Championing real beer: What do you know?

In the third part of our Championing Real Beer series, in association with Greene King, we give you the chance to test yourself and your staff on how much you really know about beer quality.

1. What are the four raw ingredients that make real beer?​ a. Malted barley, yeast, hops, liquorb. Barley, liquor, sugar, yeast c. Wheat, malt, liquor, yeast

2. Which real beer is the No. 1 standard cask ale in the world?​a. Fuller's London Prideb. Tetley's Caskc. Greene King IPA

3. How many days should a cask of real beer be sold for once the first pint has been served?​a. 3 daysb. 5 daysc. 7 days

4. How many pints are there in a firkin?​ a. 62b. 72c. 82

5. At what temperature should real beer be stored in the cellar at?​ a. 7 - 10 degreesb. 11 - 13 degreesc. 14 - 17 degrees

6. What happens if casks are not stillaged in a level ​position?​ a. Beer will become cloudyb. Beer will not condition fullyc. Beer will be lost when venting

7. When should you begin to tilt a cask?​a. When it is first delivered and still fullb. Towards the end when a couple of pints are leftc. When there is between half and two thirds left

8. How long after stillaging should casks be vented?​a. 2 - 4 hoursb. 6 - 8 hoursc. 10 - 12 hours

9. How long does real beer take to condition from ​venting?​ a. 1 dayb. 3 daysc. 5 days

10. When does a real beer need to be tapped?​a. 24 - 48 hours before serving b. 48 - 72 hours before servingc. 72 - 96 hours before serving

11. Which of the following items should not be stored in the cellar?​ a. Thermometerb. Empty casks c. Strong smelling or fresh produce

12. When sampling real beer before serving, what three qualities should you monitor?​ a. Clarity, taste, aromab. Sparkle, vinegary smell, cold temperature c. Cloudy, warm temperature, no off smells

13. How should the perfect pint of real beer be poured?​ a. In clean, cool, branded glass b. Upright in the first glass that comes to handc. In any clean glass straight from the glass washer

14. How should your barstaff present the perfect pint to a drinker?​ a. Held at the base of the glass, branding facing the customer, with a smile b. Held at the rim, branding facing away from the customerc. Unclean glass, hurriedly slopped onto the drip tray

15. What are the key taste characteristics that should barstaff should know when recommending Abbot Ale?​a. Strong, smooth, sharp aftertaste a. Heavy, dark and spicy c. Fruity, rich with a bittersweet finish

Answers​

1. A2. C3. A4. B5. B6. C7. C8. A9. B10. B11. C12. A13. A14. A15. C

How did you do?​

0-5: ​ You're missing out on an opportunity to excite drinkers and sell more real beer. Research from the Campaign for Real Ale has shown that 33 per cent of drinkers won't return to a pub if they have a "bad beer" experience. The quality DVD, free with next week's issue of The Publican, will be a useful tool, helping you to brush up on best beer practices - hopefully enabling you to store, pour and serve the best possible real beer. Remember having your real beer in best condition means you'll sell more, and entice new drinkers! If you're interested in profit, then get interested in your product.

5-12:​ You do a good job but you can still improve the TLC you give your beer to ensure you get the best possible taste, smell, aroma and life from your beer. Brush up on you're skills by watching the DVD, free with next week's Publican, and encourage your staff to watch it and adopt best beer practice. There are lots of opportunities for licensees that prioritise top quality beer, make sure you cash in on these.

12 +:​ You're a real champion of quality. But next week's DVD will still prove useful to you. There might be a couple of points you can perfect and remember what a brilliant tool the DVD can be for training old and new staff. Top quality real beer can make a significant difference to a business - increasing your numbers of customers and how much drinkers spend. Best beer = best profit!

• We hope you have enjoyed the quiz and thanks for taking part! For more on beer quality look out for the free Greene King/Proud of Pubs DVD being distributed with every copy of The Publican next week.