[Drinking] 5 litre ale kegs

Normal Rob

Well-known member

Jul 8, 2003

5,656

Somerset

• Dec 28, 2018

• #1

I have yet another all day Christmas party today. I can't face drinking wine all day so I was thinking of buying one of those large ale kegs that have appeared recently. I drink ale, not lager, so I'm worried it might just be like a large can? If so I'd get bottles instead. Any advice appreciated.

 

Lethargic

Well-known member

Oct 11, 2006

3,463

Horsham

• Dec 28, 2018

• #2

If you get to one of the local breweries with a shop then that's your best bet. Dark Star in partridge green offer all their Ales in 5 litre tins as do most of the others. The supermarkets offer the mainstream beers so less adventurous but you know what your getting.

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S

Springal

Well-known member

Feb 12, 2005

23,830

GOSBTS

• Dec 28, 2018

• #3

Lethargic said:

If you get to one of the local breweries with a shop then that's your best bet. Dark Star in partridge green offer all their Ales in 5 litre tins as do most of the others. The supermarkets offer the mainstream beers so less adventurous but you know what your getting.

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100% this. Get to Dark Star. Theirs are fresh too compared to supermarket so only have a limited life (up to 2 weeks unopened, 3-4 days once opened)

They have about 6-7 of their beers available in them from memory. I went through an APA & Revelation keg this Christmas

 

Rugrat

Well-known member

Mar 13, 2011

10,215

Seaford

• Dec 28, 2018

• #4

Agree with [MENTION=5265]Lethargic[/MENTION] and those Dark Star kegs are lovely, indistinguishable from what you get in a pub.

If you're in Somerset go find a brewery rather than the supermarket crap

 

Normal Rob

Well-known member

Jul 8, 2003

5,656

Somerset

• Dec 28, 2018

• Thread starter
• #5

I'm away from home so local knowledge is not an option. Might google something, but supermarket might be only option.

 

Y

Yes Chef

Well-known member

Apr 11, 2016

1,819

In the kitchen

• Dec 28, 2018

• #6

Normal Rob said:

I'm away from home so local knowledge is not an option. Might google something, but supermarket might be only option.

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Is there a nearby decent ale/micropub? They might do you a couple of nice 2 litre take-outs. The Brooksteed and The Hornet do round this way.

 

Y

Yes Chef

Well-known member

Apr 11, 2016

1,819

In the kitchen

• Dec 28, 2018

• #7

Wild beer is a great Somerset brewery

 

Normal Rob

Well-known member

Jul 8, 2003

5,656

Somerset

• Dec 28, 2018

• Thread starter
• #8

Cheers guys. There are a couple of micro breweries within 10 miles of where I am but they don't open until much later. Lesson learnt.

 

Superphil

Dismember

Jul 7, 2003

25,417

In a pile of football shirts

• Dec 28, 2018

• #9

Normal Rob said:

I have yet another all day Christmas party today. I can't face drinking wine all day so I was thinking of buying one of those large ale kegs that have appeared recently. I drink ale, not lager, so I'm worried it might just be like a large can? If so I'd get bottles instead. Any advice appreciated.

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I’ve read that beer in cans is better than beer in bottles, and many of the breweries are moving over to, or have moved over to cans only. Apparently the beer stays fresher in the can, perhaps this is more to do with the craft brews which aren’t quite so mass produced, but even the bigger brewers are doing it so there might be something in it. Personally I don’t find a problem with beer in cans at all, and would prefer to buy cans as they are convenient too. Bottle conditioned beers excepted, there’s a lot to read online about it, cans do fair pretty well.

https://honestbrew.co.uk/craft-beer-cans-vs-bottles/
https://thetakeout.com/does-beer-taste-better-from-a-can-or-bottle-1824294844
https://www.thespruceeats.com/bottles-vs-cans-353100

 

pb21

Well-known member

Apr 23, 2010

6,292

• Dec 28, 2018

• #10

I had a 5 litre keg of Harvey's Old over Christmas. Not sure if it was ten 500 ml bottles or 5 litres of barrel Old but it was very nice, and just like from the pub.

 

C

CHAPPERS

DISCO SPENG

Jul 5, 2003

44,772

• Dec 28, 2018

• #11

The Dark Star APA keg is decent. Think it's 20 quid if you can get it from them which is ridiculous value.

 

beorhthelm

A. Virgo, Football Genius

Jul 21, 2003

35,299

• Dec 28, 2018

• #12

Superphil said:

I’ve read that beer in cans is better than beer in bottles, and many of the breweries are moving over to, or have moved over to cans only. Apparently the beer stays fresher in the can, perhaps this is more to do with the craft brews which aren’t quite so mass produced, but even the bigger brewers are doing it so there might be something in it. Personally I don’t find a problem with beer in cans at all, and would prefer to buy cans as they are convenient too. Bottle conditioned beers excepted, there’s a lot to read online about it, cans do fair pretty well.

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i remain somewhat suspicious of the motivations for cans when they use the 330ml form rather than 500ml, with same prices.

 

zefarelly

Well-known member

NSC Patron

Jul 7, 2003

21,800

Sussex, by the sea

• Dec 28, 2018

• #13

In addition to what's been said a lot of proper pubs do take outs, you can get 2 & 5 Litre takeaways from the Duke in Shoreham, not as cheap as direct from a brewery but top quality as opposed to pasteurised piss from a supermarket.

Not many good ales survive the bottling process without a significant change in taste.

 

Normal Rob

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Jul 8, 2003

5,656

Somerset

• Dec 28, 2018

• Thread starter
• #14

Well my only option was to pop to the local tesco where I picked up a keg of Doom Bar. Not expecting much but we'll see. Next time I'll be a bit more organised.

 

Rugrat

Well-known member

Mar 13, 2011

10,215

Seaford

• Dec 28, 2018

• #15

Normal Rob said:

Well my only option was to pop to the local tesco where I picked up a keg of Doom Bar. Not expecting much but we'll see. Next time I'll be a bit more organised.

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As supermarket s**t go's that's probably as good as it gets

 

S

Springal

Well-known member

Feb 12, 2005

23,830

GOSBTS

• Dec 28, 2018

• #16

beorhthelm said:

i remain somewhat suspicious of the motivations for cans when they use the 330ml form rather than 500ml, with same prices.

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Same prices as what?

 

PILTDOWN MAN

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Sep 15, 2004

18,695

Hurst Green

• Dec 28, 2018

• #17

zefarelly said:

In addition to what's been said a lot of proper pubs do take outs, you can get 2 & 5 Litre takeaways from the Duke in Shoreham, not as cheap as direct from a brewery but top quality as opposed to pasteurised piss from a supermarket.

Not many good ales survive the bottling process without a significant change in taste.

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One of the only ales considered a "real" ale in a bottle is Worthington White Sheild. Lovely it is too.

 

beorhthelm

A. Virgo, Football Genius

Jul 21, 2003

35,299

• Dec 28, 2018

• #18

Springal said:

Same prices as what?

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330ml same price as 500ml, about £1.80 for either size in the supermarkets. large brewery brands do 500ml cans cheaper though, so conclude 330ml is favoured by the craft breweries because the higher margins.

 

Herr Tubthumper

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Jul 11, 2003

59,482

The Fatherland

• Dec 28, 2018

• #19

Yes Chef said:

Wild beer is a great Somerset brewery

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Great? They’re ****ing brilliant. I think Moor are based down that way as well.

 

Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member

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Jul 11, 2003

59,482

The Fatherland

• Dec 28, 2018

• #20

beorhthelm said:

i remain somewhat suspicious of the motivations for cans when they use the 330ml form rather than 500ml, with same prices.

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Many many craft beer cans come in 500ml though. And a quick look at some websites shows prices are roughly pro-ratered when the amounts are 300 or 500. Do you have an example where this is not the case?