Quality first

Perfecting a pint of cask beer is of the utmost importance. The Publican and Greene King have teamed up to explain why.

If licensees should aspire to anything in 2006 and beyond, it should be to serve perfect pints of cask beer in their pubs. High street retailers are stocking more and more products to make staying at home in the evening far more attractive than going to your pub. The one unique thing you have to fight back with is cask beer. But offering cask beer will only work if it is served perfectly. Otherwise you are simply selling yourself and the product short.

When serving dinner to your customers would you use food that hasn't been refrigerated or stored properly?

Of course you wouldn't. So why do some pubs still serve cask beer that isn't being stored at the right temperature or looked after correctly?

Licensees must take pride in their cask beer and only if you champion it in the right way will you reap the considerable rewards it offers, as outlined here.

That is why Greene King has united with The Publican's Proud of Pubs campaign to champion real beer.

This is the first in a series of features looking at how licensees can improve cask ale quality. The series will culminate in a DVD giveaway to Publican readers in March.

What can licensees do to ensure quality?​

Licensees are an integral part of the brewing process.

Real beer is an unfinished product which needs real care and attention in the pub. For example, storage temperature should be a cool 11 to 13ºC. Licensees play a massive role in the final product and they should be well motivated to serve the perfect pint every time.

Getting it right in the cellar provides the perfect foundation for perfect real beer.

Cleanliness, temperature, stock rotation and care are the essential ingredients to keeping the perfect cellar.

Why is serving perfect cask beer so important?​

• Real beer gives you a clear, unique selling point over the supermarkets
• Research shows customers think "quality beer = quality pub"
• Drinkers rate real beer quality as a reason to visit
• It's a fresh, natural product full of flavour and character
• It offers a wide choice to drinkers.

Real beer handling requires skill, passion, knowledge and patience. Licensees who take the time to get it right will reap the rewards of a busy pub as the influence among real beer drinkers is extensive.

The quality gap​

• 63 per cent of consumers will reject a pint of real beer if it is of poor quality
• 91 per cent of consumers say quality is the most important element in making a great pint of real beer
• 33 per cent of consumers would not return to the pub if they received a bad pint of real beer
• Research shows that consumers would be prepared to pay more for quality
• Beer quality boosts sales and increases consumer perception of the quality of the pub.

Source: Greene King Consumer Research 2004​

Top 10 tips for quality real beer​

• Ordering:​ Order the correct size of cask to ideally sell within three days of dispensing the first pint

Storage:​ Cask conditioned beer must be stored in a temperature-controlled cellar at between 11 and 13ºC

Stillaging:​ On delivery all cask ales should be firmly scotched to prevent rolling, and stillaged level for at least three days before sale. If some casks have to be stillaged later, roll them before stillaging. Cask-conditioned ales will normally drop bright within 48 to 72 hours

Pegging and venting:​ All casks should be vented with a clean peg two to four hours after stillaging. Check the cask frequently and change the soft peg if it becomes blocked. When strong fermentation has finished, insert a hard, non-porous peg

Taping:​ Tap all casks 24 to 48 hours before they go on sale. Always use a clean peg

Samples:​ Sample the beer for clarity, aroma and taste after tapping and each day before serving. Always sample from the cask before connecting the beer lines

Serving:​ Remove the hard peg before serving and replace it at the end of the session. Once on sale the beer is exposed to air which causes rapid deterioration. So empty casks as soon as possible, ideally within three days

Tilting:​ Gently tilt the cask when it is between half and two-thirds full, either by raising the back or lowering the front, whichever is the easiest. About three inches either way should be sufficient

Cleaning:​ All equipment must be kept clean, including pipes which should be cleaned every seven days using the equipment and methods recommended by your beer supplier

The perfect pint:​ Cask beer should be dispensed into a cool, clean glass. Use branded glassware wherever possible.