Beer Stuff

Question 1

Key ingredients in making beer

Answer 1

• Water
  -yeast
• hops
• starch source (barley is the dominant cereal grain of choice for most beers)

Question 2

Steps of Making Beer

Answer 2

1. Brewer must convert starch to sugar by creating malted barley.
2. Barley is steeped in water for approx. 2 days to germinate or “sprout”.
3. Germinated Barley is transferred to a temperature controlled/moisture level controlled vessel.
4. As germination occurs, the enzyme “Amylase” is produced. Amylase converts starchy grain carbohydrates into fermentable sugars maltose and dextrin. This is called the “green malt”.
5. The green malt is roasted with hot air in a kiln to suppress further sprouting.
   *** style of beer desired will determine the length and degree of roasting (high roasting for porters/ light roasting for lagers).
6. after malting, the malt is ground or cracked and combined w/ hot water and mashed. This converts and extracts sugar from the malt, creating the “wort”.
7. sparging: spent grains formwork are rinsed w/ water to extract additional flavor and sugar, then combined with the wort. Wort is then boiled.
8. Hops are added during boiling of the wort. Hops contribute bitterness to the brew the longer they boil.
9. After boiling, wort is strained, leaving spent hops behind and chilled before fermentation.

Question 3

Fermentation of Lager Beer

Answer 3

• style of beer that involves cooling the wort to a lower temperature and uses a bottom fermenting yeast “Sacchoromyces Pastorianus”, which clumps together at the bottom of the fermenting vessel. The fermentation itself is slower and at a lower temperature.

Question 4

Types of Lager Beers

Answer 4

• Pale Lager: light, crisp and refreshing
• Pilsner: type of lager w/ a more hoppy profile and a gold color, named after the city of Pilsen, Czech Republic).
• Amber: type of lager that uses malted barley that’s been toasted until it starts to turn brown.
  Vienna Style: made w/ lightly toasted malts to give a slight amber color.
  Mexican Lager: brewed w/ flaked corn or Maize, often served w/ a lime.
  Dortmunder: a pale, firm-bodied German lager from Dortmund with 5–6% ABV, balancing a soft, malty sweetness with a crisp, bitter, and slightly mineral finish. Positioned between a Helles and a Pilsner, this straw-to-deep-gold, “blue-collar” beer features noble hops and a clean, refreshing profile.
  Munich Helles: a traditional, pale golden German lager, created in 1894 to compete with Pilsner. It is characterized by a soft, bready, and grainy-sweet malt flavor, low bitterness, and a clean, crisp finish. It is less hoppy than a Pilsner,

Question 5

Styles of Bock Beer

Answer 5

Bock (including Doppelbock, Eisbock, Maibock): a strong, bottom-fermented German lager, traditionally malt-forward with a rich, toasty, and caramel flavor profile, minimal hop bitterness, and 6–10%+ ABV. Originating in Einbeck and refined in Munich, these mahogany-colored lagers are famously associated with goats and are often brewed for special seasons like Lent or spring.
Type
Traditional Bock (Dunkles Bock): Dark, malty, and slightly sweet.
Maibock (Helles Bock): A lighter-colored, paler version with more hop character.
Doppelbock (Double Bock): A stronger, much maltier version (often 7–10%+ ABV) with intense notes of caramel and dark fruit.
Eisbock (Ice Bock): An intense, concentrated beer made by freezing the beer and removing ice, creating high ABV and deep flavor.

Question 6

Fermentation of Ales

Answer 6

• requires top fermenting yeast or “Sacchoromyces Cerevisiae” and requires a warmer temperature that results in rich and fruity flavored beers.

Question 7

Styles of Ales

Answer 7

• Pale ale: brewed w/ extra hops and tends to have moderate bitterness.
• IPA: brewed with lots of hops and tend to have a high hop content and a higher ABV. Originally created in Europe to survive long sea voyages.
• Hefeweisen: type of ale brewed with mostly wheat instead of other malts, giving a fruity and refreshing flavor.
• Stout: dark colored ale made w/ roasted barley that imparts chocolate or coffee flavors.
• New England style IPA: uses hops during fermentation instead of the boiling process.
• Kolsch: a clear, golden al from cologne, Germany that is fermented at lager temperatures.
• Gose: Wheat Ale breed with salt, which gives it a savory character. Can also be easily blended with fruits.
• Witbier/Belgian White: light ale with low bitterness. The wheat contributes a cloudy haze to the beer and often use spices for flavoring.

Question 8

Importance of water

Answer 8

• represents 85-90% of beer and plays a critical chemistry . Water brings minerals that bring flavor to the final beer, such as chalk, flint and sulfur.

Question 9

What is a Saison?

Answer 9

a Belgian style that combines hops and fermentation flavors to produce a dry, refreshing style with complex and subtle flavor. Tastes very dry w/ subtle spicy and herbal notes.

Producers: Saison Dupont, Brooklyn Sorachi Ace, Boulevard Tank 7.

Question 10

What is Lambic Beer?

Answer 10

Unique to Belgium, Lambics are spontaneously fermented in open top fermenters using only native wild Yeast (Brettanomyces Bruxellensis and Brettanomyces Lambicus) and fermented over a long period.

• classic lambics are spontaneously fermented Belgian Beers known for their funky and distinctively sour flavor and are usually aged in oak periods, often up to 3 years.

Producers: Cantillon, Boon, 3 Fonteinen, Lindemans