It’s one thing to hear such terms as “cask of ale” or “keg of beer”, and quite another thing to properly understand them. So, what is the difference between a keg and a cask, and why does this matter for drinkers or those setting up a home or office bar? 

Both terms refer to containers that are frequently used for the storage, transport and serving of beer, cider, and other drinks. But these two types of containers have very different implications for the drink itself. 

An introduction to casks 

Casks are much older than kegs – indeed, they have been used for hundreds of years, and represent the ‘original’ type of container in which ales have historically been kept. To this day, a cask is typically used to hold non-pressurised, or ‘flat’, drinks. 

A lot of people know what casks look like; they’re the large barrels, made from metal or wood, that are stored lengthways in brewery cellars, and which often have a spout pointing out of the end. 

Casks are known for being cylindrical barrels with bulging centres, bound by wooden or metal hoops. Cask ale is usually added ‘live’ to the container, with the drink then undergoing a second fermentation in the actual cask as the yeast matures. 

So, when a pub receives a cask of ale, the product won’t be ready to serve immediately – the brewing will continue after they receive it in a process called conditioning. During the conditioning process the cask must be kept at a specific temperature to get the best results, a great landlord will also know whether to use soft or hard spiles (wood used to knock a hole in the top) to get the best out of the ale they are serving. Once the conditioning is complete the spile is removed which introduces oxygen into the beer. 

Oxygenation will make the beer undrinkable relatively quickly, which is why we would generally recommend against casks for home and office bars. There are still really good options for drinking real ale at home but it is a specialist service that you should speak to our technical department about.

An introduction to kegs 

Kegs are much newer than casks, having been introduced in the 1960s as a means of storing and extending the shelf life of beer that has finished fermenting in the brewery and is ready to drink. 

With kegs often being pressurised as a means of keeping carbonated drinks fizzy, they can be effectively considered to be massive cans of pop. 

The beers contained within kegs have almost always been filtered and pasteurised, so that there isn’t any yeast left over. The idea is that by keeping the drinks under pressure in an airtight container, there should be no oxygen contact, and the product’s longevity can be significantly extended.

If you have ever ordered draught beer, the chances are that it will be pumped up from a keg, which helps ensure the beverage can be served straight away. You can also expect your keg beer to be served at a temperature of three to eight degrees Celsius, for that satisfying ‘chilled beer’ feeling. 

There you have it – the essentials of how casks differ from kegs. The question of which is best – cask ale or keg beer – has long been debated, although today, many people accept that the two can be simply considered ‘different’, with these two container types having their respective strengths. 

As for if you are seeking out a keg of beer or two for your own home or office bar in London, the Home Counties or further afield, you know where to look! Our own store presents you with all the options, often including free delivery.