Post
by Blackaddler » Mon Dec 09, 2013 12:08 pm
After reaching FG, chill to 7C for about 48 hours.
Rack to cask, with 5gms priming sugar [no finings], and [usually] warm condition for about a week.
Then cold condition until required [if possible].
Over time, I've gradually reduced the amount of priming sugar that I add to the cask. I occasionally found too much pressure building up in the cask, especially at warmer times of the year. It depends on storage facilities to a large extent. In the summer, I don't think that priming is really needed, but I like to add a little anyway. In winter, maybe a little extra would help? Something I might have to experiment with.
Anyway, it's something I've been giving a bit of thought to, recently. Last month, at our beer festival, I noticed that when I was tapping casks, quite a few had a lot less condition than I'd have liked/expected. This was at the beginning of November, and have since noticed a few other beers [also from micros], which are similarly lacking in condition. It leads me to think that as the average ambient temperature here in the South has dropped, the yeast isn't waking up, due to lack of warm conditioning at the breweries. They're drinkable, but not nearly as good as a properly conditioned beer.
As usual, there are too many factors to say what's right for each beer or brewery. Start with an average figure, keep it simple, and adjust accordingly, next time.
Open taps are great fun aren't they
).
