Real Ale

[dopejack]

Hi
I've just started AG brewing this year, and I've been stunned by some (definitely not all, unfortunately) of my results. But I was wondering what exactly allowed me to call my beers real ale. I've done a couple of recipes from Graham Wheelers real ale recipe book, but noticed that some of his recipes use white sugar. Can you add sugar and still call it real ale? And if not, does adding priming sugar to bottle or keg stop it from truely being real ale? And what about adding CO2 to a pressure keg? I'm a bit too green to really be worrying about anything other than whether it tastes good right now, but it would be nice to know how soon I'll be able to call my ale real!
Cheers

[Parp]

I'd go with "Craft Brewed"

Any definitions enforced by certain organisations can't take that away from you.

The main things they don't like are the introduction of CO2 from any source but the yeast, and any processes such as filtering and pastuerisation.
They can get pernickity and infer that swan-necks and sparklers are against "the code".

Bugger them! Call it real even if you add CO2!

[adm]

I think you can add anything to the beer and still have it be "real", but if you force carbonate it, it then becomes "fake" beer and no longer worth drinking. Send it to me for disposal.

To be honest, i don't know what you can add and there's no beer purity law here like there is in Germany. But it's true that CAMRA get all upset if the beer isn't cask or bottle conditioned. In their eyes, beer in pressurised kegs is the Devil's work although I've had some pretty fine unreal pints from my CO2 powered setup....and being as how I've sourced all the ingredients myself, made the beer and babied it through labour, it's "Real Ale" to me!

[Garth]

IMO if there is a live yeast sediment in the bottle/cask/barrel/keg and it's not filitered then it's real ale, how it's served or kept is up to you and in my eyes has nothing to do with the 'realness', I don't know many homebrewers that use a cask and sup the lot off before it goes off.

Camra couldn't care less about how homebrewers keep/serve their beer, they are only interested in pubs and other commercial outlets and how they keep and serve their beers to the public.

There are many who slag off Camra, I for one do not really agree with the CO2 thing, it's still CO2 whether its artificially added or produced by the beer itself, that is another kettle of fish, but some folk forget that if it weren't for Camra 30 odd years ago campaigning for decent ale we would quite possibly be left with John Smiths and a few other bland, tasteless kegged liquids they attempt to call beer, instead of the vast array of tastes that we enjoy.

[Parp]

CAMRA have indeed done and are doing a brilliant unrivalled job in the survival and development of real ale.

However, a greater demon seems to have arisen. One that threatens beer on the whole, and our pubs.

[Garth]

yeah, does the bloke you're thinking of have grey hair and 'unmatching' eyebrows by any chance....?

[arturobandini]

Real Ale would exist with or without CAMRA. I'd also prefer to sup John Smiths Creamflow rather than have some circle of cretins disparage the use of Cask Breathers and the like and drive Real Ales out of Pubs who can't justify the presence of a product with a cripplingly short shelf-life.

[Parp]

perhaps it's time they moved over and made way for a group who areare more knowlegable, flexible and dynamic.

One that would embrace the majority of, say, Brewdog's products (rare cask's aside), which wave their fists in the face of bland pap!

In the future, It'll be CAMA if the majority of today's youth are anything to go by.

[Earth Titan]

I force pressurise mine with a blast of CO2 when in the keg, cos I like the extra fizz and I like a bit of head (ooeeeerr). Also seems to keep it a bit longer as I prefer to have a number of kegs on the go at once. I'm not the fastest drinker, ao this suits my needs.

Let's not all get hung up on what is a real ale and what isn't. If you enjoy it and you are happy with the results then I can't see a problem.

I'd say by just their festivals alone, CAMRA do a spiffing job.

[Whorst]

I despise them(CAMRA), although I'm sort of a real ale t***. I enjoy cask conditioned beer, but also find that Proper Real Keg is also enjoyable. At least around my neck of the woods. For more info on APRK go here: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=65431070438

[Scooby]

REAL ale is a term long past it's sell by date, as is camra imo. When I speak to people about beer and home brewing (mostly youngsters) they say 'oh your an ale drinker then' no mention of real. In fact the only reason real was used was because it was easier to say than revitalisation.

In the days when the big brewers were trying to foist a universal euro fizz on us, the likes of Starlight, Red Barrel and DD camra did a good job of raising awareness and helped stop the rot.

That was nearly 40 years ago and their success list since then is short. how many independent brewery takeovers have they thwarted, and how many of the Independents once taken over have they stopped from being closed.

I have never been a member but have always sought out pubs selling beers from small independent brewers, and support the 'cause' by drinking their beer, which is more than can be said for a group of 10 camra members at a committee meeting in a local pub, the Landlord told me he served them less than a dozen pints through the evening, 'They like to talk beer but not drink it' was his comment. Time to move on.

[simple one]

Not a camra fan, but I dont perticularly dislike the organisation either.

......which is more than can be said for a group of 10 camra members at a committee meeting in a local pub, the Landlord told me he served them less than a dozen pints through the evening, 'They like to talk beer but not drink it' was his comment. Time to move on.

Does this really make them bad people? They went to a public house for a pint and a chat. I dont think that on joining camra you have to tick a box saying "every pub I go in to I will support it by getting smashed".
I do also think that if Camra wasnt around, there would be less of a desire for good beers. As mentioned in a prior post they do put on/support some good festivals. The last one I went to supported many local breweries.

I know its an unpopular opinion. But I dont think its a case of now there is an increase in decent beers/ales/real ales/whatever lets forget about camra. They still do a valuable job promoting beer, creating a market for decent brewers to exploit.

Before I get shot down..... I am not and never have been a member of Camra. Nor am I assosiated with any known active members of said organisation. I also understand that they do have a odd opinion of homebrewers. And tend to write rubbish articles.

Shoot away!

[Scooby]

......which is more than can be said for a group of 10 camra members at a committee meeting in a local pub, the Landlord told me he served them less than a dozen pints through the evening, 'They like to talk beer but not drink it' was his comment. Time to move on.

Does this really make them bad people? They went to a public house for a pint and a chat. I dont think that on joining camra you have to tick a box saying "every pub I go in to I will support it by getting smashed".

I didn't mean to give the impression that I thought that the camra committee were bad people.

The landlord recalled they sat in the pub all night and drank a few half's, I don't know if they made notes but he thought that was notable

[Tequilla6]

Well for my sins I have just joined CAMRA, decided that as the "Cambridge Beer Festival" was once again on the horizon and remembering how much it cost me to go for 3 successive visits last year it had a good cost/benefit ratio.

I have also as I have some time on my hands offered to help so I can get a more informed view on how they setup the casks and dispense it...Perhaps I should add an event post to see who would like to join me for a sup or two?

As with any organisation it's a lot easier to change it from inside than from outside I believe.

Cheers

[arturobandini]

I think CAMRA is now more part of the problem than the solution in terms of Ale production, dispense and awareness. It has an image, and an opinion, that is now so settled and stagnant that to change it would just smack of populism. It's time for the good people of CAMRA to slip on the Arran sweaters , tousle the beard and potter down to the shed one last time.

In seriousness though I do think that for any token good work they do, festivals for example, the clumsy fusty way in which they continue to beat a non-existant drum grates on me.