Choose Your Container
Mini Cask Instructions
For the best quality and maximum enjoyment, please follow these simple steps.
If stored properly and left undisturbed, your mini cask can last up to four weeks unopened. But once you crack it open, aim to enjoy it within 3-5 days.
You’ve got a container filled with fresh, live real ale. This means it includes some yeast sediment. To help you achieve the best experience, please follow these steps:
● For the best results, keep it in a cool spot away from direct sunlight, ideally between 8 and 12 °C. You can store it a bit colder if you like, but that might cause a slight chill haze when you pour.
● When it arrives, find a cool place where the cask can stay undisturbed. Once it’s positioned, carefully pull the serving tap straight out from the base to get ready for serving. DO NOT push down on the tap or open the top valve yet.
● Let it stand for at least 24 hours to let your beer settle and clear. You can pour earlier if you want, but that might give you a yeast haze—totally up to you! (Fun fact: Brewer's yeast is harmless and packed with B vitamins, protein, selenium, and lots of minerals and amino acids!)
● Try not to move your cask after it’s settled unless you really have to, as that can disturb the sediment and make it cloudy again.
● When you’re ready to pour, start by releasing any pressure and clearing the tap of yeast. To do this, grab a glass, place it under the tap, and carefully push downwards on the tap to pour about a quarter pint, then toss that out.
● Rinse the glass and keep pouring! If the pour slows down or stops altogether, slowly open the vent at the top of the cask (a quarter turn anti-clockwise) to let air in and beer out.
● To help your beer last longer, close the top vent after each pour to extend its life and keep it in good condition.
● You should now have about 8 pints of ale to enjoy. When you’re done, please close the valve and tap, and recycle the container responsibly.
If you have any problems or would like to know more about our ales and brewery, please email our Head Brewer at tom@blackbearbrewery.co.uk for advice.
Beer-in-a-Box Instructions
Follow these steps to prepare your beer for settling and serving.
● Tear off the perforated section from the box to reveal the tap.
● If your box has inflated, you will need to vent. To do this, stand your Beer-in-a-Box on its back (tap facing up to the ceiling) and gently open the tap to vent any excess gas, closing the tap before any beer comes out.
● Then place the Beer-in-a-Box back the right way up (tap facing towards you in the position you’ll be serving from) and allow it to settle in a cool place for 24 hours.
Top tip: make sure you leave the tap slightly overhanging a ledge so you can get a glass underneath!
Once you have settled the sediment, your box of real ale will be good to go! The first pint may have a small amount of sediment from the tap, but after that it should pour clear.
● For best results, store in a cool place out of direct sunlight at 8-12 °C.
● Once settled, avoid moving or disturbing your Beer-in-a-Box, and to ensure the freshness of your beer, it is best consumed within 5 days of opening. In ideal storage conditions — kept cool — Beer-in-a-Box can last 2-3 weeks unopened.
● If you disturb the sediment at any point, don’t worry —the hazy beer won't harm you, but you may wish to let it settle again for a few hours before continuing to serve.
If you have any questions or would like to learn more about our beers and brewery, please email our Head Brewer at tom@blackbearbrewery.co.uk for advice.