Beer Knowledge

What Is Beer?

In it's most basic form, beer is produced from only 3 ingredients: water,  malt and hops. Using these ingredients beer goes through a basic process called fermentation. During this process microscopic organisms called yeast break down sugars into ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide gas. Two nutrients in the malt are required for this: nitrogen and phosphorus. About half of the sugar is converted into alcohol and the other half escapes to the surface as carbon dioxide gas. 

To give the beer flavor, aroma, color and body other ingredients are used during the brewing  process. The two main ingredients used are malt and hops. In addition, some carbon dioxide gas must be retained to give the beer carbonation and a nice foamy head.

History Of Beer

Beer has been evolving for over 5000 years. One theory on the discovery of beer is that some prehistoric man set aside some partially chewed grain in a container. After tasting it again a few days later he unexpectedly found it gave him a kick from the alcohol that had been produced by the mix. The enzymes in his saliva could have converted some of the starch into sugar and wild yeasts might have converted those resulting sugars into alcohol.

Old records from the Euphrates, dating as far back as 1000 B.C.,  have documented grain cultivation, recipes for beer making and necessary tools of the trade. Hops wasn't introduced until the 9th century A.D. in Germany. Prior to hops introduction, beers were called ales, and after it's introduction old school brewers looked down upon the use of such additives. Since then, they have become an integral part of the brewing process for both flavor enhancement and it's preservative properties.

Grains

Malting

Malting is the process in which barley is soaked in water until it sprouts (known as steeping). This may take anywhere from 36-48 hours. This process allows dormant enzymes in the barley to develop. These enzymes are vital to the brewing process as they break down the starches into sugar for the yeast to ingest. The barley also becomes slightly sweeter and softened as well.

The barley is then dried in a manner that adds the necessary flavor to the beer being produced.  Air-drying changes the color very little to produce golden colored beers. Roasting or kiln drying will impart darker colors to the beer being produced. Many beers are brewed using a variety of different types of barley to impart more complex flavoring to the finished product.

Other Grains 

Some brewers use other grains to impart other flavors or as filler. 

• Rye- adds a spicy, robust flavoring to beer.

• Wheat- adds fruity, citrus flavor and a fuller head.

• Oats- rolled or malted, can add smoothness and creaminess.

• Rice- in cooked form tends to lighten the beer.

• Corn- used as filler in cheaper beers.

Hops

Hops comes from the same family of plants as hemp (scientific name- Humulus lupulus). The hops is actually the flowering cone part of the plant. The flavoring properties come from the oils and acids contained in it. The flavoring imparts a bitterness and aroma to the beer that balances the sweetness of the malt. When harvesting hops, it is kiln dried in a device known as an oust, and usually pressed into sacks called pockets.

Hops can also be used in pellet form, hop extract (jam) and in oil form. Hops is grown in Europe and the US, which is also the largest producer. There are numerous varieties of hops; some beers alone utilize 5-10 different types to give it the flavoring the brew master wants to achieve.

Water

When water is combined with the malt and hops and boiled, brewers have a sugary, bittersweet liquid called wort (pronounced wert). As long as a brewer had a good supply of water for brewing the only other thing to worry about was the mineral content of it. If the water is low in minerals it can make the beer soft-tasting, and visa versa. If the water is high in calcium sulfate, the calcium can reduce haze in the beer and the sulfates (also contained in wine) can emphasize the hop flavoring of the product. Although there are claims that mountain streams and natural springs produce better beer, the fact is that most water sources will be purified and filtered before production. Most larger breweries will adjust water hardness/softness to keep a consistent product, especially since they may have several locations. Unless a company transports tank car loads of mountain spring water to the all brewing facilities they would need to use a local water source, and I'm sure they would adjust the mineral content accordingly.

Yeast

Yeast is a microscopic organism of the fungi family that occurs everywhere. There are basically 3 methods yeast is added to the wort to start fermentation.

Top-Fermentation

This is the process used to produce most wheat beers, ales, porters and stouts. Fermentation takes place at between 59-86 F (15-30 C) then it is matured at 50-55 F (10-13 C).

Bottom-Fermentation

This is the process used to produce lagers. Fermentation usually takes place at between 41-48 F (5-9 C) then it is matured at around 32 F (0 C).

Wild Fermentation (Lambic)

This process is rarely used anymore. Wort is left overnight so wild yeasts can land in the solution. After approximately 8-12 hours it is decanted into wood casks and allowed to continue fermentation.

Other Flavorings

Although the Bavarian Beer Purity Law drawn in the 1500's forbids any ingredient other than water, malt, hops and yeast in beer many brewers use other flavorings to create flavorful and unique brews. I imagine, over the centuries, just about anything has been tried. Just think of the varieties that might have been tried but we've never heard of, for good reason, such as Sammy's Smoked Salmon Ale or  Green Bean Stout.

Fruits

The cherry, damson, juniper berry, myrtle berry, peach, raison and strawberry have all been used as a flavor enhancer in beer. They add color, flavor and aroma to beer without adding a lot of additional sugar (depending on what is used).

Herbs/Spices

Ash leaves, bog myrtle, chamomile, coriander leaf, clovers, rosemary and wit's end are common herbs used in many beers. Anisette, cinnamon, coriander seeds, cloves, curacao, grains of paradise, nutmeg and black pepper are common spices used in some beers.

Other

Agave, chilies, chocolate, coffee, heather, honey, peppers, pine tips, sagebrush and even meat are used as additional flavorings in beer. Sometimes the product refuse is left in the finished product such as peppers and chilies.

Brewing Methods

The best way to get a feel for the brewing process is to tour a brewery. Below is a brief guide to the whole process. Experiencing the aromas, sounds and equipment (much less having free samples) is a fantastic experience.

Mashing

The malted grains are ground in a mill and combined with warm water for up to two hours. After filtering out the malt the resulting solution is called sweet wort. There are many variations to this procedure and environmental factors can also influence the process.

Time And Temperature

The most vital two aspects of making beer are times and temperatures. This is especially true in mashing but also influences fermentation and maturation. Lower temperatures during mashing produces more fermentable sugars while higher temperatures do the opposite. In turn, this affects the end alcohol content of the beer.

Brewing

There are two main vessels in a brew house. One is the mash tub where the infusion of the grains is performed. The other vessel is the brew kettle where the sweet wort is boiled with the hops for 1 to 2 hours. The boil introduces the two main components of the beer together, sterilizes the mix to get rid of any unwanted microorganisms, concentrates the mix and coagulates the proteins. Most kettles are heated by steam coils for even heating but some also use the older method of gas or oil flame.

Hopping

During the boil is when the beer is hopped. Very little is added in comparison to the malt. The hops is added during the first part of the boil but an occasional second addition in mid-boil to add additional flavoring. Late hopping is also sometimes used if the brewer wants to give it a particularly aromatic bouquet. At the end of the boil the hops sediment is removed either by centrifugal force or by straining with a hop jack (hop back in the UK).

Fermentation

After the boil and removal of the hops the mix is moved to a fermentation vessel that can be either open or closed. The yeast is added and fermentation begins. This process usually takes 3 to 4 days during which a foamy, yeasty head develops on it. The head is sometimes removed in a process called skimming.

Maturation

After fermentation the mixture is moved to a lagering vessel for maturation. In the past, lagering vessels we're made out of wood but the more modern type is made of stainless steel. Most beers mature in a matter of days or weeks and are then ready for packaging in keg, can or bottle.

Packaging

Beer is available in a wide variety of containers. Glass bottles being the most common consumer container with cans usually reserved for less expensive varieties. Kegs come in several sizes and are geared for the restaurant/pub and party situations.

Bottles

The most common form for the consumer is the 12oz glass bottle.  There are also 16oz and 22oz glass bottles. Some have twist off caps but the majority of smaller breweries use the regular pop-top caps. The standard is the 12oz brown colored bottle but they also come in green and clear varieties. Glass is a perfect container, as it does not impart any smell or taste that may adversely affect the beers flavor. The larger breweries can afford to order specifically molded bottles with a name or logo impressed into the glass (in addition to a paper label). If you ever go to a larger beer tour such as Miller Brewing Company the sheer numbers involved on a day-to-day basis will astound you. Bottles by the thousands are filled by the hour and loaded into trucks and boxcars in a 24/7 operation. This requires a large support infrastructure so running out of bottles or caps never interrupts packaging.

Some beer companies use a tougher water resistant adhesive to apply the labels. Others don't, and you may have encountered them at a party when you go for a beer in an ice tub and the label has fallen off. I think this is just more of a cost issue. The more expensive imports also come packaged in much better cartons as a general rule. Some brewers save money and support the environment by using cartons made with a percentage of recycled material, but they are not as sturdy.

Cans

Aluminum cans are a very common container for your more main stream cheaper beers. They do sometimes impart a tinny taste to the product. 30 years ago they came with a pop top which was fazed out because it was a choking hazard (people would pop the top off and drop it in the can before drinking- go figure). This, of course, helped the demise of pop top chains, a drinking challenge that could fill hours with non-stop entertainment.

Cans come in two basic sizes: 12oz and 16oz. There is also the larger distinctive Fosters oil can. Please make sure you cut the circles on the plastic 6 pack connector before throwing it out since birds and animals can choke on the darn thing in landfills. This is one thing I wish the beer companies would phase out completely.

Kegs

Kegs in the past were made out of shaped strips of hardwood and held together by steel bands. The cracks in the slats were sealed with pitch. The standard barrel is this size.

Most keg beer today is delivered in a half barrel. American half barrels are 14.5 gallons in size while British kegs are 13.5 gallons. There is also the venerable frat party necessity, the pony keg (1/4 keg). More recently, the larger breweries have started offering a 1/6 barrel keg which allows bars to have a more diverse selection of beers without taking up additional cooler space.

Kegs need a propellant to pressurize and push the product out for pouring. Although there is some pressurization from the beer itself it's insufficient to push the product out of the vessel for any length of time. A hand pump pushing outside air into the keg suffices for keggers and doesn't require any other containers of gas. 

CO2 is usually used for this need as it's the same gas that the beer contains from fermentation and it's a neutral gas in that it doesn't alter the flavoring of the beer. A single tank can also power a dozen 1/2 barrels in taverns. A regulator is affixed between the tank of gas and the line to the kegs to maintain the proper pressure. A tavern head is affixed to the top of the keg (tapping it) which has a small tube that admits the gas into the keg and opens an outlet to let the beer flow out of the keg into the beer line up to the tap. More recently though, there has been a push to use a nitrogen/CO2 blended gas because it decreases the volatility of the CO2 which tends to over-carbonate beer. Guinness requires straight nitrogen gas so it pours more slowly and because it shouldn't have any additional carbonation.

There are several different types of tavern heads with the most common being the Senke that is used by the major domestic brewers such as Anheuser-Busch and Miller Brewing Company. It's the easiest since it is keyed to fit on the top of the keg and a single lever mechanism locks the tavern head while simultaneously tapping the keg. There are other tavern heads, some of which are being phased out. Sam Adams uses an older screw on style that is somewhat tricky to get on  the keg at times. They use the older barrel style because it's extremely expensive to convert to the Senke style American keg. The same keg, even after developing several dents, can be used for many years. Bass, for instance, uses a British style keg with a triangular-keyed tap. Guinness uses a smaller Senke-like style of tap that also happens to be trickier to lock down on the keg.

Storage

Bottled beer, especially, should be kept out of direct sunlight. Most beer bottles are brown or green glass. The color of the glass can sometimes block out a particular wavelength of light to help prevent changes in flavoring or the skunking of the beer. Bottled and canned beer, should at a minimum, be kept at room temperature for storage and chilled to the proper temperature for serving. If chilled, keep it that way. Temperature changes do bad things to beer. Most keg beer should always be kept chilled as they usually do not have any preservative added and they usually have not been pasteurized. Guinness imported to the US is pasteurized to stabilize it for transport across the Atlantic by ship.

Serving

Glassware

There are several different types of glassware and containers to consume beer from. The most common pub glass is the 16oz pint glass. The pilsener glass is the best for, of course, pilsener beers because it's fluted design promotes the desired fluffy head. Guinness glasses for the perfect pint are fluted but much fatter than the pilsener glass to help form the nice creamy head. The beer mug comes in a variety of styles and is also quite common in taverns/pubs. A larger brandy snifter can be used for stouts and barley wines to enjoy the bouquet. Some people prefer to use a highball glass to drink beer. The schooner, although not as popular, brings thoughts of a seafood restaurant by the beach. And, of course, there is the venerable beer stein developed and used for centuries in Germany.

Cleanliness

For a proper beer pour it is necessary to make sure the container you are pouring into is Beer Clean. By Beer Clean we mean a clean, dry vessel with no residue left on it from the cleaning process. This allows the oils from the hops in the beer to develop the proper bouquet during pouring. Even if a glass/mug is chilled it should be Beer Clean prior to chilling. The head from the beer should leave lacy rings of foam around the inside circumference of the glass as the beer is consumed.

Pouring

There is no real proper way to pour most beers. Sometimes local custom mandates a particular method. There is one major exception though, Guinness Draught. No beer in the world requires more attention than Guinness because of its particular fans and unique nature. If you want to learn more about the Perfect Pint click here to view the proper procedure on their site.

Ales

Gently pour down the side of a sharply tilted glass. As the beer enters the glass steep the angle of the glass and pour more directly into the middle to form a nice, rich head. The head, as a general rule, should be the height of the width of your index finger 3/8-1/2 inches.

Pilseners

Pour into a sharply tilted glass easing the angle to vertical as the beer fills the container. The bead (the small bubbles of carbonation) should be rising aggressively to the top adding to an increasing head and bringing out the pleasant golden color of pilsener beers. The head should continue to rise above the rim bringing out the hop aroma and holding back the bitterness for the finish.

Stouts

Stout should be poured slowly in a two-part process. Beginning with the side of the glass tilted 45 degrees fill it three-quarters of the way and moments later, when the head settles down, finish pouring into the middle of the upright glass for a delicious creamy head.

Wheat Beers

Since most wheat beers contain yeast and natural sediment they should be poured gently, as ales are. In bottled varieties, you may or may not want to add the last bit of beer if you don't want the yeast sediment that develops at the bottom (although, sometimes this adds to the flavor of the beer). Fresh kegs of wheat beer will sometimes pour with the bulk of the sediment in the first dozen beers giving the beer a cloudy appearance. This is because gravity pulls the sediment to the bottom and kegs pump from the lower part of the barrel. In some varieties, you might add a twist of lemon to garnish and complement the beer.

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