Whether you're a fan of ales, stouts, porters, lagers, or specialty beers, you're one of millions of people who enjoy beer in its various styles. Beer has been around since people thought the earth was flat, and continues its popularity today. And while brewing beer has remained basically the same, how beer reaches the consumer is radically different now vs. even 100 years ago.

Along with just about any other technology, brewing technology has improved since brewing first started centuries ago. The general process remains the same. Beer is a mix of ingredients like hops, malt, grains, yeast, water, and often other specialty ingredients, mixed and fermented together over time. The biggest changes in the beer industry have been how brewers package their product and how it reaches the end consumer.

Canning and Bottling Beer

In the early-mid 1900's, bottling and later canning of beer became extremely popular. After Prohibition was repealed in 1933, the beer industry began consolidating from literally thousands of local breweries producing fresh, local beer to large regional brewers who could reach a larger market. That consolidation continues today, notwithstanding the brewpub craze of the 1990's. Advances in packaging and transportation have allowed large brewers like Anheuser-Busch, Miller, and Coors to distribute nationally and internationally.

With the consolidation in the beer industry, small local breweries began to close, and with it went the concept of fresh, local beer. It is fair to say that most consumers now drink beer just as they buy it, directly from the bottle or can. We are a society of convenience, and it's convenient to consume beer directly from the packaging. However, beer wasn't meant to be consumed this way.

Beer is a perishable food product, and like any food product, beer doesn't improve with age. Bottled beer and canned beer are pasteurized and added carbonation is injected to ensure a long shelf life without need for refrigeration. While there's nothing wrong with this process as it allows product availability to a wider spectrum of consumers, it is not beer in its natural state.

Keg beer is beer in its natural state. Keg beer isn't pasteurized, nor are any preservatives added. Keg beer needs refrigeration from the day it's packaged until the day it's consumed. The important factor to note is that keg beer isn't injected with additional carbonation, which gives keg beer a smoother, cleaner taste.

Try this experiment, just for fun. The next time you're enjoying beer, consume it only from the bottle or the can. Then, the following time, consume it only from the keg (on tap) in a glass. Be sure to notice which gives you more intestinal gas from carbonation! The beer you consume direct from the keg will be smoother, better tasting, and easier to digest.

Keg beer is the way brewers want you to experience their beer. Keg beer is natural beer, with no preservatives. Next time out, enjoy your beer directly from the tap and notice the difference.

About the Author, Jim hofman:

Jim Hofman is a beer lover who learned the benefits of keg beer from his dad. Jim recently developed a new website devoted to keg beer , and all things beer. Glyconutrients for health.

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