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[http://www.garshol.priv.no/blog/331.html Raw ale], also referred to as "no-boil", is a method of wort production that involves not boiling the wort, or perhaps by some definitions, very short boils <ref name="larsblog">[http://www.garshol.priv.no/blog/331.html Raw ale. Lars Marius Garshol. Larsblog. 06/05/2016. Retrieved 03/02/2016.]</ref>. Although mainly a historical method of brewing, this style of brewing has recently become popular in the production of [[Berliner Weissbier]] and other styles of beer using [[Sour_Worting|sour worting or kettle souring]] methods. Many recipes for these styles of beer call for pilsner malts to be used, which can contain higher amounts of SMM precursor. An often asked question about no-boil/raw ales and wort boiled for 15 minutes or less is: are there concerns about DMS production?
Anecdotal reports of no issues with DMS in these types of beers seem to far outweigh the reports of DMS problems <ref>[http://brulosophy.com/2015/10/08/update-lab-data-on-pils-malt-boil-length-exbeeriment/ "Update: Lab Data on Pils Malt Boil Length Exbeeriment" on Brulosophy. Retrieved 03/08/2016.]</ref><ref>[http://beerandwinejournal.com/30-min-boil/ "All Grain Pale Ale 30-Minute Boil Experiments" by James Spencer on Beer & Wine Journal. 06/24/2015. Retrieved 03/08/2016.]</ref><ref>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1243791188982426/ Discussion on MTF regarding DMS in raw ale/no boil/short boils. 03/01/2016.]</ref><ref name="larsblog"></ref>. The specific nature of (or lack of) DMS detection in no-boil/raw ale has not been widely explored by science. When There are, however, some explanations that have been proposed. For example, when boiling smaller volumes of wort, for example such as on the homebrew scale versus a large commercial scale, there is a larger surface area to volume ratio. This larger surface area to volume ratio allows for more evaporation and volatilization of DMS to occur <ref name="beersmith">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDBKUCkg8cM Boiling Home Brewed Beer with Dr Charlie Bamforth - BeerSmith Podcast #121.]</ref> (~30 minutes in). Smaller fermenters would also benefit from a larger surface area to volume ratio since fermentation helps to volatilize DMS. This may account for the general lack of DMS reported in homebrewed and small-scale farmhouse beer.
In sour beer, there might be other compounds that make the detection of DMS more difficult. For example, 2-phenylethanol and phenethyl acetate mask the perception of DMS in beer <ref name="bamforth"></ref>. Additionally, some tasters might be able to perceive the flavor of DMS more accurately than others in general.