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Beer on tap

When I was making my own beer I noticed that there was evident leeching from the glass of the bottles after continued re-use. They would become increasingly cloudy or frosty looking.

I've wondered if perhaps it is the glass bottled beer whose flavor is affected by the vessel, as I think cans are generally coated with something to prevent corrosion to the metal, and an expectation of the flavor added by that leeching from the glass is what some people adamantly insist is "better" when it is actually the "real beer flavor" that they are complaining about.

:confused:
 
Mojo said:
Cellar temperature. Room temperature fluctuates too much for the beer to stay in good nick.
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Agreed also.

As for lager-type beers can I suggest to our American friends that they try real Bubweiser, that is the Czech Budweiser Budvar? It's apparently sold as Czechvar in the US and is in a totally different league to "Bud".

eta It is sometimes found on tap in pubs over here, can't say there is a great deal of difference between draught and bottled but then I've never done a back-to-back tasting.
 
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Re temperature of beer, In Barry McKenzie's immortal words:

Oh I wouldn't say no to a nice cold beer, I wouldn't say no to a naughty
But there ain't much of either over her In a bedsitter in Earl's Court-y
The beer over here isn't fit to drink, the sheilas are cold and haughty
I wouldn't say no to a nice cold beer, I wouldn't say no to a naughty.
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I have to say that I personally do feel I can tell the difference between canned and bottled products.

When I was a beer drinker, I was always one who wanted bottles. Some insisted there was no difference, but I felt that there was. The bottles tasted "smoother".

I no longer drink beer, but I do drink lots of Coke. And I usually buy it in cans. In fact, I drink it in cans about 99% of the time, honestly. It's those rare occasions where I get some 16oz bottles, or a two liter, that I tell the difference. And unlike beer, where I prefer it in bottles, I prefer coke in the can. The bottled product lacks some of the "bite" that I'm used to, which I assume is caused from being in the aluminum cans. It is a real and noticeable difference. It's not my imagination. Any time I buy bottled soda, I can tell it doesn't taste the same, and it annoys me.

I know many are skpetical about this type of thing, but I'm certain I could pass any tests with regard to it. There is a definite difference in taste between bottled and canned soda, and beer.
 
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Beer on tap tastes better because its fresher. The keg gets changed often and the beer is usually fresher than beer in bottles. I personally do think it tastes better. Beer unlike wine tastes bests when its fresh.
 
My only experience with "keg" beer recently has been the watery swill sort of thing you find at barbeques... Since this stuff (the "making love in a canoe" sort of beer) has little flavor to begin with....

Just last week, they had a segment on NPR's Weekend Edition as to how some premium beer brewers are now putting up some of their product in cans. Previously, only "cheap" beers came in cans, much as only cheap wines came in screw-top bottles.

However, a number of brewers are finding that the can does indeed protect the beer from UV and other degrading factors better...
However, all the custom brewers agreed....It's not a proper drink until you pour it into a glass.
Nothing annoys me more than the local practice of bringing you a bottle of your favorite brew..And no glass.

Uncivilized.
 
Whiplash said:
I have to say that I personally do feel I can tell the difference between canned and bottled products.

When I was a beer drinker, I was always one who wanted bottles. Some insisted there was no difference, but I felt that there was. The bottles tasted "smoother".

I no longer drink beer, but I do drink lots of Coke. And I usually buy it in cans. In fact, I drink it in cans about 99% of the time, honestly. It's those rare occasions where I get some 16oz bottles, or a two liter, that I tell the difference. And unlike beer, where I prefer it in bottles, I prefer coke in the can. The bottled product lacks some of the "bite" that I'm used to, which I assume is caused from being in the aluminum cans. It is a real and noticeable difference. It's not my imagination. Any time I buy bottled soda, I can tell it doesn't taste the same, and it annoys me.

I know many are skpetical about this type of thing, but I'm certain I could pass any tests with regard to it. There is a definite difference in taste between bottled and canned soda, and beer.
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I'll second this. I can tell the difference between canned Coke and bottled Coke of any stripe, be it glass bottles or plastic, any size bottle from eight ounces to three liters. Canned Coke has more "cola" flavor to me. Bottled Coke (or Coke on tap) is fizzier and tastes like it's been watered down just a little. It's a subtle difference but it's real.
 
jhunter1163 said:
I'll second this. I can tell the difference between canned Coke and bottled Coke of any stripe, be it glass bottles or plastic, any size bottle from eight ounces to three liters. Canned Coke has more "cola" flavor to me. Bottled Coke (or Coke on tap) is fizzier and tastes like it's been watered down just a little. It's a subtle difference but it's real.
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Have you done a blind tasting?
 
The only difference between canned and tap beer that I've found was the amount of CO2 dissolved in the beer to make a proper head. It's more noticeable in stout than in lagers, which is why Guinness went to so much trouble to develop their "widget" for their canned products.
 
jhunter1163 said:
I'll second this. I can tell the difference between canned Coke and bottled Coke of any stripe, be it glass bottles or plastic, any size bottle from eight ounces to three liters. Canned Coke has more "cola" flavor to me. Bottled Coke (or Coke on tap) is fizzier and tastes like it's been watered down just a little. It's a subtle difference but it's real.
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There's an even more noticeable difference between canned and fountain sodas.
 
lionking said:
Beer is generally better out of a tap, but I have never had a bad beer out of a can or bottle, but quite a few out of a tap, probably due to contaminated lines.
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As an ex-bartender, I can confirm the bad tap. The hoses used to pour beer are supposed to be soaked in water with a tiny amount of bleach. How often depends on the bar. In some places it's as little as once a week. Bacteria find beer to be delicious, it makes them all happy and want to reproduce. The booze in a running tap should kill off most of it but the flavor might be affected.
 
jhunter1163 said:
I'll second this. I can tell the difference between canned Coke and bottled Coke of any stripe, be it glass bottles or plastic, any size bottle from eight ounces to three liters. Canned Coke has more "cola" flavor to me. Bottled Coke (or Coke on tap) is fizzier and tastes like it's been watered down just a little. It's a subtle difference but it's real.
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I definately believe I am able to tell the difference. I would have said that Coke in glass bottles was superior to plastic bottles.
 
shuttlt said:
I definately believe I am able to tell the difference. I would have said that Coke in glass bottles was superior to plastic bottles.
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Well, you and jhunter should design a double blind test to see if you are real skeptics.
 
As stated earlier, Beer can be effected by many factors. UV is a killer (Clear glass kills a beer), as is time after brewing (Bar from Trappist/yeast conditioned beer) beer starts going off the moment it is brewed, there is also contamination to worry about, Pasturisation, filtering and it goes on. Keg beers, properly treated (Clean lines, fresh kegs , CO2 not O2 as a gas) will normally taste better (Bottle / Cask condition beers are a fantastic and tasty exception). But it also comes down to the quality of the starting beer. Kegs are generally the best way to ship and serve beer. (Real Ales in casks are a completely different kettle of fish)

For a crappy beer I prefer Keg > Bottle > Can. For good quality beer, the difference between bottle and tap is not as great (still dislike cans thou)

Yes I spend way to much time drinking, reviewing and enjoying beer.
 
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