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The Mechanics of a Mini Cask

The Mechanics of a Mini Cask

Looking at buying a mini cask? Here are our tops tips and answers to the most asked questions.

 

Firstly, lets clear this up, we sell mini-casks, not mini-kegs, what this difference you ask?

The beer in them is cask condition (real ale) which means that:

1.      It is live beer, we put it into the mini's with active yeast still present.

2.      It can be hazy, and not crystal clear like you would expect a pint of lager to be.

3.      It isn’t ‘fizzy’ like a keg beer but should have a gentle sparkle.

 

If you want more to learn more on the difference between cask and keg beer their is a google rabbit hole waiting for you. 

 

So now you know what kind of beer you are getting here are the steps to the perfect pour.

 

Keep it Cool- Ideally, cask beer is kept between 12-14 degrees. It is not recommended to keep the beer fridge cold, most fridges sit at about 4 degrees these cold temperatures will cause the live yeast in the beer to go dormant and will result in your beer being flat. We suggest trying to find a cool corner of the house and keep it there.

Let it Settle- As we mentioned the casks have yeast in them which although it does lovely things to the beer it is not that nice to drink. You need to let cask settle for at least 24 hours before pouring from it. It goes without saying but don’t move it after you have let it settle or you will need to start all over again. So, let it settle in the same place you want to have it pouring.

Vent It- Once you have let it settle you now need to vent the cask, to do this, pull up the red ring-pull on top and turn the ventilation tap one quarter in the direction of the arrow. Let sit for another 30min.

Pour It- Being careful not to disturb the cask pull out the dispensing tap on the front and turn (in direction of arrow) to pour. TOP TIP- Pour the beer from a height into the glass if you want to get more head on your glass.

Close It Up- Once your glass is full make sure to close the ventilation tap on the top and the dispensing tap on the front so that no oxygen can get into the cask.

Finish It Off- Once your cask in nearly empty you will start to see sediment appearing in your glass, this is the yeast that you let settle to the bottom, once this starts to happen you have reached the end. It is normal to still have a little beer in the bottom, but this is best washed away.

 

Commonly Asked Questions-

Q. Do you take the empties back and refill them?

A. Unfortunately, they are single-use, but they can be recycled after a good rinse.

 

Q. How long does the beer last?

A. Once opened you should drink the beer within 7 days, but fresher is always better. Unopened see the label for the best before date.

 

Q. Can I get a mini of lager?

A. Lager is not a cask condition beer so we don’t offer it in this format