International brewing styles and beers reviewed by experts

Mr Fuchs, Mr Zarnkow, unlike the European Beer Star or the World Beer Cup, the DLG quality test for beers is not purely about sensory assessment, but rather a comprehensive evaluation of quality...

Johannes Fuchs: In principle, all awards are justified, as they are important instruments for communicating the quality and character of beers. However, tasting competitions such as the European Beer Star or the World Beer Cup mainly focus on the question: Which is the best or most popular beer within a category? In contrast, the DLG quality test focuses on a completely different question, which is answered using scientifically sound and comprehensible criteria: What is the quality of the beer?

Dr. Martin Zarnkow: The DLG quality test is therefore rightly considered a very demanding beer test. Not least because the neutral judgement of the experts at the Research and Teaching Institute for Brewing in Berlin and the Weihenstephan Research Centre for Brewing and Food Quality takes a closer look at the shelf life of beers – after all, master brewers have to brew a beer that tastes just as good in a few weeks' time as it does immediately after bottling. This is a question of stability and a criterion of the DLG quality test that you will not find in other awards.

Fuchs: This is also one reason why there are no restrictions on the DLG awards. If the participating beers are of very good quality and stability, we can award them gold. Conversely, no medals are awarded for below-average quality.

A significant proportion of beers and beer-based mixed drinks are now transported long distances to consumers ...

Zarnkow: The supra-regional consumption of beer is no longer an exception. Despite the high density of breweries in this country, every German beer has travelled an average of 210 kilometres to reach the supermarket or specialist beverage retailer. On their way there, the beers are exposed to vibrations, temperature fluctuations, light influences and the factor of time – and this inevitably has an impact on the stability of the products.

How does the quality check work in detail?

Fuchs: Each brewery must submit the registered sample twice within four to six weeks. In the beer analysis, we check the original wort, the stability of the foam, the colour, the degree of cloudiness, the pH value and the carbon dioxide and ethanol content of the beer. The non-biological shelf life is also determined chemically and technically. Each sample is also assessed microbiologically. In the final sensory tests, ten experts evaluate whether the end product's aroma and taste characteristics are typical for the type of beer. The quality score is ultimately calculated from the combination of all tests and is divided into bronze, silver and gold rankings.

Which brings you to one of the most important differences compared to other beer competitions, which only evaluate individual samples ...

Zarnkow: Only sensory evaluation and analytical examination of two beer bottlings in the form of an A and B sample enable statements to be made about aroma stability. This allows us to determine whether the beers are stable over this period and whether the breweries are working reproducibly. To give you an extreme example: if the A sample still tasted like wheat beer, but the B sample tasted more like Altbier, then something has gone wrong at the brewery. I am not aware of any other test for beers that checks the stability criterion so strictly – there are certainly breweries that do not reveal their secrets in this regard.

What percentage of beers do not meet the required criteria?

Fuchs: The percentage of products that do not receive an award varies between ten and 20 percent. There are many reasons for this. Taste stability, foam stability or non-biological shelf life (cloudiness) are some of the reasons for rejection.

The German beer landscape is very diverse. The market for specialities has been growing for years and offers alternatives to beer from large breweries. How do you assess this development?

Fuchs: The fact that the market and variety of beer specialities is growing is definitely a good thing. Both long-established businesses and new breweries are benefiting from the increased awareness of the craft of brewing. It's great to see both creative new creations and traditional, sometimes almost forgotten beer styles making a comeback.

Is there one style of beer that dominates the market?

Zarnkow: Bottom-fermented light lager is the most successful beer style in almost all markets. No matter where you are in the world and order a beer, you will get a light, filtered, chilled, bottom-fermented lager. In Bavaria, it tends to be Helles, in Dortmund Export, and in many other regions of Germany Pils or Pilsener.

Then there is the craft beer scene. Here too, craft brewers sometimes seem to be more experimental than traditional breweries ...

Fuchs: The craft beer movement, although the term is somewhat controversial, began in the United States in the 1970s. Hop-flavoured top-fermented beers were the dominant styles at the time and remain so today, with pale ale and IPA leading the way. This movement has spread to virtually every corner of the globe, with different brewing styles being preferred depending on the region. Sour beers and high-alcohol malt-flavoured beers such as imperial stout are now also finding their fans and are part of the diversity.

Zarnkow: British top-fermented ales, often ‘hop-stuffed’ like IPA, can be considered the main beers of this creative scene. In terms of volume, however, stout, as from the Irish island, is likely to be the most successful beer.

Fuchs: Not only globally, but also here in the UK, the craft beer scene varies significantly from region to region. It can often gain larger market shares in regions where few breweries dominate the market and where beer diversity and tradition are or were rather limited. Conversely, the movement is struggling in regions with a large number of breweries and a strong beer tradition – as is the case in Franconia, for example. In terms of volume alone, it often accounts for only a small share of the market. Nevertheless, it is an important part of the contemporary beer landscape.

Zarnkow: Many see craft beer brewing as a creative process that is intended to initiate a counter-movement to industrial beers. These beers are considered less daring and boring in the craft beer scene because they have to appeal to a broad audience. However, to critics who dismiss these beers as ‘industrial beers’, I would counter that producing a really good lager that always tastes the same and has a long shelf life is one of the greatest challenges of all. Brewmasters who have mastered this art can do anything else.

How does an India Pale Ale differ from a conventionally brewed beer?

Fuchs: There are very clear differences. With IPA, this is cold hopping or dry hopping. Here, specially bred aromatic hop varieties are added at a later stage in the brewing process so that the volatile aromatic compounds in the hops, which can be reminiscent of tropical fruits or floral aromas, for example, do not evaporate during the boiling process. Brewing is an art, and it is often the small details that make the difference.

What role does the German Purity Law play in this context? Can beers that do not comply with the Purity Law be described as ‘creative beers’?

Zarnkow: No, I wouldn't say that. If you want to produce a beer with a special colour, for example, you can use a food-grade colouring agent. Or, and this is the amazing thing that the German Purity Law teaches us, you can use the four ingredients water, malt, hops and yeast to set in motion a biochemical process that produces the desired colour. Many critics of the purity law would be amazed if they knew what was possible!

Fuchs: The debate surrounding the German Purity Law has been emotionally charged for decades. And, of course, any regulation can be seen as an obstacle. However, it is important to take a more nuanced view in order to form your own opinion. Incidentally, it is by no means the case that modern breweries do not brew according to the Purity Law and traditional breweries only brew according to the Purity Law. In fact, the majority of all beers – even those produced by newly established breweries – are brewed according to the Purity Law.

Tradition and innovation therefore complement each other when it comes to the art of brewing ...

Zarnkow: ... absolutely, the purity law has meant that breweries have had to deal with the four ingredients very intensively and on a scientific level – from the equipment side to the cultivation side. This is the only way to achieve the very high standard of many beers. The result is exceptional specialities that people enjoy drinking. However, this does not mean that there are no good beers outside the purity law – a diversity that I would not want to do without under any circumstances.

Fuchs: The diverse and long-standing beer tradition, as well as the authenticity of the many breweries, are clearly evident here. German beer has always enjoyed the highest reputation within the international beer market.

Brewing bottom-fermented beers in today's quantities would not be possible without modern cooling technology. What role does plant engineering play in today's variety of beers?

Zarnkow: An incredibly important one. We have only had this global access to this wide selection of beers since the advent of modern systems with their corresponding measurement, control and regulation technology. And it is only thanks to largely inert surfaces and hygienic design that the systems can be thoroughly cleaned. In addition, today's processes are capable of very gentle production. Like breweries, manufacturers of brewing equipment must increasingly respond to the individual wishes of new target groups in order to tap into new markets, for example with small but state-of-the-art brewhouses. Furthermore, everything is consistently moving towards energy efficiency and sustainability – numerous breweries and plant manufacturers are playing a leading role in this.

In short: the better the plant technology, the more reproducible the work?

Zarnkow: Yes, this is particularly true for larger brewers and bottlers. Conversely, however, this does not mean that craft brewers and microbreweries cannot produce stable beers and reproducible quality – but they have to work harder to achieve this.

It can also be observed that many old beer styles are experiencing a renaissance – true to the motto: Not after, but before the purity law ...

Zarnkow: Ultimately, the old beer styles form the basis of the diversity we find on the market today. Much of what is presented as a trend has already existed before. Or there is an old beer style behind it. There are beers that follow the old recipes very closely, such as Braunschweiger Mumme, Lichtenhainer and Leipziger Gose. In addition, many of the originally regional beers are now brewed worldwide. The best example of this are the ale varieties, which are no longer limited to Great Britain and Belgium.

Fuchs: I consider the revival of old beer styles such as Broyhan and Grätzer to be an enrichment. It is exciting that it is often not known exactly what the originals tasted like at the time. Each of these products must be considered individually in the DLG quality test. However, these products often have in common that their sensory characteristics need to be explained. Detailed information on this can be found on the label. Whether this claim can be verified is part of the sensory test.

Zarnkow: For many of these old beer styles, there are no points of comparison. That is why we need additional information in order to be able to objectively assess the quality of the beer. Unlike with a lager or a pilsner, this is not immediately clear with these old varieties.

What is the most important thing for you personally in a really good beer?

Zarnkow: For me, the taste experience begins with the temperature, which must be right for the beer. And that can vary greatly. The foam is also crucial. Beer is the only drink in the world that forms a head on its own when poured – that is its unique selling point. In terms of aroma and taste, the beer must be flawless. And ultimately, the enjoyment potential, or ‘drinkability’ as the British say, plays a role: the desire for a second sip.

Fuchs: First and foremost, a good beer naturally makes you want more, or rather a second one. But beyond that, I enjoy beers that pique my interest – through their advertised ingredients, a special history or distinctive sensory properties.