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Brewing Topics => All Grain/Advanced => Topic started by: thassum on December 04, 2013, 11:58:19 AM

Title: Bottle conditioning vs kegging
Post by: thassum on December 04, 2013, 11:58:19 AM

Some yeasts are called Cask Yeast like "British Cask Ale" (Wyeast #1026), but what does it actually mean? According to the description it should be used for kegged batches, but why and what happens if I still choose to bottle condition with sugar (as I normally do)?

Title: Re: Bottle conditioning vs kegging
Post by: drb1215 on December 04, 2013, 01:56:21 PM

Hi,

The Wyeast 1026 would work fine for bottle conditioned beer. 

Cask conditioned and kegging are not the same thing.  Cask conditioning the secondary fermentation, as well as the conditioning, traditionally takes place in a wooden cask (although SS casks can also be used).  The beer is then served unfiltered from the cask via a beer engine (manual pump).

It's a good flocculator (medium/high), making it good for dropping clear in the cask. A quality that makes it great for bottle conditioning, too.

-Dan

Title: Re: Bottle conditioning vs kegging
Post by: thassum on December 04, 2013, 02:09:35 PM

Thanks Dan, but how do get beer with carbondioxide if you use a manual pump?

What is a SS cask?

Tore

Title: Re: Bottle conditioning vs kegging
Post by: drb1215 on December 04, 2013, 04:24:27 PM

You get carbonation in a cask due to the yeast and unfermented sugars in the cask. Since it is a closed system, the CO2 does not escape and is absorbed by the beer. You can also add DME or priming sugar, similar to bottling. (Any other comments are welcome)

SS = stainless steel.

-Dan

Title: Re: Bottle conditioning vs kegging
Post by: RobbyComstock on December 04, 2013, 09:34:49 PM

Thanks for the post and thanks for the reply Dan.  Learned something new. :)

Title: Re: Bottle conditioning vs kegging
Post by: thassum on December 05, 2013, 02:28:06 PM

Thanks Dan!

No I understand :) So fermenting in any closed system would work I assume... Maybe I buy a 5 litre minikeg and try that out.

Title: Re: Bottle conditioning vs kegging
Post by: drb1215 on December 05, 2013, 09:44:12 PM

I wouldn't say "any" closed system...it needs to be able to handle the pressure that builds up when the beer is releasing CO2.  Do a bit of research so that you don't have too much pressure built up during the process (typically cask ales have a low CO2 volume).

-Dan

Title: Re: Bottle conditioning vs kegging
Post by: drb1215 on December 05, 2013, 09:57:36 PM

Looking back at a couple of old Brewing TV episodes there are two that deal with casks.  The first shows them using casks at a brewery:  http://www.northernbrewer.com/connect/episode/brewing-tv-episode-36-gone-firkin/ (http://www.northernbrewer.com/connect/episode/brewing-tv-episode-36-gone-firkin/)

The second shows them cask conditioning at home:  http://www.northernbrewer.com/connect/episode/brewing-tv-episode-38-none-more-cask/ (http://www.northernbrewer.com/connect/episode/brewing-tv-episode-38-none-more-cask/)

At the very least they are entertaining :)

-Dan

Title: Re: Bottle conditioning vs kegging
Post by: Slurk on December 06, 2013, 04:57:11 AM

Quote from: drb1215 on December 05, 2013, 09:57:36 PM

At the very least they are entertaining :)

They are both interesting and entertaining: all for brew, brew for all :)