Why Is Craft Beer Better?

What is craft beer?

Craft beer refers to hand-brewed craft beer. Wikipedia defines it as craft beer produced on a small scale, while emphasizing the brewing process for quality, style and taste.

The American Brewers Association has three clear definitions of craft beer: low production, independent brewing and traditional brewing. The so-called traditional refers to craft beer brewed only with malt, hops, water and yeast as the main ingredients.

1. Malt - the indispensable key to giving craft beer soul

Malt is produced by soaking grains in water to germinate. There are four basic categories of malt: basic malt, special malt, caramel malt, dark malt, and if further subdivided, there are hundreds of types.

Malt plays a vital role in the composition of beer. It affects the overall tone of craft beer, including taste, color and aroma, giving beer soul.

For example: dark beer uses dark malt that has been roasted for a long time, which brings a deeper and richer taste experience to the beer.

2. Hops - the elves that add aroma to craft beer

Craft beer cannot do without hops!

When drinking beer, you often smell some special aromas, which are usually the source of hops.

One very special thing about hops is that they have "terroir characteristics", which form their unique aroma and taste under the soil environment of different countries.

Different processing techniques will affect the bitterness, foam persistence and clarity of craft beer. At the same time, hops contain resin components that can inhibit bacterial reproduction and extend the shelf life of craft beer.

3. Water-mineral ratio affects the flavor of craft beer

Like all beverages, the most basic raw material of craft beer is "water". What is special about it?

First of all, the water quality standard for brewing craft beer is a pH value between 5.5 and 5.8, which is slightly acidic water.

Secondly, depending on the geological and climatic conditions, the proportion of minerals in water in different countries and regions is also different, which greatly affects the flavor of craft beer.

For example, the Czech Pilsen beer is suitable for brewing beer with light malt because the local water is filtered through granite and has a low mineral content, which makes the hop aroma more prominent and brews a warm and balanced beer.

Finally, the most important steps for water in the craft brewing process are the addition of saccharification during malting, the operation of the machine, and the cooling of the wort, which also require a lot of water.

4. Yeast - the magic that turns all raw materials into craft beer

In terms of craft beer brewing, brewer's yeast is roughly divided into three families: Lager, Ale and Lambic. The first two are distinguished by different fermentation temperatures, while Lambic may ferment with a special smell due to wild yeast floating in the air.

The wort produced by all the above raw materials can only be transformed into mellow craft beer after yeast fermentation, absorption of sugar, release of alcohol and carbon dioxide.

In addition to the four brewing elements introduced above, auxiliary materials such as honey, peels, coffee beans, etc. can also be added to ferment together, so that various ingredients can blend with each other to create a unique flavor.

Craft beer is a higher-end beer. It is precisely because of its plasticity and diversity that many brewers continue to explore creativity and give beer a unique personality. It can be said that craft beer is people's pursuit of a higher level of beer.

What is the difference between craft beer and commercial beer?

Appearance: Commercial beer is usually light yellow and slightly watery, and the foam of the beer poured into the cup does not last long. Craft beer has a variety of colors, and depending on the brewing process, it has a refreshing taste and a long aftertaste.

Taste: Commercial beer is usually flat and almost always served as cold as possible. Craft beer focuses on specific flavors, and each batch tastes different. It's usually served between 50 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit (about 10 to 13 degrees Celsius) so you can better appreciate the flavor of the beer.

Production: Commercial beer is often made from cheaper raw materials to reduce the price of the final product. For example, many popular beers now use rice or corn instead of traditional hops to keep costs down. Craft beer is made with specific, hand-selected ingredients and produced only in small batches by master brewers who truly love beer.

Why is craft beer better?

As mentioned before, craft beer is brewed specifically for a particular taste. Due to the wide variety of varieties, it is difficult to find two craft beers that are exactly the same. Craft beer also often changes with the seasons, whether it is winter, fall or spring, you can find craft beers brewed primarily for that season.

The great thing about craft beer is that it usually takes a level of thought, some skill… even craft, which means there are more flavors to choose from. Some are really good, and some are very niche, like chili beer. So, you may not like beer, but there’s a good chance there’s a craft beer out there that you’ll love because it has just the right smoky bacon flavor or a hoppy, hoppy taste. You don’t get that feeling with mass-produced beer, which is part of an industrialized process where the goal is to create a consistent product, not to come up with something new and exciting.

If being tipsy is a brief escape from the orderly society, then after get off work, raise a glass with friends or by yourself and cheers to life!