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[Archived] Real Ale


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Good to see that Number 39 in Darwen, Black bull in Blackburn, Victoria in Great Harwood, have retained their place in Camra's 2014 Good Beer guide.

Place I work at also retained it's place.

We had a very succsessful beer festival this weekend, where Tiny Rebel's Urban IPA 5.5% was voted the best beer of the festival. Though it was very close, with Boggarts Rum Porter 4.6% coming second. I think that this beer would be available in the Blackburn area, as Boggarts are based in Manchester.

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Just picked up a six pack of Hobgoblin in 500 ml bottles. What's the best way to pour it to create a lasting head?

I don't think there is a way with bottled ales that are completely devoid of 'life'. Once upon a time beers retained an amount of yeast that would keep the beer 'alive' and producing CO2, but these were a bugger to pour without ending up with a cloudy mess. A french company has recently 'designed/trained' a yeast that sticks to the bottom of the bottle and I presume it won't be long before this starts appearing in bottled beers and a proper 'real ale' in a bottle should be achievable.

To attempt to answer your question, I would ensure that the glass was VERY clean (an important point regularly lost on pub landlords) and free from grease as this kills the head, don't eat peanuts, fish and chips or wear lipstick as greasy lips are also a 'head killer', and then try a few different poring methods, slowly, quickly......standing on one leg!!!

Good luck

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Just picked up a six pack of Hobgoblin in 500 ml bottles. What's the best way to pour it to create a lasting head?

When serving from a bottle, tilt the glass and pour on to the side of the glass, without letting the bottle touch the glass.

When serving draught, keep the nozzle/sprinkler near the bottom of the glass and pull the pump handle to its limit as many times as needed to fill the glass.

With any ale you pour a head in the bottom of the glass, then carry on pouring gently, letting the head rise to the top of the glass.

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I don't think there is a way with bottled ales that are completely devoid of 'life'. Once upon a time beers retained an amount of yeast that would keep the beer 'alive' and producing CO2, but these were a bugger to pour without ending up with a cloudy mess. A french company has recently 'designed/trained' a yeast that sticks to the bottom of the bottle and I presume it won't be long before this starts appearing in bottled beers and a proper 'real ale' in a bottle should be achievable.

To attempt to answer your question, I would ensure that the glass was VERY clean (an important point regularly lost on pub landlords) and free from grease as this kills the head, don't eat peanuts, fish and chips or wear lipstick as greasy lips are also a 'head killer', and then try a few different poring methods, slowly, quickly......standing on one leg!!!

Good luck

At one time the landlord was allowed to clean glasses with a t towel. That is no longer permitted. Many times I have noticed landlords turning on their glass washer and only using water, to save costs.

Times I hear folk say they are going to have a few beers around a barbaque. Little do they know the food they are eating kills the beer head.

When serving from a bottle, tilt the glass and pour on to the side of the glass, without letting the bottle touch the glass.

When serving draught, keep the nozzle/sprinkler near the bottom of the glass and pull the pump handle to its limit as many times as needed to fill the glass.

With any ale you pour a head in the bottom of the glass, then carry on pouring gently, letting the head rise to the top of the glass.

It is weird that different regions of the country like the beer in certain ways. the north likes a head, whereas the south doesn't.

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Went to Edgworth real ale festival last night. Smaller than a lot of festivals I've been to but a good range of mostly local ales and some belting pork pies!

http://www.eraf.org.uk/beer.html

First year I've missed it. We set off to go there but ended up in the White Horse 100 yards away and didn't bother. The pork pies are great aren't they.

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Went to Edgworth real ale festival last night. Smaller than a lot of festivals I've been to but a good range of mostly local ales and some belting pork pies!

http://www.eraf.org.uk/beer.html

All those brewerys are in Camra's 2014 good beer guide. Out of their list only had 3b's and Hopstar beers. Thanks for putting that list up.

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Would anybody consider paying £8.00 for a pint of beer?

Went to a beer festival in lewes east sussex last night at the Snowdrop Inn. They had at least 3 beers on that they wanted £8.00 a pint for. (anybody follows me on twitter will see the debate I had with the landlord afterwards)

The landlord jusified it by saying would you pay £8.00 for a pint of wine? he could not see that wine is a completely different drink / market.

Face to face he said he was selling Dobber 5.9% by Marble for £5.00 a pint, because that was what the barrel was costing him. This I knew could not be true. As the night before we had the same beer in my club and it was £2.60 a pint (cheap for the south) Myself and a few camra folks and two brewers walked out in disgust.

So I am curious to know if folk would pay £8.00 for a pint of beer? is saying "folk would pay £8.00 for a pint of wine", justification for charging £8.00. for a pint of beer?

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Would anybody consider paying £8.00 for a pint of beer?

Went to a beer festival in lewes east sussex last night at the Snowdrop Inn. They had at least 3 beers on that they wanted £8.00 a pint for. (anybody follows me on twitter will see the debate I had with the landlord afterwards)

The landlord jusified it by saying would you pay £8.00 for a pint of wine? he could not see that wine is a completely different drink / market.

Face to face he said he was selling Dobber 5.9% by Marble for £5.00 a pint, because that was what the barrel was costing him. This I knew could not be true. As the night before we had the same beer in my club and it was £2.60 a pint (cheap for the south) Myself and a few camra folks and two brewers walked out in disgust.

So I am curious to know if folk would pay £8.00 for a pint of beer? is saying "folk would pay £8.00 for a pint of wine", justification for charging £8.00. for a pint of beer?

Nope

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Would anybody consider paying £8.00 for a pint of beer?

Went to a beer festival in lewes east sussex last night at the Snowdrop Inn. They had at least 3 beers on that they wanted £8.00 a pint for. (anybody follows me on twitter will see the debate I had with the landlord afterwards)

The landlord jusified it by saying would you pay £8.00 for a pint of wine? he could not see that wine is a completely different drink / market.

Face to face he said he was selling Dobber 5.9% by Marble for £5.00 a pint, because that was what the barrel was costing him. This I knew could not be true. As the night before we had the same beer in my club and it was £2.60 a pint (cheap for the south) Myself and a few camra folks and two brewers walked out in disgust.

So I am curious to know if folk would pay £8.00 for a pint of beer? is saying "folk would pay £8.00 for a pint of wine", justification for charging £8.00. for a pint of beer?

Is it @#/?! Completely agree with you there :) esp when Bridgewater in Darwen often has Wainwright (best EPA in Europe) on for £2.

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£8 a pint is ridiculous Pafell but I had an encounter with an expensive ale recently too.

Went out in Skipton last week. Great place with lots of good real ale pubs.

One of the best was The Narrow Boat with about ten real ales on.

They also had a bottle of Brew Dog's famous (or infamous!) "Tactical Nuclear Penguin"

The beer is - wait for it - 32% ABV (no, I haven't missed a decimal point out!)

You could only buy it in a shot glass, which cost £6. The whole bottle would have cost £70 and it was 40cl

My mate and I decided to buy a shot and share it. Quite nice, actually but more like a whisky / liquer style than ale.

Have seen it on t' internet since at £40 a bottle but won't be bothering!

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£8 a pint is ridiculous Pafell but I had an encounter with an expensive ale recently too.

Went out in Skipton last week. Great place with lots of good real ale pubs.

One of the best was The Narrow Boat with about ten real ales on.

They also had a bottle of Brew Dog's famous (or infamous!) "Tactical Nuclear Penguin"

The beer is - wait for it - 32% ABV (no, I haven't missed a decimal point out!)

You could only buy it in a shot glass, which cost £6. The whole bottle would have cost £70 and it was 40cl

My mate and I decided to buy a shot and share it. Quite nice, actually but more like a whisky / liquer style than ale.

Have seen it on t' internet since at £40 a bottle but won't be bothering!

Wow. I think I would have tried it also.

At the GBBF this year, Greene king had a beer called 5x 12% abv - only let you have a third, expensive also. Folk queued for it - I just had to try it. yet in the next bar I saw a Courage Imperial Russian stout 10% ABV - cheaper, no queues and fantastic tasting beer - had to have a pint of that. At festivals I normally only do thirds and halves - unless I find one that I consider really good.

Going Eastbourne festival next weekend (saturday) - normally a choice of about 250 beers.

Then Le Gothique hallowean beer festival in Wandsworth from 31st oct to 2 nov ( I haven't decided what day yet I am going) according to some folk who have been before it's one of the best run beer festivals in the country. According to my wife that will be my last beer festival this year !!!! News to me.

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So I am curious to know if folk would pay £8.00 for a pint of beer? is saying "folk would pay £8.00 for a pint of wine", justification for charging £8.00. for a pint of beer?

If I knew I was to die the day after.

imo beer festivals are just a route to profit these days. Pro replaced Happy Hour as the 'in' thing amongst landlords.

Best EPA in Europe? You need to get out more!

All Thwaites cask beers taste very similar in my opinion.

I disagree.

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Best EPA in Europe? You need to get out more!

All Thwaites cask beers taste very similar in my opinion.

The award is on the neck of the bottle haha.

Pafell: Bridgewater just gets a variety in and are always changing. Found a nice place in Mancnear Oxford Rd station today called The Font. Very good choice of ale and a variety of lagers rather than the @#/? on offer in your average Wetherspoons. Believe it's in the CAMRA beer guide.

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