Guide to Microbrewing

Many historians believe that the ancient Sumerians
and Mesopotamians were brewing as early back as
10,000 B.C. Even though this product would have
been different from the bottled varieties of today,
it would have still been recognizable.

The ancient Egyptians and the Chinese brewed their
beer, as did civilizations in America, where they
used corn instead of barley. Back then, thousands
of years ago, microbrews were very popular and
on their way to what we now know and love today.

In the middle ages, European monks were the
guardians of literature and science, as well as
the art of making beer. They refined the process
to perfection, and even institutionalized the use
of hops as both flavoring and a preservative.

It wasn't however, until Louis Pasteur came along
that a final, important development was determined.
Until this time, brewers had to depend on the wild
yet airborne yeast for fermentation. By establishing
that yeast is actually a living organism, he opened
the gates for controlling the conversion of sugar
into alcohol.

Grapes grow well in warmer climates, while barley
grows better in cool climates. This is how the
northern areas of Germany and England first became
famous for their beers.

Beer in America
Everything in America went dim until the dark day
of 1920, when prohibition took effect. A lot of
breweries went out of business or switched their
production to soda pop. Not everyone stopped
drinking, but gangster related products weren't
known for high quality.

When Franklin D. Roosevelt became president, he
quickly appealed the very unpopular law. The
new breeds of now famous beer came after World War
2 were generally mass produced and very bland.

Below, you will find a guide to some of the best brews
out there.

Long Trail Brewery - Bridgewater, Vermont
This brewery offers several brews that will easily
quench your thirst. The long trail ale is a very
good choice, as it's very tasty and not too heavy,
just right. The hibernator is also good, although
it's winter seasonal and high in alcohol. With a
pinch of honey, the pollenator provides a thirst
quenching solution to a hot summer haze.

Catamount Brewery - White River Junction - Vermont
The best seller here is the Catamount amber, as it
is very tasty. The Catamount gold is also good,
as it is lighter than the amber and offers plenty
of refreshment on a hot day. For winter months,
the Catamount Christmas ale offers a crisp taste
for the cold.

7 Barrel Brewery - New Hampshire
The 7 Barrel Brewery is a restaurant as well as a
brewery. The best brews here are the Dublin brown
ale and the red 7 ale, although you really can't
go wrong with any of their offerings. They also
offer live music every Friday night with many
great bands.

Vermont Pub - Burlington, Vermont
This pub is the sister brewery of the 7 Barrel
Brewery. They offer a great bar that serves two
rooms, with plenty of fresh and tasty beer. The
brown ale and dog bite bitter are the best, as they
are both very tasty.

Magic Hat Brewery - Burlington, Vermont
This brewery offers some of the best in the state
of Vermont - as well as the entire United States!
Their well known popular number 9 can be found on
taps around the state. When you visit, don't
forget to look under the cap, as they call it
"Magic Hat" for a reason!

heat beers are beers that are brewed with both
malted barley and malted wheat, rather than using
just barley. The addition of wheat will lend wheat
beers a lighter flavor and somewhat paler color
than most all barley ales and beers. Wheat beer
is normally top fermented, which is fermentation
with ale yeast.

All types of wheat beers have become very popular
in the last several years, especially in warm
weather. In earlier centuries, the brewing of
wheat beer was illegal in many places, simply
because wheat was too important as both bread and
cereal to waste it with brewing beers.

The two most important varieties of wheat beers
are Belgian and German.

Belgian
Belgian wheat beers are easily the best known,
as they get their name from the suspended wheat
proteins which give it the whitish color. Belgian
white beers often have spices such as coriander
or orange peels added, which help to give them
a hint of fruity flavor.

German
German wheat beer is a well known variation through
the sourthern part of the country. The German
yeast wheat is a variety in which the yeast isn't
filtered out. The filtration will take the yeast
out, and also strips wheat proteins which will
make it appear cloudy.

A lot of microbrewers in the United States as
well as Canada that make their own variations of
wheat beer, which is particularly popular in
Portland Oregon, which is considered to be the
beer capital.

In Europe, wheat beer is normally served in special
types of wheat beer glasses. In Belgium they are
normally solid glasses. Other countries will take
half a liter, in which the glasses are normally
tall and slim, tapering slightly towards the
base.

In the United States, wheat beer is normally served
with a slice of lemon.

Stuck fermentation

Stuck fermentation occurs when your beer fails to
ferment to completion. This can result from the
use of old yeast or poor ingredients. The best
way to take care of this problem, is to prevent
it from starting. To do this, you should:

1. Re-hydrate the yeast by adding it to
some water and adding wort to the yeast an hour
or more before you pitch. This will help ensure
that your yeast is still active.

2. Use an all malt or a recipe that has
a lot of it, as yeast needs nutrients to stay
alive. Corn and sugar lack these nutrients. If
your yeast still fails to survive, it cannot
reproduce. For this very reason, distilled water
shouldn't be used when making beer.

Under carbonation

If you've used the proper amount of priming sugar
and your beer is still flat, it's probably due
to the fact that you didn't properly rise the
sanitizing solution from the bottles. If too
much sanitizer is left in the bottles, it can
kill the yeast, which results in flat beer. The
only way to prevent this is to stop it from
happening.

Over carbonation

Over carbonation can cause your beer to turn into
a foam disaster. It can result from these causes:

1. Too much or uneven priming sugar. You
should measure your primer carefully and dissolve
it thoroughly in boiling water and allow it the
proper time to cool. Before bottling, make sure
to stir this into your beer.

2. Bottling your beer too early can also
result in too much carbonation.

3. Poor sanitization is also a cause. If
you allow your beer to come in contact with wild
yeast, it can result in over carbonation and
possibly even off flavors.

4. Bottles that are under filled can
also contribute to over carbonation. You should
allow 1/2 inch of head space to allow your
beer time to pressurize.

By taking the proper time to fix problems, you'll
ensure that your brew comes out great every
time you brew it. If you happen to run into a
problem, always take the time to rationize it
before you rush into fixing it. If you rush into
fixing a problem, you may start another one.

You should expect problems, especially if this
is your first time brewing. Even for expert home
brewers, problems can occur from time to time -
which is something you'll learn to deal with.

Brewing is the actual process of alcoholic beverages
and alcohol through fermentation. This method is
used with beer production, although the term can
also be used for other drinks as well. The term
brewing is also used to refer to any chemical
mixing process as well.

The process of brewing has a long history indeed,
which archeological evidence tells us that this
technique was actually used in ancient Egypt as
well. Many descriptions of various beer recipes
can be found in Sumerian writings, which are
some of the oldest writings of any type.

Even though the process of brewing is complex and
varies greatly, Below, you'll find the basic
stages relating to brewing.

1. Mashing - This is the first phase of brewing,
in which the malted grains are crushed and soaked
in warm water in order to create an extract of the
malt. The mash is then held at constant
temperature long enough for the enzymes to convert
starches into fermentable sugar.
2. Sparging - At this stage, water is
filtered through the mash to dissolve all of the
sugars. The darker, sugar heavy liquid is known
as the wort.
3. Boiling - The wort is boiled along
with any remaining ingredients to remove any excess
water and kill any type of microorganisms. The
hops, either whole or extract are added at some
point during this stage.
4. Fermentation - The yeast is now added
and the beer is left to ferment. After it has
fermented, the beer may be allowed to ferment again,
which will allow further settling of the yeast and
other particulate matter which may have been introduced
earlier in the process.
5. Packaging - At the final stage, the
beer will contain alcohol, but not too much carbon
dioxide. The brewer will have a few options to
increase the levels of carbon dioxide. The most
common approach is force carbonation, via the direct
addition of CO2 gas to the keg or bottle.

After it has been brewed, the beer in normally a
finished product. At this point, the beer is
kegged, casked, bottled, or canned. Beers that
are unfiltered may be stored for further fermentation
in conditioning tanks, casks, or bottles to allow
smoothing of harsh alcohol or heavy hops.

There are some beer enthusiasts that consider a
long conditioning period attractive for various
strong beers such as Barley and wines. Depending on
the beer enthusiast and what he likes to drink,
it will vary.

The normal batch of homebrewed beer is five gallons
in volume, which is enough for 2 cases, or 48 12
ounce bottle of beer.

The typical homebrewed beer is produced by boiling
water, malt extract and hops together in a large
kettle and then cooling the resulting wort and adding
yeast for fermenting. Experienced homebrewers will
make their own extract from crushed malt barley by
a more complicated process of mashing the grain in
boiling hot water.

With both cases, the wort is boiled for 15 min to
an hour, to help remove some impurities, dissolve
the character of the hops, then break down some of
the sugar. The wort is then cooled down to a
pitching temperature.

The cooled wort is then poured into the primary
fermenter in a manner of aggression, as to aerate
the wort. Sufficient oxygen is also necessary for
the yeast's growth stage. The yeast is then put
into the wort.

The primary fermentation will take place in a large
food bucket or carboy. Sometimes it is left open
but often stoppered with the carbon dioxide gas
that's produced by venting through a fermentation
lock.

The process of making microbrews takes a lot of
time indeed, although you can take the necessary
short cuts once you learn more about how the
process works. If this is your first time brewing,
you should always use common sense and know what
you are doing.

One of the best things about making your own
homebrews is the fact that you can experiment with
ingredients and brew your own creations. You can
brew almost anything, providing you have the right
type of equipment - which can easily be found.

English pale ale

The style of English pale ale was originated by
producers in Burton during the 1800's. The high
levels of calcium found in the water compliment this
style quite well, by making a more efficient
extraction of bitter resins from the hops.

The taste and aroma of English pale ale is similar
to that of the English Bitter. The term "pale" was
intended originally to distinguish beers of this
type from the black London Porter. Classic English
ales aren't pale, rather golden to copper colored.

American pale ale

The types of American pale ales range from golden
to light colored copper. This style of ale is best
characterized by American variety hops used to
produce high hop bitterness, aroma, and flavor.
These types of beers are less malty than their British
counterparts.

These beers have medium body and low to medium
maltiness. Chill haze is acceptable only at cold
temperatures.

Belgian pale ale

The Belgian ales are very similar to British ales,
although they are more spicy and aromatic - both
in malt and yeast character. These types of ales
are known by low, yet noticeable hop bitterness,
flavor, and aroma.

Low malt aroma and light to medium body are typical
for Belgian pal ale. In color, they are golden to
deep amber. Noble hop types are normally used,
while low to medium fruity esters are evident in
both flavor and aroma. Chill haze with Belgian pale
ale is acceptable at cold temperatures.

Pale ale beers are very popular throughout the world,
being served in hundreds of thousands of bars. They
are also great for social occasions as well, as
millions of people enjoy their dark yet satisfying
tastes. If you've never experienced pale ale beer -
you shouldn't deprive yourself any longer.

Beer is almost as old as civilization itself. It is
mentioned in Sumerian texts that date back more than
5,000 years ago. Beginning in the 1950s, scientists
debated the notion that beer, not bread, was actually
the start of the development for agriculture.

Almost every culture around the world has invented
its own concotion of beer. History says brewing
was a home based operation, as part of the preparation
in meals. From South Africa to China, the production
of beer grew in scale with the rise of society,
then later became primarily a function of the state.

The physical evidence of ancient brewing isn't easy
to obtain. With most cultures, home beer brewing
required only the basic of ingredients, such as a
fire, cooking vessels, and some jars. None of these
materials are unique to the brewing process. Jars
that were found near a kiln could have been used
for storing barley or wheat for bread, while cooking
pots could have been used for heating liquids.

So far, archaeologists haven't been able to find a
complete set of evidence. One of the oldest
breweries was found in southern Egypt and dates back
to over 5,000 years ago. At this site, teams found
well heated vats that were encrusted on the inside
with a cereal based residue.

Another ancient brewery was discovered along the
Nile in the middle of Egypt. The site was located
in what is thought to be the Sun Temple, where
a king's wife was buried. Archaeologists found
a complex set of rooms that had been used for
cereal processing. Ovens, grains, and larger jars
indicate that the rooms were used as a bakery or
a brewery.

In a different area of the world, excavators found
a brewery dating back to the times of the Romans.
On this site, there were preserved tables that
date from A.D. 100, with beer being specifically
mentioned on several of the tablets.

The chemical evidence of beer would prove to be a
site's purpose once and for all, although that
normally isn't easy. Alcohol is much too delicate
to last for centuries, as any cereal based residue
found could have come from baking just as easily
as from brewing.

Throughout the course of time, there will always
be evidence of beer being brewed many centuries
ago. Without actually finding physical evidence
though, it can be really hard to determine. If
there were physical evidence, it would be really
different indeed.

To get the most out of a visit to Oregon, you'll need
to try a local craft beer. Even if you don't like
to drink craft beer, it's something you should at
least experience.

If you are knew to microbrews, you should know that
just because the beer is a microbrew, it doesn't mean
that you'll need a knife and fork to drink it. All
over the state, you'll find several different
microbreweries that offer everything you could ever
want.

All mass produced American style lagers have set a
rather disappointing standard for the beer drinkers
of the country. These beers can only be as good as
their ingredients. Instead of the fine grains such
as barley and wheat, corn and rice are often used
as cheaper replacements. In place of the whole kiln
hops, the bigger breweries rely on small pellets of
compressed hop dust.

Throughout the state of Oregon, there are more than
50 breweries that provide both locals and visitors
with many alternatives to drinking. The microbrewed
craft will rely on tradition, using the more
expensive ingredients in place of money saving
shortcuts. The implication here, is that these
types of beer are normally bitter or overly sweet.

Anytime you visit an unfamiliar brewpub, there is a
great way to sample a variety of brews without
having to buy a whole pint. Several pubs offer a
sampler tray with five to seven two ounce beers,
often labeled to avoid any type of confusion.

Throughout Oregon, microbrews are very popular, in
the pubs and on the street. You can find many
different varieties, more than you can find in
other states. If you don't live in Oregon, and you
get the chance to visit, you shouldn't hesitate
to check out some of the excellent microbrews.

The ideal place to sample the best of Northwest
handcrafted ale is a well run brewpub, which will
stimulate the human spirit with warmth, the scent
of malt, pleasant conversation, and hearty food.

Helping to combat the chilly, damp climate of
the region, brewpubs have become great places of
refuge where you can shake off the tears of a
hostile world, order a pint of cask beer, then
savor a complex beer that will caress every one
of your senses.

Microbreweries (companies that produce less than
20,000 kegs a year) can be found everywhere from
Minneapolis to Maui, although it all began in the
Pacific Northwest. On any evening, many dozen
locally brewed beers and ales are available for
your enjoyment in Portland and Seattle.

Most East Coast microbreweries produce German
style lagers, which is the most famous style of
brewing for American palates. The microbreweries
of the Northwest go all out for wildly adventerous
bitters, stouts, and porters.

With all of these amazing beers to choose from,
you may be wondering where to begin. When you
look for a microbrew, you should always be
thinking about variety. At any time in both
Seattle and Portland, you can find several dozen
fresh, locally made brew on tap. They all range
in strength from the standard 3 1/2% to a very
potent 8 1/2%.

As for the flavor, you'll have to taste it for
yourself. There's the rich sweetness of malt,
balanced well with good bitter hops. Then, there's
also the mocha java overtones of roasted barley,
used with stouts and porters, and the spicy kick
of malted wheat.

There are also the sweet ales and tart ales,
mild ales, and ales that are so charged with flavor
that they linger on the tongue. No matter which
type of microbrew you choose, your sure to get
a flavor that will make you come back for more.

Adding fruit to beers will add a new and unique
twist of complexity to the beverage. A raspberry
wheat for example, would add a tart flavor as peach
would add the smooth sweet taste that we all
associate with peaches in your brew.

If you plan to add fruit to your brew, it's highly
recommended that your fruit is fresh. The longer
fruit is allowed to ripen from the time it has
been picked, the greater the chance that airborne
bacteria can infect your batch.

Although the fruit will most likely be boiled with
the wort, the precaution above is still highly
recommended. Alternately, you may decide to use
fruit puree, which will offer homebrewers the
chance to brew with fruit without having the fear
of contamination. Regardless of your style of
brew, you can normally add fruit to it.

The process of adding fruit is simple. Crush,
chop, or break up the fruit that you are planning
to use. Next, place the processed fruit into a
sparging bag then let it steep in the hot wort
for five to ten minutes after the boiling has
been finished.

When you are transfering your brew mixture to
your primary fermenter, you may choose to sparge
your fruit with some added water to extract every
last drop of essence from the fruit. Always
keep in mind that when you add fruit, you are
adding additional sugar to your wort. This added
sugar concentration will effect your original
and final specific gravity when you measure it
with a hydrometer.

Some fruits that you use are actually easier to
work with than others. Raspberries for example,
may leave seeds in your primary fermenter if they
aren't properly filtered. The basic object to
achieve a quality fruit beer is to capture the
essence from the fruit then remove all that
remains before you start the primary fermentation.

Adding fruit to your microbrew will give your
brew a unique taste. There are many brews out
there that take full advantage of fruit, many of
which are extremely popular. Fruit can bring
a very refreshing taste, especially when it is
brewed the right way.

For homebrewers all over the world, fruit is a
nice addition to any microbrew. You can use
virtually any type of fruit you can think of,
which is one of the reasons why fruit brewing
is so very popular. Just like wine, fruit can
make any brew taste like a tropical paradise.

The term microbrewery originally originated in the
United Kingdom during the late 1970s. Though it
was originally used to reflect on the size of the
breweries, it gradually came to reflect a different
attitude and approach to adaptability, flexibility,
experimentation, and customer service.

The term eventually spread to the United States,
where it was eventually used to indicate a brewery
that produces no less than 15,000 barrels of beer
per year. The term microbrewery is now falling
out of touch in the United States, as the term
craft brewer is preferred.

During the early twentieth century, prohibition drove
a majority of the breweries into bankruptcy because
they couldn't rely on selling bogus wine as
wineries of that era previously did. After going
through several decades of consolidation of
breweries, most commercial American beer produced
by a few large companies, resulting in a mild
tasting lager of which Budweiser is a great example.

Some beer drinks will consequently crave a variety
and turn to homebrewing and eventually start doing
it on a much larger scale. When they need inspiration
they'll turn to Britain, Germany, and Belgium where
centuries old tradition of artisan beer and cask
ale production have never died out.

The popularity behind these products was the fact
that they trend was spread quickly, and hundreds
of smaller breweries popped up, attached to a bar
where the product could be enjoyed by all. As
microbrews gained in popularity, some became more
than just simple microbrews, as they catered to a
broader range of beer.

Normally, American microbreweries will distribute
through wholesalers in traditional three tier
systems, then act as their own distributor and
sell to retailers. Selling includes tap rooms,
restaurants, or even off premise sales.

The first thing you'll need to do when brewing is
to sanitize everything that will come in contact
with your unfermented beer. It will take time
for the sanitizer to do its job, so don't rush
things.

Next, you'll need to rinse everything to remove
any remaining sanitizer. Any remaining sanitizer
can kill of your yeast if you don't rinse things
well. Add 3 1/2 gallons of water to your
fermenter then seal it with the fermenter's lid
or a rubber stopper. This should be done as
soon as you can before you begin to cook the
wort.

Cooking
Add 2 gallons of cold water to the pot and bring
it to a boil. Once the water has started to boil,
add your malt syrup or extract kit. Always watch
your pot boil and never leave it. Stir it well,
until the extract has dissolved.

Boiling over can create a mess and cause you to
loose precious ingredients. Malt doesn't boil
like water, as it comes to a boil the liquid will
expand and foam over the top. Stir constantly
and keep a close watch to avoid boiling over.

Add a few tablespoons of your boiling wort to
1 cup of cool water in a santized container,
making sure the temperature isn't too high.
Next, add your yeast packet and cover the
container with a saucer or lid.

Pitching yeast
After the wort has finished boiling, allow the
mixture time to cool to 70 - 80 degrees then
pitch the yeast into your fermenter, which you
already have filled to 2/3 of the desired
final level with cold water.

These are the basic steps for brewing your
own microbrews. You'll also have to siphon,
bottle, then pour your brew. The final steps
aren't that difficult, although they do
require a certain level of precision. If
this is your first time brewing, you should
watch someone experienced first.

With microbrewing, there are many different
methods, including fruit. Fruit is unlike
other types of microbrews, as the method
introduces fruit into the equation and makes
for a very unique - yet interesting taste.

When brewing your own beers, you can use
any method you prefer. Some are harder than
others, although a little bit of time is all
you need to become a pro. Once you have been
brewing for a while, you'll be able to
brew even the most exotic of microbrews - all
it takes is time and dedication.

Lagering, as a process, was discovered around 200
years ago in Bavaria. Here, it was found that
beers experiencing secondary fermentation in casks
stored in the caves of the Alps would produce beers
with differnet characteristics than ales.

The process of lagering became very popular in
areas where fermentating with cool temperatures
could be maintained, although it wasn't until the
invention of the refrigerator that lagers really
spread around the world.

Over the last several years, flat sales have been
seen for breweries as a growth in sales for
American microbrews. Even though a lot of the
beer volume from lager is composed of cheap quality
product from the large breweries, there's plenty
of great products available, although most are
from Europe.

European all malt Pilsener
World wild, Pilseners are the most popular style.
The style originated in Bohemia in a town that
was named Pilsen by the brewery. Even though
there are some superb Pilseners made outside this
region, the style is frequently cheapened and
is also the basis for many beers lacking quality
or being just plain ol' cheap beer.

German Pilsener
Classic German Pilseners are very light in color
and well hopped, with the hop bitterness being
high. It's a well attenuated, medium bodied beer
although a malty accent can be perceived. There
shouldn't be any chill haze, as the head of the
beer should be dense and rich.

Bohemian lager
Lagers in this category are very similar to German
Pilseners, although they are more full bodied
and can be as dark as light amber. This style of
beer will balance the moderate bitterness and
noble hop aroma with a malty, yet slightly sweet
body.

Cream ale/American lager/blonde ale
This blend produces a mild, pale, light bodied ale.
This can be made using a warm fermentation (either
top or bottom) and cold lagering or also by
blending top and bottom fermented beers.

The hop bitterness in the style is normally very
low, with hip aroma often absent. Sometimes they
are referred to as cream ales, yet they are crisp
and very refreshing.

American wheat ale/American wheat lager
This type of beer can be made by using either lager
yeast or an ale. Brewed with 50 percent wheat,
the hop rates are higher and the carbonation is
lower than German styles of wheat beers.

At low levels, a fruity estery aroma and flavor
is normal, although clovelike characteristics
shouldn't be perceived. The color is normally
golden to light amber, with the body being light
to medium in character.

Fruit beers
These types of beers are made by using fruit as
an adjunct in the primary or secondary fermentation.
Fruit beers provide a very unique taste, and
they can also be quite potent if made in the right
ways.

Vegetable beers
These beers use vegetables as an adjunct in primary
or secondary fermentation, helping to provide an
obvious, yet harmonious quality. These beers
shouldn't be overpowered by hop character.

Herb and spice beers
Herb and spice beers use either herbs or spices
other than hops to create a very distinct taste
and character. The spices can be derived from roots,
seeds, fruits, vegetables, and flowers.

Hybrid microbrews offer you a break from the
ordinary beers, providing unique tastes and very
distinct character. There are many types of hybrid
microbrews available, all you have to do is look
around or experiment.

Before you can start brewing beer, you'll need to
have the right equipment. If this is your first
time brewing, you should start simple. Before
you begin, the first thing that you'll need is a
brewpot. Before you rush out and buy one, you
may already have one that will work just fine.

The pot should hold at least three gallons of
liquid. The next thing you'll need is a fermenter.
For the average five gallon batch, the fermenter
should hold six gallons or more, allowing space
for a foam that will form during the vigorous
process of fermentation.

For this stage, a glass carboy or food grade
plastic bucket is often used. You'll also need
an airlock for your fermenter to allow the C02
to escape while also keeping the air out. A
siphon hose is also needed to transfer beer from
the fermenter when it's ready, without having
to mix air into it.

A bottling bucket will also help to make the
process much easier. Bottling buckets are
similiar to fermenters, except the fact that they
have a spigot at the bottom that allows you to
fill the bottles directly, which makes the
entire process less messy and gets things done
much quicker. You'll also need a capper to
seal your bottles; as bottles and caps or even
a keg will be needed to store and serve your
brew.

If you look around, you may be able to find a
kit that will contain everything you need. You
can purchase kits on the internet, many of
which offer the top quality equipment you'll
need to brew. All you have to do is look around
the net, as there are many different web sites
that offer equipment for microbrews.

If you don't want to buy a kit, you can always
buy each piece of equipment seperately. This
tends to be a bit more expensive than buying
a kit, although you'll be able to pick each
piece of equipment yourself, without having to
take what's included in the kit.

Once you get all of the necessary equipment
together, you should know how to use it before
you get started. This way, you won't run into
any problems once you start brewing. The
equipment needed for brewing is easy to use, so
you shouldn't have any problems.

Brewing microbrews can be both fun and exciting,
especially when you start brewing your own
creations. You can drink the brew yourself,
or serve it to friends and family. Microbrews
are fun to drink and create - which makes having
the proper equipment all the more while.

Brewed on every continent around the world and
enjoyed in every nation, beer can quench every type
of thirst and go down as easily as spring water
to thick, heady concoctions that resemble that of
the thickest oatmeal.

Just as the gourmet blends have conquered a large
portion of the coffee business, handcrafted brews
continue to keep a firm hold on the most serious
of beer drinkers. There are hundreds of thousands
of brews out there, which are sure to please even
the hardest to please.

When it comes to the gourmet types of microbrews,
there are some things to keep in mind. If you
are new to microbrews and gourmet types, you'll
find the tips below to be very beneficial.

Start light
When you go to a pub or just out to drink, you
should start off light with a basic lager, pilsner,
or wheat beer. After that, you can work your way
towards the full flavored beers, such as porters
and Oktoberfest beers. These can be very potent,
especially for those who don't really drink that
much.

Starting light is also good for your overall
tolerance, as drinking light will prepare you for
the more potent drinks. This way, you can enjoy
plenty of microbrews without having to worry
about stopping too early.

Brewpub
The ideal way to try new types of beer is to pay
a visit to a local brewpub. Many of these small
brewery/restaurants will offer samplers, which
feature small glasses with four to five of their
most popular beers.

This way, you can experience a variety of beer
tastes without having to spend a lot of money.
Once you have tried a couple of the beers, you'll
know what to order.

Dark beers
If you are a casual beer drinker or can handle
your tolerance, you shouldn't be afraid in the
least to try dark beers. The dark color doesn't
mean that the beer is heavier or contains more
calories, it simply means that the malt in the
beer is roasted longer or roasted to a more darker
color than most.

Small business
Small businesses and small businessmen are yet
another reason to get into microbrewed beer other
than the taste. Local microbrew producers brew
their beers in small batches, so you'll be helping
to keep the business afloat, rather than supporting
the large giants of the industry.

When you know that your money is going to help the
little people, you'll normally find the brew to go
down much smoother. Small microbreweries need
all the help they can get to continue brewing,
which is reason enough to support them. You'll get
a great beer for your money - and you'll be
supporting those that actually need your help.

Over the years, keg beers have gotten a lot better.
If a cask beer is in poor condition, it's actually
possible for a fresh keg beer to be much better
tasting. Even though this may sound absurd, it's
very common for someone who's unfamilar with cask
ale to not be able to taste the difference between
keg and cask beer.

The warm temperature that cask beer is famous for
doesn't apply in the summer months all that often
these days, as temperature control units in pubs
have beer run through coolers. The fact is, some
pubs will run cask ale lines through lager chillers
in order to get the beer below the maximum temperature
required, so cask ale may very well end up just as
cold as a keg lager.

This isn't really a good thing, as ale requires a
cool rather than very cold temperature to bring out
all of its flavors. In a well run pub however, the
cask ale will be served at the right temperature -
cool but not too cold.

The smell of cask ale is much fresher and more
wholesome than keg beer. Keep in mind, the aroma of
cask ale doesn't have the stored up impact of
bottled type beers, as this beer has already been
exposed to the air for a couple of days - meaning
there is no impact when you transfer it to your
beer glass.

Normally, the aroma wil be released into the air when
it has been warmed up, which will probably happen
when you get near the bottom of the glass.

The flavor of cask ale is very similiar to the aroma
in it, which is very fresh and delicate. Unlike
other bottled beers, the flavor of cask ale is
even more noticeable than the aroma. At first,
the aroma is very slight, although the flavor
more than makes up for it.

The intensity of the flavor will depend on the style
of beer. The CO2 bubbles themselves will have
very little flavor, therefore a mass of bursting
bubbles against your tongue will prevent the actual
beer from making contact.

With cask ale, there is little to no carbonation,
so more of the flavor will connect with your taste
buds. You should be able to note the fruity taste
up front, with balance in the middle and bitterness
in the end. The flavor of a cask ale is much more
noticed than keg or even bottled beer.

Bottle conditioned beers will also have this type
of flavor profile, although they'll need to be
prepared and conditioned well in advance, meaning
that the bottle will need to be opened and allowed
to settle for a while. Cask ales offer the
conditioning being done fro you, so you won't need
to do it.

The most important aspect of cask ale is how it
feels in your mouth. It shouldn't be fizzy. If it
is, it's either a keg beer or a cask ale that's
been put on too soon. There will be a natural feel
in the beer, a life that makes you want to drink it.

The Clipper City Brewing Company was founded by
by pioneer Hugh Sisson, with the intention of
restoring a rich brewing tradition to the entire
Baltimore area. By focusing on the classic styles
of beer that are made with fresh ingredients and
high standards, Clipper City is the largest
brewing company in Baltimore, giving the entire Bay
area residents reason to celebrate.

After the inception of craft brewing in Baltimore,
Hugh immersed himself in developing and market
recognition of both Sisson's brewpub and all of its
beers.

The Clipper City Brewing Company produces three
regular offerings year round - Chesapeake lager,
Chesapeake amber, and the Chesapeake gold ale,
which was chosen as the official beer of the
Baltimore City bicentennial. Clipper City also
includes a line of specialty beers under the
Clipper Reserve heading.

These types include a Pilsner which is available in
May, Irish stout available in February, Oktoberfest
available in September, and a winter ale that's
available in late November. Clipper City also
manufacturers a seperate line of beer, known as
the Oxford Brands, which include an English pale
ale and a refreshing summer blend made with real
raspberries known as the Oxford raspberry wheat.

For many years, Clipper City has proven that they
are the dominant brewing company in the entire
Baltimore area. Residents of the area enjoy the
many varieties this brewing company offers, as
they have everything for the seasons.

Even if you don't live in the Baltimore area, there
are other ways to get the excellent beers that
Clipper City has to offer. There are several bars
and pubs that carry their beers, although most are
in the Baltimore and surrounding areas. If you've
been looking for a brew that is different from the
rest, you can count on the Clipper City Brewing
Company to deliver everything that you've never
thought possible about beer and microbrews.

Everyone knows that if your looking for the best in
coffee, you go to Seattle. For wine, you go to
California. When it comes to the best in beer, you
go to Portland Oregon, where your never more than
15 minutes away from a quality brewpub.

The Williamette Rive in western Oregon has been
the center of hop growing and brewing since the
days of the pioneers. When the microbrew revolution
began, the history and the hops were already there,
along with the spring water, the grain, and the
fruit for summer beers. As a result, regional
brewers and microbrewers began to pop up all over
the place.

After that, it didn't take long at all for the
brewpub to follow. These beers weren't just for
washing down food anymore. The hand crafted beers
could be used in cooking, just like wine. In
the brewpubs of Portland, the beer also forms a
base for salad dressing, spices up marinades, and
even helps to sweeten the desserts as well.

Many brewpubs will offer a sampler of the best
in beer tasting. You can think of it as wine tasting
without the snooty steward. You sip on small
amounts of a variety of brews to see what the
brewer can do, from the light and hoppy to the
dark yet sweet brews.

What to expect
1. Good head on the beer. Good head
ensures that you'll get a strong smell of the
brew, so be sure to pour it into your glass very
carefully.
2. Always use a glass. You should always
use a clean glass, a very clean glass. In most
brewing establishments, the glasses are always hand
washed and air dried to ensure that there isn't a
speck of grease in the glass to deflate the head
and leave soapy looking bubbles behind.
3. The English are right. As the English
know, refrigerated beer is too cold to fully
appreciate the taste. In brewpubs, the beer is
served at temperatures that are cool but not that
cold. The iced and chilled glasses are saved for
martinis.
4. Vocabulary. Beer has a mouth feel,
which describes the body of the brew - light,
medium, and full. The color can be misleading,
as even light bodied beers can be full bodied.

Anytime you are looking for the best in microbrews,
you can count on Oregon to deliver the best in
beer. There are hundreds of brewpubs here, with
everything you could ever want. Anytime you
are in the area, don't hesitate to stop off and
see why the microbrews here are easily among the
best in the United States - or the world for
that matter.

The main ingredients found in beer are water, malted
barley, hops, and yeast. There are other ingredients
such as flavoring, sugar, and other ingredients that
are commonly used. Starches are used as well, as
they convert in the mashing process to easily
fermentable sugars that will help to increase the
alcohol content of beer while adding body and flavor.

Water
Seeing as how beer is mainly composed of water, the
source of water and its characteristics have a very
important effect on the character of the beer. A
lot of beer styles were influenced by the
characteristics of water in the region. Although
the effect of minerals in brewing water is complex,
hard water is more suited to dark styles, while
soft ware is more suited to light styles.

Malt
Among malts, barley is the most widely used due to
its high amylase content, and a digestive enzyme
that facilitates the breakdown of starch into
sugars. Depending on what can be cultivated locally,
other malts and unmalted grains can be used, such
as wheat, rice, oats, and rye.

Malt is obtained by soaking grain in water, allowing
it to germinate, then drying the germinated grain
in a kiln. By malting the grain, enzymes will
eventually convert the starches in the grain into
fermentable sugars.

Hops
Since the seventeenth century, hops have been
commonly used as a bittering agent in beer. Hops
help to contribute a bitterness that will balance
the sweetness of the malts. They also contribute
aromas which range from citrus to herbal.

Hops also provide an antibiotic effect that favors
the activity of brewer's yeast over the less
desirable microorganisms. The bitterness in beer
is normally measured on the International
Bitterness Units scale.

Yeast
Yeast is a microorganism that's responsible for
fermentation. Specific strains of yeast are chosen
depending on the type of beer produced, as the
two main strains are ale yeast and lager yeast,
with other variations available as well.

Yeast helps to metabolise the sugars that are
extracted from the grains, and produces alcohol
and carbon dioxide as a result. Before the functions
of yeast were understood, all fermentations were
done using wild or airborne yeasts.

Clarifying agent
A lot of brewers prefer to add one or more
clarifying agents to beer that aren't required
to be published as ingredients. Examples include
Isinglas finings, which are obtained from swim
bladders of fish and Irish moss, which is a type
of red alga.

Since these ingredients can be obtained from animals,
those who are concerned with either the use or
consumption of animal products should obtain detailed
information from the brewer.

Social context
Many social traditions and activities are very
associated with drinking beer, such as playing cards,
darts, or other games. The consumption of beer in
isolation and excess may be associated with people
drinking away their troubles, while drinking in
excess with company may be associated with binge
drinking.

Around the world
All over the world, beer is consumed. There are
several breweries in the Middle East countries as
well, such as Iraq and Syria. There is also
breweries in African countries and other remote
countries such as Mongolia as well.

Glassware serving
Getting an appropriate beer glass is considered
desirable by some drinkers. There are some drinkers
of beer that may sometimes drink out of the bottle
or can, while others may choose to pour their
beer into a glass. Drinking from a bottle picks
up aromas by the nose, so if a drinker wishes to
appreciate the aroma of a beer, the beer is first
poured into a mug, glass, or stein.

Similar to wine, there is specialized styles of
glasses for some types of beer, with some breweries
producing glassware intended for their own styles
of beer.

Temperature
The conditions for serving beer have a big influence
on a drinker's experiences. An important factor
when drinking is the temperature - as colder
temperatures will start to inhibit the chemical
senses of the tongue and throat, which will narrow
down the flavor profile of beer, allow certain
lagers to release their crispness.

Pouring
The process of pouring will have an influence on
the presentation of beer. The flow rate from the
tap, titling of the glass, and position of the
pour into the glass will all affect the outcome,
such as the size and longevity of the head and the
turbulence of the bar as it begins to release the
carbonation.

The more heavily carbonated beers such as German
pilseners will need settling time before they are
served, although many of them are served with the
addition of the remaining yeast at the bottom to
add extra color and flavor.

Beer rating
The rating of beer is a craze that combines the
enjoyment of drinking beer with the hobby of
collecting it. Those that drink beer sometimes
tend to record their scores and comments on various
internet websites.

This is a worldwide activity, as people in the
United States will swap bottles of beer with those
living in New Zealand and Russia. The scores may
then be tallied together to create lists of the
most popular beers in each country as well as
those throughout the world.

Beer brewing has always been the core business of
the Anheuser-Busch company. An industry leader
since 1957, Anheuser-Busch currently owns over half
of the domestic beer market.

The market share has grown so much that Anheuser-
Busch now has a bigger portion of the market than
the next four competitors, with the international
sales being no different. Anheuser-Busch remains
the leading exporter of beer from the United States,
with sales in more than 60 countries.

Microbreweries, or microbrews for short, have been
gaining a lot of attention in the past several
years. Microbrews are best classified as breweries
that produce less than 15,000 barrels in a given
year.

The strength of microbrews is found in their
philosophy that beer should be of the highest
quality. Therefore, microbrews are only brewed
with malted barley, hops, water, and yeast, which
are the only four ingredients found in the purist
German beers. Mass bottled beers normally add
rice and corn to help lower costs.

The only drawback to microbrews is what they cost.
The more expensive ingredients found in microbrews
cost on average 60% higher than the mass bottled
beers.

Beer isn't like wine, which tends to get better
with age. Beer is instead a food that should be
consumed as soon as possible after production.
With this in mind, pubs or microbrews that
produce beer on the premises are the hottest new
trends, with four new pubs on average popping
up each and every week.

Each year, sales of microbrews goes up an average
of 40% each year. This figure is very impressive
when you consider that the market is shrinking
as a whole. Even with this amazing success, the
microbrew sales represent around two percent of
the entire beer market.

In their pursuit to continue dominating the
entire beer market, Anheuser-Busch has tapped
into the trend of microbrews. They recently
purchased a stake in the Seattle based Red Hook
Ale microbrewery. The new products they released
into the beer market include Red Wolf, Elk
Mountain Red, and Elk Mountain Amber Ale.

Microbrews are normally produced regionally,
therefore Anheuser-Busch is developing regional
manufacturers and distributors. By doing this,
they must decide on the best possible way to
handle their short term cash needs for purchasing
inventory in these tiny plants.

With their recent transition into the world of
microbrews, you can count on Anheuser-Busch to
make quite the impact. They will be offering
more microbrews in the future, which is great
news for beer drinkers. If you like the wild
taste of microbrews, Anheuser-Busch is more than
worth your time and money.