Ale drinkers can be very particular about their pints, whether that involves the temperature, any sediment or cloudiness, the taste and the freshness of the ale. To ensure that quality is maintained a few simple rules should be followed.
- The ideal storage temperature for cask conditioned beer is 11˚C - 13˚C. If the storage environment is too warm it will cause over conditioning whilst too cold will lead to under conditioning and a haze may develop.
- Allow casks to settle and condition for 48-72 hours before serving.
- A soft porous peg should be inserted 2-6 hours after delivery to allow conditioning of the beer. Once conditioning is complete, replace this peg with a hard, non-porous peg.
- Remove the hard peg from the cask when dispensing and replace at the end of the session.
- Tap casks 24-48 hours before going on sale.
- If using casks in a horizontal position, gently tilt forward when between half and two thirds full unless using a self-tilting device in which case this will be done automatically.
- Clean all beer lines and equipment every 7 days ensuring that the quality of the ale is maintained.
- Each cask that is opened should be used within 2-3 days. Untouched cask ales should be consumed within 6 weeks.
Handy hint; consider a ‘try before you buy’ system and place tasting tips strategically around the bar to educate customers. No one likes to buy a pint only to find that they don’t like what they have ordered.
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