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Real, or cask-conditioned, ale is a very different product from the
plug-in-and-go keg beers
and lagers.These latter beers are effectively 'dead' when they leave the brewery having been
filtered and pasteurised.
Real ale on the other hand, is very much a 'living' product on leaving the brewery,
containing as it does sufficient yeast and sugars to continue its fermentation and maturation
in the cask.
This fermentation/maturation process continues once the ales are received by the pub.
Adequate storage facilities are required, kept at a suitable ambient temperature of
around 12-13 C, hence the widespread use of cellars.
As the in-cellar (secondary) fermentation continues, the levels of carbon dioxide which
develop in the cask, are regulated by inserting a wooden peg known as a 'spile' into
the cask.
The cellarman must ensure that sufficient carbon dioxide is retained within the beer
to ensure that it is not served flat.
Once the beer has cleared, the yeast dropping out to form a sediment on the bottom of
the cask, and the cellarman judges the beer to be ready,
it can be served.
The time required achieve to peak condition can vary for a number of reasons including
the strength of the beer in question.
The original method of serving ale from the cask, and still around in a few establishments,
utilises only gravity. The beer is simply drawn from the cask through a simple tap.
With no beer lines or pumps involved, the bar itself must have sufficient space and a
suitable temperature to house the casks. Alternatively, the staff may be quite happy
to descend to the cellar with pint glass or jug in hand every couple of
minutes........keeps 'em fit anyway!
The most common way of serving real ale is through the use of a 'beer engine', a simple
suction pump operated via the traditional handpump which is attached to the bar.
The handpumps' outlet, or 'neck' can be either standard or of the swan type. Swan necks
are considered to damage hoppy ales as they can knock out the beers aroma.
Necks may be fitted with a detachable 'sparkler' through which the beer is forced on
its way to the glass. The sparklers' primary use is to generate a dense creamy head
on the resulting pint though some drinkers believe the beers flavour is adversely
affected by its use.
Some bar staff will pull the beer without the sparkler in place, if asked.
On the subject of heads on pints, some ales seem well suited to a full and creamy head,
particularly those from northern England e.g. Tetley Bitter.
On the other hand, ales such
as Draught Bass and beers from the south and west seem to drink best served with no head at all.
The Good Beer Guide
recommends which beers should be served with a tight head and those which should be loose.
Another method of beer dispense which may be encountered is via the use of an electric pump.
These operate on a similar principle to handpumps but with the hard work done by electricity
rather than by the bar staff. Electric pumps can resemble keg beer dispensers so
tread carefully if encountered.
In Scotland, the drinker may encounter a system which utilises pressurised air to
force the beer up to the counter dispensers.
It's been brewed, delivered, matured and served, so what makes real ale special?
The word that immediately springs to mind is 'variety'. Let's be honest, a pint of
your average keg bitter or lager will taste the same whether sampled in John O'Groats
or Lands End.
This makes them safe, predictable and somewhat unfulfilling, like re-run after re-run
of TV programmes that barely merited their first screening. Good real ale couldn't be
more different.
Apart from the subtle variations between individual batches of the 'same' beer, the
differences in style and flavour between beers from different brewers is remarkable.
Note the use of the word 'good'. We've probably all had a pint of real ale that was
far from good! Real ale has a limited shelf life once a cask has been started.
The beer soon starts to oxidise and develops 'off' flavours.
Beer from a dedicated real ale pub is far less likely to suffer in this way
as the turn around of each cask is likely to be rapid enough to prevent this problem.
Beer that has sat in the lines from cask to handpump between sessions or even overnight
should be pulled off and discarded otherwise the first customer in the queue could be in for
a shock.
Pubs which maintain their cask conditioned ales in peak condition demonstrate a
concientious approach which is often reflected in their pub as a whole.
Real ale pubs tend to be very good pubs overall!
Everyone has a favourite.....
Going down a treat !
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