Dispense
Tank beer
Unpasteurised beer delivered fresh to venue tanks — the Czech format that shows a pale lager at its best.
Also known as tankové pivo, unpasteurised tank.
What it does to the beer
- Beer is delivered unpasteurised into large in-venue tanks and served within days.
- Often dispensed with the beer held in a sterile bag inside the tank so no gas contacts it, avoiding any change in carbonation.
- The difference from the pasteurised bottled version of the same brand is substantial, particularly in delicate lagers.
How it is served
| Container | tank |
|---|---|
| Gas | Carbon dioxide |
| Temperature | 4–8°C |
| Carbonation | 2–3 vol CO₂ — volumes of CO₂ |
Temperatures are ranges with reasons, not targets. Cellar temperature in a British pub is a band that varies with the beer and the weather, and a degree either way is not a fault.
Styles served this way
- Czech amber lager
A Bohemian amber lager balancing caramel malt against Saaz hop character, sitting between the pale and dark Czech beers.
- Czech dark lager
A dark Bohemian lager richer and sweeter than its German counterparts, with caramel and light roast over a soft body.
- Czech pale lager
The Czech everyday lager: lower in strength than the premium version but keeping the soft bready malt and generous Saaz hopping.
- Czech premium pale lager
The original pale lager: rich bready malt, generous Saaz hopping and a rounded bitterness that soft Bohemian water makes possible.
- Kellerbier
Unfiltered, gently carbonated lager served young from the cellar, with a soft yeasty fullness filtration removes.
Other ways to serve beer
- Bottle conditioned — Beer refermented in the bottle with added yeast and sugar, producing natural carbonation and excellent ageing potential.
- Bottle, filtered — Filtered, force-carbonated bottled beer — bright and consistent, but less resilient with age.
- Cask, gravity-dispensed — Cask beer poured straight from the tap under gravity, with nothing between the cask and the glass.
- Cask, hand-pulled — Beer that completes fermentation in the cask and is drawn by hand pump without added gas, served at cellar temperature.
- Keg, CO₂ dispense — Filtered or unfiltered beer force-carbonated and dispensed under CO₂ pressure — the standard modern draught format.
- Nitrogen dispense — Dispense with a nitrogen-CO₂ blend through a restrictor plate, giving a dense creamy head and a notably softer palate.
Compare dispense methods directly on the comparison index, or read how packaging affects freshness.
Last reviewed 2026-08-15.