1. Different brewing materials
Craft beer: Brewed using only malt, hops, yeast and water, without any artificial additives. Generally speaking, craft beers are brewed without much consideration for cost and are mostly brewed with the best ingredients.
Regular beer: Also brewed using malt, hops, yeast, and water, but to keep costs down, use rice, corn, and starch instead of malt. The resulting beer has a very low wort concentration and a light taste.
2. Different fermentation processes
Craft Beer: Mainly Ale Craft. Yeast works at the top of the fermenter and floats above the liquor. The fermentation temperature is generally controlled at 10-20°C. Fermenters are usually small and not filtered or sterilized after fermentation.
Regular beer: Most are in the lagag process. Yeast works at the bottom of the fermenter and sinks under the liquor. The fermentation temperature is generally controlled below 10°C. Fermenters are larger, and are usually filtered and pasteurized after fermentation to increase the shelf life of the beer.
3. Different fermentation time
Craft beer: Because there is not much cost involved, fermentation time is often not the point, so there is not much time cost. Most traditional craft beers require up to two months of fermentation, which allows the beer to fully ferment, making its wort stronger and more flavorful.
Regular beer: For industrial beer, time is money, so it usually only takes about 7 days to ferment, not as much, resulting in a lower concentration of wort and a lighter taste.
