"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy."
-- Benjamin Franklin
Beer has been around for thousands of years, it was brewed since ancient times by the Egyptians. It is the third most drunk beverage in the world behind water and tea. Beer has played a role in shaping out history - the Pilgrims on the Mayflower landed in Plymouth because, as was written by one of the passengers "we could not take time for further search or consideration, our victuals being much spent, especially our beer..."
Beer is made from pure water, hops, and grain, generally corn grits and malted barley (malted meaning that the barley has been soaked in water and allowed to germinate, sprouting just a little). The malted barley is what gives beer its flavor and color. The grains are cooked in the water to produce what is called the mash. The wart (the liquid part of the mash) is then removed with the solids discarded. The wort is boiled with hops and then cooled. Yeast is added and fermentation is allowed to occur (the yeast consumes the sugars producing alcohol and carbon dioxide). After fermentation is allowed to take place the end product (once filtered, most varieties anyway) is beer.
Brewing beer is an art and each brew is as unique as the brew master. Beer does not last forever, so each bottles is made to be enjoyed - and so we should.
~ More to come, stay tuned for Part Two: Storing and Serving
Son, a woman is like a beer. They smell good, they look good, you'd step over your own mother just to get one! But you can't stop at one. You wanna drink another woman!
ReplyDeleteIt is not wart - that is a lump that grows on you body caused by a virus. Beer, prior to fermentation, is called wort.
ReplyDelete... and further, filtration plays a very unimportant role in the creation of beer. It really is little more than an industrial means of speeding up the process - being able to serve "clear beer" before it has had time to settle out and clarify on its own.
ReplyDeleteYou miss kilning and sparging as major steps in production that are infinitely more important than filtration. Even a basic discussion of how different ingredients can affect flavour and colour would be useful.
Interesting post. On a related topic, has anyone discovered any new beers this summer? I began drinking Red Stripe while in Jamaica in the spring, and have been hooked on it ever since. Crisp and refreshing, and pairs great with BBQ chicken. (I know, the NSLC has been carrying it for a while, but it's new to me.)
ReplyDeleteGee, Brewnoser it's his fourth post and it's not like he's getting paid for this. Why don't you chill out and give him a chance to get the hang of it?
ReplyDeleteGranted, there are things that may be missing from this post, and my error on the typo (wort not wart), but this post was meant for uninformed not the under-informed (though all are welcome to read and comment). It’s the basics, as the title implies, and just that – basic information on the process of brewing beer. In an effort to inform the uninformed I have attempted to keep to the basic and still delivering relevant information. I appreciate the comments, both positive and negative, and I welcome all to continue visiting this site.
ReplyDelete