Beer lovers...do you think pasteurization hurts beer?

[Fountain79]

I was talking to a German friend of mine who lives in the states now and I asked him what his favorite beer was and his response was one of the local brews here. He told me that German beer is ruined by the pasteurization process here in the states. Those of you who have tried beer in Europe and beer here what is your thoughts on this?

[seemunkee]

1. Seems unnecessary

Why does beer need to be pasteurized? Who besides the big breweries does it?

[Fountain79]

2. Longer shelf life...can be stored at room temperatures...

One of the local breweries, Boulevard, puts yeast in the bottle to encourage a second fermentation.

[seemunkee]

4. I regularly cellar beer

I have some beers that are a couple years old. And adding yeast is called bottle conditioning, its to add natural carbonation.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

11. Mmmm

Bottle-conditioned...

[Robb]

3. "Health and Safety"

:eyes:

I was in Prague in 1996, visited a formerly-state-run-then-undergoing-privatization brewery there (U Flecku? Or maybe that was a bar... Budveis?). Anyhow, excellent beer. The vats were these giant open pools with a guy dipping into them, beer on the floor, etc. Classic. And amazingly well-done.

:beer:

[JVS]

5. I've had bottles of imported Czech and Bavarian beer that taste fine

[Rambis]

9. Great Czech lagers

If you haven't tried this Czech beer please do it is fantastic!

I recommend the black lager highly

http://www.heroldbeer.com/beer-gallery-13.php

http://www.heroldbeer.com/

[jakefrep]

6. I would agree with your friend...

I've tried German beer in Germany and it definitely tastes better from the tap than it does when bottled and shipped over here.

[conscious evolution]

7. Yes

Years ago I worked in an English pub in Savannah Georgia.We were having Whitbread Ale shipped to us by the container-load.Whoever was loading the containers at the Whitbread brewery was slipping unpasteurized kegs in the shipment.

We could definitely taste the difference.

[Rambis]

8. It kills this fine beer

:-(

[Fountain79]

10. kick...n/t

[T_i_B]

12. Absolutely

Which is why I am a member of the Campaign for Real Ale, to promote cask conditioned and bottle conditioned beer. :beer:

http://www.camra.org.uk/

[Beausoir]

13. Is that what happened to the old Budweiser?

I used to be a big Bud drinker in college. I loved the bite.

Then, they instituted that retarded "freshness date" campaign and all of the sudden they beer was ruined.