Cask Question - Will beer be okay?

[Mattyc88]

Hey guys,

I brewed a beer for my friend and he gave me a cask to put it in. This was about a month and a half ago and we've just now found a night to get together with some people and drink it. The cask has not been spiled yet, that is planned for tomorrow morning.

However, I read that casks with a lower gravity beer should be spiled and drank within 7-10 days. Higher gravity beers can sit and age in there for weeks to months.

The beer is a 6.2% Nut Brown Ale, it's been sitting for probably a month and a half. Will this beer still be good?

Here is a link to the cask we're using.
http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/brewing/kegging/beer-engines/stainless-steel-pin.html

Sorry, I am unfamiliar with Casks, it is just what he told me to put it in. I would have used a Keg.

 

[hampshirebrewer]

I haven't kept a brew in a cask for more than two weeks but I can't imagine there would be an issue with a 6.2% brown ale. Over there that would be considered a strong ale.

I got my pin from NB last year and used it four times. Once i was somewhat tentative driving the tut with the spile and it blew out maybe 6 feet from the cask pressure. I use corn sugar to prime at a rate of 1.5 volumes CO2 plus a package of NB's prepared isinglass and that combination worked well.

So far I've only used the pin for 3.5-4.5% bitters and milds. Looking forward to using it for IPAs this summer.

Let us know how your brown ale turned out!

 

[Mattyc88]

Thank you for your response. Big night is Saturday, I will let you know.

 

[Rundownhouse]

You'll be fine. It's essentially a keg until it's spiled, so if you CO2 purged it before filling and sanitized, it'll be fine.

 

[JKaranka]

It will be fine. I would understand 2.8-3.7% abv as the lower gravity mentioned when it comes to casks (such as milds, which are often, but not always, drank 'green'). I've kept 4-5% abv beers in casks for months without any issue.

 

[Mattyc88]

Thanks for all the responses - the beer turned out very well. Although, using a cask and a beer engine is all new to me, the beer tasted reasonably uncarbonated. It wasn't completely uncarbonated but it was significantly less than i'm used too, and I used the same amount that I would to naturally carbonate a keg.

I've read suggestions that point to the beer engine, and that's just what it does to beer because it puts so much oxygen in when it pulls out the beer. Any thoughts/suggestions?

 

[JKaranka]

Don't know, I only serve casks by gravity )