Hi everyone, I've just discovered this group and have been skimming the topics today - seems like a very interesting mix!
Just to introduce myself, I'm a 24 year-old Scottish real ale drinker living in Harrogate, England. Living in Yorkshire I have access to a stunning array of quality ales, and my favourite brewers are Roosters (incl. Outlaw), Badger and Marstons. I have hope that a majority of you will know the beers to which I refer. At my favourite regular pubs, Roosters YPA is a staple (as is Timothy Taylor's Landlord) so I get understandably distressed when asked to visit a pub selling only Stella, Carling and Guiness. Not that I haven't been known to drink a few pints of the black stuff, but it's hard to choose that over a smooth creamy amber glass of pure love.
I'd also be interested in advice anyone has for me on keeping and drinking from a keg in the home environment. There are a large number of local breweries and I'd love to buy a keg for the house (including myself there are three beer-drinking adults here) but don't want to end up with the same kind of ale you get from a bottle (nice as that is under the right conditions) - I want my beer, for want of a better word, "oxygenised" like I see hand-pulled pints at my locals. Is it possible to achieve this, or close to this, at home? I can only imagine the setup in my head, and it involves about 15 meters of coiled pipe and some very hard work. Suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Andrew Cameron