Cask Ale

[rodwha]

I had to try the cask ale (pale) offered at a local brewpub here in Texas after reading the many responses about y'all not understanding how we could drink our beer cold, and seeing y'all often drink ale at the pub at about 65* F and with lower carbonation.

I must say it seemed more of an ESB than just a pale, though I'm not certain why there's a difference, but I found it rather enjoyable.

Mind you, when drinking the crappy typical American lager, it must be ice cold because it tastes terrible when it warms up even a little, but when drinking a more proper beer (mostly ales for me) I find that the taste doesn't turn awful on me if I've not not chilled on ice or sat with for a moment allowing it to warm up a bit. I often take 45-60 mins to drink my beer when it's just myself drinking at home so it certainly warms up beyond fridge temps!

I did think it was likely higher carbed than y'all's cask ale though, but it wasn't like a typical pale would have been.

And speaking of carbed, how do you carb up a cask ale? If it's not forced carbed but not chilled how does the CO2 get into solution?

Sure would be nice to be able to visit and see for myself what a true cask ale is like! Maybe one of these days...

 

[testudobrew]

Hi there rhodwa, here in britain we call most cask ales 'bitters' which covers a huge range of styles IPA' s, pale ales, ruby beers etc. Only scouts and porters are different.

Cask ale is carbonated by the secondary fermentation the beer undergoes while in the cask at the pub it is being served. The cask will be stillaged for 48 hours in the cellar before being drunk, allowing natural c02 to build up within the cask it's then served usually at 12-14 degrees Celsius.

I hope this helped.

 

[rodwha]

I thought bitters, special bitters, and extra special bitters were forms of British pale ales only?

I've not heard of a ruby beer. What is that?

Isn't the carbonation level of a typical cask ale about 1.7 volumes or something?

I'm thinking I need to look into what it takes to have my own here. After I build a fermentation chamber I can easily keep it between 60-65*.

 

[testudobrew]

I wouldnt know if the beers you mentioned were forms of "british pale ales" only, but generally we call all cask ales bitters. I once ran a cask ale pub when I was 19 and it was mostly the older generation who drank there and they just called it bitter haha.

Ruby ale is a beer brewed with chocolate or toffee malt to give a reddish or 'ruby' glow to the beer, a popular Ruby ale here in britain is Wychwood' brewery HobGoblin. Fun fact - HobGoblin was the beer presented to president Obama by David Cameron at the 2010 g-20 summit in Toronto.

I wouldn't know the general carbonation level of a cask though, sorry.

Hope I was some help.

Peace.

 

[Fil]

you can approximate a cask beer in a keg by maintaining a lower level of condition with a nominal 2-4psi pressure at 11-13C, and if it pours too flat and you want a creamy 'northern style' head the pocket beer engine (a syringe) can give you that too , personally i prefer a full glass of beer to one topped with an inch of air

 

[rodwha]

I don't mind a bit of head by any means, but I certainly love beer!

And I get plenty of air as is!

:

 

[testudobrew]

That's were me an Fil differ, being a northern lad I cannot drink cask ale here in London it just doesn't taste right to me, give me an inch of air on my pint any day. At one point I ended up carrying a sparkler with me (the red tip that goes on a beer engine to give head) to give to the bar tenders for when they would pour me a pint.

Peace.

 

[airymary]

the red tip that goes on a beer engine to give head

:shock: I want one - my BE only pours beer!

Seriously, though, I'm with Fil - if I want froth, I'll order a cappuccino!

Cheers,
Chris

 

[rodwha]

I was just trying to be funny. I do like some carbonation.

I do tend to prefer, and bottle my own, with lesser volumes of carbonation compared to a typical American lager. I always felt they were over carbed.

I had a beer that had issues in which it didn't create a lasting head or seem as carbed as it should have been, but because it didn't give the impression of being flat I felt it was still good.

 

[testudobrew]

:shock: I want one - my BE only pours beer!

You could probably order one online, unless your being sarcastic then I didn't get it haha

 

[BillinKC]

rodwha - I just got back from England and had ales in the Cotswolds, Cornwall and London...all were great. Very little or no head, served warmer than my basement temperature 65-70F in June. Also, very dry..with not trace of cloying sweetness. Also, low alcohol...3.5 to NMT 5%. Pretty good body with such a low malt bill. My favorite was Donnington SBA served at the Queens Head in Stow-On-The-Wold. All the Fuller's ales in London were good also. Have to figure out the hops as most were quite bitter but had little or no hop aroma and taste...unlike my ales. So, 2-row, about 2.5% crystal [no more] and maybe some Cara Pils. Hops only at start of boil. A good British yeast and you have it.

 

[clibit]

In the South of England cask ale is served without a head. In the North a sparkler is used on the beer tap to force the gas out of the beer and this forms a head. There is much 'debate' between the two regions!

A lot of traditional English pale ale is much the same. Pale malt, crystal malt and torrified wheat, Goldings and/or Fuggles, English ale yeast. Water and yeast strain probably account for most of the difference.

Of course, lots of ales use different hops, and small amounts of other malts, but this combination is very common. The richness of English malt and the yeast strains probably make this possible at low alcohol strength, I guess. Traditional English beers also are quite light on late hops, just one modest late addition at maybe 15 mins or flame out.

It sounds like you didn't stumble upon much craft beer. There are now craft breweries everywhere, many of which make beers that are heavily American influenced, with American and Southern hemisphere hops, and greater quantities of hops. They are usually served as cask ale though, often have English ale yeast strains, and usually use English malt. Very much hybrid, mid-Atlantic beers, and they are very popular.

Not all cask beers are called bitters. Stouts and Porters are both served from casks, for a start. And there are blonde ales, and others.

 

[rodwha]

"They are usually served as cask ale though, often have English ale yeast strains, and usually use English malt. Very much hybrid, mid-Atlantic beers, and they are very popular."

Not so much where I am. The US is huge and so I can't say it's not so elsewhere, but it doesn't seem mainstream.

An that's something I find far too restricting. It's all too American here. Not that I can't find imports, but it's minimal, which is understandable I suppose.

 

[BillinKC]

"It sounds like you didn't stumble upon much craft beer. There are now craft breweries everywhere, many of which make beers that are heavily American influenced, with American and Southern hemisphere hops, and greater quantities of hops. They are usually served as cask ale though, often have English ale yeast strains, and usually use English malt. Very much hybrid, mid-Atlantic beers, and they are very popular."

In London my mission was to drink all the Fuller's Ales. I had ESB and while waiting for a fresh keg of London Pride I had a new Fuller's Ale with a huge hop taste and aroma...unlike the other Fuller's Ales. Can't remember the name but it reminded me of ales I make here in Kansas with US west coast hops. All were good beers.