Beer Knowledge

BEER
Beer is an alcoholic beverage produced by the fermentation of sugars derived from starch-based material.
It is the world's oldest and most popular alcoholic beverage. Some of the earliest known writings refer to the production and distribution of beer.
The most common starch source for beer is malted barley; however, wheat, corn, and rice are also widely used, usually in conjunction with barley. The starch source is mashed, steeped in
water while enzymes in the malt break down the starch molecules, producing a sugary liquid known as wort, which is then flavoured with hops, which acts as a natural preservative. Other ingredients such as herbs or fruit may be added. Yeast is then used to cause fermentation, which produces alcohol and other waste products from anaerobic respiration of the yeast as it consumes the sugars. The process of beer production is a branch of zymurgy called brewing.
Beer uses many varying ingredients, production methods and traditions. Different types of yeast and production methods may be used to classify beer as ale, lager or spontaneously fermented beer. Some beer writers and organisations differentiate and categorise beers by various factors into beer styles. Alcoholic beverages fermented from non-starch sources such as grape juice (wine) or honey (mead), as well as distilled beverages, are not classified as beer.
History Beer

Egyptian wooden model of beer making in ancient Egypt, Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, San Jose, California.

Beer is one of the world's oldest beverages, possibly dating back to the 6th millennium BC, and is recorded in the written history of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. The earliest Sumerian writings contain references to beer. A prayer to the goddess Ninkasi known as "The Hymn to Ninkasi" serves as both a prayer as well as a method of remembering the recipe for beer in a culture with few literate people.
The earliest known chemical evidence of beer dates to circa 3500–3100 BC from the site of Godin Tepe in the Zagros Mountains of western Iran. As almost any substance containing carbohydrates, namely sugar or starch, can naturally undergo fermentation, it is likely that beer-like beverages were independently invented among various cultures throughout the world. The invention of bread and beer has been argued to be responsible for humanity's ability to develop technology and build civilization.
As for the close link between bread- and beer-making, women produced most beer prior to the introduction of hops in the thirteenth century, selling the beverage from their homes as a means of supplementing the family income. However, by the 7th century AD beer was also being produced and sold by European monasteries. During the Industrial Revolution, the production of beer moved from artisanal manufacture to industrial manufacture, and domestic manufacture ceased to be significant by the end of the 19th century. The development of hydrometers and thermometers changed brewing by allowing the brewer more control of the process, and greater knowledge of the results. Beer was also known by Slavic tribes in early 5th century.

What is Hops?? Hops Flower

<= Hops flowers Hops flowers=>

(Malt)

Beer Making process
Beer is making by Brewing process, Note: Brewing is the production of alcoholic beverages and alcohol fuel through fermentation. This is the method used in beer production, although the term is also used to describe the fermentation process used to create wine and mead. It can also refer to the process of producing sake and soy sauce. The term is also sometimes used to refer to any chemical mixing process.
The basic ingredients of beer are water; a fermentable starch source, such as malted barley; and yeast. It is common for a flavouring to be added, the most popular being hops. A mixture of starch sources may be used, with the secondary starch source, such as corn, rice and sugar, often being termed an adjunct, especially when used as a lower cost substitute for malted barley. Less widely used starch sources include millet, sorghum and cassava root in Africa, potato in Brazil, and agave in Mexico, among others.
Steps making of Beer;
Mashing manipulates the temperature of a mixture of water and a starch source (known as mash) in order to convert starches to fermentable sugars. The mash goes through one or more stages of being raised to a desired temperature and left at the temperature for a period of time. During each of these stages, enzymes (alpha and beta amylase primarily) break down the long dextrins that are present in the mash into simpler fermentable sugars, such as glucose. The number of stages required in mashing depends on the starch source used to produce the beer. Most malted barley used today requires only a single stage.
Sparging (a.k.a. lautering) extracts the fermentable liquid, known as wort, from the mash. During sparging the mash is contained in a lauter-tun, which has a porous barrier through which wort but not grain can pass. The brewer allows the wort to flow past the porous barrier and collects the wort. The brewer also adds water to the lauter-tun and lets it flow through the mash and collects it as well. This rinses fermentable liquid from the grain in the mash and allows the brewer to gather as much of the fermentable liquid from the mash as possible. The leftover grain is not usually further used in making the beer. However, in some places second or even third mashes would be performed with the not quite spent grains. Each run would produce a weaker wort and thus a weaker beer.

Boiling sterilises the wort and increases the concentration of sugar in the wort. The wort collected from sparging is put in a kettle and boiled, usually for about one hour. During boiling, water in the wort evaporates, but the sugars and other components of the wort remain; this allows more efficient use of the starch sources in the beer. Boiling also destroys any remaining enzymes left over from the mashing stage as well as coagulating proteins passing into the wort, especially from malted barley, which could otherwise cause protein 'hazes' in the finished beer. Hops are added during boiling in order to extract bitterness, flavour and aroma from them. Hops may be added at more than one point during the boil. As hops are boiled longer, they contribute more bitterness but less hop flavour and aroma to the beer.

Fermentation uses yeast to turn the sugars in wort to alcohol and carbon dioxide. During fermentation, the wort becomes beer. Once the boiled wort is cooled and in a fermenter, yeast is propagated in the wort and it is left to ferment, which requires a week to months depending on the type of yeast and strength of the beer. In addition to producing alcohol, fine particulate matter suspended in the wort settles during fermentation. Once fermentation is complete, the yeast also settles, leaving the beer clear. Fermentation is sometimes carried out in two stages, primary and secondary. Once most of the alcohol has been produced during primary fermentation, the beer is transferred to a new vessel and allowed a period of secondary fermentation. Secondary fermentation is used when the beer requires long storage before packaging or greater clarity.

Pasteurisation is an optional stage of the beer process in which the beer is slowly heated and cooled to kill off any existing bacteria in order to maintain longer shelf life. This is generally a stage not included in higher end beers, but is quite common in mass-produced beers such as American-Style lite beers, and other mass-produced lagers. It is less common in ales as pasteurization can change the many flavours.

Packaging, the fifth and final stage of the brewing process, prepares the beer for distribution and consumption. During packaging, beer is put into the vessel from which it will be served: a keg, cask, can or bottle. Beer is carbonated in its package, either by forcing carbon dioxide into the beer or by "natural carbonation". Naturally carbonated beers may have a small amount of fresh wort/sugar and/or yeast added to them during packaging. This causes a short period of fermentation which produces carbon dioxide. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer

What is Ale? Ale is a brewed with the same ingredients as beer only its matured by a second fermentation in the vat from which it is dispensed, and served without the use of excessive amounts of carbon dioxide. Brewers will use only the freshest ingredients which ends up tasting full of flavour, right up until it is poured out of the pumps into a pint glass. Other definitons for ale are cask-conditioned beer, cask ale, and naturally conditioned beer, just to name a few. Their name have said to have been around for approximately 40 years. www.marios-bar.com/bartending.html

How would I know that im drinking it? Ale has a very full of flavour with only a slight hint of carbonation which is produced by the second fermentation from the time it spends in the cask. An ale should be ideally served at just a few degrees below room temperature roughly around 10– 12( c ) so that you can appreciated its full flavour at its best . You can recognise ale in the barbecause it will be served using a handpump. So Whats the difference between ales and beers then? Ale is made by whats known as top fermentation at temperatures upwards to 22°(c) the effect that this has is you will can a multitude of flavours in the ale. After whats called (primary) fermentation the ale matures at 10-12°(c) in a cask where the slow second fermentation now begins Beeris made by whats known as bottom fermentation at temperatures between 6-13°(c) once this happens it needs to be kept for a few weeks in and around 0 – 1°(c) at this time the lager matures. Back in the days of old, beers were brewed in the winter then stored in cool cellars until the summer time. The German for store is lager – hence the name. However some UK lagers are matured for less than a week.

So whats the difference btween bitters, milds, stouts, porters?
Beer can be produced by either ale or lager style fermentation. Ales can be broken down further into various styles.

• Mild, low in hop character these beers may be dark or light. Generally of a lower strength than (less than 4% abv) but may be strong (e.g Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby Mild at 6%abv).

• Bitter, the most common beer style. Usually brown, tawny, copper or amber coloured with medium to strong bitterness, light to medium malt character may be present. Less than 4% abv in strength.

• Best Bitter, more robust than ordinary bitters. Brown, tawny, copper or amber coloured with medium to strong bitterness and a more evident maltiness. 4% - 4.6% abv in strength.

• Porter, complex in flavour and typically black or dark brown. The darkness comes from the use of dark malts. Full mouthfeel and a pronounced finish through bitter hopping. 4 – 6.5% abv in strength.

• Stout, Typically black in colour. Initial malt and caramel flavour with a distinctive dry roast bitterness in the finish. The dry roast character is achieved by the use of roasted barley. 4- 8 % abv in strength.

• Barley Wines, range in colour from copper to tawny and dark brown. They may have a high sweetness due to residual sugars although some barley wines are fermented right out to give a dry finish. They have an almost vinous appearance in the glass and may have a strength of between 6.5 – 12% abv. The estery and fruity characteristics are counter balanced by medium to assertive bitterness.

• Golden Ales, A recent innovation. These are pale amber, gold, yellow or straw coloured beers with light to strong bitterness and a strong hop character which create a refreshing taste. Strength less than 5.3% abv.

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