What does it mean for a beer to be unpasteurized and (or) unfiltered?

A beer, like all products, can have its own peculiarities. It can be addressed to different palates, and all of these combined, have their own history. Among these possibilities of the product, a beer can be accompanied by the characterization 'sterile' and (or) 'unfiltered'.

It is very positive for greek speakers to be able to read and understand these words at a glance. But few realize what such a description really means.

The following questions therefore are ..

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What do these characterizations mean?

A beer that has not been heat treated after fermentation is called unpasteurized. Such a product would therefore contain live microorganisms, the much-discussed yeasts, without excluding the presence of other organisms.

If, additionally, it has not been filtered, the beer should contain these microorganisms, which will eventually drop out of solution on the bottom of the glass. This beer would be characterized as unfiltered.

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So why whould a manufacturer choose such a treatment?

The answer is that an unpasteurized product is still "alive". And no! That is not something that should scare us.

As long as the beer is in contact with its yeast, it changes. The yeast continues to work and shape the final character of the product. The aroma, body, color, appearance, foam and all its organoleptic characteristics, are smoothed and contribute to a special consumer experience.

For the simplest characterization of the above changes, the term ΄maturity΄ is used.

This variable, i.e the presence of yeast in combination with time, is what makes these products so special. Such a product, provided that its handling throughout the cold chain is as intended, can be maintained indefinitely as well as continue changing.

Beer, therefore, depending on its type, is suggested to be consumed at different times of its lifespan, as each brewer, considers that period, the most ideal for highlighting its characteristics.