I am a returning brewer, I did quite a bit of home brewing 10-12 years ago and am just getting back to it now. As with most newbies I have a question:
Does a frosted mug affect the beers taste at all,(I love frosted mugs) also do different beers require glasses at different temps. it’s a question that has nagged me for a long time. Any help will be appreciated.
WeegeIf the glass was clean and there were no tastes picked up by the frost such as something else that was in the freezer then I would say no. However I have been served Stouts that really should be much warmer in a frosted pint and got funny looks when I declined another frosted glass.
For a boring American Pilsner style light beer, the colder the better so it numbs your taste buds so you can’t tell how bad it is :lol:
For most beers I would go with glasses that were clean and rinsed. Maybe chilled but not frosted. To each their own though.
don’t get me wrong: I absolutely LOVE an ice-cold light american lager, or standard american lager (Blue light, Genny Lite, PBR, High Life, etc.), but to the above-point, that can really take away from a lot of beers. So yes, a frosted mug will absolutely mask and distort the flavors of a beer.
The short answer: drink your beer the way you want it. However, I would encourage you to do the following: Pick up a 6-er of Sierra Nevada Pale ale, or something relatively hoppy that you can get in your area, the same with a stout ,the same with a decent lager/pils (warsteiner, radeberger, victory prima pils), and try all of them in a frosted mug, then each of them at around 45 degrees (just take them out of the fridge about 10 minutes before you drink).
At the right temperature, bitter hop-forward beer stops tasting like just bitterness and starts tasting like citrus and pine, stouts start tasting malty and roasty, pilsners start tasting nuanced and complex, along with the crispness they would typically have at sub-arctic temps.
Thanks everyone, and I have found that the darker the brew the warmer it should be the stouts and the porters(which are my favorites) the warmer temps seem to enhance the flavors and the lighter the colder seems to work the best.
Thanks to all, I lift my glass to you
WeegeIn a nutshell: cold dulls the senses. If you want optimal sensory perception, cold is not ideal. IMO that applies to any lager you want to be able to taste. Of course, there are times when you just want to down a cold, refreshing beverage like water or a classic American pilsner. 8)
I like my beer around 50 to 55 F. Ice does indeed numb the senses. Light lagers will sometimes (not always) taste better cold. Most other beers taste better around 50-55. If you want to fully taste the beer, then don’t use an iced mug. Ever. If you don’t care, then don’t ask! :mrgreen:
I would experiment and discover what you like. Then do it. It’s just beer. Enjoy it.
:cheers:
I was schooled that beer that is fermented warm, ale, you drink warm. Beers fermented cold, lager, you drink cold. I keep my keg fridge around 40deg but usually let my pour warm a little in the glass.
