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Real ale tradition

Posted by Barry on 2010-10-26 04:43:36

Yes, it can be a problem if the cask is kept in the bar area. One of my all-time favourite pubs, The Star, Bath, always sold draught Bass from kegs kept behind the bar. They used to try to maintain the quality by using a 'cask breather', which injects small quantities of CO2 into the cask and by placing cooler blankets on the barrels. To be honest, although it was nice to see the casks behind the bar, the quality was not always the best. In the end, for most places, it is better to store the casks in a properly cooled cellar, properly maintain the hand pumps and, most critically, clean the pipes once a week. I used to try and clean the pipes between barrels but that is not always practical. In Ireland, most pubs rely on the Guinness maintenance man to look after pipes and taps and they simply don't get cleaned often enough, resulting in poor quality Guinness. Many pubs in the UK try to serve too many different beers, often resulting in slow turnover and poor quality. I think that, unless you have a really good turnover, it is best to concentrate on 2 or 3 beers and serve them well. I had a decent turnover and sold 4 different beers: Courage Best and Directors (then brewed locally in the old George's Brewery in Bristol), John Smith's bitter (cask conditioned from Tadcaster) and the wonderful Wadworth 6X from Devizes. I was tied to Courage so had to sell their products but was the first Courage pub in the SW of England to be allowed to serve a guest beer (6X) - this was before the legislation that changed the tied house rules. I had a fantastic cellar, which was just behind the bar - very handy and with short beer lines - also most important. Sorry to ramble on off Franken topic but people may find this stuff of some interest, particularly as we are a bit short of good discussion at the moment!

Real ale tradition by Mark Andersen on 2010-10-26 06:16:36

Real ale tradition by Nick B. on 2010-10-26 06:34:29

Real ale tradition by Barry on 2010-10-26 12:21:16

Real ale tradition by Mark Andersen on 2010-10-26 13:58:48

Real ale tradition by Uncle Jimbo on 2010-10-26 15:38:58

Real ale tradition by Nick B. on 2010-10-26 23:12:13

Real ale tradition by Barry on 2010-10-27 03:01:33

Real ale tradition by Uncle Jimbo on 2010-10-27 06:02:17

Real ale tradition by JosB on 2010-10-27 15:22:05

Real ale tradition by Mark Andersen on 2010-10-28 14:09:43

Real ale tradition by Barry on 2010-10-29 12:38:43