Hopping for the glass

[jt]

OK, brother departs for the east tomorrow and he hasn't even had a sniff of the PKB attempt that I brewed for a farewell that didn't eventuate

So last chance tonight. Now I was wondering if I should try replicate a handpumped ale.
We've done this before. Puncture a plastic bottle lid with half a doz holes and squeeze the beer out of the plastic botlle, good results.

Then I thought about filling the bottle with some cascade cones for that total hop experience.

I'm guessing I'd get a lot of foam filling the bottle as the beer hits the hops.

Thoughts and ideas please !

[Stu McKinlay]

Always thought there was something amiss about you and now I know what it is!!

[MrC]

Surely I'm not alone with my failure to be impressed by beer served on hand pump. Any one else in the same boat?

[Reviled]

Sometimes I feel that way Mr Cherry, I think it depends on the beer, it has to 'suit' the handpump IMO otherwise it just doesnt do it for me either...

Im gonna stick my neck out there - Nerdherder - Didnt do it for me through the pump, I dont know why, but it seemed lifeless like Mr Cherry says... I really like the on tap version tho so it cant have been the beer, just the way it was served?

Now, Martins ordinary at his 40th, or a Bitter and Twisted at Galbraiths, or Jo's Stone Levitation clone, those are beers for the handpump, they taste awesome and I couldnt imagine them being 'spritzy' or cold through a normal tap - It seems to be all the english beers (funnily enough), or the darker beers for me...

[Andrew]

The thing with handpumped (cask ales) is they have to be treated so delicately and by a bar that know how to do it well (clean lines etc are paramount). If this isn't all perfect, your beer won't be. Even moreso than keg beer. If you get a good one, you'll fall in love all over again.

[Stu McKinlay]

I'm the same Rev... I was only taking the Cherry. I actually reckon almost all of our beers have been a shade better on tap than handpump. So much so that I flagged the bags for Return to Magenta (then regretted it - won't do that again).

Obvious exceptions are the two sub-4% beers we've released: 'punkadiddle' and 'kid chocolate', which are far better on handpump. The handpump beers through bags are even lower condition than most casks too, so if you struggle with "flat" beer then you will really struggle with most of handpumps outside of Galbraith's and The Twisted Hop. I like 'em "flat and sparkled".

A lot depends on the temperature, it needs to be cool rather than cold.

Also the balance of the beer needs to be taken into account... I preferred Motueka Monster in bottle and tap but Yakima Monster on handpump. I think that was probably becuase the sweetness of the Sauvin, combined with the extra perceived sweetness at wamer temps, made the handpump version just a little cloying.

[Reviled]

Ive been thinking about this, and maybe its the hoppy(ier) beers that dont work as well in the handpump? I mean, nerdherder was reasonably hoppy, but kid chocolate wasnt really

Maybe its a malt thing? I dunno?

[Stu McKinlay]

it's hard to judge... as i say, Yakima was awesome, Motueka not as good. Nerdherder B I really liked, Nerdherder D not so much.

The little subtle beers are good because they need all the warmth and lack of carbonation to express themselves. I swear, after Beervana, I was drinking Townshend Cathcarts and our Punkadiddle like a thirsty man drinks glasses of water.... it was beer drinking at its absolute best. Something like Hallertau Minimus might be different... it is made for tap.

[Reviled]

"Hallertau Minimus might be different"

Isnt steve planning to run that through the handpump permanently?? So I guess well all find out soon enough!

[Dave]

When you're talking about a bag is that filtered and uncarbonated or cask conditioned then racked bright into a bag?

[Reviled]

Its conditioned in the bag Dave, to like 1 volume or 1.5 volumes of Co2

[Dave]

Admittedly I haven't had that many hand pulled beers in New Zealand but the ones I have had outside of Galbraiths, The Twisted Hop and the Moutere Inn have seemed a little too flat. Thats why I thought that maybe they were just filtered and uncarbonated but most likely I just got them on a bad day.

[Stu McKinlay]

it is like a giant wine bladder.

it can be either... I don't know of anyone who is "bag conditioning" commercially.
It has a little natural CO2 but pretty low... fermenter levels. Quite a few people think the condition is too low but I'm happy with it and it seems to be gaining in popularity. Most of those people probably think Galbraith's beers need more CO2 too!