There’s no denying pubs and bars are heaving with variety. Cold crisp lagers, juicy pale ales, quenching sours – they’ve got the lot. No wonder choosing a beer can be so overwhelming! So, you cut to the chase and just ask for a beer… but then the barman asks if you want a keg or cask beer… what?! In this blog we’ll fill you in on the differences between cask and keg beer. And how we brew the two styles here at Triple Point Brewery.
WHAT’S THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CASK AND KEG?
From storage and conditioning processes to overall beer flavour – cask and keg are NOT the same! Here’s why;
CASK VS KEG
WHAT IS A CASK?
Once upon a time ALL beer was dispensed from casks (even lagers!), that was before the invention of kegs in the early 20th century. A cask is a hollow cylindrical barrel that curves and bulges at the centre, tapering at the ends. It’s designed for a natural secondary fermentation process… Traditionally, cask barrels were made by forming wooden staves together into a circle and securing them with metal hoops (think Donkey Kong style). However, modern casks are usually made from stainless steel or aluminium – for better durability and maintenance. Sizes of cask barrels vary. The largest being a hogshead (54 gallons), the most common being the firkin (9 gallons), and the smallest being the pin (4.5 gallons).
WHAT IS A KEG?
A keg is a more modern construction. Made from a durable stainless steel (like the modern cask). However, a keg is adapted to withstand the higher pressure that comes with increased carbonation. Like cask, keg barrels come in various sizes. The largest being a 100 Litre keg and the smallest being a mini keg (5L) though 50L and 30L are more common sizes.
CASK BEER
WHAT IS CASK BEER?
Typically,cask beer is unpasteurised, unfiltered, and naturally carbonated. Standing out with its distinct flavour profiles, brightness, clarity, and natural characteristics. It’s considered by some connoisseurs to be beer in its purest form.
CONDITIONING CASK BEER
At Triple Point, we aim to put beer into cask within two weeks of brewing. It fills the cask through a shive in the top of the barrel and starts out quite flat, with little carbonation. Unlike kegged beer, a cask barrel doesn’t have any added pressure in it, so it’s the brewers’ job to magic up some natural carbonation. At Triple Point, we rely on CASK CONDITIONING. A method allowing the yeast to undergo a second fermentation process. While nothing else is added to the beer in cask, the art of Cellarmanship really comes into play here. The period of conditioning, and environmental factors like cellar temperatures and hygiene, can make a huge impact on the final product. Being a Cellarman is a highly skilled job, and the art of cask conditioning is complex.
STORING AND POURING CASK BEER:
The storage and dispensing of cask beer can vary between breweries. In some (more traditional) cases, cask barrels are stored lying flat on their sides and poured directly from a tap. At Triple Point we store our casks standing upright. Cask beer is usually dispensed with a hand pull, a long hand-operated beer engine (first developed in Barnsley in 1797) which extracts beer directly from the cask into your glass, while retaining its natural carbonation. An untapped cask will store anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. But, once the cask is tapped, the beer should be consumed in around 3 days. Otherwise, it will become oxidised and spoil. One of the most distinguishing features of a cask beer is the way the bar person pours it. In Yorkshire we like it firmly pulled through a ‘sparkler’ which jets the beer through fine holes to create a thick, creamy head, making for a smooth drinking experience.
KEG BEER
WHAT IS KEG BEER?
Unlike cask beer, keg beer can be filtered and pasteurised before being sealed in the keg. This process removes the yeast and other hazes. Halting fermentation and creating a longer-lasting product that retains its flavour and clarity for longer. At Triple Point, we do things differently. We pride ourselves on being an unfiltered brewery, so we never filter or pasteurise our beers. Instead, we add finings to remove yeast. And, for our brighter beers like Helles and Gold, remove hazes. This is all part of the natural conditioning process. We follow a traditional German technique called ‘spunding’. Sealing the tank so pressure builds up and starts the carbonation process. It can take up to six weeks for beer to enter the keg.
CONDITIONING KEG BEER
Beer destined for kegs is ‘brewery conditioned’. That means we get it just right, for gas level and clarity before it is filled into the kegs. Kegs are pressurised with gas (either carbon dioxide or a mixture of carbon dioxide and nitrogen) as the last stage of the cleaning and sterilisation process before filling, to maintain carbonation and assist in dispensing the beer.
STORING AND POURING KEG BEER
Keg beer is served using a draft system which includes a gas cylinder, pressure regulator, and tap. Unlike cask beer which is typically dispensed from the top of the cask, keg beer is pushed by compressed gas pressure from the bottom of the keg up through the spear to the top along through the draft lines and into your glass. This allows for consistent carbonation and a nice steady pour.
Can you make vegan and gluten-free cask beer?
Yep, you can absolutely make vegan and gluten-free cask beer. Although it’s still relatively uncommon in the brewing industry. At Triple Point, we ONLY brew gluten-free beers. And, wherever possible, we make them vegan too. Here’s how…
GLUTEN-FREE BEER:
We use Clarex, an enzyme that breaks down gluten proteins, making our cask and keg beers safe for those with gluten sensitivities or celiac disease.
VEGAN BEER:
Some of our cask beers are vegan and some are not. Our non-vegan beers tend to be our brighter cask. As we need to use Isinglass (traditionally derived from fish swim bladders) to provide the clarity and brightness our customers want. For our hazy cask beers, we don’t use Isinglass or synthetic fining alternatives.
Sheffield’s first ever democratically voted for beer is BACK once again for the renegade master!
And in perfect time for Abbeydale Road Beer Festival.
Our iconic NEIPA, A Pint of Sheffield has returned for the SIXTH time.
And, as per, its recipe was created by craft beer drinkers from all over Sheffield.
It’s one of our favourites, and clearly yours – as it’s one of our biggest sell outs time and time again. We want to tell you all about the latest brew. But first…
LET’S TAKE IT BACK A BIT
A few years ago, we met Joe who runs ‘A Pint of Sheffield’. A social media channel reviewing craft beer pubs, bars, breweries and bottle shops in Sheffield.
We loved his brand. His support for local beery independents. And we loved his dedication to beer in Sheffield.
So, obviously, we wanted to collaborate.
SHEFFIELD’S FIRST DEMOCRATICALLY VOTED BEER
Over a pint and some crisps, we hit it off with Joe straight away and it didn’t take long to know what we wanted from our partnership. We wanted a beer that the people of Sheffield could create. And so ‘A Pint of Sheffield’ was born.
How does it work?
When the time comes, normally late December, Joe posts on the Pint Of Sheffield Instagram page asking followers to vote for what hops, bitterness, and other flavour profiles they want to see in the next Pint of Sheffield.
Once the votes are in, we gather the results, and our brewers get to work crafting a beer that truly represents the taste of Sheffield for that year!
THE RESULT?
A beer that embodies the passion and creativity of Sheffield’s beer community.
And the results speak for themselves. Sheffield seems to love a NEIPA! As that’s what we always end up brewing!
If you’re not sure, NEIPA stands for New England IPA. Generally meaning a beer that’s big and hoppy, but fruity and juicy.
In YEAR ONE we had a 5.9% NEIPA, in YEAR TWO people voted for something a little easier drinking, so we went under 5% with a 4.7% New England pale.
But in year three (this year) the vote was for something STRONGER again. The vote was for over 5%, and so we opted for a 5.3% super juicy, tropical NEIPA.
OUR LATEST BREW
It’s 2024, new year, new can. But still teaming up with @PintofSheffield to create yet another democratically voted for beer.
You voted; we brewed it. Your A Pint of Sheffield 2024 is:
A tropical and juicy New England IPA with flavours of pink grapefruit, pineapple and passionfruit.
Packed with oats for a smooth mouthfeel.
Hops: Cascade, Citra, Harlequin, Sabro, Simcoe.
This year we took the decision-making process to new heights. Asking followers to vote for an artist to design the can too!
We chose a selection of our favourite artists and simply put a poll up, then the incredibly talented Aether (Instagram – @Helion.art) marched into victory.
And she absolutely smashed it!
ALWAYS GLUTEN-FREE
A Pint of Sheffield is ALWAYS a vegan and gluten-free beer. Just like all our craft beers are gluten-free, and mostly vegan.
We brew it this way so that everyone can enjoy a pint – even if you have a gluten-intolerance.
SUPPORTING A LOCAL CHARITY
One of the KEY points of the Pint of Sheffield project is we wanted to return the favour to the people of Sheffield for designing our beer.
So, every year we donate 15p per can or pint sold to a local charity. So far, we’ve raised around £3000 for various Sheffield based Charities with the project.
This year we’re working with the fantastic Snowdrop Project, a charity dedicated to supporting and empowering survivors of modern slavery in Sheffield and the South Yorkshire area, which is a much bigger problem than we knew before engaging in the project this year.
Read more about it here.
JOIN THE PARTY
Every brew is a celebration of love for craft beer in Sheffield – the ‘Real Ale Capital of The World’!
And the best part? Seeing everyone come together to enjoy a pint at the Abbeydale Road Beer Festival.
We’re buzzing to bring A Pint of Sheffield back to the festival from 2nd – 4th August 2024 – for a THIRD year running!
The beer will be stocked at pubs and bottle shops all down Abbeydale Road. Where if you collect twelve beer stamps, you can pick up the Pint of Sheffield artwork print from Coles Corner.
You can also buy 440ml cans of ‘Almost A Pint of Sheffield’ on our web shop now! Vegan and gluten-free.
It’s not just a beer, it’s a celebration of our community. And raises money for charity as well.
So, come down to Abbeydale Road, grab a pint, and toast to the city that made it all possible. We’ll see you there!
There’s an estimated 2.5 MILLION vegans in the UK! That’s 4.7% of the adult population AND a number that keeps growing (sourced from finder.com).
So, it’s no wonder why the demand for vegan beer is increasing.
At Triple Point, we are – and always have been, committed to crafting great tasting beers that are inclusive to all!
Which is why we brew all our beer gluten-free, and almost all of it is vegan too!
Water, hops, yeast, and malted barley – on the face of it, beer sounds vegan, right?
Well, you might be surprised to learn that not all beers are vegan.
In this blog, we’ll shed light on what makes a beer vegan, how to identify vegan-friendly options, and why our brewery is proud to offer vegan beers.
What Makes a Beer Non-Vegan?
At its core, most of the ingredients that go into brewing beer are plant-based.
Primarily, beer comprises of water, malted barley, hops, and yeast. Great!
However, the brewing process may sometimes use animal-derived products, particularly during the clarification stage, causing most beer NOT to be vegan.
Common non-vegan fining agents include:
ISINGLASS: Derived from fish bladders. Used to clarify beer by removing yeast and other particles.
GELATIN: Sourced from animal collagen. Also used for clarification.
CASEIN: A milk protein sometimes used in the brewing process.
LACTOSE: A milk sugar sometimes used for sweetening e.g. ‘Milk Stout’ or ‘Milkshake IPA’
YOGURT: Live yogurt cultures may be used to start Lactic fermentation in sour beers.
HONEY: Occasionally used as a fermentable sugar, adding sweetness and flavour to certain beers.
Many breweries use isinglass or gelatine because it is very traditional, having been used for centuries and usually, leads to a clearer, brighter pint.
Issue is… they’re not vegan-friendly. And you can generally still brew a gorgeous looking pint anyway! Other non-vegan items listed may be used for specific flavour effects in the recipe development.
How We Brew Our Beer Vegan / Our Commitment to Vegan Beer
As mentioned, most of our beers are vegan – particularly the ones you find on our web shop.
However, occasionally, we produce a non-vegan cask which can be found serving at our taproom or at one of the many pubs and bars across the country stocking our beer.
Question is, how do we make our beer vegan without sacrificing quality or flavour?!
To put it simply, we avoid the use of animal-derived fining agents in our brewing process wherever possible. Instead, we use vegan-friendly fining agents which are made from silicates, which are not animal-derived.
Where fining agents are used, whether vegan or non-vegan, their purpose is to settle out yeast and proteins. As such, they are not present at any significant level in the beer you drink.
Vegan Beer Recommendations
Our web shop is full of vegan (and gluten-free) beers! But, of course, here are some recommendations!
First up, HELLES – our core vegan lager, inspired by the easy-drinking beers of Munich. It’s crisp, clean and refreshing, and nicely sessionable at 4.1%.
Our vegan-friendly stout ASTRAL always goes down well with vegans. We use 10 grains to brew this one, giving it a rich and rounded, yet smooth mouthfeel. Expect chocolate and coffee notes upfront, ending with a touch of orange.
Here for summer… our latest 4.5% CATHARINA brew. This time it’s strawberry and passionfruit flavoured. This gently hazy, soft and fruity vegan sour beer range is inspired by the Brazilian ‘Catharina’ style and we love experimenting with new flavours every summer.
Next up, our rotational beer series ‘SOLO’ which only uses one hop per beer. This time SOLO – CITRA using (you guessed it…) citra hops! It’s a 3.8% super sessionable vegan pale ale flavoured with sweet fruits, tropical and citrus.
How to Identify Vegan Beer
Checking the labels on your beer is key! If a beer is vegan, it’ll state ‘vegan’ or have a vegan certification logo on the label.
But it’s also worth checking brewery websites and social media accounts – as most of them will be shouting about their vegan products – like us!
You can spot our vegan beers by looking at the product card and description.
There’s a tonne of communities out there too. No doubt you’ll find vegan beer recommendations on Facebook groups and vegan sub-reddits.
Picture this. You’re off the clock, the sun’s shining, and you’re sat in a sunny greenhouse-inspired beer garden with a pint of tank-fresh beer in hand.
That’s right folks, the season for al fresco pints in Sheffield’s best beer garden is upon us. The question is, what are you drinking when you get here?
Five Beers To Drink In The Sun
As promised, here are our top five beer garden beers to enjoy with us this summer:
Catharina Strawberry And Passionfruit
Our Head Brewer went all Indiana Jones on us, venturing to South America to learn the secrets of the “Catharina sour” (a Brazilian fruited sour beer). He came back full of advice from local brewers and created his own take on the beer style. SIX flavour combinations later and Catharina Strawberry and Passionfruit have arrived at the perfect time for the 2024 summer! It’s a 4.5% fruited sour that’s gently hazy with soft and fruity aromas. Super easy to drink and not too sour. A beer garden staple.
Helles
This one’s for the craft lager fans! As one of our five core beers, Helles always goes down a treat. It’s crisp, clean, and refreshing, with a hint of citrus and honeysuckle. And at only 4.1%, it’s super sessionable, so you can get away with knocking back a few pints on a sunny day. That’s pretty much everything you crave on a scorcher, right?
Cryo
Our 4.2% cryo-hopped pale ale is another core brew that goes down a treat in the sunshine. It’s packed with juicy mango, papaya, lychee, and citrus flavours. Heavily hopped, but low in bitterness. It’s a hop lover’s dream!
Debut
Our award-winning IPA has swiftly become a legendary beer in Sheffield. It was one of the first beers we ever brewed, and thanks to its popularity and countless award wins, we keep bringing it back! It’s juicy, hazy, and punchy. And all our locals would agree that it’s bloody delicious! Plus, it’s got a brand-new look thanks to Lily Langford from Sheffield Hallam University, who won our design competition – gotta love supporting locals!
Tangelo
Last but not least, our 4.8% tangerine and grapefruit kellerpils – “Tangelo”. If you didn’t know already, “kellerpils” is German for “cellar beer”. Meaning a pilsner-style beer straight from the cellar without filtration. Our take on this is bright, refreshing and juicy. It was so juicy; in fact, our team described it as being like ‘alcoholic juice.’ That’s got to be good.
To purchase any of our refreshing beers and get the most out your summer view our shop here.
Our Beer Garden
In the summer, our beer garden transforms into a beautiful greenhouse-inspired hop garden as the hops we use to brew our annual beer ‘Flora’ climb the brewery surroundings. The hops have started growing pretty wild already. It’s a sight to see!
Award-Winning Local Brewery
We were recently voted WINNERS of BEST LOCAL BREWERY in the Exposed Magazine Awards 2024. Spread over 15 lines, we serve a range of core and seasonal craft beers, all brewed on-site. Expect Sheffield craft lagers, ales, sours, and stouts. All are gluten-free, mostly vegan, and some are served straight from tank to tap. You can’t get much fresher than that!
More Than Just Beer
Not into beer? No worries! We’ve got a variety of seasonal cocktails and local spirits stocked in our bar, too! Plus, with burger scran from Sheffield’s legendary Twisted Burger Company, we’ll make sure you’re fed!
Where To Find Us
Most of our beers are also available to buy online. But if you’re in Sheffield and craving a crisp pint in a lively beer garden, come and say hello! We’re based in Sheffield city centre – just a short walk away from Sheffield train station and Sheffield Hallam University (you can’t miss our giant ‘THE BEER COMES FIRST SIGN’ out front)! We’re buzzing to see you here!
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Your chance to WIN a GILBERT INNOVO MATCH BALL
Terms & Conditions: To enter, you must select the Six Nations Booking Type. Book a table between 31/01/25 and 15/03/25 to watch any Six Nations match at our venue to be eligible for the giveaway. Only table bookings for Six Nations match viewings are eligible for entry. One winner will be selected at random and announced on 15/03/25. The winner may choose an Innovo rugby ball from the selection available at www.gilbertrugby.com, subject to availability at the time of prize redemption. The prize is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash or any other alternative. Entrants must be aged 18 or over at the time of entry. Only one entry is permitted per table booking per day. We reserve the right to amend or withdraw the giveaway at any time without prior notice if circumstances make this unavoidable. By entering, participants agree to these terms and conditions.
WHAT’S THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CASK AND KEG?
brighter beers like Helles and Gold, remove hazes. This is all part of the natural conditioning process.
We follow a traditional German technique called ‘spunding’. Sealing the tank so pressure builds up and starts the carbonation process. It can take up to six weeks for beer to enter the keg.
At Triple Point, we ONLY brew gluten-free beers. And, wherever possible, we make them vegan too. Here’s how…
