Beer Flashcards
What is Amylase?
In the modern brewing process, the first step is to create the malted barley, or malt. Barley- the cereal grain of choice for most beers- is steeped in water for approximately two days to promote germination of the grain, once the grain begins to germinate, or sprout, it is transferred to compartments with controlled temp. and moisture levels. As the sprout grows to nearly an inch in length, the enzyme amylase is produced which will convert the starchy carbs of the grain into the fermentable sugars Maltose and Dextrin
Beer Production Processes
Conversion Extraction Flavouring Fermentation Conditioning
Types of Malt
Germination malts the barley producing two enzyme- Diastase and Amylase. Pale Malt- light roast. Maximum sugar basis of all beers. Lager Malt- Light roast- less sugar than pale. Crystal Malt- Medium roast, fuller flavour, used in Pale and Light Ales. Black/ Chocolate Malt- heavy roast, caramelised sugars used in stouts and brown ale
Lager (Service Temperature)
8- 11 degrees
Ale and Draught (Service temps)
12- 14 degrees
Trappist Ales, Stouts, Brown Ale, Lambic Beers (Service Temp)
16- 18 degrees
What is Saccharomyces Pastorianus?
A synonym for Saccharomyces Carlbergensis, a lager yeast
How can Pear juice be used in cider?
Cider from Pear juice is called perry.
Some locales allow pear to be mixed with Apple to make cider
What are hops?
Flower from Humulus Lupus.
Adds flavour and bitterness, plus preservative and antiseptic qualities.
What is Bavarian purity law?
Reinheitsgebot
1516
Authorised barley, hops and water
What are the major types of Ales?
Pale Ale Bitters Porters Stouts Wheat and Weisse
What is a pale ale?
Usually Bronze or Copper coloured ale
What is a Bitters?
A well hopped ale with good acidity and a hoppy bitterness at the finish.
What is a Porter?
Dark Color Ale
What is a Stout?
Darker than Porters, almost black in colour.
What is a Wheat or Weisse?
Beer made from wheat having a tart, spicy palate
What are the major types of Lagers?
Pilsner
Bock
What is a Pilsner?
Classic beer golden in colour with a flowery aroma and dry finish.
What is a Bock?
German for a strong lager
What is a cider?
Fermented beverage from apple juice
What varietals of apples are used in cider?
Golden Russett Kingston Black Apple Stoke Red Dymock Red Harrison Cider Apple Campfield Hewe's Virginia Crab Yates
What types of Apples are used in Cider?
Sweets- Low in tannin and acidity, Sharps- High in acidity and low in tannins, Bittersweets- low in acidity and high in tannin, Bittersharps- High in acid and tannin
State the steps of beer production
Harvesting the barley- germination- Kiln (for toasting)- Grind- Steep- Fermentation- Filter- Pasteurize- Condition
Define Hops?
A herb that adds bitterness to beer
Name the 2 styles of beer within each of the 2 main beer categories
Ale- stout, porter, blond, Amber, Trappist, wheat, bitters, lambic
Lager- Pilsner, bock
State the ingredients allowed in Bavarian Purity Law?
Water, Hops, Barley
How is beer made?
Beers are the results of fermenting the product obtained by steeping malted barley and/ or other grains in very hot water to extract sugars, flavourings and colour before boiling it with hops and extra sugar.
Name the two main categories of beer?
Ales and Lager
Ales
Fermentation is fast and warm, producing richly flavoured beers.
Brown Ales, Pale Ales, Scotch Ale, Mild Ale, Burton Ale, Old Ale, Belgian Ale, Trappist Ale, Abbey Beer, Stout, Porter
Lager
Fermentation is slow and cool, producing delicately flavoured beers.
Pilsner, Bock (including Doppelbock, Eisbock, Maisbock), Mazen/ Fest Beer, Vienna Style, Dortmunder, Black/ Schwartz, Munich Heiles, Pale Lager
What is the Rheinheitsgebout?
The German “Beer Purity Law” originating in 1516.
What is the purpose of a Mash Ton?
After germination the grain has been malted- this is where the malt is and water are mixed together to create the wort
What is Malt?
Barley steeped in water to promote germination and conversion of sugar (Maltose and Dextrin) from starch by Amylase.
It is then roasted to desired colour.
What is Sparging?
Rising of spent grains to get extra sugar and flavour, although may impart bitterness.
What is a Copper?
A brew kettle
What is a Hopback Chamber?
Allows dry hopping of a wort before straining, chilling and fermentation
What is the yeast for ale?
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, a top- fermenting yeast that prefers warmer temps. and produces fruity and richly flavoured beers.
Ferments in less than a week.
What is the yeast for lager?
Saccharomyces Pastorianus (formerly Carlsbergensis) prefers colder temps and is bottom fermenting, producing a delicate, cleaner beer.
Fermentation is slower than ale.
What are cask ales?
Ales sold as draft beers, typically unpasteurised
What are bottle conditioned beers?
Unfiltered and undergo partial fermentation in the bottle.
What are Lambic Beers?
Spontaneously fermented beers from Belgium made in open top containers with wild yeasts such as Brettanomyces Bruxellensis and Brettanomyces Lambicus.
How are Lambic beers aged?
In cask for up to 3 yrs.
What is Geuze?
Style of Lambic mixing one year old Lambic with beers that have been aged for 2- 3 years, then refermented with aged hops in bottle.
Are keg beers pasteurised?
Typically no, although imports are
What is Mash tun?
Container used to brew wort
What yeast is used in Lagers? Ale?
Saccharomyces Carlsbergensis- now called Saccharomyces Pastorianus
Ales: Saccharomyces Cerevisiae
Difference among blond ale, Amber and Porter?
They are all toasting levels lightest to darkest
Beer predates wine as one of the oldest alcoholic beverages known to man…
only mead surpasses it in age
The fermentation of starchy carbohydrates is a more complicated matter than the transformation of grape sugars into alcohol…..
as a grain’s starch must first be converted into sugar before fermentation can commence.
The aim of the brewing process is twofold:
the brewer must derive the wort, a sugar-rich liquid, from malted grain, and then ferment the wort.
First Step: Barley….
the cereal grain of choice for most beers—is steeped in water for approximately two days to promote germination of the grain. Once the grain begins to germinate, or sprout, it is transferred to compartments with controlled temperature and moisture levels. As the sprout grows to nearly an inch in length, the enzyme amylase is produced, which will convert the starchy carbohydrates of the grain into the fermentable sugars maltose and dextrin. This “green malt” is then roasted with hot air in a kiln to halt further growth. The style of beer desired will determine the length and degree of roasting: heavy roasted black malts, for instance, are used for porter-style beers, whereas pale malt, dried at low temperatures and very light in color, is used for pale ales.
Second Step: Grinding the malt….
The malt is ground, or cracked, in a mill to produce grist. The grist is combined with hot water in a mash tun. The mashing process lasts one to two hours, converting and extracting sugar from the malt, and results in the flavor-, sugar- and color-rich wort. The wort liquid is drawn off the grains and filtered into the brew kettle, or “copper.” Additional sugar and flavor may be extracted from the spent grains by sparging—rinsing with fresh water—although this may lead to unwanted bitterness in the finished brew. The sparge is combined with the wort in the copper, and hops are added. The wort is then brought to a sustained, roiling boil for at least one hour. Boiling the wort stabilizes and sterilizes the brew, darkens the color, and causes excess water to evaporate. Hops contribute more bitterness the longer they boil, but lose aroma. In order to retain fleeting, volatile hop aromas, the wort may pass through a hopback chamber prior to chilling. Fresh hops encounter the hot wort, and contribute fresh aroma. The wort is then strained, leaving spent hops behind, and chilled to an appropriate temperature for fermentation.
Lager Beer Wort…
Is cooled to a lower temperature than wort for ale production, and the two styles require different yeasts for fermentation.
Saccharomyces cerevisiae is used for….
ales, because it is a top fermenting yeast. Top-fermenting yeasts prefer warmer temperatures and result in fruity and richly-flavored beers. Ale fermentation is quick, usually lasting less than a week.
Bottom-fermenting yeast (Saccharomyces pastorianus, formerly called Saccharomyces carlsbergensis) is used for?
lagers, and results in a more delicate, cleaner beer. The bottom-fermenting yeasts, which tend to clump together at the bottom of the vessel, ferment slower and at lower temperatures. After fermentation, the beer is transferred to conditioning tanks or casks, and often pasteurized prior to bottling. Cask ales sold as draught beers are unpasteurized, and bottle-conditioned beers are unfiltered and undergo partial fermentation in the bottle.
Lambic beers
a unique specialty of Belgium, are spontaneously fermented in open-top containers with native wild yeasts, such as Brettanomyces bruxellensis and Brettanomyces lambicus. Classic lambics are almost vinous in character, distinctively sour, and aged prior to release—often up to three years in cask. Generally, lambics are blended before release. Geuze is a style produced by mixing one-year-old lambics with beers that have aged for two to three years. The blend is then refermented with aged hops in the bottle, giving the beer its sparkle. Geuze and pure, uncarbonated lambics are a rarity outside of Belgium—fruit lambics, such as Kriek, are more common, and are traditionally dry. Fruit lambics are refermented with added fruits, such as sour Morello cherries for Kriek styles or raspberries for Framboise. Lindemans and Cantillon are two noteworthy producers, but vary greatly in style and quality.
The alcohol content of beer is generally low…
4% to 6%—but more potent beers are available. While beer does not generally improve with age, some higher alcohol beers, such as the strong ales of England and the Trappist Ales of Belgium and Holland, may show additional complexity with cellaring. In accordance with their relative weights, lagers should be served at 48-52° F (9- 11 C), whereas lighter ales and draught bitter beers should be served at a warmer temperature—54-57° F (12- 14 C).
Ales: fermentation is fast and warm, producing richly-flavored beers
Brown Ale, Pale Ale, Scotch Ale, Mild Ale, Burton Ale, Old Ale, Belgian Ale, Trappist Ale, Abbey Beer, Stout, Porter
Lager: fermentation is slow and cool, producing delicately flavored beers
Pilsner, Bock (including Doppelbock, Eisbock, Maibock), Märzen/Fest Beer, Vienna Style, Dortmund, Black/Schwartz, Munich Helles, Pale Lager
Lambics
Spontaneously fermented (with Brettanomyces bruxellensis, Brettanomyces lambicus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactobacillus, and others) over a long period of time; aged hops provide antibacterial qualities, not bitterness
Gueuze
blend of one year-old and two year-old lambics, fermentation concludes in the bottle
Mars
A mild lambic produced by reusing the malt from a previous lambic fermentation
Faro
A mixture of lambic and a lighter brewed beer, Belgian candy sugar is added for sweetness
Wheat Beers
produced with up to 60% wheat instead of barley (German law requires at least 50%), wheat beers are typically cloudy and unfiltered. Hefe Weizen: literally, “yeast-wheat”, Dunkel / Dark Weizen, Kristall Weizen: filtered, crystal clear wheat beer, White Beer: often includes additions of orange peel and/or coriander
Other Beers
Biere de Garde: Flemish and Northern French bottle-conditioned beer, California Common: Lager fermented at warmer than normal temperatures (i.e. Anchor Steam), Kölsch: Ale from Cologne (Germany) fermented at cooler than normal temperatures, Kvass: Rye-based Russian beer usually fermented with fruit juices, Rauchbier: Smoked beer, famously produced in Bamberg (Franken, Germany), Saison: From Hainaut Province in Belgium
Trappist Beers: produced in various styles (strengths): patersbier, enkel, dubbel, tripel, quadrupel
Orval (Belgian, est. 1931), Chimay (Belgian, est. 1863), Westvleteren (St.-Sixtus, Belgian, est. 1838), Rochefort (Belgian, est. 1595), Westmalle (Belgian, est. 1836), Achel (Belgian, est. 1998), Koningshoeven (La Trappe, Netherlands, est. 1884), Stift Engelszell (Austria, est. 1293, beer production began in 1925, then stopped in 1929. Production began again in 2012), Mariawald (German, ceased production in 1956), St.-Joseph’s Abbey (Spencer, Massachusetts, certified for production in 2013), Abdij Maria Toevlucht (Zundert, Netherlands, certified for production in 2013), Mont des Cats (France, est. 1826, beer production began 1848, commercialized in 1896, halted production in 1905. Production began again in 2011, but is now made at Scourmont Abbey/Chimay in Belgium), Tre Fontane (Abbazia delle Tre Fontane, Rome, Italy, certified for production in 2015), The International Trappist Association
What temperature should lagers and bitter beers be served at when coming out of a keg?
Lager 9- 11 degrees (48- 52 degrees Fahrenheit)
Bitter beers 12- 13 degrees Celsius (54- 57 degrees Fahrenheit)
