There are many types of British ales. Traditionally these beers are made from malted barley, yeast, and of course, hops.

Most ales are 'cask conditioned'. This means that the yeast remains in the barrel to ensure that fermentation continues after the product has left the brewery, thus ensuring the beer is fresh and natural as possible at the pump. These containers are left on a horizontal rack for a couple of days prior to 'tapping'. A hole is made in the seal and a wooden 'soft' spile is inserted which allows the beer to breath without the risk of contamination.

Although wooden containers have largely been replaced aluminium ones, the sizes remain the same. The Pin - 4.5 gallons, Firkins - 9 gallons, Kilderkins - 18 gallons, the Barrel - 36 gallons and the Hogshead which contains 54 gallons.

The ales are delivered from the cask to glass via a manual pump on the bar top. Below the surface is a cylinder and piston arrangement which draws the ale up from the barrel in the cellar below.

To ensure ale is served in perfect condition, the cellar is chilled rather than the beer itself, as with the method used with lager beers.The ideal temperature is 14 degrees C. Any deviation either side of this temperature will not just alter the taste, but affect the frothiness of the product at the pump. Your drink is therefore less cold than a lager would be, but far more full in flavour.

There are more than 500 breweries, from large public companies to small microbreweries. Some pubs even brew there own ales. The total number of different ales on the British market exceeds 2500.

British ales come in many styles. The single biggest seller is Greene King's IPA, or Indian Pale Ale. This style of beer was original brewed for the colonial market. It is golden in colour, peppery and spicy in taste.

Bitter is a type of beer which is produced and conditioned quickly. The flavour of hops is more pronounced, and some brewers actually add a handful of fresh hops to the tub before sealing.

Old Ale is one which has been stored for months or even years. It is very dark in colour with a full and rich taste reminiscent of roasted grains and dark fruits. It normally appears in pubs in the Autumn and stays on sale throughout the Winter.

Apart from these 'real ales', there is also a separate area of ale brewing which produces ales in a sealed container usually of 11 gallons. Just as with lager beers, CO2 is fed into the barrel which forces the ale to dispense font on the bar . These ales are also chilled to a similar temperature as lager.

Although Ale sales went into decline in the 60's and 70's, groups such as Camra - the Campaign for Real Ale brought it back into prominence again. Although foreign lagers still account for 70% of beer sales at present, proper ale is showing a steady increase in sales once again. Cheers!

Learn more about this author, Keith Hillman.
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