How do you pasteurize beer?

[AlcoholFan420]

I’m a beer noob I started drinking beer about a week ago. I really like Coors Banquet but I have only tried it Coors light and Miller High Life. Miller High Life was a little to bitter but I have made moonshine mead and wines. I read in the 1970s it was illegal to sell Coors past the Mississippi because it was unpasteurized. I know a little about brewing beer from reading but I never bought any because at $2 a beer it’s less expensive to drink liquor and as a teen I got a old English malt liquor drink and didn’t want to try a beer ever again. I actually like Coors Banquet though I had a 24oz an hour ago. But if you pasteurized it would it not be unable to form bubbles with sugar? Is home brew dangerous?

 

[Golddiggie]

My last stout (packaged yesterday) cost me all of $0.55 a pint to make (ingredients, no other expenses added). With electricity added, it might come out to $0.60-$0.65 a pint to make/produce.

I started brewing my own because I never really cared for 95% (or more) of what was available for purchase. I can brew better than I could buy.

As for pasteurizing my brew. Nope, never done it. Don't need to. I'm sure someone who's done it will chime in. In theory, you should be able to bottle, carbonate, and then pasteurize to stop things. Personally, more work than it's worth. Also easier to take steps to make it not needed.

I keg and can my homebrew at this point (I've been kegging since 2011). I simply wait for things to be done before carbonating in fermenter (conical) and then package from there. Part fills a keg, the rest goes into cans. Ready to drink immediately after packaging (or right off conical if you wanted to).

 

[AlcoholFan420]

I bet your getting over 5% ABV too I can get some real beers at the liquor store but I’m worried I won’t like it I don’t think I’ll forget drinking old English and puking from the taste. I wasn’t drunk at all hadn’t been for months and got that old English chugged about 20% and threw up everywhere. I turned down beer before because of it. I like the little bit of sweetness with Coors. I could use light hops and I think Coors is sweet from malted corn. How do they even get it 5% it seems like bread yeast gets more. I brewed my first moonshine with bread yeast it worked.

 

[Golddiggie]

My recipes range from 3% to ~12% depending on what I'm brewing. I have an ordinary bitter that comes in at either 3.0% or 3.1% when brewed. The stout I just packaged came in at 5.2%. I have an imperial stout on deck that will be in the 10-11% range (recipe hasn't been locked in just yet, I'll be brewing it soon).

I won't use corn or rice in my beers. Malted barley is it.

For getting the ABV level you want, it's more about the mash temperature to get the amount of fermenting sugars to get you the body level. Then using enough grain in the mash to get the ABV level you want. It's not voodoo, but some science. I use beer yeast for beers. For my meads, in the past, I've used wine yeast. I plan to use a sweet mead yeast for the next batch of mead I make. I've used it for cider too.

 

[DuncB]

We pasteurize with an S in England! Mainly milk and food products. Perhaps one weeks beer drinking experience needs a gradual increase in the sensory library. A bitter beer is an acquired taste and when there's such a variety out there it will take time to learn what you like and dislike. Not all spirits are equal either and many are modified / hidden by the mixers.

 

[RM-MN]

But if you pasteurized it would it not be unable to form bubbles with sugar? Is home brew dangerous?

Big breweries carbonate their pasteurized beer before they bottle it. They pump in CO2 under pressure to a vessel until the beer is carbonated, then down the pipe to the bottle house it goes, slightly above freezing so the CO2 doesn't bubble out.

Home brew beer isn't any more dangerous than a baked potato. You can burn your fingers and mouth on a baked potato, you can drink too much beer, get drunk, and fall down or get behind the wheel of an automobile. The beer itself isn't at all dangerous.

 

[MaxStout]

I’m a beer noob I started drinking beer about a week ago. I really like Coors Banquet but I have only tried it Coors light and Miller High Life. Miller High Life was a little to bitter but I have made moonshine mead and wines. I read in the 1970s it was illegal to sell Coors past the Mississippi because it was unpasteurized. I know a little about brewing beer from reading but I never bought any because at $2 a beer it’s less expensive to drink liquor and as a teen I got a old English malt liquor drink and didn’t want to try a beer ever again. I actually like Coors Banquet though I had a 24oz an hour ago. But if you pasteurized it would it not be unable to form bubbles with sugar? Is home brew dangerous?

No, it was illegal back then for Coors to be sold in some states because there was no distribution agreement with those states. It had zero to do with pasteurization.

Unpasteurized homebrew won't make you sick (no pathogens).

 

[Golddiggie]

Keep in mind, beer was [one of the ways] how people used to render questionable water safe to drink.

 

[AlcoholFan420]

Oh cool I bought a Budweiser it’s actually pretty good I’m feeling comfortable with drinking beer. I really thought it would be nasty but I am liking it. So is there not a quicker expiration date with unpasteurized stuff?

 

[Golddiggie]

Treated right, unpasteurized beer has a good shelf life. I'm not going to put it in a room that's 90F+ during the summer and expect ANYTHING to be good for the long term. Since I keg, it's kept at drinking temperature until the keg kicks. I've had IPAs and pale ales last months. Basically, great until the keg kicks. Or until the last can is cracked open. With my process, I leave as much of the yeast behind in the fermenter as possible (time takes care of that, plus lower temperatures).

Dark beers tend to last longer once packaged. IPAs will have hop fade over time. So they might be as great as early on, but that's just another reason to either make sure you make levels that you can drink in time, or make sure people know about it and help you to go through the beer in time. I actually give away far more beer than I drink myself. Friends and family consume the majority of it.

 

[camonick]

Home brew beer isn't any more dangerous than a baked potato.

That’s the most awesome thing I’ve seen today!!! I’m going to remember that for future discussions.

 

[Elric]

Do not judge whether or not you like beer by having had old english malt liquor. There is a wealth of different beer styles with many different flavour profiles. The big breweries for the most part all just have slightly different riffs on a handful of beer styles, to try the others you would need to search out beers from craft breweries or homebrew.

cheers!

 

[16'er]

To OP:

If you have a market that will let you buy singles, make your own six pack, then you could try a few commercial brews that might expand your beer experience.

A few to consider:

Newcastle Brown ale
Killians Red
Murphys Irish Stout
Dunkel Hefeweizen
An American Creme Ale
Boddingtons Ale
Maybe something from the Leinenkugel‘s brewery?

Not even sure you can still buy killians or boddingtons? Anyway take this list to a total wine or decent beer/wine shop and talk to a knowledgeable sales person. They will get you substitutions that are a good place to start. Spend a little $ and start on your beer journey!

 

[DuncB]

In answer to the OP question.

Heat your beer to 70 celsius for 30 minutes will do it.

It will ruin your beer but that's how you can do it.

 

[bracconiere]

I’m a beer noob I started drinking beer about a week ago. I really like Coors Banquet but I have only tried it Coors light and Miller High Life. Miller High Life was a little to bitter but I have made moonshine mead and wines. I read in the 1970s it was illegal to sell Coors past the Mississippi because it was unpasteurized. I know a little about brewing beer from reading but I never bought any because at $2 a beer it’s less expensive to drink liquor and as a teen I got a old English malt liquor drink and didn’t want to try a beer ever again. I actually like Coors Banquet though I had a 24oz an hour ago. But if you pasteurized it would it not be unable to form bubbles with sugar? Is home brew dangerous?

i hope you don't get flamed, which is why i laughed.....


but i've read a few posts on pasturizing, i think cider in the dishwasher? after it's bottle conditioned and carbed or something? not completly sure, really no need for it, unless you're backsweetening.....


and actually beer can be both just as cheap as booze, and with the help of glucoamylase. just as low calorie. the two biggest reasons, most people, drink the hard stuff....but beer has vitamins! great source a folate and niacin! plus more b vitamins, it's just illegal for the brewers to list the nutrtion facts...

 

[apisgallus]

Drink it quick, so its past your eyes before you know it. I'll get my coat

 

[AlcoholFan420]

I realized if I’m going to brew I need a wort cooler and they are not cheap. Plus I need a bottle caper it’s a lot of stuff. I saw a few 6 packs of premium beer made locally at the store but it’s like $10. Bud light 6 pack is $7 but I just don’t have lots of money I’m addicted to tobacco and weed. I need a job I’m working on it.

 

[apisgallus]

You don't need a wort chiller (though it helps, and I would certainly plan to budget for one)
Just get a large tub and fill with ice water, stirring the wort occasionally to aerate it.
The small two handed bottle cappers are not that expensive, if you can find a friend who likes to cap bottles, you're golden.

Is there a local home brew club in your area?

 

[AlcoholFan420]

I’m not sure I am a little worried about it getting contaminated by cooling so long. I found a kit that comes with everything to brew for $250 it’s the premium kit from morebeer.com but I think it might be a little expensive I’m definitely going to look around. I brewed mead before and it doesn’t like to live without a little yeast nutrients but the same yeast thrived on fruit juice without any nutrients. I am not sure if beer needs it but that stuff is touchy to much will ruin everything unless you distilled it.

 

[Golddiggie]

I don't think anyone here has ever claimed that getting into brewing your own is cheap. At least on the hardware/gear end of the scale. Once you HAVE the gear, cost of the batch (pint/etc.) can be far lower than what you buy beer for. I'm typically under $1 a pint for my brews. Even bigger beers are not much over that (talking about 10% ABV or higher). Even those are under $1.50 a pint at the end of things.

Of course, I spent a good chunk of change on gear in 2021 when I switched over from keggles, on propane burners, to an electric setup. I've already dropped a decent amount this year with the new plate chiller and MM3 mill (pro, geared).

IIRC, extract brewing isn't the cheapest option for ingredients. It just requires less gear (typically). It's how many start brewing to decide if they want to go into it full bore. I did two extract (with specialty grains) batches before going all grain. Haven't looked back since.

 

[bwible]

I’m a beer noob I started drinking beer about a week ago. I really like Coors Banquet but I have only tried it Coors light and Miller High Life. Miller High Life was a little to bitter but I have made moonshine mead and wines.

Miller High Life is listed at 7 IBU by the info on Miller’s website. IBU is a measure of how bitter a beer is. 7 IBU is ridiculously low bitterness. So if you think Miller High Life is too bitter, there are a w-h-o-l-e lot of beers you are not going to like.

 

[Golddiggie]

Miller High Life is listed at 7 IBU by the info on Miller’s website. IBU is a measure of how bitter a beer is. 7 IBU is ridiculously low bitterness. So if you think Miller High Life is too bitter, there are a w-h-o-l-e lot of beers you are not going to like.

Maybe it was the 'piss character' that he mistook for bitterness.

 

[bwible]

Maybe it was the 'piss character' that he mistook for bitterness.

Well he likes Budweiser, so there’s not much to say there.

 

[apisgallus]

He placed the pint between his lips
and leaned against the wall.
'Looks like rain', the barmaid said.
'tastes like it 'n all'

a wee big of doggerel for drinkers of mass produced beers

 

[camonick]

Miller High Life is listed at 7 IBU by the info on Miller’s website. IBU is a measure of how bitter a beer is. 7 IBU is ridiculously low bitterness. So if you think Miller High Life is too bitter, there are a w-h-o-l-e lot of beers you are not going to like.

Remember this guy?…

Keystone Light was supposed to be the escape from all those other bitter beers. I’ve never considered any of the BMC macro lagers bitter, but some people certainly do. My boss will only drink Bud Light or Michelob Ultra, he thinks Bud Heavy is too strong and won’t even think about touching a microbrew or my homebrew. It’s been a while since I’ve had a High Life, but I personally wouldn’t classify it as more bitter than Bud Heavy or Banquet. If the OP is just beginning to experiment with beer drinking, at least there are plenty of examples to choose from.

 

[bracconiere]

At least on the hardware/gear end of the scale.

it cost me $600, propane burner, big pot, mash tun...but that was in like 2002...and all the equipment still serves me well....

@AlcoholFan420 i think no boil, extract is sounding like your thing....

https://www.morebeer.com/products/g...p25VP1NTtSHFGm3stk6Eb7couFFaabxMaAseiEALw_wcB
and just get a hop bag, and dry hop it.....$5 bucket, and some old bottles and caps....or better yet, some 2 litter soda bottles!

 

[apisgallus]

I extract/partial grain on a 5 gallon kettle on the stove. I have an igloo as a hot liquor tank (gift) but you can use another stock pot to heat water. Need a fermenter. Northern brewer sells their big mouth bubbler about $45. Hydrometer a must. bottling bucket with spigot, bags for grains and hops, thermometer. start small and see what you absolutely must have. Buy once, cry once Best of luck.

 

[cmac62]

Remember this guy?…
View attachment 757811
Keystone Light was supposed to be the escape from all those other bitter beers. I’ve never considered any of the BMC macro lagers bitter, but some people certainly do. My boss will only drink Bud Light or Michelob Ultra, he thinks Bud Heavy is too strong and won’t even think about touching a microbrew or my homebrew. It’s been a while since I’ve had a High Life, but I personally wouldn’t classify it as more bitter than Bud Heavy or Banquet. If the OP is just beginning to experiment with beer drinking, at least there are plenty of examples to choose from.

yeah, I still remember when I started drinking beer again after a 30 year hiatus. One of the aha moments was my first sip of Stone's Arrogant Bastard. I thought, people drink this for taste? When I went to the Stone brewery several years later the guy doing the tour said "you gotta drink it till you like it." LOL IPA's are definitely an acquired taste that I have acquired quite nicely.

OP, my favorite macro beer is Coors Banquet, I too like it's sweetness, but I don't like Bud. You may find as you move through your beer drinking experience your taste for bitter and other flavors will likely change. Enjoy the ride. Check out untapped it is a beer social media app where you can log and rate all the beer you drink. It is fun.

 

[camonick]

"you gotta drink it till you like it."

That’s an interesting way to encourage the consumption of your product.

 

[PCABrewing]

Treated right, unpasteurized beer has a good shelf life. I'm not going to put it in a room that's 90F+ during the summer and expect ANYTHING to be good for the long term.

I even start to spoil at 90+ for any period of time

OP, do you have a basement or cellar?

 

[scrap iron]

I suggest read "how to brew" by John Palmer. It's basically the homebrew bible and the first edition is free online. There are a few updates since but this will give you an idea of what's involved. As far as Coors, that was my brand many years ago until I lived in Germany for three years and found what real beer tastes like. Now the" Silver Bullet" tastes like Kool-Aid to me, a little more than flavored water. PS don't pasteurize your beer, not needed.
cheers

 

[Sam_92]

I have pasteurized my beer when I inadvertently got bottle infections causing gushers and horrible flavors. I used my electric kettle to hold my beers in a water bath and it killed the infection and the beers were drinkable but it's not ideal and I would say it's a last ditch effort.

 

[Mr. Vern]

There are brews which are Tunnel or Flash Pasteurized commercially but as previous statements identify, it is not necessary for the majority of beer.

I was just reading about a particular Scottish ale that has a hefty amount of processes... including flash pasteurization. These ales have residual sugar as they halt fermentation a little early, I think they simply wanted to extend shelf life and not have bottle bombs.

If I ever had the inclination I would put bottles or cans in the boil kettle and fill with hot water for 132-140F, wait a short time and chill as fast as I could. Do not direct-fire the kettle with your goods in it, use pre-heated water.

I would absolutely LOVE to check out Coors yeast vault and lab

Funny story regarding Coors... we sold them some (non-brewing) process equipment years ago, it had a large 460V electric heater with hermetically sealed mercury contactor (we use them because they FAIL OPEN, if they ever fail). They threw a tantrum!!! They replaced with AB mechanical contactor whilst shaking their finger at us, I told them that is OK but replace it every 2 years due to the severe cyclic rate. Fast-Forward 8-10 years the brewery had a fire because the contactor fused CLOSED. After I confirmed nobody was harmed I laughed to myself while they ate humble pie.

I should have asked what color their Cold Activated cans turned that day

 

[Inclinejj]

Watch Smokey And The Bandit. They were bootlegging Coors.

 

[AlcoholFan420]

It’s been one of my favorite movies but I got a local 6 pack of local beer it’s called Founders Centennial IPA it’s brewed like 45 minutes from where I live. It’s definitely got a stronger flavor but I can only sip it the bitterness is to strong to drink quickly. I actually like it though I think it’s good stuff I drank 24oz this morning but is it pasteurized?

 

[camonick]

It’s been one of my favorite movies but I got a local 6 pack of local beer it’s called Founders Centennial IPA it’s brewed like 45 minutes from where I live. It’s definitely got a stronger flavor but I can only sip it the bitterness is to strong to drink quickly. I actually like it though I think it’s good stuff I drank 24oz this morning but is it pasteurized?

If you thought Miller High Life was too bitter, making the leap to an IPA is like going from the kiddie pool to swimming in a lake. I’m still not sure why you are concerned with pasteurization? Do you think a beer would somehow be better or worse if it’s pasteurized as opposed to not? Like I said, I’m still trying to understand the curiosity with pasturization.
This is an interesting website that will help you understand all the different styles of beer, their colors, flavors, alcohol content and hop bitterness.

https://www.craftbeer.com/beer-styles
I think someone mentioned it above, but if you have a large liquor store that allows you to make your own six packs, talk to an employee and have them help you pick out a selection of different beers ranging in styles from light to dark and maybe less to more hoppy. I think you’d enjoy amber ales, blonde or cream ales, many of the German lagers (Pilsners, Helles, Märzens, Dunkels, Bocks and Vienna lagers). German Kolsch and Altbier are nice ales. Brown ale and some porters are nice and not particularly hoppy.

Edit to add: avoid beers in green or clear bottles for now. They often have an off flavor I don’t think you’d care for now.

 

[AlcoholFan420]

I’m not sure about difference in pasteurizing but the IPA is good stuff I figured I would try it but it’s just something I need food with after 4 sips I got to get a new flavor or it’s to intense. I could see why someone would like this with food.