness on tap. At the time, being able to get such a beer in a bar around here was quite the find, no less getting it on tap. However, I was shocked when we were served our stouts in frosted glasses! I'm no EAC by any means, but there is a line. I didn't make a scene or anything, but I did have to explain to my novice friend, some of the finer points in the proper ways to serve a beer. This was one of those places where they give you a new glass each time you order, and I baffled the waitress when I asked that they just refill the glass I had, or at the very least use a new one that wasn't frosted.

I have friends that think I'm odd for drinking "warm" beer. Of course, their definition of warm is anything above freezing. Heck, I even drink BMC on the tepid side. In the winter months, my basement holds around 50-55 degrees, which I think is just about perfect for most beers (not to mention great for some lager fermentation as well).