
Getting Your Firkin On – Craft Beer Week in Great Falls
The invasion has started in Great Falls. Breweries from across the state and surrounding states will all converge on the Electric City this week to take part in the annual Craft Beer Week, happening across the area at various businesses. A great time to get together with friends, enjoy some wonderful beers, exquisite foods from our restaurants, and the experience of a firkin tapping.
Check Out These World Winners of Beer in Montana
Getting Together and Smacking the Plug from A Jug
One of my favorite events of the entire adventure of Craft Beer week is the scene of getting the first few glasses of a freshly tapped keg. But what is behind the curtain of the wood barrel that allows to tempt our taste buds with delicious beer? Do you know what a firkin really is and the story behind it?
Enjoying A Firkin with Your Friends, Tasting the Refinement of Wood Aged Beer
The term firkin refers to the container that beer is made in. But the cask itself is pretty special. While it refers to the barrel, it also refers to the actual size of the barrel, coming in at 10.8 gallons. Other sizes include pin-cask, which is 5.4 gallons, and the largest of the casks, referred to as kilderkin, which is 21.6 gallons.
The beer in a firkin is different in that it has no carbonation added before being placed into the cask. It will show a cloudier mixture once poured. It is usually poured from the keg once the wooden plug has been removed and a tap inserted to use to pour from. Also of note is that the kegs should be kept at a temperature of no more than 55 degrees Fahrenheit. This enhances the taste, smell and overall smoothness of the beer when sampling it.
