Belgian wrote:ercousin wrote:Typically sulfur is an indication of insufficient lagering time, or not enough vigor during primary fermentation. Most cold fermented styles of beer have some level of sulfur though, usually faint or not noticeable.
^ so if I keep those bottles a few weeks longer in the fridge does that count as additional "lagering time"? Are brewers doing this early bottling intentionally, as vintners often do? Thanks er.
It would depend on the levels of sulfur. A minimal amount might turn into a hint, but a prominent sulfur character would probably stay.
Some brewers seem to like that sulfur flavour since many of the most popular adjunct lagers have sulfur. Perhaps it's part of the character Beau's is shooting for to make the beer more similar to what the macro drinker is used to.
Typically early packaging would be dictated by a tight production schedule. Making lagers is expensive due to extended use of tank space. When I make lagers at home I lager them for 3-4 weeks or more, most commerical breweries don't have the luxury of tying up a fermenter for that long.
I wouldn't expect huge sulfur note from a kolsch though since it is fermented warm using a hybrid ale yeast, then crashed down for lagering. The warm fermentation would usually help push out the volatile sulfur aromatics.
