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We rested with friends in the bathhouse at the dacha of one of them. We took different beer, fish. But they did not calculate – the foam ended faster than the snack. And we sent a messenger to the store. He came back and brought beer. But not everyone from the company was happy – Vitya bought dark beer. There were comments about the fact that we didn’t come here to get drunk, but to sit culturally, and the dark one is strong, we get drunk quickly.
And then my finest hour came – it’s not in vain that I have been trying to figure out different types of alcohol for so many years. Accessibly and popularly explained to friends the difference between dark and light. And after the lecture, to consolidate the material covered, there was a tasting of the drink brought by the messenger.
What kind of beer is considered light
Any beer is based on water, hops, yeast and malt. Light varieties are made on the basis of lightly roasted malt. Roasting gives a beautiful golden color to the final product. After that, the wort is prepared. From it, by top fermentation, an intoxicating drink is obtained. In the course of production can be added:
- corn;
- oats;
- wheat;
- rice;
- rye;
- millet, banana, chestnut flour.
The color of the drink depends on the yeast and production methods. There are two types of wort fermentation – top (for light beer) and bottom (for dark varieties).
With riding yeast, they “work” at a temperature of 15-20 C, create a “cap” on the surface, hence the name.
Bottom fermentation occurs at lower temperatures – 4-10 C. Other yeasts are used, at which there is no “cap”. They settle and accumulate at the bottom of the container, so the color of the final product is light.
There are 14 beer shades. The first half of this list characterizes a light drink:
- very light;
- straw;
- white;
- gold;
- light amber;
- amber;
- medium amber.
Among other things, the finished product is obliged to be transparent, and if of extra high quality, also “brilliant”. There is one “opaque” exception – unfiltered, wheat beer.
What kind of beer is considered dark
Dark beer is also made from malt. But it undergoes a longer roasting. The sugar contained in the raw material is caramelized, giving a characteristic color and a special taste. The stronger the roast, the richer the color and brighter the taste.
The second half of the 14 generally accepted shades characterizes dark beer:
- dark amber;
- red;
- light brown;
- brown;
- dark brown;
- very dark;
- black
Dark beer is made by top fermentation. Various malts, such as caramel or chocolate malt, are added during the production process to give a bright brown hue and a velvety aftertaste.
Do light and dark beers differ in strength?
One of the most common misconceptions is that dark is stronger than light. In reality, this is not so.
The strength depends only on how long the drink has been aged. The longer the aging (fermentation process), the stronger the beer. In this case, the color does not affect the strength.
As can be seen from the comparison table, a dark drink is either less strong, or the strength of the beer is the same (from different manufacturers).
What is the difference between dark and light flavors?
More hops are used in the production of a light drink. Bottom-fermenting yeast produces little flavor but more alcohol. Therefore, when drinking a drink, we feel a slight bitterness on the tongue and a very weak aftertaste.
Dark varieties have a soft velvety, sometimes sweetish aftertaste. Coffee or chocolate notes are guessed in the aftertaste. Top fermentation contributes to the flavoring of the drink. It contains less hops. In my opinion, this has a positive effect on the taste.
Excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to your health. Take care of yourself!
The difference, it turns out, is not only in color. These two products are distinguished by production methods, taste characteristics. What kind of beer do you like more, or do you just love it?