Differences Between Keg Beer and Cask Ale

Beer is one of the most popular beverages in the world rivaled only by water and tea. In fact, it is the oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic beverage around the globe. Due to its popularity, it has gained traditional and cultural status in many beer drinking countries. Over the years, its brewing methods have led to a large varieties being developed. Two of such varieties are Keg beer and Cask Ale. An average beer drinker might find them similar but an avid drinker can easily tell them apart. Therefore, to help such people, it is essential to discuss the differences between Keg Beer and Cask Ale to have a better knowledge of the two.

Simply put, beer that is unfiltered and unpasteurized and has undergone a slow fermentation procedure by keeping in the vessel from which it is served (also known as a Cask) is known as Cask Ale. It may also be referred to as Real Ale, a term proudly started by Campaign for Real Ale which is a voluntary consumer organization founded in Europe in 1971. In contrast to this, Keg Beer is a type of beer that has undergone the primary fermentation process as Cask Ale, but has been filtered and pasteurized. This means that no further conditioning can take place in Keg Beer. Generally, in the brewing trade, Cask Ale is known as cask conditioned whereas Keg Beer is known as brewery conditioned beer.

Cask Ale is also referred to as a living product as it is served directly from the cask without the addition of any carbon dioxide or nitrogen under pressure. It is naturally carbonized through fermentation. Distinctively, Keg Beer lacks any natural carbonization and carbon dioxide has to be added artificially which may lead to an over gassy product which can in turn prove difficult for consumption for a few drinkers. Moreover, in today's times, a mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide is added to some varieties of Keg beer popularly known as nitro-keg beers.

Keg Beer is a term often used to describe beer served from a pressurized keg. In typical brewing language, a keg is a pressurized vessel used to hold beer with a single opening in the middle of its top which has a flow pipe attached to it. Keg beer contains artificially added carbon dioxide that increases its shelf life at the expense of flavor. On the other hand, Cask Ale is refers to beer served directly from a cask. It has a tap hole situated near the edge of its top and a spile hole on its side which is used basically for conditioning the unfiltered and unpasteurized beer. Another notable difference between a cask and a keg is that the latter has a simple concave bottom whereas the design of a cask lets the sediment to be retained.

Generally, neither beverage can be termed as right or wrong, it is simply a matter of ones preference. Cask Ale is typically preferred because of its lighter scent whereas Keg Beer may be preferred due to its aromatic and rich smoky fragrance. Cask Ale may be the preferred beverage for small pubs to be produced in microbreweries whereas Keg beer has a longer shelf life, so it might be preferred as the beverage of choice to be enjoyed outside the pub.

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Marek Salzman enjoys writing articles and reviews on all kinds of topics. To view more visit http://logocoffeemugs.org including the latest on Logo Coffee Mugs