Cask Ales
At one point in time in history all beer was a cask ale. Reason being was that before bottles and cans the only container to hold, age, and serve beer was a wooden barrel or cask. Brewers would take a finished beer from one of their large aging vessels and put is in smaller, more portable, casks for distribution. To make sure the product was fresh and carbonated the brewer would add a small amount of fermenting wort to each cask and seal the container with a bung or stopper. The fermenting wort would carbonate the beer and also consume oxygen ( a beer spoiler) helping to maintain a fresh and drinkable product. This process is also know as cask conditioning. The secondary fermentation in the serving vessel also helps create a richer more complex flavor and aroma. We traditionally serve casks at cellar temperatures…55 deg. F°. Cheers
