Draught beer (also known as draft beer or tap beer) has several related though slightly different understandings. The majority of references to draught beer are of filtered beer that has been served from a pressurised container, such as a keg or a widget can. Filtered or bright beer is Beer in which yeast is no longer in suspension. A keg is a cylindrical container usually constructed of aluminum steel or wood A widget is a device placed in a container of beer to manage the characteristics of the beer's head. A narrower meaning is beer that is served from a keg (or tap), but not from a can, bottle or cask, is also used. Draught beer (also known as draft beer or tap beer) has several related though slightly different understandings Cask ale or cask-conditioned beer is the term for unfiltered and unpasteurised Beer which is conditioned (including Secondary fermentation A more traditional definition is beer that is served from a large container, which could be either a keg or a cask. The different understandings may at times overlap and cause confusion. Some traditionalists object to the more modern use of the word when applied to canned beer. The slight usage differences of the term is due to the history and development of beer dispensing.
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History of draught
Until Joseph Bramah patented the beer engine in 1785, beer was served directly from the cask and carried to the customer. Joseph Bramah ( 13 April 1748 – 9 December 1814) born Stainborough Lane Farm Wentworth, Yorkshire, England A beer engine is a device for Pumping Beer, originally manually operated and typically used to dispense beer from a Cask or container in a pub's basement The old English word for carry was dragen, from the German tragen, which developed into a series of related words, including drag, draw, and draught. English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. By extension, the word for carrying or drawing a beer came to mean the serving of the beer and, in some senses, the act of drinking, or a drink of beer itself, regardless of serving method. By the time Bramah's beer pumps became popular, the use of the word draught to mean the act of serving beer was well established and transferred easily to beer served via the hand pumps.
In 1691, an article in the London Gazette mentioned John Lofting, who held a patent for a fire engine: "The said patentee has also projected a very useful engine for starting of beer, and other liquors which will draw from 20 to 30 barrels an hour, which are completely fixed with brass joints and screws at reasonable rates". The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the UK in which certain A fire apparatus, fire engine, fire truck, or fire appliance is a vehicle designed to assist in fighting Fires by transporting Firefighters
By the early 20th century, draught beer was starting to be served from pressurised containers. Artificial carbonation was introduced in the United Kingdom in 1936, with Watney’s experimental pasteurised beer Red Barrel. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Pasteurization is the process of heating Liquids for the purpose of destroying bacteria, Protozoa, Molds and Yeasts The process was Though this method of serving beer did not take hold in the U. K. until the late 1950s, it did become the favoured method in the rest of Europe, where it is known by such terms as en pression. The method of serving beer under pressure then spread to the rest of the world; by the early 1970s, draught beer was almost exclusively beer served under pressure.
Shortly after a British consumer organisation called the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) was founded, in 1971, to protect unpressurised beer, the group devised the term real ale to differentiate between beer served from the cask and beer served under pressure. The Campaign for Real Ale ( CAMRA) is an independent voluntary, Consumer organisation based in St Albans, England, whose main aim Cask ale or cask-conditioned beer is the term for unfiltered and unpasteurised Beer which is conditioned (including Secondary fermentation By 2004, the term real ale had been expanded to include bottle-conditioned beer, while the term cask ale had become the accepted global term to indicate a beer not served under pressure. Bottle conditioned beers are either unfiltered so the final conditioning of the beer takes place in the bottle or filtered and then reseeded with yeast so that an additional
Keg beer
Keg beer is a term for beer which is served from a pressurized keg. Beer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed Alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea A keg is a cylindrical container usually constructed of aluminum steel or wood While often considered synonymous to draught beer, keg beer refers specifically to beer served under pressure, while draught beer may refer to any beer served from a larger container, including both keg beer and cask ale. Cask ale or cask-conditioned beer is the term for unfiltered and unpasteurised Beer which is conditioned (including Secondary fermentation Keg beer is often filtered and/or pasteurized, both of which are processes that render the yeast inactive, increasing the shelf life of the product at the expense of flavor. Filtration is a mechanical or physical operation which is used for the separation of solids from fluids (liquids or gases by interposing a medium to fluid flow through which the fluid Pasteurization is the process of heating Liquids for the purpose of destroying bacteria, Protozoa, Molds and Yeasts The process was Yeasts are a growth form of eukaryotic Microorganisms classified in the kingdom Fungi, with about 1500 Species currently described
In brewing parlance, a keg is different from a cask. A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container traditionally made of Wood Staves and bound with Iron Hoops The A cask has a tap hole near the edge of the top, and a spile hole on the side used for conditioning the unfiltered and unpasteurised beer. A spile is a small Wooden peg used to control the flow of Carbon dioxide out of a Cask of Ale. A keg has a single opening in the centre of the top to which a flow pipe is attached. Kegs are artificially pressurised after fermentation with carbon dioxide or a mixture of carbon dioxide and nitrogen gas. Fermentation in Food processing typically refers to the conversion of Sugar to Alcohol using Yeast under Anaerobic conditions Carbon dioxide ( Chemical formula:) is a Chemical compound composed of two Oxygen Atoms covalently bonded to a single Nitrogen (ˈnaɪtɹəʤɪn is a Chemical element that has the symbol N and Atomic number 7 and Atomic weight 14
Keg has become a term of contempt used by some since the 1960s as pasteurised draught beers were replacing traditional cask beers. The quality of the kegging process was not as good then as it is today, and sometimes the keg beers are referred to as Plastic Beer. Some people believed that chemicals (adjuncts) were used to create a foam head. The following is about the brewing term adjunct is also a term used in linguistics. These perceptions exist to this day.
Despite this consumer concern, keg beer was replacing traditional cask ale in all parts of the UK, primarily because it requires less care to handle. Since the mid-1970s, the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has been conducting a successful consumer campaign which focused attention on those consumers who preferred traditional cask beer. The Campaign for Real Ale ( CAMRA) is an independent voluntary, Consumer organisation based in St Albans, England, whose main aim As well as this CAMRA has lobbied the British Parliament successfully to ensure support for cask ale. The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories Cask ale or cask-conditioned beer is the term for unfiltered and unpasteurised Beer which is conditioned (including Secondary fermentation New, small microbreweries have sprung up to serve those consumers who prefer traditional cask beer. A microbrewery, or craft brewery, is a modern Brewery which produces a limited amount of beer usually with an orientation toward distinctive and flavorful products Today many pubs in the UK will serve both keg and cask beer.
In modern beer dispensing, a metal keg is pressurised with carbon dioxide (CO2) gas or nitrogen (N2) gas or a combination of both. Carbon dioxide ( Chemical formula:) is a Chemical compound composed of two Oxygen Atoms covalently bonded to a single Nitrogen (ˈnaɪtɹəʤɪn is a Chemical element that has the symbol N and Atomic number 7 and Atomic weight 14 Pressure in the keg drives the beer to the dispensing tap, or faucet.
Pressurised CO2 in the keg's headspace maintains carbonation in the beer. The CO2 pressure varies depending on the amount of CO2 already in the beer and the keg storage temperature. Occasionally the CO2 gas is blended with Nitrogen gas. CO2 / Nitrogen blends are used to allow a higher operating pressure in complex dispense systems.
Nitrogen is used under high pressure when dispensing dry stouts (such as Guinness) and other creamy beers because it displaces CO2 to form a rich tight head and a less carbonated taste. The Foam on top of Beer is called a head. It is caused by bubbles of Carbon dioxide rising to the surface This makes the beer feel smooth on the palate and gives a foamy appearance. Premixed bottled gas for creamy beers is usually 75% Nitrogen and 25% CO2. This premixed gas which only works well with creamy beers is often referred to as Guinness Gas, Beer Gas, or Aligal. Using "Beer Gas" with more common ale and lager styles can cause the last 5% to 10% of the beer in each keg to taste very flat and lifeless.
Country differences
Draught beer is usually unpasteurised in America. It is intended to be kept refrigerated between 2°C (35°F) and 4°C (40°F), and consumed quickly after being "tapped". Above 6°C (44°F), a beer may within two days turn sour and cloudy. Below 6°C (44°F), a keg of draft beer should last 20-30 days before it loses its fresh taste and aroma.
In the UK, the term keg beer would imply the beer is pasteurised, in contrast to unpasturised cask beer. Draught beer (also known as draft beer or tap beer) has several related though slightly different understandings Cask ale or cask-conditioned beer is the term for unfiltered and unpasteurised Beer which is conditioned (including Secondary fermentation Some of the newer microbreweries may offer a nitro keg stout which is filtered but not pasteurised, but the older established breweries do pasteurise.
One of Australia's most popular beers is Carlton Draught, which is available on tap as well as in both cans and bottles without widgets. Carlton Draught is a 46% ( abv) Pale lager made in Australia by Carlton & United Beverages.
Different beers also require different equipment for dispensing. For a detailed listing of brands and their respective keg taps and couplers, please see the Beer Brand / Keg Taps Couplers Listing
Smooth flow
Smooth flow (also known as cream flow or just smooth) is the name brewers give to beers pressurised with nitrogen; either from a can or bottle with a widget, or from a pressurised keg. A widget is a device placed in a container of beer to manage the characteristics of the beer's head.
Canned and bottled "draught"
Recently the words "draft" and "draught" have been used as marketing terms to describe canned or bottled beers, implying that they taste and appear as beers from a keg. A beverage can (or drinks can) is most often an Aluminum Can manufactured to hold a single serving of a Beverage. A bottle is a container with a neck that is narrower than the body and a "mouth Two examples are Miller Genuine Draft, an American lager which is produced using a patented cold filtering system, and Guinness stout in patented "Draught-flow" cans and bottles. Miller Brewing Company is the second largest American style Beermaker and is based in Milwaukee Wisconsin, United States. American-style lager beer is a common variety of beer a type of Pale lager, traditionally made and consumed in North America but also popular in much of the rest of the world Guinness (ˈɡɪnɪs is a popular Dry stout that originated in Arthur Guinness ' brewery at St Guinness is an example of beers that use nitrogen widgets to create a smooth beer with a large foamy head. A widget is a device placed in a container of beer to manage the characteristics of the beer's head.
In some countries such as Japan, the term "draft" applied to canned or bottled beer indicates that the beer is not pasteurised (though it may be filtered), giving it a fresher taste but shorter shelf life than conventional packaged beers. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics.
See also
References
External links
- Draught Beer Equipment Draught Beer Equipment
- Draught Beer Information: Lots of information regarding draught beer storage and equipment. Cask ale or cask-conditioned beer is the term for unfiltered and unpasteurised Beer which is conditioned (including Secondary fermentation A beer tap is a Valve, specifically a tap, for controlling the release of Beer.
- Compactdraught: How draught taps work