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Brew Dog 'punk' beer



Dick Knights Mumm

Take me Home Falmer Road
Jul 5, 2003
19,736
Hither and Thither
Its the snobbery from the ale drinkers / bores that fuels the divide, tbh. The condescending "ah bless, he drinks lager. What a philistine", as opposed to simply accepting that not everybody has the same taste in beer. Some people LIKE stella / Amstel / Heineken / Whatever.

The old Hobogblin advert - "What's the matter lager boy? Scared you might taste something?" sums up the whole sneering attitude perfectly. You'd see some prick in Docs and black jeans, with a too-small T-shirt, emblazened with that, stretched over his fat real-ale gut, and just think "yep. You're great fella. I'm so missing out, on being as COOL and discerning as you".

Do these people really exist in this decade ? More common lighter real ales, better lagers, generally better kept beer have all blurred the lines. I just do not recognise the type of person you describe.
 








Trufflehound

Re-enfranchised
Aug 5, 2003
14,126
The democratic and free EU
However, there is nothing wrong with a properly manufactured lager either.

That's the point though. Technically, the big name lagers are not 'properly manufactured'. A proper lager will get conditioned at low temperature (lagered) for at least 12 weeks to allow the flavours to develop properly. And the results can be wonderful.

Space constraints and the pressure to get the beer to the market quicker means all the industrial brands are lucky to get half that time, with some of the worst getting perhaps no more than 4 weeks.
 


Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
62,709
The Fatherland




Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
62,709
The Fatherland
That's the point though. Technically, the big name lagers are not 'properly manufactured'. A proper lager will get conditioned at low temperature (lagered) for at least 12 weeks to allow the flavours to develop properly. And the results can be wonderful.

Space constraints and the pressure to get the beer to the market quicker means all the industrial brands are lucky to get half that time, with some of the worst getting perhaps no more than 4 weeks.

And then there are the adjuncts which the some brewers use. Is it 'proper' to add whear and rice to the barley?
 


Trufflehound

Re-enfranchised
Aug 5, 2003
14,126
The democratic and free EU
And then there are the adjuncts which the some brewers use. Is it 'proper' to add whear and rice to the barley?

Nothing wrong with wheat (I assume that's what you meant...).

It's rice as you say, and maize, that are the 'cheap but flavourless' cheats.
 


Cian

Well-known member
Jul 16, 2003
14,262
Dublin, Ireland
That's the point though. Technically, the big name lagers are not 'properly manufactured'. A proper lager will get conditioned at low temperature (lagered) for at least 12 weeks to allow the flavours to develop properly. And the results can be wonderful.

Space constraints and the pressure to get the beer to the market quicker means all the industrial brands are lucky to get half that time, with some of the worst getting perhaps no more than 4 weeks.

There's also a lot of extremely poorly made IPA (and Red ales over here, not sure they're as common in the UK) sloshing around though - rarely, if ever, mentioned as a risk by the snobs.
 








Trufflehound

Re-enfranchised
Aug 5, 2003
14,126
The democratic and free EU
'Scuse the ignorance - Presumably because they are cheaper and easier to source?

Because they are cheaper, certainly. That's the over-riding reason many unscrupulous beer makers use them (and curiously always forget to list them on the ingredients). They are also favoured over other cheap padding ingredients because they produce a neutral tasteless beverage that doesn't alter the flavour of the product as a whole.
 




beorhthelm

A. Virgo, Football Genius
Jul 21, 2003
36,021
Because they are cheaper, certainly. That's the over-riding reason many unscrupulous beer makers use them (and curiously always forget to list them on the ingredients). They are also favoured over other cheap padding ingredients because they produce a neutral tasteless beverage that doesn't alter the flavour of the product as a whole.

think this mostly applies to rice and corn in the form of grit used in American lagers. they add highly fermentable sugars without adding flavour, but it does make for a dry beer so its not entirely taste neutral. we shouldn't be too sniffy about adjuncts in principle though, in Japan rice is the staple crop so why wouldn't they use it? American craft ales use flaked corn and most stouts use some oats or flaked barley (not malted). a certain popular Sussex brew uses some flaked corn too.
 


Trufflehound

Re-enfranchised
Aug 5, 2003
14,126
The democratic and free EU
think this mostly applies to rice and corn in the form of grit used in American lagers. they add highly fermentable sugars without adding flavour, but it does make for a dry beer so its not entirely taste neutral. we shouldn't be too sniffy about adjuncts in principle though, in Japan rice is the staple crop so why wouldn't they use it? American craft ales use flaked corn and most stouts use some oats or flaked barley (not malted). a certain popular Sussex brew uses some flaked corn too.

A skilful brewer should be able to get a decent beer with any grain adjunct. And wheat, rye, oats, spelt etc all have proud histories behind them. The problem is that most of those using rice and corn (except perhaps for the Japanese) are doing so to save money, not to craft a decent product, so they give those ingredients a bad name in many people's eyes. If they are used honourably they will be listed proudly on the label, as with a Japanese rice lager. A lot of people use rice as a filler, but will never admit it.
 


CheeseRolls

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jan 27, 2009
6,232
Shoreham Beach
I don't like lager and I don't drink lager, it doesn't really matter to me, where it comes from, I don't like the smell or taste. If I find myself somewhere that is lager oriented, like Czech Republic, I will try and choose a black lager, which hides the aftertaste, just drink wine or not bother. If someone handed me a brewdog or Thornbridge beer, I would thank them and drink it, but wouldn't go out of my way to choose either.

I suppose I have probably used the phrase "and a pint of cooking lager", at some point when ordering a round, so I had best out myself as the scapegoat for this thread.
 




Questions

Habitual User
Oct 18, 2006
25,512
Worthing
Gah! The power of NSC advertising. Must. OBEY. Especially at £2.50 for a 660ml bottle out of Sainsburys. Happy to report that it does indeed taste better than it reads. Quite refreshing with a strong citrusy taste. Where does that taste COME from? Seeing as it lists the only ingredients as barley, hops, yeast and water, must be one of these four things aye? The hops maybe? Shame it doesn't say on the bottle, on account of being too busy bigging itself up. Damn tasty nonetheless. Big thumbsup here :thumbsup:

It's simcoe hops that does it Tom. Only developed in 2000 in the states. Kent brewery make a Beer called Symcoe and it's lovely. Drank too much of it last Thursday. Anyway welcome you big beer bore.
 




Questions

Habitual User
Oct 18, 2006
25,512
Worthing
What about craft brewed lagers? Meantime, Brewdog, Thornbridge and Camden Brewery all regularly make decent craft lagers.

My wife has changed from drinking the Stella's and the Becks of this world to the ones you have listed above. Maybe because the pubs and bars I go in tend to sell the craft style Helles and Pilsners. The Thornbridge Tzsara they did in Craft on Saturday was lovely. I don't think she would drink a Carling or a Heinekin again.
HKFC saying he won't join the fat bellied, tight tee-shirted ale bores is the same as me saying I wouldn't join the chavvy, Carlsberg drinking, drum and base, music listening nobs.
Too much stereotyping I reckons.
 


Questions

Habitual User
Oct 18, 2006
25,512
Worthing
Ooer! Would these be genetically modified hops by any chance? Sounds suspiciously like it ???

Yes they are and from drinking beers with that hop in I have developed breasts. Beware Tom beware.
 






Questions

Habitual User
Oct 18, 2006
25,512
Worthing
I see what you mean Questions. Since drinking PUNK IPA I have developed a twelve inch penis. Though I don't use it as a rule.

Yes it can shrink ones genitals I,ve heard.
 


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