To start this off, I would like to first thank everyone who sent me their questions and comments. I appreciate all of the feedback.

Unfortunately, there are only so many weeks in a year, but I will try to answer as many questions as possible.

Just in case you missed the introductory article last week, I'll rehash.

The goal of this column is to provide everyone with a little bit more wisdom about beer and provide some interesting facts to help make you intelligent consumers. Personally growing up in a brewing family, I have been exposed to all facets of the industry and have picked up a little knowledge along the way.

Along with my experience and the guidance of a few industry experts, Homebrew will be providing credible answers to your inquiries throughout the year.

For the first week of questions, I thought it'd be best to start off with some basics.

During the next couple of weeks I hope to provide some footing for more detailed questions in the future. So let's start off with an age-old barroom debate:

What is the difference between draft beer and beer packaged in a can or bottle?

It is often argued that the only way to truly enjoy beer to the fullest is on tap as opposed to bottles or cans.

Some protest that there is no difference in taste. Most American brewers pasteurize their bottled and canned beer by slowly bringing the beer in the package up to 140ÃpF and cooling it to room temperature during a period of about 45 minutes.

Draft beer is -- or at least it should be -- kept at its original post-filtering temperature in the neighborhood of 32ÃpF from the time it is kegged until it is consumed.

Pasteurization gives beer the stability it needs to be easily transported and stored for longer periods of time.

Draft beer has a somewhat shorter shelf life and requires much greater care until consumption but provides a higher quality and more natural taste.

There is another technique to avoid pasteurization, which is extremely expensive and often debated as to its effectiveness at preserving the "draft beer" taste. MGD and Coors Light are "sterile (or micro) filtered."

The beer is filtered more thoroughly than other beers, packaged in a sterile facility and finally brought up to room temperature.

Although this method allows similar product stability as pasteurization, its advantages are limited, as the most damage to beer occurs between its original temperature (32ÃpF) and room temperature (72ÃpF), as opposed to its short exposure at 140ÃpF.

The process has not gained popularity because of the extraordinary expense for a limited gain.

Coors Brewing Co. advertises frost brewing, and this is the process that they are touting.

All beers begin their lives in the brewhouse being heated and boiled over five to 10 hours for conversions of necessary sugars.

This means it is impossible to "brew" cold.

Beer can be stored cold, packaged cold, shipped cold, and consumed cold but not brewed cold; therefore, frost brewing is more of a marketing tactic than an actual process.

Miller Brewing Co.'s MGD is advertised as cold-filtered.

There is no other way to filter beer other than cold. Beer is filtered as close to its freezing point as possible so that all the unwanted components precipitate out.

Filtering warm would be pointless and impractical.

It should be noted that once beer is finished, nothing positive can transform the beer.

From here it's a struggle to prevent movement, air,
light, age and contamination from working to spoil the
brew.

There is a saying in the industry that goes, "The Brewmaster takes 20 days to get the beer right, then the packaging department ruins it in 20 minutes."

That statement reflects how many brewers view
the process of packaging and if you're ever had a beer straight from the tank in a brewery, chances are you'd
agree.

Note: As with anything, there are exceptions to the rule. There is also flash pasteurization.

There are styles which lend themselves to "bottle conditioning", a process that actually promotes yeast growth in the bottle (a good topic for another article).

And then there are some styles that have properties that do not require a sterilizing process.

I hope this has helped you in your quest to find the perfectly "brewed" beer.

As always, please continue to e-mail me with your questions.

I look forward to answering as many as possible.

And a special thanks to those who decided to send me emails during the early morning hours of Friday and Saturday night. They were particularly entertaining.