Sunday 22 May 2011

Time to Put the Leaking Dog Down?

I have found this website where scary “facts” about beer are uncovered. The website must have been designed by someone who hates beer and everyone who relies on working in the brewing industry to put bread on their table. They expose the horror that is isinglass and suggest that bigger brewers use isinglass more routinely than craft/micro/regional brewers. This is of course opposite to the truth. Most big brewers have centrifuges which remove yeast before filtration so don’t waste money on isinglass. Very close to 100% of the cask ale for sale in the UK will contain isinglass.

The site also exposes the deliberate destruction of beer flavour by putting beer in clear/green glass. They further underline their expertise in brewing by publishing a picture of an iso humulone molecule (one of the hop compounds responsible for bitter sensations in beer) and claiming that it has a lightstrike aroma. In the interests of balance I trust they will go on to enlighten people to the penomenon of off flavours produced by poor oxygen control in small scale keg breweries. And also cover how lack of routine microbiological testing can also lead to unpleasant off notes and inconsistent brands.

They also might want to cover how some “radical” brewers use other rather less radical brewers to make their brands and sell it as the same beer as is produced at home. Although I suspect they won't.

Whoever is responsible for this ordure should be ashamed of themselves and should have respected the consequences of trying to undermine beer and everyone in the UK brewing industry. To me, beer is the most important thing in the world. They can insult the intelligence of their customers as frequently and egregiously as they like but when they undermine beer, in my opinion they cease to have the right to exist in the family of brewers.


9 comments:

BeerReviewsAndy said...

I think the people behind the website also contradict what they say on there quite a lot... it's all very silly!!

It's not all about extreme (?) overly hopped beers and high ABV stouts, while they have a part to play give me a well brewed, light suppable beer every day of the week.

Ed said...

It does seem to have been a spectacular own goal.

Though speaking of light strike I noticed you were too sharp to ever make MBT flavour compound of the week.

Stuart Howe said...

Well observed Ed (clever man!). Sometimes as a brewer you need to have the serenity of mind to accept that which cannot be changed; courage to change that which can be changed, and wisdom to know the one from the other.

Anonymous said...

Think you are enjoying something authentically Belgian when subjecting yourself to Stella Artois?

I strongly suspect most Stella drinkers, if they think about it at all, believe their beer is brewed in France.

Bob said...

Hear, hear! Don't believe the FUD! -> http://twitpic.com/50lel5

Mark, Real-Ale-Reviews.com said...

@zythophile A theory we discussed only the other day - certainly I think most people associate Stella with France thanks to those war time adverts.

The Beer Nut said...

And the fact that it's a lot more conspicuous in France than it is in Belgium.

Rob Sterowski said...

How often do Stella drinkers go to France?

The Beer Nut said...

Every time they need to fill the car with cheap booze?

Post a Comment