There are so many craft beers, styles of beer, ways of brewing beer now ....
I am hoping to share a few more details about beer here that you may not know. But let's start with some basics.
There's a lot of speculation as to who and where beer was first discovered, one thing is for certain, it is the oldest and most widely consumed alcohol in the world. Yes, it is actually just behind water and tea.
One thing about beer has always been the same, it is a fermented alcohol made from a combination of water, malt and yeast - plus hops which were actually included later. The brewing process converts starch into sugar and then into alcohol through a fermentation process. Making each beer distinct is the choice of grains, and a flavor components, length and what it sit in while fermenting.
The nuts and bolts of the beer making process......
A starch, typically barley, is allowed to partially germinate and dry, this is called malting. The malted starch is combined with water creating what is called a mash. The mash is heated to start the conversion of starch to sugar. The solids from the mash are then removed and the mash is heated. Here is where hops are added, sometimes at the beginning or toward the end. This boiled concoction is called wort. The wort is cooled to a specific temperature and a small amount of yeast is then added (brewer's yeast) to the wort. This is when the fermentation really begins. The fermentation process can be done in many different way and in different containers, some beer also goes through a secondary fermentation. Now you wait to see the results of your creation.
The alcohol content (ABV-alcohol by volume), is the byproducts of the yeast eating the sugar which becomes ethanol and CO2. Hops are then added for several reasons, they clarify and stabilize the mix and impart a distinct flavor, which comes from the type of hop used. The use of different starches, yeasts, and hops from different growing areas, and by adding other fruits or spices, produce the unique taste of the beer.
Next, we'll look at the different styles of beer and what that is all about.....
Bottoms Up! Enjoy a Brew.