Beers brewed without additives?

Question

All German beers are brewed according to the Reinheitsgebot (beer purity laws). So do some beers from other countries.

I suffer from terrible hangovers when I drink anything with additives. I try to stick to german beers to be safe - but often, the barman and I wont know if the beer is German or full of muck.

I've also encountered German beers brewed outside Germany.

How can I get a complete list of beers (or just lagers) brewed without additives? And does it matter where the beer is brewed?

Answer 1

NO no NO no and No

Not all german beers are brewed according to the

Reinheitsgebot nor have they ever. In addition not all german beers are good in fact some are down right nasty tasting.

The laws have not only changed in Germany but were never actually laws but guidelines. Today and years in the past not all German brewers followed the Reinheitsgebot.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinheitsge...

http://users.rcn.com/thor.dnai/dboard/db...

For an excellent rebuke on the Reinheitsgebot

http://www.xs4all.nl/~patto1ro/reinheit....

If it is a large brewer in any country you can be suspicious of their product they call beer. If I am correct the article that I have recommended is one that explores how the Bavarians forced the Northern Germans to accept their ideas on beer in order to decrease competition. The Bavarians were the original beer bullies.

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Answer 2

You don't specify which country you are drinking in and unfortunately you use bars where the staff do not appear to be educated in the products they are retailing.I can only speak for England (and parts of Wales and Scotland)where I drink regularly where my hobby is to find and imbibe real ale that is brewed locally and where the person serving the product is knowledgable of its contents.Invariably local Micro Breweries use only well sourced genuine ingredients that will not include any chemical additives that interfere with the finished product.As an addendum I must add that occasionaly I have been known  to suffer with excess flatulence the following morning.Lastly German lagered beers brewed in Germany tend to be the real 'McCoy' unlike the poor copies brewed under licence in the country of consumption.

Answer 3

It certainly does. In Britain beer is the only food-stuff that you can sell with declaring what you put in it. That means much of British "lager" isn't lagered beer at all, the taste of lager is simulated by adding oxalic acid and uric acid, both of which can cause problems in your joints, gout, etc. Much of the rubbish brewed here can't be sold in Germany, but is being dumped on the Russians who haven't been told that Britain doesn't adhere to the German laws.

Many microbreweries too (who all use the same malt from the same factories) make their brew taste different and more interesting than the others by the addition of God Knows What.

Everything from cocoa powder to chemical flavourings.

CAMRA publish loads of books on beers, get theirs on German beers and Czech beers.

In our Russian Tavern we serve Russian Baltica 3, Warsteiner Premium Lager and Erdinger Wheat Beers on draught, both blonde and dark. Luverly!

Answer 4

Its much more simple...

Brew your own and now you know for sure whats in your beer. Think Global, drink local and your own.

Answer 5

Drink real ale.

Answer 6

Reinheitsgebot has been repealed for about 20 years or so...maybe 15. Many many microbreweries in the US follow it as a standard for making quality beer.

As was said previously...drink real ales. Find a microbrewery and sample their selection. As long as it isn't secretly owned by Budweiser (Shocktop) or Coors (Blue Moon) you should be alright in the additives area.