I have often thought about how craft beer is different to mass-produced beers. A good friend of mine rightly says that once you try craft beer, your palate gets spoiled and there is no way back to mass industrial beers.
Craft beers tend to have a distinct personality and taste, with skilled brewers developing their own unique style.
Even a trained palate would struggle to tell the difference between most industrial beers, which are also brewed by highly skilled professionals.
In fact, there may be only the slightest difference, if any! This reflects what many beer drinkers say: ‘It’s just beer,’ or ‘Any beer is fine for me,’ suggesting a lack of perceived distinctiveness.
In contrast, you rarely hear a beer enthusiast being so indifferent about craft beers. It seems that beer lovers are more conscious when looking at a specific craft.
So, what makes craft beer so good, and why do all industrial beers tend to taste the same? This article aims to shed light on the key factors that contribute to these differences, offering some points to consider when choosing your next brew. In summary: the intention is very different. That mass market is to produce refreshing drinks at an economic convenience, while craft brewers opt out for tasteful beers. Let’s see then a few reasons behind this.
One of the most significant differences between craft beer and mass-produced beer lies in the ingredients. Craft brewers typically prioritize using distinctive malts, selecting those not only to provide sugar for fermentation, but also to contribute unique flavors and aromas.
Some malts impart a nutty taste, while others provide flavours reminiscent of bread and toast. Roasted malts, on the other hand, impart chocolate and coffee flavours. The possibilities are endless. By using different malts, you can create many interesting flavours that can be found in craft beers. Additional ingredients such as chocolate, honey and coriander can also be added to create extra layers of aroma and flavour. These real ingredients greatly influence the final outcome.
By contrast, many mass-produced beers incorporate lower-cost cereals such as rice or corn alongside malt to provide fermentable sugars. Rice and corn are not bad, of course; however, these cereals are mainly a source of sugar and do not contribute any exciting flavours. Frankly, they are mostly used to reduce costs in the brewing process. Large commercial breweries may also add caramel to produce more alcohol, or to add a caramel flavour, or additional flavours such as fruit and spices. However, these are often additives rather than authentic ingredients. Craft brewers tend to stick to the natural ingredients valuing flavour over cost savings.
The label lists all the ingredients. Be curious and read them, whether you buy a craft beer or a mass-produced one!
The Bubble Difference: Natural vs. Artificial Carbonation in Beer
In traditional brewing, bubbles are not an ingredient: during fermentation, yeast ferments the sugars contained in the malt, mainly producing alcohol and gas. Just as fine bubbles distinguish a great champagne from an ordinary one, fine bubbles provide elegance to a greatly crafted beer.
In craft beer, the “natural” bubbles are obtained either by the second fermentation, where the yeast ferments those sugars again in the bottle, or via means for which the gas of the fermenters is left well trapped inside the tanks not to be released until the beer is bottled.
In mass industrial beer, gas is often added in an artificial manner, the same practice used for soft drinks. The resulting bubbles from artificial carbonation are big and often give a sensation of bloating, which is very unpleasant. Moreover, they are not so persistent. In other words, bubbles in the form of artificial carbon dioxide are another ingredient in mass-produced beer.
The result is that craft beers are a more pleasant and delicate product. The bubbles are natural, fine and delicate, and long-lasting. They do not cause an unpleasant bloating sensation in the stomach. The bubbles give you a good feeling when you drink them. I sometimes compare them to champagne because champagne has great bubbles, produced naturally in the bottle by the yeast, which makes it not only delicious, but also pleasant to drink.
The Process: High-Gravity Brewing and Dilution: Efficiency vs. Flavour
The brewing process itself also plays a significant role in determining the taste of the beer. This involves the techniques and tricks that a brewer must consider during production.
In craft brewing, for example, the brewer carefully calculates the quantity of malts required to achieve the desired alcohol level. However, some large commercial breweries use a technique called high-gravity brewing to save space and fermentation resources. Doing everything in a very original and classic style comes at a high cost. Therefore, optimisation and savings are necessary. This involves producing a highly concentrated malt wort that, once fermented, has an extremely high alcohol content (approximately double that of regular beer). Once fermented, the concentrated beer is diluted with carbonated water containing artificial carbon dioxide, which reduces the taste and alcohol content.
It’s a bit like making concentrated soup in a small pot for a lot of guests and then diluting it in a larger bowl before serving.
While the high-gravity brewing process is not inherently negative, it enables mass-production breweries to save on fermenter costs and space.
Craft Beer's Enduring Appeal: A Taste of Authenticity
Craft breweries are typically small businesses where the few employees often share a genuine passion for beer. This passion is evident in the final product. It is evident in their experimentation with unique ingredients, their dedication to time-honoured brewing methods and their unwavering commitment to quality. The brewers choose traditional techniques solely to give their beers a distinctive taste and character. For them, brewing is not just a job, but a labour of love and a way to express their creativity and connect with the community through the shared enjoyment of a well-crafted brew.
Brewers working in large industrial breweries are undoubtedly highly skilled and passionate about beer, and they make a significant contribution to the industry. However, the main objective of these breweries is to produce beers for mass consumption — beers designed primarily for refreshment and broad appeal. Rather than focusing on traditional techniques or pushing the boundaries of flavour, these brewers aim to optimise efficiency and costs, ensuring that the product can be consistently produced on a large scale. Of course, the resulting beer often has a rather neutral taste, but it can also satisfy a large number of beer drinkers. This is also a mission. It is a different approach to crafting beer for a very different target audience. These beers can satisfy simpler tastes or those who just want something casual to relax with. There is room for both.
Understanding craft beer and mass industrial beers
Understanding the significance of ingredients, brewing processes and the brewer’s passion enables you to make more informed choices and fully appreciate the delightful flavours that craft beer has to offer.
So, the next time you’re deciding what to drink for
that special occasion, bear these points in mind. If you love the taste, then craft beer is definitely for you. So, what will you drink this summer?