Four Components of Beer

How is Beer Made?

 

The Grains

Grain selection is incredibly important when brewing beer. The type of grain that you choose can drastically alter the flavor and color of the beer at the end of the process. Typically barley is used to make beer as it’s perfect for malting and creating the wort. However, some brewers prefer to use specialty grains or multiple grains when making beer for their own unique blends.

 

Ales

Ales use the Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain of yeast that focuses on top fermentation. The yeast is added to the top of the warm wort. This style typically adds more flavor since more phenols and esters are produced in this method. Top fermenting yeasts are used in Ales, Wheat Beers, Kölsch, Porters, and Stouts.

Creating the Wort

The wort (we know, it doesn’t sound great) is how we extract the sugar from the grains for the yeast to start doing its work. The wort is what we call the cereal-like soup that is the result of boiling water, grains, and hops together. After this is all boiled together, it’s left to cool so that the yeast can be added in the next step.

 

Lagers

Lagers use the Saccharomyces uvarum (formerly Saccharomyces carlsbegensis) and are bottom fermented beers. This. means that the yeast ferments at the bottom of the wort and typically at a lower temperature than ales. This cold fermentation takes much longer and results in “crisp” beer with less or more delicate flavors. Bottom fermenting yeasts are used in Pilsners, Bocks, and American malt liquors.

The Magic of Yeast

This is where all of the magic happens in the world of beer. Yeast eats the sugars that are created in the wort and creates ethanol and carbon dioxide. In brewing, there are two main types of yeast that are used: Saccharomyces cerevisiae (ale yeast) and Saccharomyces uvarum (lager yeast). The reason we use two different styles of yeast for two different styles of beer is the way in which beer is fermented.

 

Wild Fermentation

Originally, all beer was made through wild fermentation with the help of ambient yeast. Ambient yeast is the yeast that is naturally present in nature floating around. While beer like this is still made today, most brewers will use yeast strains to promote this style of fermentation through the use of Brettanomyces strain of yeast and wild microbes like Lactobacillus and Pediococus. Wild fermented beers are typically Lambics, Gose, Flanders Red Ale, and Berliner Weisse

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Origins

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Styles of Beer