Beer Ingredients Flashcards
Why is barley the preferred cereal for brewing?
-Large proportion of starch relative to other components
-High diastatic power (contains enzymes to break down sugars)
-Barley husks form a useful filter bed
-Good proportion of dextrins and proteins for establishing body and creating a desirable head
What are the major barley types and what are their major differences when it comes to brewing characteristics?
2 row and 6 row. 6 row has more husk material and higher diastatic power
Describe the malting process
1) Barley is harvested and dried to 15% water by weight
2) Dried barley is steeped in water for up to 2 days until 45% water by weight leading to germination
3) malt is laid out for 4-6 days to sprout until “fully modified”
4) Green malt is kilned. This halts germination, dries the malt, adds color, flavor, aroma via maillard process
What is the difference between base and specialty malts
-Base malts are kilned, not roasted or stewed
-Base malts are lighter
-Base malts contain sufficient enzymes to convert all of their starch into fermentable sugars
How do you convert between Degrees Lovibond (L), SRM, and EBC?
L = SRM = EBC/2
What process variations are used to create different malt types?
-Kilning: Applying heat while providing ventilation. Malster can control time, temperature, ventilation/moisture. This is used to create kilned base and specialty malts
-Stewing: heating very wet malt without ventilation to activate enzymes in kernel, followed by a drying. This is used to create crystal and caramel malts
-Roasting: heating dry malt in a drum or barrel. This is used to create chocolate and black malts
Describe the base malts (flavor, color, example if applicable)
Pilsner: 1.5-2 L. Used in pale lagers and continental european ales
Pale: 2-3 L. Used for American and English ales. Example is Maris Otter.
Vienna: 3.5-5 L. Used to make lightly amber beers such as vienna lager. Bread crust aroma.
Munich: 5-10 L. Deep amber beer such as marzen. Caramel or toast aroma.
Describe some kilned specialty malts
Victory: 30 L. Nutty, fresh baked bread crust flavor and light amber color. Made by Briess. Used in nut brown ale (high), as well as doppelbocks, milds, scotch ales, some blonds (lower)
Biscuit: 25-30 L. Toasty and nutty. Used in brown ales (high), as well as amber ales and lagers (lower)
Describe stewed specialty malts
Crystal/caramel malts can be 10-100 L. Lighter malts are sweet, nutty, and light caramel. Darker are deep caramel and dark fruity. Caramelized dextrins cannot be fermented, so these malts lend body and head retention to the beer
Describe some Roasted specialty malts
Chocolate: 200-450 L. Typically provides roast coffee and a burnt character to beer, but can give a bittersweet chocolate. Used in porters, stouts and other dark beers. When de-husked, the flavor is less burnt
Black patent malt: 500 + L. Highly roasty, burnt, coffee flavor. Mildly astringent and dry. Small amounts used in roasty porters and stouts
What effect do oats have on a beer?
Proteins increase head size and retention. Oats add richer, creamy, denser mouthfeel. Can add a cookie flavor to beer.
What effect does wheat have on a beer?
Proteins increase head size and retention. Provides creaminess to the mouthfeel, lightens body, adds a touch of acidity. Generally adds a sweet bready flavor.
What effect does rye have on beer?
Proteins create a richer mouthfeel and better head retention. Adds a spicy flavor.
What effect does rice/corn have on beer?
Lightens the beer’s mouthfeel due to a lack of proteins and dextrins.
What changes to the brewing process are required to use rice/corn?
These grains must be cooked in a moist environment to gelatinize their starches before mashing. Many brewers will use 6-row barley for their increased diastatic power as rice and corn lack sufficient enzymes to process their sugars.
What styles use rice/corn?
American lager and American light lager: up to 40%
Cream ale: up to 20%
International pale, amber, dark lager: sometimes
English bitters, british golden, English IPA, scottish ales: sometimes
Describe the anatomy of the hop plant
-Hops are perennials meaning their rhizomes (roots) survive the winter
-Every year, the rhizome sprouts bines that climb
-Female hop plants make catkins (hop cones)
-The stem of a cone is called a strig
-Bracteoles branch out from the strig (visible part of catkin)
-Lupulin glands in each bracteole are located close to the strig. They produce yellow lupulin which contains hop resins
Where are hops primarily cultivated and why?
between 35 and 55 degrees latitude in both hemispheres. This is because they need a certain day length to trigger cone production
-Australia, New Zealand, US, Germany, England Japan
