Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company launched what they call Fresh Ales in March 2024 dispensed by real ale handpumps but which are quite simply keg format beers with all of the yeast filtered out. These beers are brewery conditioned, unpasteurised beer packaged in kegs rather than traditional casks, but misleadingly served through a standard cask handpump.

This is what CAMRA describes as a Handpump Hijack as it misleads customers into thinking that they are buying real cask-conditioned ale.

CAMRA has made a stance and has stated that any pub selling Fresh Ales will not be eligible for entry in the (best-selling) CAMRA Good Beer Guide and these pubs/clubs will be blocked from being considered for any CAMRA beer awards whatsoever.

Also, any beer available in Fresh Ale format will not be put on sale at any CAMRA beer festival in cask form.

Carlsberg have had a lot of negative publicity about their deceptive beers but are still rolling them out, seemingly without a care in the world.

A Cumbrian CAMRA branch chairman tells me that they have come across a few pubs selling Fresh Ales and some didn’t even have the correct pump clip which states that these beers are ‘brewery conditioned’. But the term 'brewery conditioned' doesn't mean anything to the man in the street. Better wording would surely be NOT REAL ALE..

Currently the the names of Carlsberg brewed beers which are available in the Fresh Ale genre are : Hobgoblin IPA, Wainwright Gold and Wainwright Amber, but Carlsberg have hinted that the range may be expanded to include other brands .and CAMRA has photographic evidence of a beer called Hobgoblin Original IPA appearing in this Fresh Ale format.

These misleading beers are served on handpulls that are bar mounted on a wooden plinth. But they have been modified by the addition of a one way demand valve in the beer line. They look identical to regular cask ale handpulls but can be a bit jerky. It is also reported by CAMRA members that abnormally tall handpulls have been spotted.

Fresh Ale is intended to be served at lower carbonation than regular fizzy keg beers, but it still tends to be more carbonated than real ale, which has natural carbonation courtesy of secondary fermentation in the cellar. When this filtered beer is put into a lager type keg at the brewery, it presumably has carbon dioxide gas added to the beer just like a keg beer. As this gas is highly soluble in water it will go into solution but give Fresh Ales a bit of unnatural carbonation fizziness on dispense.

Needless to say, the reason that they are promoting these beers is because they are idiot proof and have a longer shelf life than real ale. They can be rolled into a pub cellar, be connected using a standard keg fitting and pulled through to be served immediately.

The downside is that they don’t taste nearly as good as real ales and they are misleading customers into believing that they are buying traditional real ales.

What, may you ask is the significance of filtering out yeast for these Fresh Ales ? Simply this : live yeast and its metabolic by-products are estimated by brewers to contribute up to 70% of a real ale's flavour profile.

The other 30-40% of the taste comes from the other core ingredients : malted barley, hops and what brewers call 'liquor' which is their term for the water used in the brewing process.

I can attest to the poor quality of Carlsberg Fresh Ale : Having been served a pint of Wainwright Gold which was crystal clear but comparatively flavourless, I asked the landlord if it was proper real ale. He reluctantly told me that it was a new style of keg beer.

These Fresh Ales should be dispensed by a lager type font in bars, as they are currently misleading customers into believing that they are being served cask conditioned real ales.

CAMRA is keen for feedback from members who have spotted Fresh Ale being dispensed from a handpump on which the words Brewery-Conditioned and a QR Code are not on the handpump or where the staff don't know that the beer is not real ale.

And CAMRA is keen to hear about other products found in this format from Carlsberg or any other offending brewery. Photographic evidence is always helpful. The Campaigns and Communications Team at CAMRA, which deals with this matter, can be contacted by email on ku.gro.armac@sngiapmac