The main raw materials for beer are barley malt and wheat malt. To these, hops are added during brewing to enhance the flavor of the final drink. Here lies the main difference between craft and industrial beer: the production materials and the manufacturing process.
For example, the craft it only uses malt, hops, yeast and water for brewing. No artificial additives added. Compared to the industrial brew, which has more malt content and more hops. Therefore, the wort (the liquid extracted from the malt mashing process) has a higher concentration. Industrial beer is also made with malt, hops, yeast, and water, but sometimes in an effort to reduce (or lower) costs, raw materials such as rice, corn, and starch are used instead of malt. The result is a drink with a very low wort concentration and a light taste.
In both the brewing process, most craft beer uses the process ales. A top fermentation process where the yeast works at the top of the fermentation tank, floating on top of the liquor. The fermentation temperature is generally controlled at between 10 and 20 °C. Given its small and controlled size, after fermentation, there is no need to filter and sterilize.
Most industrial beer uses the process lagers, that is to say a lower fermentation process. In this, the yeast works at the bottom of the fermentation tank, sinking under the liquor. The fermentation temperature is generally controlled below 10 °C, between 9 and also 14 °C. The fermentation tank is larger and for this reason, subsequent filtration and pasteurization are often used to delay expiration and lengthen the life cycle of the beer.
He fermentation time for more traditional craft beer, it can be up to two months. While the fermentation time for industrial beer is usually only about seven days. For this, storage time differs between the two. Craft beers are short-lived, with some having a shelf life of only ten days. While industrial beer has a shelf life of 1 to 2 years, and some can even be as long as decades.
While flavor, craft beer tends to have a deeper flavor and a high alcohol content. While the industrial has a lighter and low alcohol content, it is a flavor that could be defined as uniform or “one note“. The conjunction of these particularities makes the industrial drink one with nutritional value and a lower price compared to the artisanal one.
RAMBLEÑA POTTERY | Set of beer glasses 4 units | Pack x4 red clay jug glass – Model 02 | Beer mugs in red clay | Water glasses | 350ml
There is no doubt that craft beer is an art, which recovers and emphasizes diversification, quality and local products. And at the same time, the market requires commercial scale beer production. No craft beer maker could keep up with the international need for this mega-popular drink. It is estimated that the annual production of industrial beer is usually ten or several times greater than that of a craft brewery. The beer produced by industrial breweries should satisfy the tastes of most people.
Image | Photo 1: Istock, Photo 2: Drazen Zigic
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