LAGER can now be matured in just two hours, thanks to a novel brewing
technique developed in Belgium. The conventional method of maturing lager takes
between two and four weeks.
The process, unveiled this month at the Brau Exhibition in Nuremburg, was
developed by Eric Booremans, development manager at Alfa Laval Brewery Systems
in Brussels. After lager has been brewed in primary fermentation, it is normally
matured in a secondary stage. In this secondary fermentation, the yeast
continues to act on the sugars to produce the lager鈥檚 characteristic flavour and
appearance. Most British beer does not undergo secondary fermentation.
The Alfa Laval process does not involve any new chemistry. Instead, it uses a
specially designed glass reactor to increase the surface area of yeast presented
to the liquid. The chamber contains small pellets of yeast distributed on a
carrier of sintered glass. Beer matures in the reactor in just two hours. The
company estimates that the technique could halve the cost of producing beer, by
reducing operating costs and the need for storage space.
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Britain鈥檚 Campaign for Real Ale, based in St Albans, is cautious about the
high-speed lager. 鈥淚t may taste similar to certain lagers but I don鈥檛 think that
you鈥檒l get the depth of taste,鈥� says Iain Loe, Camra鈥檚 research manager. 鈥淭he
fermenting process is about allowing the yeast to breed, not just getting the
sugars to be converted. I think we could get a pale and bland drink.鈥�
But Andy Hyde, general manager at Alfa Laval Brewery Systems, Camberley,
insists that the beer鈥檚 chemical composition and flavour are unaffected.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not aiming at the real ale brewing sector but we anticipate substantial
interest in the European brewing market.鈥�
