Misc News – April 12

Oops. We omitted the Duneland Homebrewers Association from the Woodford Reserve Barrel Aged Homebrew Update. That has been corrected.

800 Carlsberg workers walked out because they are now only allowed to drink beer during lunch. article 

The best sculptures made of beer cans you will see today.

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Marston's has told the world about their to-be-patented "FastCask™ " yeast beads that might revolutionize Real Ale. You see one problem with the active yeast in a Real Ale cask is that the cask has to sit for a day or two after moving for the yeast to settle before it can be served. Who wants cloudy beer now that the world has invented glasses instead of lead tankards? That's a problem for festivals, trains, boats, planes, and just about anybody that jostles a cask. And for pubs who need to have room for lots of kegs sitting on their sides, ready to tap without moving them around.

Their solution is a process that produces sponge-like yeast beads that still let the yeast work for a secondary fermentation but "drop bright" at the drop of a hat.

They're secretive about how they make the beads Pedigree, E.P.A. and Wychwood Hobgoblin are available in the UK with this system – aimed at getting their main beer brands into new venues and increase Real Ale sales. Hurrah.

It won't hit the US for quite some time and, according to the CAMpaign for Real Ale newspaper, What's Brewing, still has to be "approved" by CAMRA to be called Real Ale. Marston's, wanting to keep on CAMRA's good side probably won't release the technology without both a solid patent and CAMRA's approval. Sigh.

These guys still haven't approved the cask breather that blocks excess oxygen from spoiling the beer within a few days.

But it does seem that within just a couple of years our breweries may be able to offer a hassle-free "Real Ale" that any good beer bar can then offer to us. Until then, Real Ale seems to be something we'll only find in a very few brewpubs.