Identify Real Ale

The term “real ale” was coined by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) in the 1970s. CAMRA is based in the United Kingdom and actively campaigns for real ale and pubs that serve real ale. Real ale is a traditional form of unpasteurized, living ale that undergoes secondary Model Alcoholic Fermentation in a cask or bottle. This makes real ale a delicate, specialized product that must be stored and served at specific temperatures and handled properly. Real ale is available in the United States and other parts of the world in addition to the UK, and there are particular ways to identify real ale at a pub, bar, liquor store, or other establishment.

Steps

  1. Real ale is never referred to as a lager. Ales and lagers are different kinds of beer. Ale is made with what is referred to as top-fermenting yeast and is fermented at higher temperatures than lagers. Lagers are fermented with what is referred to as a bottom-fermenting yeast and are fermented at colder temperatures for relatively long periods of time. Real ales are, of course, referred to as various types of ales, but they may also be referred to as Bitters, Porters, Milds, Stouts, and Barley Wines.
    • Some traditional British ales are fermented in specialized fermentation systems that accommodate the layer of actively fermenting yeast that rises to the top of the fermenting beer. These fermentation systems are traditionally open to the air to some extent, unlike the standard sealed fermenters that are used to make most lagers. Open fermentation systems may be simple vessels that merely lack a ceiling.
      • Yorkshire Squares are somewhat more complicated open fermenters that enable the yeast to be more easily harvested. Various real ales are made with Yorkshire Squares, such as traditional English Samuel Smith ales. The Samuel Smith Tadcaster brewery uses traditional slate Yorkshire Squares, but more modern Yorkshire Squares are constructed from stainless steel. The Black Sheep brewery in England makes real ales using modern, stainless steel versions of Yorkshire Squares.
      • The Burton Union system, which is a network of large casks, also allows the top-fermenting yeast to be easily harvested, and it is used in conjunction with simple open fermenters. The casks that are used with Burton Union systems are different from the casks that are used to serve real ale. Marston’s Pedigree ale is fermented in an entirely traditional Burton Union system that is primarily composed of handcrafted wooden casks.
    • Ales and lagers also have different origins. Ales originated in part in Britain, as opposed to lagers that originated in places like Germany. Real ales are most prominent in Britain, but fine examples are also brewed in the United States, Australia, Belgium, France, Canada, and other regions. A classic form of real ale that is called cask ale is native to and most common in Britain.
  2. Keep in mind that real ale contains living yeast. This piece of background information is critical in understanding the following steps. Real ale must contain some living yeast when it is added to casks or bottled so that it can undergo a secondary fermentation. Some fermentable sugar must also be present in the beer. The sugar is broken down by living yeast in the beer to produce carbon dioxide. Therefore, the beer is naturally carbonated in the cask or bottle.
    • Sugar is traditionally added to real ale when it is added to casks or bottled. This sugar is referred to as “priming sugar”. This is typically a solution of dextrose. However, residual sugars from the grains that the beer is brewed from may exist in the beer. These sugars can be used by the yeast in the same manner as priming sugar to induce a secondary fermentation.
    • Real ale cannot be pasteurized, as this would kill the yeast.
    • Real ale, especially when in the form of cask ale, should not be filtered. Filtration, especially fine filtration, generally removes the yeast and negatively impacts qualities that are desirable for real ale. However, it may be practical and acceptable to use some form of filtration when producing bottle-conditioned real ales.
    • Real ale that is brewed in the United Kingdom is traditionally “fined”. Fined beer is clarified with fining agents such as isinglass, thus eliminating the need for filtration. Isinglass is natural collagen that is derived from the swim bladders of sturgeon.
  3. Bottled real ale is always bottle conditioned. Bottle-conditioned beer has undergone a secondary fermentation in the bottle. The carbon dioxide that carbonates the beer should be naturally produced by living yeast in the beer, and the real ale should ideally not be exposed to extraneous gases such as industrially produced carbon dioxide and nitrogen.

    • Bottle-conditioned beer may be labeled as “bottle conditioned” or labeled as having been “refermented” in the bottle. Similar terms such as “naturally conditioned” or "naturally carbonated" may be used. It may even be the case that the beer is labeled as a CAMRA-approved real ale. However, there may be no indication on the label of bottle conditioned real ale that it has been bottle conditioned. It is often necessary to contact breweries to determine if their ales are bottle conditioned.

    • Very traditional breweries that use open fermentation systems may have no choice but to allow their ales to carbonate almost entirely in the bottle. This is because the beer can only carbonate fully when it is in a completely sealed vessel such as a bottle. However, bottle-conditioned ales that are fermented or stored in sealed vessels may be carbonated to a large extent with naturally-produced carbon dioxide before bottling. Some breweries recover naturally-produced carbon dioxide that is vented from fermentation tanks and use this carbon dioxide to partially carbonate their beer. The beer is then allowed to carbonate partially in the bottle, taking into account the existing level of carbonation in the beer. Recovered carbon dioxide can be categorized as an extraneous gas. Beer may also be allowed to carbonate naturally in pressurized fermentation tanks, just like it would carbonate in the bottle. If this carbonation process is halted before the beer is fully carbonated, the beer can still be bottle-conditioned and thus allowed to carbonate fully in the bottle. In this instance, the beer qualifies as a real ale. It is certainly the case, however, that many breweries that use sealed fermentation tanks allow their beer to carbonate primarily in the bottle just like breweries that use open fermentation systems.

    • Industrially produced carbon dioxide and/or nitrogen may be used by breweries to purge fermentation tanks or assist with brewing processes during the production of bottle-conditioned ale. This means that the beer may be exposed somewhat to extraneous gases, even though it is naturally carbonated. It is likely that many people would agree that bottle-conditioned ale that is made in such a manner generally qualifies as real ale, and there may be no practical way for a brewery to completely avoid the use of some extraneous gases. For example, most modern bottling machines purge bottles with extraneous carbon dioxide before the beer is added to the bottle. This improves the quality of the beer and is an industry standard. However, real ale purists may choose to only drink ale that has been bottled by hand and exposed to air rather than extraneous gases.

    • Breweries may finely filter their beer before bottling to create clear (or clarified) beer and remove all the yeast, then add a small amount of yeast and sugar to the beer so that it can undergo a secondary fermentation in the bottle. Ale made in such as way is bottle conditioned, does contain living yeast, and may qualify as real ale. However, it may be lacking some desirable sensory qualities that exist with unfiltered real ale.

    • Centrifugation is sometimes used to clarify the beer and reduce the yeast count to the desired low value that is acceptable for bottle conditioning. This is an alternative to filtration as well as fining and is acceptable for the production of real ales. Sierra Nevada brewing uses this technology.

    • Canned beer is usually not conditioned in the can. There may be canned versions of ales that are also packaged and conditioned in bottles. Hence, the canned version may not be real ale even when then bottled version is. Additionally, canned ales that use nitrogen "widgets" cannot be real ales, as they are artificially carbonated with nitrogen. Maui Brewing Company does produce can-conditioned, unfiltered, unpasteurized canned real ale.
  4. Look for a layer of sediment in the bottle. Because real ale is conditioned in the bottle with living yeast, there may be a visible layer of sediment on the bottom of the bottle.
    • This layer can be thick and quite obvious but it can also be thin and hardly visible. To see the layer of sediment, look through the side of the bottom of the bottle or hold the bottle up above your head and look through the bottom of the bottle. You can also look for traces of cloudy sediment when pouring the ale. Also, the sediment may stick to the inside of the bottle after the ale has been poured, so peer into the bottle after pouring the ale. Ale that has not been filtered or fined will likely have a relatively thick, visible layer of sediment.
    • Real ale that has been clarified with finings such as isinglass or centrifuged may have very little visible sediment. It is often desirable for real ale to be rather clear and be relatively free of sediment, so don't discount an ale if it isn't loaded with sediment.
    • Unfiltered bottled beer that has not been bottle conditioned may have a layer of sediment merely because visible particles were not filtered out. Such beer may have been pasteurized or entirely carbonated before bottling.
  5. Real ale that is on-tap is dispensed from casks. Real ale is not dispensed from kegs, but rather from casks. Casks are also referred to as firkins, and are usually constructed of metal, but plastic and wooden casks are also used. Casks are noticeably rounder and somewhat smaller than standard full-size US kegs. A typical cask has a capacity of 10.8 US gallons, while a typical 1/2 barrel US keg has a capacity of 15.5 US gallons.
    • Real ale undergoes a secondary fermentation in the cask, like bottle-conditioned real ale.
    • Real ale that is in a cask must not be exposed to any extraneous carbon dioxide or other gases whatsoever except for naturally occurring, environmental air.
    • The unique design of casks means that cask ale develops particular characteristics while undergoing the conditioning process that cannot be replicated in kegs, bottles or cans. Real ale is usually noticeably less carbonated than many other types of beer, such as lagers.
    • It is important to be aware that kegs are used to dispense most types of beer, including ale. Ale that is dispensed from a keg is not considered real ale. This includes Guinness Stout. Standard kegged beer is carbonated to the desired level before it is added to the keg, and extraneous carbon dioxide and/or nitrogen is used with kegs to dispense the beer.
    • Cask ale that qualifies as real ale should be clarified with a fining agent, but not filtered. The fining agent is added directly to the cask before the cask is sent off from the brewery. Isinglass is typically used as the fining agent.
    • Casks are allowed to condition in the cellar of the establishment that serves the cask. This is partly due to the fact that the ale in the cask must be allowed to settle and clarify while it is resting in the cask at its final destination. Once the conditioning process has begun and after it is completed, the cask must not be overly disturbed and must be handled properly, as the beer can be easily ruined.
  6. Observe how the ale is dispensed. Cask ale should be dispensed from casks in an approved, proper manner. Just because ale is dispensed from a cask does not mean that it is real ale. It is also important that good cellarmanship be practiced by pubs and other establishments.
    • Casks have two openings, unlike kegs which have only one. One opening that is located on the side of the cask is for the shive, while the second opening that is on one end of the cask is for dispensing the ale when the cask is actually tapped. When casks are about ready to be tapped, the shive is punched through, exposing a small hole in the cask. This relieves excess pressure that has built up in the cask. After allowing excess beer to blow off from the cask, a soft spile (a small, porous wooden peg) is placed in the shive hole to allow excess gases to be vented. When enough gas has vented, a hard, airtight spile is placed in the shive. The cask is then tapped and beer is dispensed. The hard spile is removed and replaced with the soft spile when needed to allow air to enter the cask and displace the beer that has been removed from the cask.
    • Real ale is typically dispensed from a cask with a beer engine or by means of a tap that is inserted directly into the hole that is on one end of the cask. In Study the Traditional Music of Scotland, tall founts are sometimes used. These more resemble taps that are designed for kegs, but the beer is dispensed through the tap by pressurizing the cask with air, rather than carbon dioxide or nitrogen.
    • When a beer engine is used, the cask may be stored in an area away from the bar (such as in the cellar) while it is being dispensed. Beer engines, which are also referred to as handpumps, are manually-operated hydraulic beer taps that have large handles. The ale is dispensed from the beer engine from a narrow metal pipe that, when long and curved, is called a “swan neck”. Sparklers may also be used. These devices fit on the end of the outlet of the beer engine tap and agitate the ale by forcing it through small holes. This gives the ale a creamy head.
    • When a bartender dispenses real ale from a genuine beer engine, he or she will pull down forcefully on the large handle multiple times to fill a standard pint glass. Beer taps that dispense from regular kegs may be made to look like beer engines, but they are not forcefully pumped. However, electric beer engines can also be used that may seem to be standard keg taps with large handles, as they need not be pumped by hand. Electric beer engines are perfectly acceptable, but many people prefer pints that are actually "pulled" using manual beer engines.
    • Because cask ale is inordinately exposed to the air once the cask has been tapped, it quickly oxidizes and will go bad very quickly, usually within a few days. Therefore, establishments that have a high turnover are able to provide fresher real ale. Also, the beer that has been sitting in a beer engine and its associated beer lines overnight must be discarded before serving the first pint of the day.
    • Cask “breathers” cannot be used, as they expose the ale in the cask to extraneous carbon dioxide or nitrogen. It is easy to identify cask breathers as they are plastic devices that are attached to the shive hole in the cask and to gas tubes. It is not easy however to distinguish between cask ales that have and have not used a Cask "breather" based on the taste or look of the beer after it has been served. This is because at atmospheric pressure the CO2 does not change the beer.
    • Real ale that is dispensed from a cask may have noticeably less foam than other types of beer. This is largely due to the lower carbonation level, but also due to the fact that cask ale is not dispensed with the assistance of pressurized gas.
  7. Real ale is served at cellar temperature. Living real ale is only acceptable when served at the right temperature. This is especially the case for cask ale. Too cold, and the yeast will deactivate and the beer will be more like a cold-conditioned beer without living yeast. Ale is ale because the yeast thrive at a higher temperature than lager yeast. A consumer standards group in Britain, known as Cask Marque, takes it upon itself to monitor the conditions of the cellar and the quality of the cask beer on sale in every pub it is invited to in order to determine whether the pub is fit to serve cask ale in its optimum state. Of the many criteria that Cask Marque assess, beer temperature is one of them. Real ale should be served at cellar temperature, within the range of {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}}. The living yeast and naturally-produced carbon dioxide that are a part of real ale can be adversely affected by improper temperatures. The flavour and other sensory qualities of real ale will suffer if the beer is served at incorrect temperatures.
  8. Real ale may be clear or hazy. When dispensed from a cask, traditional British real ale should be entirely clear, provided that it is not dark beer. This is because isinglass finings are traditionally used to clarify the beer. However, cask ale can be hazy, especially if it was not handled according to exacting standards. And while hazy or cloudy beer may not be entirely approved of in the UK, bottled examples of real ale may be quite hazy or cloudy, especially if they were not clarified in any way. Also, the sediment that forms in bottled real ale may cause the beer to become cloudy as the beer is poured into a glass. Some types of real ale use certain stains of yeast that cause the sediment in the bottle to stick forcefully to the bottom of the bottle, thus minimizing the risk of hazy (or cloudy) beer.



Tips

  • Certain brands of ale may be available as real ale and ale that does not qualify as real ale. As an example, a particular brand of cask ale that does qualify as a real ale and is available in pubs may also be available as a bottled and/or canned ale that does not qualify as a real ale. This is because bottle-conditioned beers can be more costly to produce. Consumers may also expect a highly stable, consistent, sediment-free beer. This necessitates practices such as pasteurization and fine filtration.

Warnings

  • Do not drink alcohol under the age of 21.
  • Be aware that brewers who make ales that do not qualify as real ales and beer drinkers who drink ales that do not qualify as real ales may not accept the term "real ale".
  • Drinking alcohol while pregnant can cause birth defects.

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