Does anyone here use casks???

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beesley121

Does anyone here use casks???

Post by beesley121 » Sat Apr 18, 2009 9:46 pm

hi guys,

i looking to cask my ale in a 9 gallon cask but im unsure what the procedure is?? ie cleaning, finning, racking etc

does anyone here cask there ale and if so would it be possible for you to tell me exactly what you do?? or is there somewhere on the interent i can read all about this.

also guys, does anyone know where i can get keystones and shives from please

arturobandini
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Re: Does anyone here use casks???

Post by arturobandini » Sat Apr 18, 2009 9:49 pm

Hey Beesley,

Do some searches in the Equipment section as there is quite a bit of stuff about Casking Ales there. Paul at www.barleybottom.com sells lots of the Cask equipment so if you drop him a line I'm sure he will point you in the right direction and offer some advice. He stocks taps, spiles, some plastic cask kegs too at good prices.

Be aware that unless you use some form of Cask Breather (to replenish the co2 removed from the cask) you'll have to neck your beer about a week after tapping it.
Planning - Not for a long while

Fermenting - I'm Done

Bottle Maturing - Hobgoblin, Fullers ESB, American Stout, TOP, Fullers London Porter, Bandini Black IPA

Drinking - Still...Whiskey

Whorst

Re: Does anyone here use casks???

Post by Whorst » Sat Apr 18, 2009 10:33 pm

I use a corny keg. Rack, fine, and prime. I have no idea how long it lasts, as it's gone in several hours.

buzzrtbi

Re: Does anyone here use casks???

Post by buzzrtbi » Sun Apr 19, 2009 8:02 am

arturobandini wrote:
Be aware that unless you use some form of Cask Breather (to replenish the co2 removed from the cask) you'll have to neck your beer about a week after tapping it.
This is absolutely correct - you will also need to ensure you keep the beer in conditions around 14 degrees C too.

you asked about finings - depending on how bright the beer is on racking you will need a finings adjunct to remove the protien flocs and an isinglass fining to remove the yeast flocs. once you have racked your beer you need to let it condition for about a week unless you have racked from a conditioning tank. you then need to hit a soft (porous peg) into the shive to let the pressure equalize and to encourage a secondary fermentation - you may get yeast and froth coming through the soft peg - you need to change these pegs until that stops (they get clogged up) - you then replace that peg with a hard peg (or an aspirator or breather) to let a blanket of CO2 form above the beer in the cask. At the same time as pegging you need to drive the tap into the keystone. having the tap slightly open as you do this helps to prevent a hydraulic action in the beer. The finings then work (the secondary fermentation stirs the beer up a bit !) and you can serve it not long after.

You really need to ensure that you can get through 72 pints in 3-4 days (stronger beer lasts slightly longer). Aspirators feeding in a blanket of CO2 rather than sucking air in will make the beer last longer - it is the oxygen that will spoil your beer.

Unless you have a brewery or pub it will be an expensive way of doing it - like you say you will need keystones, shives, pegs, big mallet to whack them in, a tap - connectors (de-shiving tool) etc. you also need to ensure the cask is scrupulously clean with hot caustic being the preferred method of cleaning - some brewers use paracetic acid also prior to filling.

one other thing to be wary of is that casks themselves cost anything from £25 (for a cypherco plastic firkin) to around £80 for a stainless one. most second hand casks are owned by breweries and ther is a hefty fine for the theft of them. I am not sure where yours came from but it is easy to check. The coulour bands on the side of it will match the database held by Kegwatch and Beerandpub.com

the other thing you will need to do is keep the cask still once you tap and peg it. Any finings you will use need to work and drop the beer bright - the trub will then drop into the belly of the cask hence you need to keep it still. Also, unless you are using an auto tilter you will need to put wedges at the rear of the cask as it starts to empty in order for the beer to fall towards the tap. you cant do this at the start.

so unless you have some cellar kit (plus some rudimentary brewery kit) casks can be an expensive way of serving home brew. Cornelius kegs are a far cheaper alternative.

beesley121

Re: Does anyone here use casks???

Post by beesley121 » Sun Apr 19, 2009 4:41 pm

thanx for the replys guys

i have most of the stuff i will need to dispense from cask anyway. all i will need to buy is a cask breather.

i have a freezer that has an ATC 800 on it so i can place the cask in there to keep it at around 12 degree's.

i am thinking of brewing a timothy taylor landlord clone. i want to know

1. whats the best way to clean and sanitize this cask before use??
2. when should i rack the brew from the fermenter into the cask??
3. what should i do to condition the cask and when can it then be dispensed??

subsub

Re: Does anyone here use casks???

Post by subsub » Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:01 pm

I use firkins, hogsheads and cornies. Just follows buzzrtbi's advice and you won't go wrong. Cornies are by far the best option for home use :D

Eadweard
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Re: Does anyone here use casks???

Post by Eadweard » Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:11 pm

Hogsheads! :shock:

That's a lot of beer.

derekp

Re: Does anyone here use casks???

Post by derekp » Sun Apr 19, 2009 6:58 pm

I use 4.5g pins for my real ale set up and here is a link to Craft brewing association cask conditioning guide.
http://www.craft brewing.org.uk/technical/cask.html

Huf
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Re: Does anyone here use casks???

Post by Huf » Mon Oct 25, 2021 9:15 pm

Yes I use casks at home. Keep them in cellar and pump up with beer engine. In summer when cellar is to cool I put them in keezer.

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