REAL ALEReal ale refers to any beer which undergoes a secondary fermentation and which is served without artificial carbonation. Cask conditioned beer is draught beer which undergoes secondary fermentation in the cask. Bottle conditioned beers, which ferment in bottle, are also real ale.Whether a beer is real ale or not can be decided objectively. This usage in Britain has been upheld in the courts and is accepted by major dictionaries. Why's CAMRA keen on it? Because secondary fermentation allows character and flavour to develop, whereas pasteurisation and/ or filtration inevitably reduce flavour. Clearly real ale is a perishable product, and will age rapidly once the cask is opened and the beer is exposed to air. In the UK market the majority of pubs sell enough draught beer to finish a cask while it is in good form. Real ale drinkers find keg beers generally over carbonated, too cold, and lacking in flavour. Real ale should not be warm, cloudy, or flat. Real ale is served at cellar temperature (54 degrees F / 11degrees C), the same as red wine; it clears in the cask and should never be cloudy; the beer is not fizzy but it does have enough natural carbonation that it tastes lively in the mouth. CAMRA(Campaign for Real Ale) If you want to know more about Real Ale, CAMRA's site is the primary source. |