Contents
Somehow we were sitting with friends over a glass of foam and I became a witness to a dispute between two of my friends. One of them came from the Czech Republic and excitedly told how he was at the Kozel brewery and saw how a canned intoxicating drink was brewed.
The second, as an expert (since he was there, only a couple of years ago), corrected that draft was brewed there. The fight got very heated.
And if their conversation made me smile, then for some, as it turned out, there is a difference in the process of brewing draft or canned beer, so I will consider the brewing process especially for them.
How draft beer is brewed
Very briefly, then: malt is mixed with water – heated and aged – filtered – brewed – filtered – cooled – fermented (beer fermentation) – pasteurized (not always, if not, then the shelf life is no more than 10 days) – keg bottling (metal or pet containers from 20 to 50 l.).
How canned beer is brewed
I still can’t stop smiling, remembering my acquaintances “experts” in brewing beer, because canned beer is brewed in exactly the same way as draft beer, with only one difference. The bottling takes place in an aluminum can.
My experts at the same plant were simply taken to different bottling rooms, that’s the whole secret.
Storage conditions for canned and draft beer
It is recommended to store a canned intoxicating drink in accordance with the instructions on the can. As a rule, a temperature of 5 to 20 degrees Celsius is required.
Metal beer kegs, as specified by the manufacturer, should be stored at the same temperature as beer in an aluminum can. Although in fairness, I note that I have met kegs with markings on storage temperatures from 10 to 20 degrees Celsius.
Important: no one is immune from improper conditions for the transportation and storage of beer in the summer. It doesn’t matter if you buy draft beer or in cans.
Is there a difference between canned and draft beer
Here, let’s get a little more serious. We already know that both are cooked in the same way, the storage conditions are also the same, so what’s the difference?
Prejudices on this subject, I heard abound. But it all boils down to the fact that a person who chooses a draft drink praises it, while belittling the canned or bottled one, and vice versa.
Here’s what I advise you to pay attention to when choosing a draft or canned beer:
- Of the many beer shops, I met only two, where the intoxicating was really stored in special rooms with the temperature necessary for storing kegs. By the way, with such, in my opinion, the correct approach, a chiller (cooler) is not needed. Therefore, I recommend buying draft beer only in trusted places.
- If you buy unpasteurized beer, then only at the brewery. Its shelf life is 10 days maximum, although I met the expiration date of 30 days on the factory marking. But on the 20-22nd day of storage, sourness already appeared in the drink.
- If you take draft, then you need to make sure that the taps are clean. If you manage to see the hoses through which the beer flows, then you should definitely pay attention to the presence of plaque inside (the hoses should be transparent, and if this is not the case, then you should not risk it).
- If we buy a can, then it should be in the store in the refrigerator. Yes, in all stores it is usually located on the trading floor at normal temperature. But take better from the refrigerator. So it is more reliable.
Although I love draft, I recommend taking it only in proven places. For myself, lately I increasingly prefer canned, because it is easier to store, and it can lie in the refrigerator for more than one day, and the aeration provided by the manufacturer will not be violated in any way.
So, there is no difference, except for the method of bottling and packaging.
Excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to your health. Take care of yourself!
What beer do you prefer? I am always open for dialogue, and if you think that there is a difference between draft and canned, then write me about it in the comments.