Cask cooling

Cask cooling holds a cask at serving temperature in the cellar, either by chilling the room or by cooling the cask itself with a jacket or saddle.

  • Aim for a steady 11u201313u00b0C rather than cold
  • Jackets and saddles cool the cask; cellar cooling chills the room
  • Stability matters more than hitting an exact number

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Showing all 22 results

Cask ale is served at cellar temperature, which in practice means somewhere around 11 to 13 degrees. Warmer than that and the beer tastes flabby and works too fast; colder and the flavour shuts down and the condition goes flat in the glass. The point of cooling equipment is to hold that range steadily rather than to make the beer cold.

How to choose

What to know

Cooling the cask directly rather than the whole room is the cheaper approach where the cellar cannot be controlled u2014 a jacket wraps around the cask, a saddle sits over it, and the coolant circulates from a small chiller. It suits a bar with a handful of casks or a temporary setup at an event far better than trying to refrigerate a whole room.

What to know

Whichever route you take, steadiness beats precision. A cellar that swings several degrees between a quiet afternoon and a busy evening will affect the beer more than one that sits a degree off target and stays there.

Common questions

What temperature should cask ale be served at?

Around 11 to 13 degrees u2014 cellar temperature, not fridge temperature. Too cold and the aroma and flavour close up; too warm and the beer tastes flat and dull and deteriorates faster.

Is a cooling jacket as good as a cooled cellar?

For a few casks or a temporary bar, a jacket or saddle is the practical answer and considerably cheaper. A properly cooled cellar is better for a large stillage because it holds every cask at the same temperature.

Have a look at

Fixings, clips & sundriesCask taps