Beer Flashcards
Beer ingredients
Water - Accounts for 85-90% of beer content. Local water source impacts beer taste and style selection - hard, soft, salty, etc.
Cereal grains - Barley, wheat, rice, corn,
rye, oats
Yeast - Different yeast strains determine the style of beer (Ale or Lager). Provides unique aromas and flavors.
Hops - Imparts bitterness to balance sweet malty character. Provides aroma, flavor and acts as a preservative.
What is malt?
Germination of the barley produces enzymes that turn starch into sugar for fermentation to occur. Kilning of the malt is one determinant of color, flavor, aroma and style of a beer.
What are hops?
Cone produced from bining/vining plant that grows 15-20 feet on wires. Adds bitterness to balance sweetness malt with unique aromas and flavors depending on the variety and where the hops are grown. Also acts as an antibacterial preservative.
Tropical, citrus, resin, herbal, catty, floral, fruity
Yeast types and affects on taste.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Ale - Warm & faster fermentation on top of tank, Fruit, spice, esters, More aromatic, More of an effect on the final beer
EX: traditional Belgian beers, Hefeweizen
Saccharomyces pastorianus
Lager - Cool & slower fermentation on bottom of tank, Lower aromatic profile, Clean and crisp, Less effect on the final beer
Ex. Pilsners
List some common beer ALE styles.
German: Hefeweizen
British: Pale Ale, India Pale Ale (IPA), Porter
Irish - Stout
Belgian: Lambic (spontaneous fermentation), Wit or White
List some common beer LAGER styles.
Czech Republic: Pilsner
German: Bock / Doppelbock, Oktoberfest
Large-Scale European: Heineken, Amstel Light, Stella Artois
American Lagers: Budweiser, Miller, Coors
Beer pairing
Spicy foods < > residual sugar - crawfish, Indian food
Fatty, rich, creamy food < > cleansing bubbles - fried chicken, fish & chips
Pale Ale and Blonde Ale
Pale ales are usually lower in abv and hops than an IPA. They have a more balanced malt character, characterized like a biscuit-like flavor.
Ex. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Boddingtons, Kona Big Wave, Real Ale Firemans #4, Southern Star Bombshell Blonde
Indian Pale Ale (IPA)
India pale ale (IPA) is the most popular craft beer style today. Its calling card is hops, a plant related to the marijuana family, cannabaceae. It imparts aromas and flavors like citrus, spice, tropical fruits, pine and berries.
Ex. Lagunitas IPA, Saint Arnold Juicy IPA, Parish Ghost In The Machine Double IPA, Lone Pint Yellow Rose IPA
IPAs, especially in West Coast or American varieties, are known for bitterness, as hops are added during the hot side of the brewing process.
The New England-style IPA (NEIPA) uses hops during fermentation, as opposed to in the boil. That cuts down on bitterness and gives the hops juicier aromas. NEIPAs are also often brewed with oats and wheat. They’re also unfiltered, which gives them a hazy appearance. Some are brewed with lactose and fruit purée to create a “milkshake” taste.
Imperial or Double IPAs are hopped more aggressively and have a higher alcohol-by-volume (abv) content.
Wheat Beers
Hefeweizen, Witbier, Dunkelweizen, American wheat
Wheat beers are brewed with a generous amount of the grain, which adds body and flavor.
Ex. Paulaner (Hefeweizen), Allagash White (Witbier), Blue Moon (Witbier)
A gose is a wheat ale brewed with salt, which gives it a savory character. It can also be blended with fruits.
Porters & Stouts
Stouts are dark-colored ales made with roasted barley that impart chocolate or coffee flavors. Some are aged in Bourbon or other wood barrels for deeper and boozier character.
Ex. Guinness (Irish stout), Founder Breakfast Stout & Porter
Other stouts include imperial, which is higher in alcohol and flavor; milk stouts, brewed with lactose; and pastry stouts, which include adjunct ingredients like cakes and pies as well as candy and fruit purées.
Sours
Sours are ales that are tart, thanks to a dose of lactobacillus during the brewing process. Within the category are kettle sours and Berliner weisse beers, which are often blended with fruits that add a balance of sweetness.
Amber, Red, and Brown Ales
Aside from their hue, they can be distinguished by malt prominence, which provides flavors like chocolate, caramel, and toffee. Many possess a dry finish and pleasingly sweet aroma, and some have nuts or coffee added in the brewing process.
Ex. Alaskan (Amber), Fat Tire (Amber), Newcastle (Brown Ale), Real Ale Brewhouse (Brown)
Pale Lagers
Lager is the most popular beer style in the world. Roughly 87% of the beer marketplace in the U.S comes from large beer producers.
Ex. Budweiser, Coors Light, Michelob Ultra, Corona, Dos Equis, Yuengling, Lone Star Beer
Mexican lagers are brewed with flaked corn, or maize. The style is often served with lime, or flavored with it.
Pilsner
A Pilsner is an easy-drinking, highly carbonated lager that gets its slight spicy note from hops. It’s named after the city of Pilsen in the Czech Republic, which popularized the style.
Ex. Pilsner Urquell, Pacifico (Mex)
