The Anchor Inn Needs Your Help

[RufusR]

used to love 6 x then our local went through some difficult times with management changes etc and the 6 x was awful for a while , totally put me off it . But its been a while so I could be re-introduced I reckon ;-)

[twbm]

 

 

I am one of the few, privileged people who have been asked to come and change a barrel in the cellar. They all lie on what looks like a really smart, modern rig that gradually tilts each individual barrel slightly towards its tap, as the beer is consumed. No wedges and disturbance involved.

 

This, for the Anchor, is really 21st Century stuff! Good idea though, with Mutha and daughter running the pub (whos combined age can't be much less than 135!)

 

Ours is vertical extraction - leave upright, insert probe to bottom of aluminium keg-shaped container that cannot be called a keg, withdraw an inch, leave sediment to settle, drink.

[Machpoint005]

 

What would you call an aluminium keg shaped thing?

 

A nine, a firkin, or a cask, but not a keg. That word implies the contents are pasteurised, sweet rubbish, or kept under gas pressure, or both.

Kegs are usually cylindrical (but not always). Casks are shaped like barrels (or like me) in that they are wider round the middle than at the ends.

The main distinction, though, is whether the container has a shive hole. If it does, it's a cask. If it doesn't, it's a keg.

I take it you do know what the shive hole is for?

Edited December 4, 2015 by Machpoint005

[ChimneyChain]

Waddys still use the horses, apparently it's the most economical transport for deliveries within two miles of the brewery. I worked for the company for three years in the mid 70s, but I was in the wine & spirit warehouse rather than the brewery - the stables are just out the back of the W&S warehouse.

 

Things are about to change with regard to the W & S as the warehouse has been sold and W&S are moving back into the main brewery building. Hope this doesn't change things too much. They haven't done any bottling there for some years, I think that's done by Whitbreads (but not sure).

 

Cheers to 6X.

 

 

Dave

 

 

That's not a Wadworth house!

 

 

Dave

I know it's not a wadworth house, I was just asking if you ever drink in the British lion.

 

Darren

[Machpoint005]

 

If you want to preserve the notion that real ales are carried delicately from the dray to the cellar in hand crafted wooden barrels, laid down reverently to settle covered in a mohair blanket with whale song in the background and eventually tapped and spiled in a ceremony involving ruddy faced men wearing aprons, it could be!

 

I'll spare you from the reality. Suffice to say 'clang' and 'boing' come in to it.

 

Do keep up -- the SPBW changed into CAMRA back in the 1970s. CAMRA has recognised for many decades that the material out of which the cask is made makes no difference at all (provided it can be cleaned properly, of course).

[Loafer]

THAT's the word. CASK!

 

I'll report back on this weekend's beer quality at about midnight.

[bag 'o' bones]

The loans are very cheap but the beer they buy is very expensive.

as I said usually very competitive. Depends on how good you are at negotiating your barrelage discount.

[bag 'o' bones]

 

Yes. But not just the prices, it helps if you sell beers that people will buy. Going to upset the real-ale mafia now: in our place the best sellers are Fosters, Strongbow and Kronenbourg. It's been said on here that all you have to do to be a successful pub is sell a huge variety of well kept real ales, and people will flock in. They don't. We sell one, and just about manage to shift a single 9 gallon keg in a week before it goes off. It we ever start to run out on a Wednesday, we'll get another in.

Quite. I mostly sell Fosters, John Smiths smooth and Strongbow simply because all our bars are part time function bars. We do offer a 'bright' real ale option but its not taken up very often due to the cost of setting up.

 

One way of increasing the real ale is do away with any smooth pour on the bar and replace with the cask version. I replaced John Smiths smooth with John Smiths Magnet - sales went up. although I do realise this might not be the right move for every pub.

 

As for lager drinkers - well some of them will never be educated.

[bag 'o' bones]

 

If you want to preserve the notion that real ales are carried delicately from the dray to the cellar in hand crafted wooden barrels, laid down reverently to settle covered in a mohair blanket with whale song in the background and eventually tapped and spiled in a ceremony involving ruddy faced men wearing aprons, it could be!

 

I'll spare you from the reality. Suffice to say 'clang' and 'boing' come in to it.

Wadworths are one of the few breweries that still supply in wooden casks (within a certain radius of the brewery)

 

Rod extraction is an inferior method of conditioning and serving cask ale. Pretty useless for beers that contain a high percentage of solid material (blocks the vent valve all to easily)You should only really use rods if space is at a premium.

 

Sacking placed over a barrel is a very efficient method of cooling beer in a cask - still used to day if cellar cooling is not available.

 

 

I am one of the few, privileged people who have been asked to come and change a barrel in the cellar. They all lie on what looks like a really smart, modern rig that gradually tilts each individual barrel slightly towards its tap, as the beer is consumed. No wedges and disturbance involved.

 

This, for the Anchor, is really 21st Century stuff! Good idea though, with Mutha and daughter running the pub (whos combined age can't be much less than 135!)

Barrel lifters are a usefull bit of kit until they start getting stiff through corrosion which then jerks the barrel.

[DaveC]

I know it's not a wadworth house, I was just asking if you ever drink in the British lion.

 

Darren

 

I rarely go to pub these days - not been in the British for 2 or 3 years.

 

 

Dave

[DHutch]

I take it you do know what the shive hole is for?

Pick me, pick me, I do....

 

Although it seems 'vertical extraction' is increasing common to save space and does nt use it as its vented through the extraction whatsit. Don't know what the real take-up is butnits heavily market by those selling the new taps!

 

 

Daniel

[Tim Lewis]

 

Do keep up -- the SPBW changed into CAMRA back in the 1970s. CAMRA has recognised for many decades that the material out of which the cask is made makes no difference at all (provided it can be cleaned properly, of course).

 

Incorrect, SPBW are still going

 

https://www.spbw.com/index1.html

 

Tim

[twbm]

I take it you do know what the shive hole is for?

 

Indeed - but thank you for your faintly patronising concern.

 

 

Do keep up -- the SPBW changed into CAMRA back in the 1970s. CAMRA has recognised for many decades that the material out of which the cask is made makes no difference at all (provided it can be cleaned properly, of course).

 

I mentioned neither CAMRA or the SPBW so not sure how this is relevant.

 

Rod extraction is an inferior method of conditioning and serving cask ale. Pretty useless for beers that contain a high percentage of solid material (blocks the vent valve all to easily)You should only really use rods if space is at a premium.

 

 

Not in my experience - but we do stock a particularly excellent and very easy to handle local ale. The vent is a part of the tap, at the top. The sediment is at the bottom, once settled. Space is at a premium as it happens - smallish cellar with nine draughts and typically 40 kegs waiting to be emptied by the 97% of our customers who don't want real ale.

[IanM]

Earlier in the thread people were talking about pub toilets and now we're on to barrels/casks so to combine the two I give you the new toilets in my local

 

2015-09-07 18.52.12 by Ian, on Flickr

[Loafer]

Earlier in the thread people were talking about pub toilets and now we're on to barrels/casks so to combine the two I give you the new toilets in my local

 

2015-09-07 18.52.12 by Ian, on Flickr

 

That's good. No splash back onto your trousers.

 

Have you ever tried weeing in a traditional porcelain Gents whilst wearing shorts?

[CDS]

 

I rarely go to pub these days - not been in the British for 2 or 3 years.

 

 

Dave

They do say its hard to get Dave to buy a drink

[Bide Your Time]

Just back from a rather nostalgic trip a long way south, so a bit late to this thread.

 

The Anchor is my absolute favourite canal side ale house. 6X is by no means my favourite beer, but with very rare exception, Olive (not 82 until Feb?) has always served a very fine pint of it. I did once suggest to Olive that a choice might be nice, as my partner, a cider drinker, does have some whilst ale drinkers don't. I think I'm lucky to still be allowed in!

 

I am not even slightly phased by the toilets. They are exactly as they should be, in character with the pub. Certainly the only pub toilets where you can combine bird watching with the re-dispense of your rented ale.

 

It is what it is. The most unspoilt pub I know (along with 'The Three Stags' Heads' in Derbyshire) and I love it.

 

How's it going Loafer? Don't worry about that other thread. There are some on here to whom freedom of thought, let alone speech, is anathema.

[Loafer]

Just back from a rather nostalgic trip a long way south, so a bit late to this thread.

 

The Anchor is my absolute favourite canal side ale house. 6X is by no means my favourite beer, but with very rare exception, Olive (not 82 until Feb?) has always served a very fine pint of it. I did once suggest to Olive that a choice might be nice, as my partner, a cider drinker, does have some whilst ale drinkers don't. I think I'm lucky to still be allowed in!

 

I am not even slightly phased by the toilets. They are exactly as they should be, in character with the pub. Certainly the only pub toilets where you can combine bird watching with the re-dispense of your rented ale.

 

It is what it is. The most unspoilt pub I know (along with 'The Three Stags' Heads' in Derbyshire) and I love it.

 

How's it going Loafer? Don't worry about that other thread. There are some on here to whom freedom of thought, let alone speech, is anathema.

 

Areet, mate, ta! Am just about to step into Mrs Cliff's parlour with the venerable Mr Edwards MBE! Glad you enjoyed your trip. Sithee soon!

[Laurie Booth]

Sacking placed over a barrel is a very efficient method of cooling beer in a cask - still used to day if cellar cooling is not available.

 

 

Provide urine is poured over the sacking. Freely available, so I am told.

[bag 'o' bones]

Provide urine is poured over the sacking. Freely available, so I am told.

We wouldn't do that .......would we?

 

Seriously though, evaporation is a incredibly efficient way of cooling. A friend of mine made a plaster of paris 'fridge' which was capable of freezing things in the right conditions.

[Laurie Booth]

We wouldn't do that .......would we?

 

Seriously though, evaporation is a incredibly efficient way of cooling. A friend of mine made a plaster of paris 'fridge' which was capable of freezing things in the right conditions.

Yes urine is a very good for cooling.

[Loafer]

We wouldn't do that .......would we?

 

Seriously though, evaporation is a incredibly efficient way of cooling. A friend of mine made a plaster of paris 'fridge' which was capable of freezing things in the right conditions.

 

Like when it's really cold?

[bag 'o' bones]

Hmmmmm

[Nightwatch]

An old thread. Heading towards this establishment ver the next few days.

 

Is it still alive and kicking?

[Neil2]

It is, but as usual looks as though it isn't.