Bell's beer... very soft.

What gives Bell's that soft mouthfeel and smooth easy drinking character?

Is it the water profile.

I really dig on the contribution that two hearted picks up from it, but the amber seems a little thin, and oberon is way sweet. I think it is all attributed to this soft smoothness.

Any takers on this one?

I love there beers, but something is just very different about them.

I have not noticed that so much. I do like their beers though. Perhaps it's just their equipment or the process that their brewmaster uses to make the beer?

I haven't really noticed it being particularly "soft". I have enjoyed all of their beer though.

Haven't you noticed? There's a little cotton pillow in every bottle.

I know what you mean though. I'm not sure I'd call them soft exactly, but there just seems to me as if they're very smoothly bittered compared to many, say, west coast beers. Could be the water profile I guess.

Fresh ingredients, probably filtered Lake Michigan water, and a really good raw materials buyer, would be my guesses.

The softness is from the capful of Downy they add to every barrel of beer.

sonetlumiere85 said:

Fresh ingredients, probably filtered Lake Michigan water, and a really good raw materials buyer, would be my guesses.

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Yeah, they are not anywhere near Lake Michigan, and I don't suppose they'd pay to have it shipped over. Frankly I don't know anything about their water, but I know that 20 minutes to the north, where my inlaws live, their water is not particularly soft. (well, they have a softener, but because the water is fairly hard).

They could be doing almost anything to their water before brewing though.

You never know, they might have lake MI water. My hometown (Midland) get's their water from the Saginaw Bay, I think from up near Pinconning.

I'd bet the "softness" comes from their process. I find a couple of the PA breweries to have distinctive characters for most of their beers, even when I know the malts and hops for say two of their beers are totally different. I don't know if they use multiple yeast or not. I bet I could pick out a Weyerbacher beer blindfolded

pjj2ba said:

You never know, they might have lake MI water. My hometown (Midland) get's their water from the Saginaw Bay, I think from up near Pinconning.

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Larry Bell told me last year that they just use Comstock city water (which he said luckily was the same water they get at the Kzoo site), carbon filtered, and sometimes add gypsum.

Also what up "originally from Midland" buddy. You, me...and John Palmer

Tonedef131 said:

Also what up "originally from Midland" buddy. You, me...and John Palmer

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Did not know that. Cool. I did have a Palmer in my class (MHS '80), perhaps an older brother?

Surprised to not have seen replies from those with judging credentials.