The Germans are renowned for a lot of things; one of them is beer. Beer is an important part of their tradition and heritage, with more than thirteen-hundred different breweries spread across the land. As far as per capita beer drinking, the Germans are only below the Czechs and the Irish. The history of Germanic beer goes back to the beginnings of the nation when monks began to experiment with brewing around 1000 A.D. Eventually, brewing started to become really profitable for the monks and the nation's leaders started to regulate the manufacturing of the brew. The most well-known and significant factor to influence German brewing came about in 1516 with the Bavarian Reinheitsgebot, or the purity requirement.
To ensure Bavarian beers were only the best quality the Duke Wilhelm IV ordered the Bavarian Reinheitsgebot. Water, hops, and barley are the only ingredients allowed in beer according to the regulation. The Reinheitsgebot is the oldest legislation put on beverages in the world and has been unaltered in almost five-hundred years. Yeast is the only addition to the list of vital ingredients in the act. Brewers in the past before that had simply used the yeast found naturally in the air. Bavarian breweries were soon known as the superior producers of beer because of the strict standard of quality following by the purity requirement. Other manufacturers began to adhere to the act as the reputation of the Bavarian breweries continued to rise.
As a result of the Reinheitsgebot, Germanic beers have a long-standing reputation of producing quality beers made out of the best ingredients. As time went on and Germany began to export beer, some towns became famed brewing spots. The city of Bremen had over 600 breweries by fifteen-hundred and was the top exporter of beer to Holland, Scandinavia, England, and even as far as India. A couple of other famous brewing towns were Einbeck and Braunschweig. In modern Germany, most of the country's beer-drinking people still choose fabbier, or draught beer, over bottle beer because of it's full-bodied flavor and right amount of head foam. In an attempt to curtail more breakouts of the black plague German beer steins came into use about the time the purity requirement came out and are still in use today.
During the era of the bubonic plague, Germany began a lot of regulations to prevent its people from becoming ill. Disease would spread as large amounts of infected flies landed in people's food and drink. This led to the German beer stein, a beverage holder with a closed lid that is operated with the thumb so a person could stop infection and still be able to drink with one hand. As people started to learn the plague spread in unclean conditions with stale water, beer consumption went up exponentially. Steins were originally made of stoneware with pewter lids. German beer steins started to be crafted entirely of pewter for nearly three-hundred years as the pewter guild became more powerful. Still manufactured today, silver and porcelain German beer steins were eventually introduced.
Today there are over thirteen-hundred and fifty breweries within Germany's borders that make over five-thousand types of beer. The oldest beer maker in the world still in operation in the present is the Benedictine abbey Weihenstephan, that has been making beer since 1040. The Franconia region of Bavaria by the city Bamberg is the highest concentrated area for breweries in Germany. Most beers can be placed under ales and lagers but German breweries produce a large variety of flavors. Some brands of beer can have an alcoholic content as much as 12%, making them stronger than most wines even though most beers have an alcoholic content ranging from 4.7% to 5.4%.
Showing posts with label draft beer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label draft beer. Show all posts
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Just Right: Storing and Serving Draft Beer
If you’ve been drinking beer for any amount of time you are probably aware of draft beer. People around the globe enjoy the cold sudsy beverage that comes from a keg and out of the beer taps. When stored and served right, it is a tasty and refreshing way to enjoy a cold beer. However, some problems can arise that can definitely take away from the quality and taste of your favorite beverage.
The most important factor in proper draft care is the temperature of the beer. The proper temperature for storage and serving draft beer is 38 degrees Fahrenheit. If the keg falls above or below 38 F, the appearance, freshness, and most importantly, taste can be affected. Draft beer is kept at this temperature so that it can maintain the carbonation level that it has while it is being made at the brewery. It does not matter whether it is a domestic or imported beer or if it is pasteurized or not; the temperature must remain between 38-40 degrees.
If a keg gets too warm, the beer will foam up while it is still in the container. This happens because the pressure applied by the beer tap handles is not enough to keep the carbonation in the beer. This can lead to wasted beer and wasted profit. Once a keg has lost pressure and the carbonation in the beer is gone, it affects the taste, making it more bitter, and the appearance of the beer, making it appear clouded.
If the keg gets too cold it causes the carbonation found in the beer to remain there until the customer consumes it. The result is overfilled beer glasses and a lower yield of beers per keg. Also, if temperature drops too much without the pressure from the beer tap handles being changed, the beer may become over carbonated. This will result in foamy pours.
Temperature can be maintained with a little care. To properly measure a keg’s temperature you must place a thermometer in liquid with the keg. This is important to do to maintain proper temperature. A keg can go from 38 degrees to 48 degrees in as little as four hours. On the other hand, it can take up to ten hours for a keg that measures 48 degrees to be cooled down to 38 degrees. This is a serious matter in a business or party situation!
One way to prevent improper temperature is make sure that your keg refrigerator is well maintained and sealed properly. A poorly sealed cooler can warm the keg by several degrees over a relatively short period of time. When storing kegs, avoid keeping other items in the same cooler as the beer. Having other items in the same refrigerator can lead to people opening the door and affecting the temperature of the keg.
One must consider temperature when receiving a keg from delivery as well. A keg that has ridden around in a delivery truck for several hours is more than likely going to be several degrees warmer than when it came from the warehouse. The bottom line is that with a little care and attention draft beer can always be good all the way from the bottom of the barrel until it comes bursting forth in a golden frothy spray out of the beer tap handles.
The most important factor in proper draft care is the temperature of the beer. The proper temperature for storage and serving draft beer is 38 degrees Fahrenheit. If the keg falls above or below 38 F, the appearance, freshness, and most importantly, taste can be affected. Draft beer is kept at this temperature so that it can maintain the carbonation level that it has while it is being made at the brewery. It does not matter whether it is a domestic or imported beer or if it is pasteurized or not; the temperature must remain between 38-40 degrees.
If a keg gets too warm, the beer will foam up while it is still in the container. This happens because the pressure applied by the beer tap handles is not enough to keep the carbonation in the beer. This can lead to wasted beer and wasted profit. Once a keg has lost pressure and the carbonation in the beer is gone, it affects the taste, making it more bitter, and the appearance of the beer, making it appear clouded.
If the keg gets too cold it causes the carbonation found in the beer to remain there until the customer consumes it. The result is overfilled beer glasses and a lower yield of beers per keg. Also, if temperature drops too much without the pressure from the beer tap handles being changed, the beer may become over carbonated. This will result in foamy pours.
Temperature can be maintained with a little care. To properly measure a keg’s temperature you must place a thermometer in liquid with the keg. This is important to do to maintain proper temperature. A keg can go from 38 degrees to 48 degrees in as little as four hours. On the other hand, it can take up to ten hours for a keg that measures 48 degrees to be cooled down to 38 degrees. This is a serious matter in a business or party situation!
One way to prevent improper temperature is make sure that your keg refrigerator is well maintained and sealed properly. A poorly sealed cooler can warm the keg by several degrees over a relatively short period of time. When storing kegs, avoid keeping other items in the same cooler as the beer. Having other items in the same refrigerator can lead to people opening the door and affecting the temperature of the keg.
One must consider temperature when receiving a keg from delivery as well. A keg that has ridden around in a delivery truck for several hours is more than likely going to be several degrees warmer than when it came from the warehouse. The bottom line is that with a little care and attention draft beer can always be good all the way from the bottom of the barrel until it comes bursting forth in a golden frothy spray out of the beer tap handles.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Itching to Taste a Good Beer? Do German!
One of the various things the German people are famous for is beer. With more than thirteen-hundred various breweries spread across the country, beer is a crucial piece of their culture and ancestry. The Czechs and the Irish are the only nations above the Germans as far as beer drinking per capita. The monks started to experiment with brewing around one-thousand A.D. back in the beginning of German history Eventually, brewing started to become very profitable for the monks and the country's leaders started to regulate the production of the beer. The Bavarian Reinheitsgebot, or purity requirement, was written in fifteen-sixteen and remains the most prominent and significant factor to effect Germanic brewing.
The Bavarian Reinheitsgebot was ordered by Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria to ensure that Bavarian beers were made of the highest quality. The regulation states that beers should only consist of barley, hops, and water. The Reinheitsgebot is the oldest regulation put on food in the world and has not been changed in nearly five-hundred years. Yeast is the only augmentation to the list of vital ingredients in the act. Yeast that was naturally in the air was what manufacturers before used. Bavarian breweries were soon known as the best producers of beer because of the strict standard of quality followed by the purity standard. As the notoriety of the Bavarian breweries spread across the nation other producers began to follow the proclamation also.
German beers have a long-standing notoriety of making quality beers made only from the best ingredients as a result of the Reinheitsgebot. As time passed and Germany began to export beer, a lot of cities became famed brewing locations. The city of Bremen had over 600 breweries by fifteen-hundred and was the leading exporter of beer to Holland, Scandinavia, England, and even as far as India. Einbeck and Braunschweig were two more famous brewing towns. In modern-day Germany, most of the nation's beer-drinking people still prefer fabbier, or draught beer, over bottle beer because of it's robust taste and right amount of foam. In an attempt to curtail further outbreaks of the bubonic plague German beer steins became popular about the time the purity requirement came out and are still in use today.
During the time of the black plague, Germany started several regulations to stop its people from becoming ill. Large amounts of infected flies would fly in people's food and spread the infection. This led to the stein, a drink holder with a closed top that could be operated with the thumb so a person could stop disease and still be able to drink with their free hand. Beer consumption rose exponentially as people began to realize the disease spread in unsanitary conditions with stagnant pools of water. Originally crafted from stoneware with pewter tops, steins grew in popularity. As the pewter guild grew, steins began to be made completely of pewter and stayed that way for over three-hundred years. Still produced today, silver and porcelain steins were eventually introduced.
Today there are over thirteen-hundred and fifty breweries within Germany's lands that make over five-thousand brands of beer. The oldest beer maker in the world still in operation in the present is the Benedictine abbey Weihenstephan, that has been making beer since 1040. The most concentrated area in Germany for beer makers is the Franconia region of Bavaria by the city Bamberg. Most beers can be placed by ales and lagers but German beer makers produce a large variety of flavors. Some types of beer can have an alcoholic content as high as 12%, making them stronger than most wines even though most beers have an alcoholic content from 4.7% to 5.4%.
The Bavarian Reinheitsgebot was ordered by Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria to ensure that Bavarian beers were made of the highest quality. The regulation states that beers should only consist of barley, hops, and water. The Reinheitsgebot is the oldest regulation put on food in the world and has not been changed in nearly five-hundred years. Yeast is the only augmentation to the list of vital ingredients in the act. Yeast that was naturally in the air was what manufacturers before used. Bavarian breweries were soon known as the best producers of beer because of the strict standard of quality followed by the purity standard. As the notoriety of the Bavarian breweries spread across the nation other producers began to follow the proclamation also.
German beers have a long-standing notoriety of making quality beers made only from the best ingredients as a result of the Reinheitsgebot. As time passed and Germany began to export beer, a lot of cities became famed brewing locations. The city of Bremen had over 600 breweries by fifteen-hundred and was the leading exporter of beer to Holland, Scandinavia, England, and even as far as India. Einbeck and Braunschweig were two more famous brewing towns. In modern-day Germany, most of the nation's beer-drinking people still prefer fabbier, or draught beer, over bottle beer because of it's robust taste and right amount of foam. In an attempt to curtail further outbreaks of the bubonic plague German beer steins became popular about the time the purity requirement came out and are still in use today.
During the time of the black plague, Germany started several regulations to stop its people from becoming ill. Large amounts of infected flies would fly in people's food and spread the infection. This led to the stein, a drink holder with a closed top that could be operated with the thumb so a person could stop disease and still be able to drink with their free hand. Beer consumption rose exponentially as people began to realize the disease spread in unsanitary conditions with stagnant pools of water. Originally crafted from stoneware with pewter tops, steins grew in popularity. As the pewter guild grew, steins began to be made completely of pewter and stayed that way for over three-hundred years. Still produced today, silver and porcelain steins were eventually introduced.
Today there are over thirteen-hundred and fifty breweries within Germany's lands that make over five-thousand brands of beer. The oldest beer maker in the world still in operation in the present is the Benedictine abbey Weihenstephan, that has been making beer since 1040. The most concentrated area in Germany for beer makers is the Franconia region of Bavaria by the city Bamberg. Most beers can be placed by ales and lagers but German beer makers produce a large variety of flavors. Some types of beer can have an alcoholic content as high as 12%, making them stronger than most wines even though most beers have an alcoholic content from 4.7% to 5.4%.
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