Pub casks at home: my thoughts so far

[crookedeyeboy]

Wicked post! Definatley a route I would look at.

My only gripe is that looking at the BB website they have the nerve to charge exactly the same amount (£39.99) for both 4.5 gallon and 9 gallon casks!!

[yashicamat]

Wicked post! Definatley a route I would look at.

My only gripe is that looking at the BB website they have the nerve to charge exactly the same amount (£39.99) for both 4.5 gallon and 9 gallon casks!!

That isn't a misprint or an attempt to scoop extra profit; the two cask sizes are the same price as each other from the manufacturer too.

Odd, I know, I assume it's to do with volume sales as the sale of 9 gallon casks must outnumber the sale of 4.5 gallon casks by a factor of many 100s as these casks are in wide circulation in commercial breweries. As a consequence, they are manufactured on a bigger scale so despite the slight increase in material cost, the volume of sales means they end up at the same price as the relatively small market 4.5 gallon casks (that are used by more diverse breweries for the odd special beer and by a handful of homebrewers). That's my reckoning anyway.

[crookedeyeboy]

Wicked post! Definatley a route I would look at.

My only gripe is that looking at the BB website they have the nerve to charge exactly the same amount (£39.99) for both 4.5 gallon and 9 gallon casks!!

That isn't a misprint or an attempt to scoop extra profit; the two cask sizes are the same price as each other from the manufacturer too.

Odd, I know, I assume it's to do with volume sales as the sale of 9 gallon casks must outnumber the sale of 4.5 gallon casks by a factor of many 100s as these casks are in wide circulation in commercial breweries. As a consequence, they are manufactured on a bigger scale so despite the slight increase in material cost, the volume of sales means they end up at the same price as the relatively small market 4.5 gallon casks (that are used by more diverse breweries for the odd special beer and by a handful of homebrewers). That's my reckoning anyway.

Fair enough

[OldSpeckledBadger]

Thanks for posting that interesting write up Rob. I have been toying with the idea of the 4.5 gallon barrels myself but I would need to be sure that the beer would be OK for a good six weeks if a cask breather is used.

[adm]

Thanks for posting that interesting write up Rob. I have been toying with the idea of the 4.5 gallon barrels myself but I would need to be sure that the beer would be OK for a good six weeks if a cask breather is used.

On a similar subject, does anyone know how long a beer would last in these casks if it hadn't been tapped? Presumably there's some air transfer if wooden keystones/shives etc are used, but if you used plastic ones is there any reason it wouldn't last as long as in a corny?

[crookedeyeboy]

None what so ever. Its a sealed cask very like a King keg or corny keg.

[WishboneBrewery]

On a similar subject, does anyone know how long a beer would last in these casks if it hadn't been tapped?

A long time, at work we put a 55 day BBF date on the casks for delivery to pubcos etc, 45 days for local and direct sales.
Good clean casks and racking procedure, and stored at about 10C, sounds pretty good for longevity of ale

[haz66]

Wicked post! Definatley a route I would look at.

My only gripe is that looking at the BB website they have the nerve to charge exactly the same amount (£39.99) for both 4.5 gallon and 9 gallon casks!!

I can assure you that Paul would not rip anybody off, yashicamat as fairly well hit the nail on the head, hardly anyone uses 4.5 Gallon, the 9 Gallon
is massed produced hence cheaper.
I know a lot of small breweries use the 9 Gallon Plastic Keg as its a lot cheaper than the stainless alternative but does not effect the beer
any differently, infact these are the very kegs i`m going to use as after talking to a few cellermen they say it makes no difference to the
quality of the beer wether its served from a plastic or stainless keg.

[Subsonic]

Great post and very informative, research is good so well done. I think you know that I took a SS 'keg' and welded corny posts on it. I still have the shive plate and keystone but I can get the beer to last a little longer via a C02 injector. Its a bodge (but the food grade welding is 'divine'), to my mind its a perfect one. I do use 50 litre kegs for my other beers and cornies and to be honest they are probably much the same (if not easier to use) but my 50 litre real ale 'keg' with shive and keystone give me the best of both worlds. I can tap it for a barbie and if all is not drunk, gas, purge, pressurise and store. CAMRA eat your heart out. Subsonic. (BTW it handles 20psi no problem).

[oblivious]

Only saw this post, fantastic

[mysterio]

Just caught this in the 'Barley Times' too. Great stuff. How would you go about keeping these at the right temp? Can you get a cooling jacket?

[BarnsleyBrewer]

Thanks' for taking the time out to post these findings, it was/is a very interesting and informative post

BB

[Billybrewster]

Good info, thanks

Does anyone know if a PIN (4.5gal) cask, plastic or SS, would work on a cask tilter

[OvenHiker]

Thanks' for taking the time out to post these findings, it was/is a very interesting and informative post

BB

+ 1

Thanks for posting yashicamat. I aspire to owning a similar setup at home.

nterestingly, I've read that a cask breather only increases the shelf life by a day or two, although I've not personally tried it out so I don't know. I don't think it would keep the beer in condition though as it won't apply any top pressure, so the dissolved carbon dioxide in the beer will slowly evolve anyway.

I posted a few questions a while back about cask breathers and keeping condition. I think the suggestion was just to close the valve in much the same way as you would use a hard peg in the shive to build up condition in the cask while not in use. I seem to remember someone reported keeping a beer in a drinkable condition for up to six weeks.

[crookedeyeboy]

Ive just got my hands on a nice 9 gallon plastic keg, will hopefully up my boiler size and get it filled to see how the beer sits in it. I dont think there should be any issue with keeping it in there for a fee months.. surely if the cask and beer are both 'clean' the beer will last for ages, its only the same as it being in a sealed bottle of corny..

Anyway i shall give it a go and see how quick i can get through 72 pints!