Comments on: Beer http://sevensons.org/2010/03/01/beer/ a pack of temperamental bastards Tue, 22 Jun 2010 19:02:55 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Fixer http://sevensons.org/2010/03/01/beer/comment-page-1/#comment-1164 Fixer Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:23:12 +0000 http://sevensons.org/?p=389#comment-1164 @Hutz: Good question. Red wine tastes better partly because of temperature but also because it needs time exposure to the air to fully develop its flavor. Beer, like cheese, simply benefits from a higher temperature because the esters and other flavor components are more pronounced in the 50-60 deg F range. Most beer bars keep their "cellar" (aka Cold Box) at about 35-45 degrees Fahrenheit. Beer needs to be preserved, like food, since it doesn't have the natural preservative of high alcohol like beer and wine (spirits, you might guess, are high enough in alcohol to be left on the shelf). Low-alcohol and low-flavor beers (classic lagers) taste best at cellar temperatures, but most esters and other flavor agents in more interesting beers have a better flavor at a higher temperature. Order a Belgian farmhouse ale, or a Russian Imperial Stout, or a geuze at a beer bar, and then let it warm up. Keep your hands around the glass to help it warm faster. You will notice marked improvement in the flavor (or to be more accurate, more noticeable flavor) as it warms. My favorite thing to do is to take a sip of the beer when it is served, note the flavor, then sip it at long intervals (say, 5 minutes). Note the improvement. When it is peaking (and this takes practice and experience), you can start to sip faster. If you are carrying your pocket thermometer with you, you'll find this happens at about 50-55 degrees, similar to red wine. As a parlor game, go to your favorite beer bar and look for the people with their hands clasped around chalices of beer. These are the geeks. @Hutz: Good question. Red wine tastes better partly because of temperature but also because it needs time exposure to the air to fully develop its flavor. Beer, like cheese, simply benefits from a higher temperature because the esters and other flavor components are more pronounced in the 50-60 deg F range. Most beer bars keep their “cellar” (aka Cold Box) at about 35-45 degrees Fahrenheit. Beer needs to be preserved, like food, since it doesn’t have the natural preservative of high alcohol like beer and wine (spirits, you might guess, are high enough in alcohol to be left on the shelf). Low-alcohol and low-flavor beers (classic lagers) taste best at cellar temperatures, but most esters and other flavor agents in more interesting beers have a better flavor at a higher temperature. Order a Belgian farmhouse ale, or a Russian Imperial Stout, or a geuze at a beer bar, and then let it warm up. Keep your hands around the glass to help it warm faster. You will notice marked improvement in the flavor (or to be more accurate, more noticeable flavor) as it warms. My favorite thing to do is to take a sip of the beer when it is served, note the flavor, then sip it at long intervals (say, 5 minutes). Note the improvement. When it is peaking (and this takes practice and experience), you can start to sip faster. If you are carrying your pocket thermometer with you, you’ll find this happens at about 50-55 degrees, similar to red wine. As a parlor game, go to your favorite beer bar and look for the people with their hands clasped around chalices of beer. These are the geeks.

]]> By: Hutz http://sevensons.org/2010/03/01/beer/comment-page-1/#comment-1163 Hutz Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:22:53 +0000 http://sevensons.org/?p=389#comment-1163 Interesting- I didn't know that Porter and Stout had that much overlap. I know far less about beer than you do, but what I look for in a good beer bar (along with clean taps, as you mentioned) is definitely temperature. I have completely snobbed out with regard to red wine- I've learned over the past few years how much better it is when it's at the right temp (usually around 57 degrees depending on the type). What's your opinion on draft beer temp? What's ideal and for what type of beer? Interesting- I didn’t know that Porter and Stout had that much overlap.

I know far less about beer than you do, but what I look for in a good beer bar (along with clean taps, as you mentioned) is definitely temperature.

I have completely snobbed out with regard to red wine- I’ve learned over the past few years how much better it is when it’s at the right temp (usually around 57 degrees depending on the type).

What’s your opinion on draft beer temp? What’s ideal and for what type of beer?

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