My local brewpub does a dry hopped firkin of one of their regular beers each Thursday. I have enjoyed all of the cask beers I have had more than the bottled or CO2 draft version. Bell's Two Hearted on cask made me appreciate IPA's! A firkin is like a keg, but they use no CO2. It has a tap hole on the edge so it is laid on it's side. There is a bung on top to let in air. http://www.gooseisland.com/events/images/Firkin%20a.jpg E, how can you tell if they use a sparkler on a regular cask beer?

I discussed sparklers with E in chat. Sparklers agitate the beer and make a creamy, frothy head. Similar to the effects of nitro. I have had cask beers at several brewpubs and was wondering how you know if the cask beer has been run through a sparkler. I will definitely ask from now on.

I was a fan before me and my wife's trip to the U.K. this past January. But after a week of nothing but Cornish Real Ales (both hand-pulled and gravity fed), I'm *all about* Real Ale now...! :) Me and my mate's Local (O'Brien's) ussualy has something nice coming from a cask every Thursday (usually tapped-out by Last Call Thursday, or Friday afternoon).... And The Liar's Club has some on a less-regular basis. But otherwise, we have to wait from the San Diego Real Ale Fest each year! http://www.pizzaport.com/festivals.html (Good write-ups on Real Ale in general, and where to get it in San Diego too). //TB

quote: Originally posted by heemer77 I discussed sparklers with E in chat. Sparklers agitate the beer and make a creamy, frothy head. Similar to the effects of nitro. I have had cask beers at several brewpubs and was wondering how you know if the cask beer has been run through a sparkler. I will definitely ask from now on.

That's one of the many good things that CAMRA touches on in their Good Beer Guides -- whether a place prefers to use sparklers or not. I know they were highly frowned upon in Cornwall when I was there, and didn't see a single one until our way back in Hammersmith/London. Here in The States? Try to get an opprotunity to do a side-by-side comparison (w/ and w/o sparkler), and decide for yourself what you prefer... Cheers! //TB

75th Street Brewery in Kansas City has cask ales quite a bit, as does the Free State Brewery in Lawrence.

I actually feel like a moron. One of my old haunts, The Old Toad, used to do "Firkin Friday" every friday a few years back. In my old age that information disapeared from my brain. oops.

Ok now we are talking beer good deal. Ive only had a few cask beers but I enjoyed them.

quote: Originally posted by unklelemmy I actually feel like a moron. One of my old haunts, The Old Toad, used to do "Firkin Friday" every friday a few years back. In my old age that information disapeared from my brain. oops.

I have been to the Old Toad before, great place. Some of my favorite beers I've had on cask were Dark Lord in Chicago, Goose Island ESB, Yards ESA, Victory Storm King, Bullfrog Barleywine, DFH 90 min, Pizza Port Hop 15. When Chicago used to hold the Real Ale Fest, that weekend was amazing! So many different casks. I only went in 3/04, the last year they even tried to hold something. We were in Goose Island Wrigleyville, and there were 37, pour your own, gravity fed casks all in one room! Pretty close to heaven...

quote: Originally posted by Dansting 75th Street Brewery in Kansas City has cask ales quite a bit, as does the Free State Brewery in Lawrence.

75th Street had the Blonde on Cask last time I was there, very intersting. Schlafly rotates the cask selections. The English Mild on cask was outstanding.

quote: Originally posted by drewseslu Schlafly rotates the cask selections. The English Mild on cask was outstanding.

If I hadn't been too busy beer geeking trying to sample every single Schlafly beer, I could have drank that cask ale all day. EXCELLENT stuff. Speaking of beer geeking - I still haven't entered my Schlafly English Mild review...