Inn Doctor » Cask

Vertical Stillaging Cask Ales

P J — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:34:12 +0000

Ale extractor and body

Ale extractor body venting

We haven’t really covered vertical extraction on here in any great detail yet. Perhaps if we go through a few pointers please feel free to add anything or if I have missed anything please add your comments below.

Basically you use the same process to stillage vertically as you would with a container lying on its side. How to look after Cask Ales You would try and vent the container within 8 hrs of delivery. This all depends on the brew you are selling; some brews are more volatile than others.

To vent a cask vertically you would get two wedges or scotches, though you can only see one in the picture and place them securely under the keystone side of the container. So they position the keystone and gas pocket at the highest point, making the cask stable. Please always use two, the amount of times I have seen them balanced with just one.

When working with cask ales, hygiene is of the up-most importance to prevent infection, so the recess in the Keystone plug must be wiped with a clean cloth and the ale extractor and body should be clean and sterile.

Ale extractor body diagram

Looking at the diagram of the ale extractor body remove the tube and the compression nut from the body and replace with the blanking plug, making sure the O ring is intact as this supplies the seal.

Using the rubber mallet the body should be knocked firmly into the keystone with one powerful blow (easier said than done). It is also a good idea that the shut off valve should be left partly open, to prevent air being driven into the cask blowing out the shive or keystone though this used to happen more frequently when they were made of wood. Venting can now be controlled by opening and closing the shut off valve.

When you are satisfied that secondary fermentation has taken place. You can now change the blank plug for the compression nut and very carefully slide the ale extractor tube through the body down to the bottom of the container, then retract about an inch. Tighten up the compression nut this will squeeze down on the rubber seal locking the tube and creating a gas tight seal. Turn off the venting shut off valve.

Vertical stillaged ale ready for sale

So you can get the most out of the container, very carefully so as not to disturb the sediment at the bottom, remove the wedges. Then slowly tilt the container in the opposite direction as shown in the picture positioning the keystone at the lowest point and now replace the wedges on the opposite side.

Now you can connect your cask line to the top of the ale extractor not forgetting to check the rubber seal or the hop strainer is in place otherwise you could suck air into the system causing erratic dispense problems. When your beer is ready for sale open up the venting shut off valve on the ale extractor body and draw through the beer engine and check the smell, taste and clarity of the ale.

You have to know your brews using vertical stillaging, unlike stillaging horizontally where you can turn on the cask tap, to see if it has cleared down and check the quality of the beer. Sometimes installers will have put a bleed valve just after the gas pump, otherwise you will have to draw it straight to the beer engine to check, but 48hrs is usually ok for the secondary fermentation to complete,unless you are unlucky. But this is something you learn to live with, if you use a local brew, the microbrewery, or your service provider will be able to give you a rough idea how long it will take.

To help prolong the life of the ale and improve the quality, the venting shut off valve should be turned off at the end of every session.

I still think the best way to stillage is horizontally, but if you haven’t the room then you haven’t any choice. A lot of people swear by stillaging vertically they say they empty the container every time and they don’t have to remember to tilt the container two thirds of the way down.

Like all good equipment the ale extractor comes apart for cleaning

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Real Ale and Micro Breweries

P J — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 16:34:29 +0000

Beer has been brewed in this country for hundreds of years and will go on so, even though it has been messed up by the big boys with still more imports arriving every day.

Why do we dispense beer so cold?….. To hide the bland taste. So it comes as a welcome relief when you see a local brew on the bar; one you know has been brewed just up the road adding to the local economy…by your local Micro Brewery.

I have sat up and taken notice because over the last few years two have sprung up in my immediate area and the other day I installed my first real ale bag in box set up, for one of them (I have to use the term real ale because it is not in a cask).

So how does it work? Apparently it is filtered bright in the brewery, bagged ready for use straight away. A bit of yeast is left in the bag so this keeps fermenting away, but you must start using it within a certain period otherwise the bag will expand and split. Because the beer is enclosed in a bag and not subjected to the dank cellar climate, it will last a lot longer, well over a week I am told. Can this brings the fun back into looking after beer? I can remember trying to change a split keystone (when they were wooden) in a barrel (36 gallon), without moving it or spilling any beer.

But is it Traditional? Are micro breweries pushing out the boundaries or are they bending the rules? Perhaps CAMRA will have an answer for this one, after all you can now get real ale in bottles, does that count? But the possibilities are endless Pubs that do not sell enough to warrant a 9 gallon. Guest houses, Restaurants, Beer festivals and outside bars using ice jackets.

Do you have a Hand-pull not doing anything? Why not give the line a good clean, attach a bag in box connector and with a 10 or 20Litre B in Box, and you are away. While they still only have 2% of the market. I do hope local brews (Micro Breweries) do make a significant comeback unlike Germany who never lost theirs.

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Cleaning cask ale beer lines

boz — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 12:02:13 +0000

The cleaning of all beer lines is of utmost importance to the beer retailer. Regular beer line cleaning keeps your beer on top form and your profits in good shape as well.

The cleaning of cask ale beer lines however requires a little more attention if you are to provide the perfect pint.

The very nature of real ale as a “live”product means there is a lot more yeast contained within in it.

Cleaning cask ale lines is much the same as cleaning keg beer lines.

To begin with, some brewers but not all have special cask cleaning sockets fitted to their beer line cleaning ring mains. If you have these fitted then it is just a matter of connecting your cask lines on to these sockets and then carrying out a normal line clean. Don’t forget to wear goggles and gloves.

In the case where no such sockets have been fitted then it is a case of finding a nice clean bucket or other container and placing your cask lines for cleaning into it, and performing the same tasks of rinse, detergent and then rinse.

On a daily basis, Inn Doctor recommends that as a matter of good housekeeping that if a cask line has become empty, regardless of how recently it has been cleaned, then fresh water should be rinsed through it, before connecting to a new cask.

Cask tap ready for cleaning

An important factor in ensuring your cask ale stays in top condition is to make sure all cask taps are thoroughly cleaned. Use dilute cleaning fluid and a small brush to clean these, then allow to dry and store somewhere clean until ready for use. If you decide to take the cask taps to pieces always remember not to mix the parts up, not all cask taps are the same and you could end up with leaking or stiff taps. Equally if you are using vertical extractors make sure you have a suitably long brush to clean out the down tube and once again do not mix up tap components.

Remove all sparklers from swan necks and clean these with fresh water. Clean the swan neck and exterior of the beer engine as well. Nothing worst than a grotty looking beer engine.

One of the keys to keeping consistently good cask ale is hygiene. Plain and simple, keep things clean.

When reconnecting after a clean, two things, don’t forget to clean and refit the hop strainer and also remember to turn the cask tap back on slowly so as not to disturb the cask. All that is left to do is pull the fresh beer through and taste.

Here are our recommended beer line cleaning products and links to purchase these items online.

Prosan Plus A good all round cleaner for use with lightly soiled systems. Product uses special tracer dye that indicates the presence of yeast.

Protinate A very good product designed for use with heavily yeast contaminated systems.

If you are an on-line distributor and stock all of the above products and would like to sponsor this page i.e links to your site for the above products, then please contact us with the details.

Common problems with Cask beer dispense

admin — Wed, 13 May 2009 15:11:51 +0000

My Cask beer is flat and tastes off?

Your beer might be too cold. Check cellar temperature it should be around 52-53 degrees Fahrenheit 13 degrees centigrade.
How long has your beer been on service, it might be past its best?
Was your cask vented properly?

My Cask beer tastes of vinegar and has off tastes?

Your beer has been on service too long and has gone off. Probably infected

My Cask Ale is very lively?

Have you vented and conditioned the cask properly?
Is your beer serving at the correct temperature? Check cellar temperature.
Have you cleaned your lines? At least once a week minimum.
Check the sparkler has not been over tightened.
Don’t try to pull your beer engine too quickly.
Check a hop filter is fitted and cask tap nut is tight.

My Real Ale is flat but tastes great?

Are you serving it correctly? Swan neck to the bottom of the glass, correct sparkler and a steady even pull.
Your beer might be too cold.

My Beer Engine is stiff?

Is the cask tap open and gas pump if fitted turned on?
Check your hop filter is clean.
Is the hard peg still in the barrel?
The beer engine might be faulty, call Technical Services
The back check valve may be faulty, call Technical Services.

Cask breather or Aspirator

P J — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 16:17:09 +0000

Cask Breather

With beer volumes down over the winter months and the fact you must sell your lower alcohol (3.8%) real ale within three days, two days is better, this can become a struggle with Pubs who are quiet during the week. If you haven’t got one, why not consider using a cask breather or aspirator as they are sometimes called.

If you haven’t heard of them, they have been out for many years and have been tried and tested by the brewers.

What do they do?…….. Answer, they keep your beer fresher for a bit longer (usually a day).

And how do they do that?……..Instead of stale cellar air entering your container as the ale is drawn out, carbon dioxide (Co2) via a spigot in the shive, is replacing the liquid. This also works with upright stillaging using a pipe attached to the vent valve on the body of an ale extractor.

Spigot

How do you get one?…….Ask for one, most of the major Brewers supply them as part of their commitment to provide you with quality cask ale.

(revision : I have been told by one of the Pub Co’s that the 4 major brewers no longer supply such equipment and that only certain regional’s now supply)

However if you wish to remain in CAMRA’s good beer guide this avenue isn’t open to you.

Why ever not?………The argument is that carbon dioxide (fizzyness) is being added to the beer, which shouldn’t be a problem, if set right at a few pounds, normal blanket pressure (secondary fermentation occurs whilst in the cellar, this process makes its own carbon dioxide as it rises through the liquid, Co2 is heavier than air so it forms a blanket over the liquid and this helps to keep it fresh).

As any brewery technician will tell you the gas pressure has to be a lot higher to get absorbed into the beer and over longer period of time. I would like to bet that even a seasoned CAMRA drinker wouldn’t be able to tell the difference and anyway, would probably say it tastes fresher. They have been using one in my local for years and they don’t really need to, but they do, because of that very fact.

CAMRA’s answer would be to sell the beer quicker, but as we know in the real world things aren’t quite so simple.

How to look after Cask Ales (Real Ales)

admin — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 15:49:28 +0000

Looking after Cask Ales. The condition of Cask Conditioned beer (Real Ale),when dispensed will depend on the way it has been looked after in your cellar. When the beer is delivered it still has to go through its’ final fermentation and clarification by means of finnings, which have already been added in the brewery . While every brewery has it own procedures, if the beer is to be presented to your customer in consistently good condition, the following must be adhered to at all times, unless in special circumstances your Brewery advises otherwise.

While this is in no way a complete exercise as far as cask ale is concerned it should be enough for most licensees. If you feel we have missed something out or you would like something added please post on the forum it should also be made clear that we will not be able to offer advice on a personal level. Any questions must addressed via the forum.

As with all cellar procedures the cask equipment must be kept spotlessly clean at all times, to minimise the risk of infection it is recommended lines should be cleaned every seven days. Follow the manufacturers instructions depending on which cleaning fluid you use. Please click on the link below to take you on to the next page.

Stillaging (Thrawling) Real Ale

admin — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 15:47:50 +0000

Wherever possible casks must be stillaged (thrawled) (A stillage is any device on which a cask is placed for use, this may be a raised concrete area, a wooden or metal rack) on delivery. Casks should be stillaged level and firmly “scotched”(wooden wedges) to prevent movement
If insufficient space is available to stillage a cask on delivery, it should be scotched level on the floor and spited (vented through the shive) in the normal way. When stillage space becomes available, the cask should be rolled and then stillaged and re-spited to achieve best fining’s results.
If you need an answer to a problem why not leave a post on the forum

Spiling (Pegging, Venting) Real Ales

admin — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 15:46:38 +0000

Cellar temperature is vitally important. If too warm (in excess of 60 deg F) a vigorous fermentation can be anticipated. Whilst if too cold (below 52 deg F) little fermentation will occur.
Casks have to be spiled ( a small wooden Tapered peg )to enable control of the gas pressure in the cask. The sealing plug in the spilehole of the shive must be punched in and replaced with the required spile or peg. This should take place within 8 hours after delivery.
If the beer is fermenting and producing C02 gas, venting is necessary to prevent excess condition developing which otherwise would cause dispense and safety problems. If the beer is dead or quiet because no fermentation is taking place, it does not require venting, but needs the spile hole to be resealed, so that some C02 gas condition can be allowed to develop in the beer. Only by daily checking of the beer and adjusting the spiles according to the condition will the Licensee be able to bring this type of beer into the ideal state for dispensing to his customers.

Spiles (or pegs) are normally supplied by the brewery or depot delivering the cask conditioned beers and are available on request from draymen. The types vary according to the area and the supply position, but they are all made from wood and should be kept clean and dry, preferably in a plastic bag. Dampness will usually cause them to go mouldy in cellar conditions, and this can be harmful to the beer when inserted into a cask.
ALWAYS destroy used pegs immediately after use, to prevent the risk of re-use and infection.
There are two basic spiling systems in use which are broadly described on the next page, but for detailed advice on the system used in any particular area, the brewery representative should be consulted.
“Hard” pegs are used for sealing the cask, when venting is not required, and it is required to “hold in” the gas condition developed. If a cask is to be left for more than a day hard pegged, checks should be made daily that pressure is not built up in excess of what is required.

Porous Pegs – Real Ales

admin — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 15:45:36 +0000

Twin (or double) porous pegs are used in such a way that they eliminate the need for separate soft and hard pegs. Made of oak sap wood, they are in effect two pegs left attached to one another during manufacture, the result being a double length peg, which can be broken down into two pegs of standard length when required.
The twin peg is inserted into the spile hole, and the harder it is driven in, the more restriction there is to venting, thus giving the required control. Vigorous working of the beer may cause the upper peg to become blocked, in which case that can be broken off to leave the lower peg still in the spile hole to continue venting, or subsequently to be knocked in more tightly to “hard” peg the cask.

Tapping – Real Ales

admin — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 15:44:03 +0000

The recess in the Keystone plug must be wiped with a clean cloth before tapping with a clean and sterile cask tap.
Casks should be tapped at the same time as they are spited if sufficient taps are available, or at least 48 hours before the beer is required for sale.
The tap should be partly open to prevent air being driven into the cask and disturbing the beer. The cask tap should be knocked firmly into cask with one powerful blow.