| Author |
Message |
    
Jim Williams
Junior Member
Username: Jim_williams
Post Number: 48
Registered: 02-2006
Posted From: 70.183.167.209
| | Posted on Monday, October 13, 2008 - 08:19 pm: | 
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well, I've been approximating for a couple years, but, to have a real cask of best bitter conditioning in my garage right now.. I just can't explain how psyched I am. thought I'd share.
DAMN, it won't let me upload the photo since it's too large, and, I don't know how to resize!
Here's what I was trying to post
http://i250.photobucket.com/albums/gg268/jimswms/cask%20conditioned%20ale/photo. jpg
Cheers,
Jim |
The Jolly Brewer
Senior Member
Username: Matfink
Post Number: 2054
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 92.233.31.3
| | Posted on Monday, October 13, 2008 - 08:28 pm: |
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Nice....
How are you going to serve it?
And at what temperature? |
Dan Listermann
Senior Member
Username: Listermann
Post Number: 5988
Registered: 03-2004
Posted From: 74.215.69.145
| | Posted on Monday, October 13, 2008 - 08:34 pm: |
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What did the firkin cost and where did you get it? |
The Jolly Brewer
Senior Member
Username: Matfink
Post Number: 2055
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 92.233.31.3
| | Posted on Monday, October 13, 2008 - 08:55 pm: |
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I love that word. |
jim williams
Member
Username: Jim
Post Number: 227
Registered: 02-2003
Posted From: 72.221.65.41
| | Posted on Monday, October 13, 2008 - 09:40 pm: |
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This will be gravity. I have a pump too that I use with cornies, but, I'm about the beer, not the pump;) Served at 55, of course! Unfortunately, most americans think a pump is needed, rather than it just being a necessary tool to pull from below.
Dan, that is actually a 5 gal. pin. I got a firkin too, though
I got them and all the bits from ukbrewing.com he just got a shipment in, if you want something you might want to move on it now!
cheers |
Peter Roman
Senior Member
Username: Lilbordr
Post Number: 1138
Registered: 12-2003
Posted From: 71.68.125.27
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 - 12:20 am: |
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You say the beer engine is optional? I thought it functioned as a sparkler for ale?
Thanks,
Peter 'the kid' Roman |
Jim Williams
Junior Member
Username: Jim_williams
Post Number: 49
Registered: 02-2006
Posted From: 72.221.65.41
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 - 01:31 am: |
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Hi Peter,
I guess I don't understand your question. There is a removeable sparkler on the end of most beer engines, that makes for a frothy pint, with less carbonation and stripped hop flavor/character.
Just for fun, last summer when I was at the Great British Beer Festival, I tried to find a beer served with a sparkler. Couldn't find one!
Anyway, the pump is only used to pull the beer from the cellar, since there is no c02 pressure pushing it up. I love beer engines, but, in my case, it won't be needed. Fun though! In that photo, I'll use the pump for the 3 gallon corny after venting it.
Jim |
Paul Edwards
Senior Member
Username: Pedwards
Post Number: 1633
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 76.252.53.188
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 - 11:59 am: |
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Way cool, Jim.
I use my beer engine (WITHOUT the sparkler) for cask conditioned ales served from cornies. The sparkler is in a drawer in my spare parts bin.
Alas, contrary to what many in CAMRA think about using one, I also use a cask breather. |
Dan Listermann
Senior Member
Username: Listermann
Post Number: 5991
Registered: 03-2004
Posted From: 65.29.223.32
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 - 12:16 pm: |
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I bought a RV propane regulator as suggested by Steve Jones to use as a cask breather. I may try to set it up today!
RV propane regulators only put out a 11" water column of head pressure which is about 0.4 psi. - almost nothing!
They can be had for as little as $8 plus some fittings. |
The Jolly Brewer
Senior Member
Username: Matfink
Post Number: 2056
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 92.233.31.3
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 - 12:46 pm: |
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I'm for cask breathers and against sparklers. Being a CAMRA member I should be against both, but I think cask breathers can allow a pub with a low turnover to sell cask conditioned ale at it's best without the risk of it spoiling in a few days.
Sparklers are the work of the Devil!
If I'm in a pub and they have a sparkler on the tap, I ask them to remove it before pulling my pint. I do get some odd looks but I don't drink in pubs very often so I want the beer to be as good as it can be and to me that means no sparkler.
Peter, just to expand and you may know this already, a sparkler pushes the beer through very tiny holes and creates loads of little bubbles. This creates a tight creamy head, but also forces a lot of the condition out of the beer and a lot of the aromatic compounds into the head. I feel it strips hop flavour and aroma and reduces the mouthfeel of a beer.
Other people beg to differ and up north it is practiclly the law that beers be served with a sparkler. But I'll stick to my opinion.
If you get a chance, try a side by side comparison, youll be amazed at the difference. |
Steve Jones
Advanced Member
Username: Stevej
Post Number: 555
Registered: 08-2001
Posted From: 164.89.253.13
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 - 01:50 pm: |
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The only real difference between a propane regulator and a cask breather is that the regulator won't vent excess pressure like a true cask breather will. I suppose one could rig up a pressure release valve of some sort, but I haven't found it necessary. And the regulator is maybe 15% of the cost of a real breather.
I use cornies as casks, and a beer engine to pull it - I don't want to keep opening the cooler door to draw a pint. And I don't own a sparkler. I partitioned off a small area of my walk-in to hold my 'cornie cask', and added a PC fan with a thermostat (like a son of fermentation chiller) to allow the 'cask' to be warmer (about 55F) than the main cooler (about 43F). I nearly always have an ordinary or a dark mild on the engine.
JB, how do you think your Wimperial IPA would do as a cask ale? |
Jim Williams
Junior Member
Username: Jim_williams
Post Number: 50
Registered: 02-2006
Posted From: 72.221.65.41
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 - 06:21 pm: |
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Sparklers are the work of the Devil!
I was trying to be nice, but, really, JB couldn't have said it better. Ignorance is bliss, and, unfortunately, in the states, you see more beer engines used with sparklers than not. It's a shame really...} |
The Jolly Brewer
Senior Member
Username: Matfink
Post Number: 2057
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 92.233.31.3
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 - 06:51 pm: |
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Steve, I think it would be amazing, it's a great beer and would be awesome froma cask! I keep the carbonation low on my ales and serve them under low pressure from the cornie keg so they don't get too fizzy. It's not the real thing but it's pretty good, especially if the beer is fresh. It's next on my list to brew, I might have to rig up the handpump and get a few friends over to kill a 2.5gallon cornie.
Jim - It's the same in England. |
Jim Williams
Junior Member
Username: Jim_williams
Post Number: 51
Registered: 02-2006
Posted From: 72.221.65.41
| | Posted on Thursday, October 16, 2008 - 08:54 pm: |
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So, I felt like celebrating yesterday, after my daughter was born, and, tapped the cask a week or so earlier than I wanted! A girl! Wow! Reason to celebrate for sure!!
The beer was a little under conditioned, but, sure tastes great. It's part of my learning curve anyway. Next one will go longer before venting.
cheers
(Message edited by jim williams on October 16, 2008) |
The Jolly Brewer
Senior Member
Username: Matfink
Post Number: 2059
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 92.233.31.3
| | Posted on Thursday, October 16, 2008 - 09:47 pm: |
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Congratulation! No better reason to celebrate! I'll raise a glass for you. |
Tony Legge
Intermediate Member
Username: Boo_boo
Post Number: 374
Registered: 05-2005
Posted From: 72.139.4.145
| | Posted on Friday, October 17, 2008 - 12:00 am: |
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Congrats Jim, I'm sure you would have been as happy if it had been a boy. Either way, as long as the baby and mother are doing fine, it is a reason to party
I'll hoist one up to you as well.
Cheers |
Jim DeShields
Member
Username: Niquejim
Post Number: 127
Registered: 07-2006
Posted From: 71.3.164.23
| | Posted on Friday, October 17, 2008 - 12:02 am: |
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Congrats
Is she your first
They grow up sooooooo fast, enjoy these times
Jim |
Jim Williams
Junior Member
Username: Jim_williams
Post Number: 52
Registered: 02-2006
Posted From: 72.221.65.41
| | Posted on Friday, October 17, 2008 - 12:52 am: |
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thanks, guys. Second girl for me. My 4 year old is very proud!! |
Jim Williams
Junior Member
Username: Jim_williams
Post Number: 53
Registered: 02-2006
Posted From: 72.221.65.41
| | Posted on Friday, October 17, 2008 - 10:27 am: |
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Hey, Jim, I just looked in your profile and noticed your a baker!? Me too! Here's my place
sevenstarsbakery.com
cheers! |
The Jolly Brewer
Senior Member
Username: Matfink
Post Number: 2061
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 92.233.31.3
| | Posted on Friday, October 17, 2008 - 10:53 am: |
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I'm a home baker.... if that counts? Can I join the club?
Currently I'm obsessed with sourdough. Or rather, naturally leavened bread. I don't retard the bread to develop sourness, I just like to use the starter to raise the bread. A typical loaf is a 12-14 hour one.
Do either of you use a natural leaven in your breads?
Nice site by the way Jim, looks like a nice place. |
Bill Pierce
Moderator
Username: Billpierce
Post Number: 9353
Registered: 01-2002
Posted From: 24.150.192.193
| | Posted on Friday, October 17, 2008 - 11:42 am: |
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Baking is a noble profession, right up there with brewing. It's no surprise that good bakers are good brewers. Good luck with your business, Jim. |
Jim Williams
Junior Member
Username: Jim_williams
Post Number: 54
Registered: 02-2006
Posted From: 72.221.65.41
| | Posted on Friday, October 17, 2008 - 07:14 pm: |
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Most of our breads use natural sourdough starters. The yeasted breads, only a couple, use a stiff biga. Tiny bit of yeast, fermented for a long time.
Sourdough, by the way, is much easier to control. Time and temperature is everything. I'd be more than happy to help anyone out, or, send you some of our sourdough starter. We have a stiff levain with whole wheat, and, a wet Rye.
If anyone has any bread related questions, I'd be happy to help out. Start a thread, if you like.
Cheers,
Jim |
Jim Williams
Junior Member
Username: Jim_williams
Post Number: 55
Registered: 02-2006
Posted From: 72.221.65.41
| | Posted on Friday, October 17, 2008 - 07:16 pm: |
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Thanks, Bill. It's alot of work, and, well, I don't do too much production anymore. I enjoy it when i do, though. If anyone is ever in Providence, please get in touch, and, I'll show you the bakery. We do our baking offsite now, and, the address isn't on our site.
Cheers,
Jim |
Jim DeShields
Member
Username: Niquejim
Post Number: 128
Registered: 07-2006
Posted From: 71.3.164.23
| | Posted on Friday, October 17, 2008 - 08:22 pm: |
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That looks great Jim.
I can think of only a handful of things that are better than fresh from the oven artisan bread.
I used to be a partner( ) in a small bakery south of Pittsburgh. Now I do it at a big retail outlet (so I'm more of a assembly line baker). That is why I love homebrewing. I can try anything, although I still do that with bread at home(think Prosciutto and Blue cheese bread or white/dark chocolate and candied Pineapple)
Homebrewing gives me the place to experiment with things I think could work. Some do, like my Sour Mango beer that Denny said was "freakin fantastic", and some don't ,like my pumpkin coffee porter that I didn't let anyone try before I dumped it |
michael atkins
Advanced Member
Username: Mga
Post Number: 670
Registered: 11-2003
Posted From: 71.215.47.3
| | Posted on Friday, October 17, 2008 - 11:06 pm: |
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Kudos to all you bakers out there.
I am not a baker but I worked in a bakery (part time) when I was in 8th grade and all through High School. I worked on Monday and Wednesday starting at 3:00 in the morning until 7:00 am prior to school, and on Friday starting at Midnight until 11:00 Saturday morning. This was in the early 60's - so I know I am dating myself.
I was a grunt frying donuts and cleaning pots and pans. At the end of the day we would scrape the dough and, glaze and sugars off the wood floors. I used the money I made to buy an old car at age 15, that I promptly wrecked!
We did everything from decorating wedding cakes, to roasting whole hogs for several Saturday night bar feeds.
Looking back, the experience and hard work required by that job shaped me into the person I am today, totally interested in cooking, and brewing, and still cleaning pots and pans.
Haven't tried the cask ale yet but I may very "firkin well" try it sometime! |
The Jolly Brewer
Senior Member
Username: Matfink
Post Number: 2062
Registered: 03-2003
Posted From: 92.233.31.3
| | Posted on Sunday, October 19, 2008 - 06:56 pm: |
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Jim,
I'll take you up on that, and will bombard you with questions when I get the time to ask them.
Thanks. |
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