HOW STEEL TANKS REPLACED BARRELS FOR BEER.
HOW STEEL TANKS REPLACED BARRELS FOR BEER. Martin Johnson describes how after Prohibition “the American brewery industry dramatically consolidated, and growing companies seeking larger-capacity storage with greater sterility turned to massive stainless steel tanks.” The steel tanks went along with shorter aging times. Johnson writes: “Many large-production commercial beers typically age for one month; some lagers take up to four, experts say.” Barrel aging can take up to three years.
In the 1970’s I read an article in Fortune Magazine which claimed that Schlitz, which as I recall was then the number 2 brewer in sales, had found a way to cut costs dramatically by aging their beer for a smaller number of days. The article argued that the lower costs would enable Schlitz to dominate the industry. Instead Schlitz soon disappeared.