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Real ale is the name coined by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) for beer that is "brewed from traditional ingredients, matured by secondary fermentation in the container from which it is dispensed, and served without the use of extraneous carbon dioxide".

Cask and bottle-conditioned beers

Cask and bottle-conditioned beers are referred to as real ale by CAMRA, as both fit its description of beers served from a container in which they have undergone secondary fermentation.^[1]

Filtered beer

The fundamental distinctions between real and other ales is that real ale is required to be unfiltered, unpasteurized and served either from a beer engine without the use of extraneous carbon dioxide, or via bottle conditioning. Real ale is not filtered and the yeast is still present and living in the container from which the real ale is served, although it will have settled to the bottom and is usually not poured into the glass. The natural carbon dioxide is lost during filtration so filtered beer has to be artificially re-carbonated. This can make the beer very 'gassy'. Because the yeast is still present and alive in real ale, a slow process of secondary fermentation continues in the cask or bottle on the way to the consumer, allowing the beer to retain its natural carbonation. Another distinction is that real ale should be served without the aid of added carbon dioxide, or "top pressure" as it is commonly known. Common dispensing methods are the handpump, or "by gravity" direct from the cask. Electric pumps are occasionally seen, especially in the Midlands and Scotland. Water pumps, powered by mains water pressure, were the traditional means of dispensing draught beer in Scotland but this method is discontinued.

Cask breather

A cask breather works by adding carbon dioxide into the cask to replace the beer as it is drawn off, rather than allowing in air, thus extending the beer's saleable life. However, the added gas is not at the high pressure typical of keg beer. Before 2018, cask ales which were kept "fresh" by the use of a cask breather were not classified by CAMRA as real ale. In 2018, this policy was changed, allowing pubs using cask breathers to be listed in the Good Beer Guide.^[2]

CAMRA

The expression "real ale" has been heavily promoted by CAMRA to attract the attention of the media in the UK. The term was coined in the 1970s, when there were very few independent breweries left, and most production had gone over to filtered and pasteurised ales served under carbon dioxide pressure ("keg beer").

Popularity

Cask conditioned ale remains popular within the UK, particularly in traditional pubs. In 2019, 420 million pints of cask ale were sold in the UK, accounting for 13.5% of all pints.^[3] Cask ale has been described as 'Britain's National Drink', and its 'Britishness' is often seen as an important factor in promoting cask.^[4]

References

^ What is real ale?, South East London CAMRA
^ "CAMRA looks to the future as its members call for positive change". CAMRA - Campaign for Real Ale. Retrieved 2020-02-02.
^ "The Cask Report 2019" (PDF). 2019.
^ "The Cask Report 2019" (PDF). 2019. p. 30.

External links

The Directory of UK Real Ale Breweries - Information on real ale brewers in the UK
CAMRA's Good Beer Guide Archived 2006-05-05 at the Wayback Machine

[1] What is real ale?, South East London CAMRA

[2] "CAMRA looks to the future as its members call for positive change". CAMRA - Campaign for Real Ale. Retrieved 2020-02-02.

[3] "The Cask Report 2019" (PDF). 2019.

[4] "The Cask Report 2019" (PDF). 2019. p. 30.

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+{{Short description|Traditionally made and served beer}}
-:''"Real ale" redirects here. For the Real Ale Brewing Company, see [[Real Ale Brewing Company|Real Ale]].''
+{{About|the type of beer|the company|Real Ale Brewing Company}}
-[[Image:Real Ale 2004-05-09 cropped.jpg|right|frame|A [[pint glass|pint]] of real [[ale]].]]
+[[File:British dimpled glass pint jug with ale.jpg|right|thumb|A [[pint glass|pint]] of real ale]]
-'''Real ale''' is the name coined by the [[Campaign for Real Ale]] (CAMRA) for a type of [[beer]] defined as "beer brewed from traditional ingredients, matured by [[secondary fermentation]] in the container from which it is dispensed, and served without the use of extraneous carbon dioxide".
+'''Real ale''' is the name coined by the [[Campaign for Real Ale]] (CAMRA) for [[beer]] that is "brewed from traditional ingredients, matured by [[Brewing#Conditioning|secondary fermentation]] in the container from which it is dispensed, and served without the use of extraneous [[carbon dioxide]]".
-==Cask-Conditioned Ale==
+==Cask and bottle-conditioned beers==
-Cask-conditioned beers (also called [[Cask ale]]) and [[bottle conditioning|bottle conditioned]] beers are often referred to as real ales, though by the terms of CAMRA's definition not all cask or bottle conditioned ales are real ale; in particular, some American style brewpubs may use collected carbon dioxide during the serving process which would disqualify them from the claim to real ale status.
+Cask and [[bottle conditioning|bottle-conditioned]] beers are referred to as real ale by CAMRA, as both fit its description of beers served from a container in which they have undergone secondary fermentation.<ref>[https://sel.camra.org.uk/camra/beer/ What is real ale?], South East London CAMRA</ref>
 ==Filtered beer==
 {{main|Filtered beer}}
-The fundamental distinction between real and other ales is that the [[yeast]] is still present and living in the container from which the real ale is served, although it will have settled to the bottom and is usually not poured into the glass. Because the yeast is still alive, a slow process of [[fermentation (food)|fermentation]] continues in the cask or bottle on the way to the consumer, allowing the beer to retain its freshness.  Another distinction is that real ale should be served without the aid of added [[carbon dioxide]], or ''top pressure'' as it is known. Common methods of dispense are the [[beer engine|handpump]], or "by [[gravity]]" direct from the cask. Electric penis pumps are occasionally seen, especially in [[the Midlands]] and [[Scotland]]. Cask ales which are kept "fresh" by the use of a cask breather are not classified by CAMRA as real ale, though this is the subject of continued debate within the real ale movement.  A cask breather works by adding carbon dioxide into the cask to replace the beer as it is drawn off, rather than allowing in air, thus extending its saleable life.  However, the added gas is not at the high pressure of [[keg beer]].
+The fundamental distinctions between real and other ales is that real ale is required to be unfiltered, unpasteurized and served either from a [[beer engine]] without the use of extraneous carbon dioxide, or via bottle conditioning. Real ale is not filtered and the [[yeast]] is still present and living in the container from which the real ale is served, although it will have settled to the bottom and is usually not poured into the glass. The natural carbon dioxide is lost during filtration so filtered beer has to be artificially re-carbonated. This can make the beer very 'gassy'. Because the yeast is still present and alive in real ale, a slow process of secondary [[fermentation (food)|fermentation]] continues in the cask or bottle on the way to the consumer, allowing the beer to retain its natural carbonation.  Another distinction is that real ale should be served without the aid of added [[carbon dioxide]], or "top pressure" as it is commonly known. Common dispensing methods are the [[beer engine|handpump]], or "by [[gravity]]" direct from the cask. Electric pumps are occasionally seen, especially in the [[Midlands]] and [[Scotland]]. Water pumps, powered by mains water pressure, were the traditional means of dispensing draught beer in Scotland but this method is discontinued.
+==Cask breather==
+A [[cask breather]] works by adding [[carbon dioxide]] into the cask to replace the beer as it is drawn off, rather than allowing in air, thus extending the beer's saleable life.  However, the added gas is not at the high pressure typical of [[keg beer]].
+Before 2018, cask ales which were kept "fresh" by the use of a cask breather were not classified by CAMRA as real ale. In 2018, this policy was changed, allowing pubs using cask breathers to be listed in the ''[[Good Beer Guide]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://camra.org.uk/press_release/camra-looks-to-the-future-as-its-members-call-for-positive-change/|title=CAMRA looks to the future as its members call for positive change|website=CAMRA - Campaign for Real Ale|language=en-GB|access-date=2020-02-02}}</ref>
 ==CAMRA==
-The expression has been heavily promoted by CAMRA to catch the attention of the media in the UK since the 1970s when there were very few independent breweries left, and most production had gone over to [[filtration|filtered]] and [[pasteurization|pasteurised]] ales served under [[carbon dioxide]] pressure ("keg beer").
+The expression "real ale" has been heavily promoted by CAMRA to attract the attention of the media in the UK. The term was coined in the 1970s, when there were very few independent breweries left, and most production had gone over to [[filtration|filtered]] and [[pasteurization|pasteurised]] ales served under carbon dioxide pressure ("keg beer").
+== Popularity ==
+Cask conditioned ale remains popular within the UK, particularly in traditional pubs. In 2019, 420 million pints of cask ale were sold in the UK, accounting for 13.5% of all pints.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019 |title=The Cask Report 2019 |url=https://cask-marque.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Cask-Report-2019-20.pdf}}</ref> Cask ale has been described as 'Britain's National Drink', and its 'Britishness' is often seen as an important factor in promoting cask.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019 |title=The Cask Report 2019 |url=https://cask-marque.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Cask-Report-2019-20.pdf |page=30}}</ref>
 ==See also==
-* [[Cask ale]]
-* [[Filtered beer]]
-* [[Keg beer]]
 * [[Draught beer]]
-* The [[Campaign for Real Ale]] (CAMRA)
+==References==
+{{Reflist}}
 ==External links==
-*[http://www.beermad.org.uk/ Beer Mad] - Good starting point
 *[http://www.quaffale.org.uk/ The Directory of UK Real Ale Breweries] - Information on real ale brewers in the UK
-*CAMRA's [http://www.camra.org.uk/SHWebClass.asp?WCI=ShowCat&CatId=13 Good Beer Guide]
+*CAMRA's [http://www.camra.org.uk/SHWebClass.asp?WCI=ShowCat&CatId=13 Good Beer Guide] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060505042930/http://www.camra.org.uk/SHWebClass.asp?WCI=ShowCat&CatId=13 |date=2006-05-05 }}
+{{Beer styles}}
-[[no:Real ale]]
-[[de:Real Ale]]
-[[sv:Real ale]]
-[[ru:Настоящий эль]]
-[[Category:Beer and breweries in the United Kingdom]]
+[[Category:Beer in the United Kingdom]]
-[[Category:Brewing]]
+[[Category:Types of beer]]
 [[Category:Beer culture]]