What is Beer?

Grains give the beer its color, much of its flavor and most important, the sugar needed to produce alcohol and carbonation. Base malts are almost always light in color, but the darker the "specialty malts," the darker and roastier the beer will be. Corn and rice "adjuncts" (any unmalted source of fermentables in brewing) are often used in American "macro" brews (think light beers: Bud, Coors, Miller, etc.). And wheat is often added to many German and Belgian beers and not only adds a distinctive flavor and aroma, but helps with head creation and retention.

Malting & Roasting:
Obviously, the most common grain used in brewing, is barley. But in order for the raw grains to be ready for brewing, they need to be malted first. Basically, malting involves wetting the grain until they sprout, halting the growth (usually by heating) and then roasting them. The grains contain certain enzymes and sugars that won't react properly, until released. The forced sprouting of the grains, releases all the enzymes that help make the beer, and the roasting produces all the colors and flavors that make the broad range of beers that we love so much!

Types of Malt:
The two most common types of malt are 2-row and 6-row. Two-row malts have much more "meat" and therefore are great for producing the base, light-colored sugar water to make the foundation of the soup (wort) that will eventually become the beer. Six-row malts have much more husk and enzymes and therefore, are better suited for thinning out brews using lots of adjunct grains (wheat, oats, rye, etc.). Base malts (like 2-row) are those used for the "base" of the beer. They're generally milder and lighter in color. Roasted grains will supplement those with added color, flavor and sometimes body - in much smaller amounts - to make whatever beer you'd like. Roasted grains' colors are measured by Lovibond units (in units from 1 to 500+) for dry grains and SRMs (in units from 1 to 30+) for finished beers. Anything past 30 SRM is pretty much black. That said, some examples of base malts are Pilsner, Vienna, Pale, Munich and Wheat malts. Some examples of specialty malts are Honey, Chocolate, Melanoidin, Biscuit, Roasted Barley and Crystal malts. Keep in mind that there are many more of each of these.

Adjunct Grains and Sugars:
Adjuncts are just that - extras, or additions to the regular beer recipe. They serve many purposes, but most are used to reduce the body of the finished beer, basically thinning it out some, while not leaving a ton of residual flavor or essence. They may also be used to increase the alcohol level in the fermentation process, as many of these grains and sugars are very simple - allowing the yeast to eat them quickly and easily. Wheat has a different enzymatic composition, allowing it to increase a beer's head, while oats create a creamier mouthfeel. Some examples of adjuncts are corn/maize, oats, rice, cane sugar, corn sugar, maple syrup, honey or molasses. And again, there are many others.

Hops are a cone-flower, grown on vines, in various locations around the world. They add not only bitterness to beer, but various flavors and aromas (earthy, floral, grassy, citrus, pine, etc.). The longer hops boil, the more bitter they become and less flavorful and aromatic. English, German and Eastern European hops are known for their more subtle flavor and aromas, while American hops are like the country itself: big, bold, very aromatic and flavorful. Typically grown in the Pacific Northwest, for its perfect climate, American hops add very distinct aromas and bitterness profiles to beer. Many American breweries employ the use of European hops, but few European breweries seemingly use American hops. Generally, brewers tend to employ the use of hops from the country in which the beer style originated. Making a Hefeweizen? Well, German hops would be a great choice! Drinking one? Chances are the brewer used 'em (though nothing is ever 100% - especially in the beer world).

Three American hops are classically referred to as "C" hops: Cascade, Centennial and Columbus and have huge citrusy and piney aromas. Others examples of American hops include Warrior, Sterling, Williamette or Mount Hood. Some British hop varieties include Kent Golding, Fuggle or Target. German hops include Tettnanger, Spalter, Hallertauer or Hersbrucker. A few other varieties from Eastern Europe (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovenia, etc.) are Saaz, Styrian Goldings or Ahil.

Water may be the most important ingredient in the creation of beer, but for our purposes, it will take a back seat. Suffice it to say, the water is the base of the "soup" that will eventually become beer. Just know this: there are different water compositions in various historic cities around the world, which make their beers distinct. For example, cities such as London, Dublin and Munich, have a high bicarbonate content%u2026needed to balance the acidic properties of the dark and roasted malts used in their porters, stouts and bocks. So when creating a beer like these, a brewer needs to consider the composition of his water and make the necessary adjustments for the particular style he's planning. If they haven't, it may be quite evident. As they say, the proof of the brewing is in the tasting.

In a nutshell, yeast are microorganisms that eat the sugars in the wort (pre-fermented beer) and make alcohol and carbon dioxide (CO2), as byproducts. The more initial sugars you have in your wort, the more alcohol you'll generally have when it's all done. After the beer's done fermenting, we can use those same yeast to create carbonation in the finished beer. Ale yeasts thrive at warmer fermentation temps and make fruitier, richer ales. And lager yeasts enjoy colder fermentation temps, and tend to create crisper, clearer and snappier lager beers.

In their beginning of life, the yeast cells take in all available oxygen and reproduce like crazy. This is why starters are so important to the fermentation process for homebrewers. The ability to generate as many yeast cells as possible will help create a robust, rapid fermentation. Craft brewers simply pay lots of money for ginormous containers of original yeast from companies like White Labs®. Keep in mind that this is really the only time that introducing oxygen to the finished wort is a good, productive thing. After the beer's finished, aeration can produce some really nasty flavor and aromas - and possibly introduce infection to the finished beer.

After they're done reproducing, the yeast will start eating up all the fermentable sugars in the wort (soon to be beer), making the alcohol. Some sugars aren't fermentable (lactose, wort mashed at higher temperatures, etc.), and these sugars will leave some sweetness and body in the finished beer. At this point, any CO2 will be ported/vented off, so as to prevent the fermenter from exploding! After this phase of fermentation, the yeast will create a big coating of foam on top of the fermenting beer. This called a krausen (kroi-zen). It's also during this phase in which the yeast may produces the byproducts that create many off flavors and aromas.

For instance, diacetyl is that buttery/buttered popcorn aroma and flavor found in moderation in some styles. It's a characteristic that is often completely unintentional, unappetizing and a major flaw in some beers. It's also completely avoidable, through proper fermentation practices. Diacetyl is created as a byproduct of certain yeasts, but is reabsorbed by the same yeast, later on in the fermentation process. Most of the time, it can be prevented, by simply leaving the fermenting beer on the yeast for a sufficient period of time. In lagers, it merely means warming the cold-fermenting beer up to a temperature for a short period of time before lagering. This allows the yeast to become more active and reabsorb the offending byproduct. There are many off flavors and aromas that are marks of a flawed beer and are completely avoidable, through proper brewing skill, experience and habits.

When the yeast cells are all done reproducing, eating and creating alcohol, they either die (don't feel too sorry for them - they led a very good life, with a very noble purpose), or flocculate out of suspension. Flocculation simply means falling out of the beer, to the bottom of the fermenter. Some yeasts have a higher flocculation rate than others. Wheat beers, for example, are typically hazy, owing that haze to not only proteins from the wheat, but yeast that didn't fall out of suspension. Many of those crisp, clear lagers, though, have yeasts that gracefully drop out of suspension after doing their job - making for crystal clear beers. At this point, an ale is pretty much ready for bottling or kegging. But lagers are a different story. These yeasts enjoy long, cold storage - sometimes as long as a year - to condition and clarify the beer.

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