1960 The U K B G Guide to Drinks (3 rd edition revised)

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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