[dbeechum]

Nope, CO2 service.

[BrewingRover]

I toured a brewery in England and it seems like their casks were going out the door in 7-10 days. I don't remember all the details of the tour: it ended in their tap room and the guide was very interested in an American's view on their various beers  The casks were all going to be on handpumps rather than gas, so I imagine they'd cellar a few days when they hit their destinations. So maybe 2 weeks from brewing to serving.

[tomsawyer]

One thing that make make a difference for your best bitter Lennie, is recipe formulation.  If you think it is better after 17 days than you can wait, but it is possible that tweaking the recipe can improve the taste of it very young.  Do you use a lot of yeast, or a normal amount?  1.5-2x is pretty important I think.

Drew, was MB's stout on nitro?

I make half batches so I usually pitch pretty generously, but I'll try really socking the yeast in and see if that makes a difference.  I'm playing with the West Yorkshire strain right now, its not super fast but a nice attenuative strain.  I was a big S04 fan when it was $2/ packet.

My last bitter was TF Maris Otter 90% and 0% Simpsons 37L crystal, First Gold hops to 25 IBU, 1.046/1.012.  It was bottled and is pretty tasty.

[oscarvan]

I toured a brewery in England and it seems like their casks were going out the door in 7-10 days. I don't remember all the details of the tour: it ended in their tap room and the guide was very interested in an American's view on their various beers  The casks were all going to be on handpumps rather than gas, so I imagine they'd cellar a few days when they hit their destinations. So maybe 2 weeks from brewing to serving.

That is the historical method. And, they would condition more than a few days at their destination. The inn keeper was tasked with deciding when they were ready to serve, could be a week, could be two. Makes sense, for if you let them all settle out in the brewery and then put them on a horse and buggy they get all dizzy again.