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Author Topic: Which craft beers are pasteurized?  (Read 16893 times)

Offline rebobbitt

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Which craft beers are pasteurized?
« on: November 12, 2009, 09:30:48 am »
This question came up during a recent BJCP prep class.

Which craft beers are pasteurized?

We were mostly talking about bottled (and canned) versions. What about kegged craft beers? Imports?

I know some beers are bottled conditioned, so those won't be pasteurized, but what about the rest?
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Offline Pawtucket Patriot

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Re: Which craft beers are pasteurized?
« Reply #1 on: November 12, 2009, 09:36:11 am »
Wouldn't any beer that's been in the boil kettle be pasteurized?  Or does pasteurization of beer entail pasteurizing it post-fermentation?
« Last Edit: November 12, 2009, 09:38:04 am by Pawtucket Patriot »
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Offline tom

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Re: Which craft beers are pasteurized?
« Reply #2 on: November 12, 2009, 09:37:57 am »
He means after it is fermented.

Rick, I think most kegged beers are not pasteurized. I know that Sierra Nevada bottles are not pasteurized. Not much, but it's a start!
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Offline Pawtucket Patriot

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Re: Which craft beers are pasteurized?
« Reply #3 on: November 12, 2009, 09:38:57 am »
I modified my post as you were typing, tom.   ;)  I wondered if that's what he meant.
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Offline dbeechum

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Re: Which craft beers are pasteurized?
« Reply #4 on: November 12, 2009, 12:07:47 pm »
I'm going to flat out say that virtually no craft beer is pasteurized!

It entails extra equipment, money and time and between you me and the tree - most craft breweries just can't afford any of those.

Not to mention the fact that since most craftbrewers have approached the field from the idea of making a more natural and "crafty" product, they take it as a point of pride to not pasteurize. Hell, think of the number of them who proudly state that they don't filter their beer.
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Offline bonjour

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Re: Which craft beers are pasteurized?
« Reply #5 on: November 12, 2009, 12:17:14 pm »
I'm going to flat out say that virtually no craft beer is pasteurized!

It entails extra equipment, money and time and between you me and the tree - most craft breweries just can't afford any of those.

Not to mention the fact that since most craftbrewers have approached the field from the idea of making a more natural and "crafty" product, they take it as a point of pride to not pasteurize. Hell, think of the number of them who proudly state that they don't filter their beer.
I would agree but I know that Michigan brewing Company has the equipment and they do use it on some of their beers, not sure which ones.

Ok Drew, you didn't say "no", will here is "virtually"

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Offline rebobbitt

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Re: Which craft beers are pasteurized?
« Reply #6 on: November 12, 2009, 12:49:55 pm »
I'm going to flat out say that virtually no craft beer is pasteurized!

It entails extra equipment, money and time and between you me and the tree - most craft breweries just can't afford any of those.

Not to mention the fact that since most craftbrewers have approached the field from the idea of making a more natural and "crafty" product, they take it as a point of pride to not pasteurize. Hell, think of the number of them who proudly state that they don't filter their beer.

But the person I talked with said "virtually all" bottled beer is pasteurized.... So I guess it's somewhere in between :)

I don't know how big the equipment is, but the craft breweries I've seen have simple bottling lines, and I didn't see any of the pasteurization equipment.
Rick Bobbitt

Next Brews : Brown Porter, Southern English Brown
Fermenting : German Pils, Schwarzbier, Raspberry Mead, Orange Blossom Mead
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Offline dbeechum

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Re: Which craft beers are pasteurized?
« Reply #7 on: November 12, 2009, 01:00:32 pm »
The mega brewers all pasteurize their products, but really most micros (not all as pointed out by Fred) don't pasteurize.
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Offline blatz

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Re: Which craft beers are pasteurized?
« Reply #8 on: November 12, 2009, 02:03:08 pm »


But the person I talked with said "virtually all" bottled beer is pasteurized.... So I guess it's somewhere in between :)


doesn't craft beer only make up a few % of the total market share?

thus saying virtually all, if the megas do it and make up 98%, is indeed correct.  but so is dbeechum.
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Re: Which craft beers are pasteurized?
« Reply #9 on: November 12, 2009, 02:11:06 pm »
I found this on the BA website..

The craft brewing sales share as of December '08 was 4% by volume and 6.3% by dollars.
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Offline crabber

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Re: Which craft beers are pasteurized?
« Reply #10 on: November 12, 2009, 06:53:07 pm »
I found this on the BA website..

The craft brewing sales share as of December '08 was 4% by volume and 6.3% by dollars.
Is there a formula to convert ABV to ABD???

Offline a10t2

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Re: Which craft beers are pasteurized?
« Reply #11 on: November 12, 2009, 07:22:12 pm »
Is there a formula to convert ABV to ABD???

Just multiply by the hype quotient, which for craft beer starts at about $.25/% and goes well into the double digits. For example, Dark Lord has a hype quotient of about 10 once you factor in time spent in line, and yet Surly Darkness is only about 2.
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Offline wilypig

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Re: Which craft beers are pasteurized?
« Reply #12 on: November 16, 2009, 08:07:14 am »
Anchor brewing uses a flash pasteurization unit inline to bottling
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Offline The Professor

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Re: Which craft beers are pasteurized?
« Reply #13 on: November 16, 2009, 09:57:06 am »
Just multiply by the hype quotient, which for craft beer starts at about $.25/% and goes well into the double digits. For example, Dark Lord has a hype quotient of about 10 once you factor in time spent in line, and yet Surly Darkness is only about 2.

LOL!  The hype quotient is indeed a big factor in "craft" beer.  And the industry is certainly milking it  by the looks of the pricing I see these days.
Problem is lately, better than half the time the products don't live up to the hype (or the price).
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Offline karlh

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Re: Which craft beers are pasteurized?
« Reply #14 on: November 18, 2009, 06:54:11 am »
Some craft breweries do pasturize their bottled products.  An example is Captal Brewery of Middleton, Wisconsin, which bottles its product at the Stevens Point Brewery in Stevens Point Wisconsin.  All of their bottled product, including Autumnal Fire and Blonde Dopplebock are pasturized in bottles at the Stevens Point plant (and they pale next to the draft product from Capital).
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