Beer is most often made from malt (that is, germinated grains – it is in the germinated state that they contain sufficient sugars for fermentation). It is dried or fried, crushed, combined with water, boiled, cooled, after which brewer’s yeast is added. Under their influence begins fermentation, that is, the conversion of sugar into alcohol.
Some yeast prefer the coolness of 5–14 ° С and gradually sink to the bottom of the vat during fermentation. This type of fermentation is called grassroots, and beer created using this technology – camp … Yeast of another type “likes it hot” and gathers on the surface at a temperature of 15–20 ° C. They are responsible for riding fermentation. The result is a stronger and sweeter beer – ale .
In Belgian Brabant they do lambic – special beer spontaneous fermentation… It is prepared without yeast at all: beer wort is placed in wooden barrels from wine – Burgundy, port or sherry – and it ferments under the influence of microorganisms remaining on the walls and coming from the air.
Style Beer largely depends on grains, which is used for malting (germination). Basically, this is, of course, barley, but beer is also made from other cereals – oats, corn, rye, rice, wheat, spelled. For example, wheat is used to prepare German and Belgian wheat beer top-fermented (or and) – and in the aforementioned lambics the wort is a mixture of barley malt (60-70%) and non-germinated wheat (30-40%). By the way, using unsprouted grains – not uncommon in brewing: for example, British dark ale stout made from roasted barley without pre-malting.
Beer color most often depends on temperature drying or roasting malt (malt can turn out light, amber, brown-chocolate and even black, almost charred). For example, Czech lager pilsner and british ale bitter made from pale barley malt, and British ale porter – from brown.
The flavor of specific types of beer is influenced by the variety hops: used as old varieties – Zhatetsky, Gallertausky, Tetnangsky, Byuvransky – and selection. The methods of processing hop cones play an important role. For example, for the preparation of lambic, hops are aged for at least three years, which somewhat muffles its aroma and bitterness.
Some types of beer add different additional ingredients (from ginger to apple juice). Especially famous are the fruity versions of the Belgian lambics: cry obtained as a result of joint fermentation of malt and dark cherries, frambose/framboise – malt and raspberries.
In addition to the “everyday” varieties of beer, which can be stored for 3-6 months, and it is better to use it as early as possible, there are collectible ones – they definitely need a period of maturation and proper storage. During the aging period, the beer “develops”, is filled with many flavor nuances. Very few are suitable for exposure beer stylesare generally quite strong and low in hops. Such styles include English ale “barley wine“, imperial stout , Belgian strong ale , lambic, english old ale and some others. Beer should be placed in dark brown bottles, tightly closed with a wooden stopper or metal crown cork. Typically these varieties are labeled with the phrase “bottle conditioned”.
Finally, there are beer styles with “Protected Designation of Origin”. Light coloured cologne ale can only be brewed in Cologne, and trappist ale – exclusively at seven monastery breweries: six Belgian and one Dutch.
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1. Bitter – English ale. Its pleasant bitterness is achieved due to the complete absence of sugar.
2. Porter Is a top-fermented British dark beer with a roasted malt aroma.
3. Weissbir / Weicen – German wheat beer. The pungent, clove-flavored ale is easy to drink and is designed primarily to quench summer thirst.
4. Berry Wayne – “barley wine”. This is what the British call a rather strong and sweet beer with a high hop content. It can be stored for several years.
5. Scream – Belgian cherry lambic, which is obtained as a result of joint fermentation of malt and dried dark cherries.
6. Pilsner – a light lager, originally from the Czech Republic, owes its specific hop aroma and bitter taste harvest hops.
7. Mercen – amber lager, the main character of the Munich holiday “Oktoberfest».