Ever experience a macro beer snob?

Well, there's chemical and chemical. E405 is a natural product drawn from algae, basically a flour-like thickening agent. I am no expert on the subject myself, but I've been long acquainted with some people that have actually gotten their doctorate in chemistry, specializing in brewing and maturation of beer. Their claim is simple: the Duvel meringue head (consistency, not color) cannot be achieved through simple pH control of wort water, it needs some sort of thickening agent. That's usually E405 or some different algenate. It's natural and is DEFINITELY not going to kill you, but it's still "cheating" when I don't think it's necessary to make a beer look aesthetically pleasing. If anything it turns me off.

If I were to believe it was evil and deadly, I wouldn't be drinking it myself I just don't feel you should be mucking about with additives - be they purely chemical or natural in a sense - if they don't add to the flavor of the beer. Then again, I probably don't care enough how a beer looks.

I'll ask the guys when the thickening agent is added. I think just before the bottling process, but I'll have you know today hopefully, if they turn up online.

 

No big deal. And please note that I did say that your comments, and not you personally, were "full of it." What bugged me most is that now even Belgians seem to be falling for U.S. craft's sloganeering stupidity about "fizzy yellow beer." Duvel is, IMO -- and the opinion of others like Michael Jackson and Garrett Oliver -- absolutely world class. For it to be dismissed based on the fact that it is fizzy and yellow is just as ignorant -- if not more so, because people who claim to be "beer advocates" should know better -- than macro "snobs" who dismiss craft beers because they aren't fizzy and yellow.

 

You're taking this way too seriously.

 

I didn't necessarily comment on the color, as I know a well-filtered beer can be beautifully golden yellow as well. I think I refer to the excessive carbonation as fizziness more than anything. It's not force carbonation (as in: big fizzy pop bubbles), but just too much of it all-round for me.

 

Well, you did say, "...people will go at it tooth and nail about Duvel being the nectar of the gods and an amazing craft beer, when it's simply a factory-produced golden ale like so many others here."

The fact that Duvel has its own maltings accounts for how they might manage to achieve a consistent color without resorting to things like purchasing malt from various maltsters from season to season and/or blending to get the right SRM. I suspect it also explains, in part at least, how they can retain head-producing proteins for their signature towering white foam (but of course bottle conditioning plays a role as well as the etched bottom of the tulip).

Seriously though, would you be happier if it only produced a thin layer of lace? Does Orval's high carbonation level similarly put you off?

 

Orval's carbonation is a lot softer, hardly comparable. And I'm not necessarily a fan of the massive head that a lot of Belgians claim a beer should have. That being said I definitely don't mind one providing it's light and fluffy, not that thick whipped gluey eggwhite look with the floating island in the middle.

Attribute that quote there to a simple language SNAFU. I simply tried to label the style here. Our English labels tend to read "golden ale" more often than "blonde ale" or whatever is more commonly used as a style description.

 

How does the BJCP factor into this? More of a amateur beer aficionado quote.

If you look on the BJCP for category 18a, Leffe is the number one example, 18d it is Duvel.

 

Forced carbonation does not result in big fizzy pop bubbles, at least in the beers I make.

 

I always thought Stella was the Budweiser of Belgium... Maybe its Duvel

 

It is, well at least that or Jupiler

Interesting. Do you just add fairly little CO²?

 

Macro snobs are everywhere, are you kidding?? I say fuck it all, fear no beer, macro, micro, craft or whatever...life's too short for what other people think. If we were meant to be sheep we'd all look alike...personal taste is just that.

 

No, even to 3 volumes the bubbles are fine and tight.

 

What does "lol" mean?

 

Duvel is a macro beer in Belgium. Duvel has changed over the years to accommodate for the increase of production, second fermentation is done a lot faster now, pasteurization etc. Duvel is available virtually everywhere…
I do like but I mainly drink it because it is easy to get anywhere including places with no real “craft” selection. I quite loved the Triple Hop ones esp. given the fact that I could easily pick-up a 4pack at the supermarket.

The huge adoration that Duvel gets from USA beer geeks is frankly a bit puzzling and bizarre given the frequent complains of BMC and their marketing strategy and take-overs etc. given similar practices by Duvel, there are plenty of better Belgian beers available over here that deserve more praise.

 

I can get my BMC friends to drink craft American pale lagers. During the summers here in WI I buy quite a bit of New Glarus Totally Naked.

 

You may want to inform your boy who refuses to drink BMC but loves Leinenkugel that it is actually a Miller product.

 

Hey now. You can have my cafe latte when you pry it from my cold, dead hands.

 

My father, he has some pre-conceived idea that ale is some vile syrupy concoction that he knows he will not like. It's very frustrating trying to turn him on to some good beer only to be told, "I don't like ale" Maybe you should try it first?

 

Leffe and Duvel aren't craft beer? Mmmmmkay.