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LAGER BEER
that the less pronounced malt flavour went well with a
stronger dose of hops,and that this type of beer was hghter
not only in colour but in body as well, and thus fitted in
with the latterday trend away from the somewhat heavier,
darker types of beer.
The factor that determines what type of beer you are
going to end up with is the fermentation process itself.
The older types utilize top-fermentation which takes place
at a comparatively high temperature and for a com
paratively brief interval only, while lager beer production is
based on low-fermentation. Low-fermentation consists of
two phases. It starts with about a week's fermentation at
41 to 47 degrees Fahrenheit, and is followed by secondary
fermentation at still lower temperatures in huge stainless
steel tanks for as much as six months. This prolonged
secondary fermentation is an absolute condition for a re^y
high quality lager beer and it is assuredly a phase strictly
adhered to by leading breweries who market a considerable
portion of their products abroad. In this respect beer is
similar to wine—body and bouquet come only with slow
maturity.
The malt is the soul of the beer, according to an old
brewers'saying,and as regards this"soul" the brewers are,
contrary to the wine producers,in a very fortunate position.
Whereas the wine people are dependent on the current
grape harvest, the brewers can afford to be extremely
selective when choosing the proper malt for their beer.
Thus in a small country such as Denmark the total barley
crop comes to about 2.5 miUion tons a year, at least 90% of
which is fit for malting. This factor alone virtually
guarantees quality beer.
During the prolonged overall brewing process, strict
and constant laboratory control is maintained, assuring
consistent and lasting quahty even during shipment to
distant overseas markets. It is indeed that reputation for
quahty that has made a glass of sparkling hght lager beer
esteemed so highly by so many people today.
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