TOPIC:

"silenus":x9ib4t6h wrote: The reason why we dont see much cask beer over here is far a couple of reasons.
1 You have to know you can sell it, it goes off only 3 days after it has been opened.
2 its bigger than metal kegs therefore it wont sell as quick

There is a bar in Killaloe that sells cask beer, and i'm sure the supplier is the same brewer for Messr's.It's mentioned id the Beer & Cider book
Cheers[/quote:x9ib4t6h]

You can use cask breather to prolong its shelf life and stop it oxidizing

I though the place in Killaloe stop doing it

"sbillings":3pc5r7w5 wrote: Another is the use a cask breather.

I know CAMRA don't like these things, but they don't operate in the republic of Ireland and frankly, their objections are just plain daft.

Explanation: A cask breather is simply an on demand valve, hooked up to a co2 cylinder. It replaces the volume of beer dispensed from the cask, with can equal volume of co2, at atmospheric pressure. As air is not dawn into the cask, oxidation of the beer is prevented and beer spoilage bacteria are excluded. This has the effect of increasing the life span of a cask.

All other elements of cask ale (stillage, venting, etc.) are the same.

Many CAMRA members have no problem with cask breathers, but the more vocal traditionalists (beard and sandals brigade) oppose it as “extraneous co2”.[/quote:3pc5r7w5]

I agree. There is absolutely zero chemical difference between CO2 produced during cask conditioning and "extraneous" CO2. If there is no chemical difference and it is supplied at the same pressure then how can it possibly taste any different? Answer: It can't, it doesn't and nobody to my knowledge has been able to reliably taste the difference ... unless you count the whiff of vinegar as a positive feature reduced by the use of a cask breather.

On the other hand, cask ale (and home brew) is not filtered and not Pasteurised. These both have a big effect on flavour and are the reasons I generally prefer real ale or homebrew to filtered/Pasteurised beers.

Cheers, Les