Beer Ingredients & Brewing Process Flashcards
What four features make malted barley so great for beer making?
1) Barley has lots of starch that can be easily converted into sugars the yeast can ferment.
2) It has lots of enzymes that convert those starches merely by the addition of hot water.
3) The husk material makes for a great filter bed during mashing.
4) The dextrin & proteins in barley give beer body and the ability to form a good head.
What are the two main varieties of barley?
There are 2-row and 6-row barley varieties, their kernels are arranged differently on the stalk. 6-row barley is native to North America. 2-row barley has larger kernels that contain more carbohydrates and provide a fuller maltier flavor. 6-row contains more proteins and enzymes and produces a grainier flavor.
Name two famous heirloom varieties of barley.
Some of the more famous varietals include Britain’s Maris Otter, Golden Promise and Halcyon, America’s Klages and Harrington, and Czech’s Hana.
During the malting process, what are the three most important results of heating/kilning the barley after germination?
“Green malt” is kilned, stewed, or roasted to whatever color level the maltster desires. This 1) halts the germination process, 2) dries the malt, and 3) adds color by producing melanoidins in the malt via the Maillard process (not the same as caramelization, which concerns sugar).
What is the lightest malt? What is the darkest malt? Approximately what do they measure in degrees Lovibond?
Pilsner base malt is the lightest at about 2L, while roasted malts like Black Patent can reach over 500L.
What is malt kilning and how can it be adjusted for different results?
Kilning is simply applying heat to the malt while providing some ventilation to allow the malt to dry out. The major adjustments the maltster can make during kilning to get different malts are time, temperature, and ventilation. Depending on those factors, the malt will either remain extremely pale or will gain color and flavor via the Maillard process
What is the basic malting process?
1) Dried barley is soaked in water until the germination process begins, activating the enzymes in the kernel.
2) The moist malt is allowed to sprout. Rootlets and a shot called an acrospire come out of the kernel. When the acrospire grows to the length of the kernel, the malt is “fully modified.”
3) The “green malt” is kilned, stewed, or roasted.
What is Lovibond, SRM, and EBC and how are they related?
In the US the color of malt is measured by Degrees Lovibond (°L) or SRM (Standard Reference Method). These are the same number. In Europe they use the EBC (European Brewery Convention), which is Lovibond multiplied by two.
What are the two primary types of malt that brewers use?
Base malts are the primary malt used in the recipe. These are usually lightly kilned and contain enzymes for converting remaining starches in the mash. Specialty malts may or may not be deeply colored and may or may not have any enzymes left depending on how they were cooked. They are typically used in small quantities in addition to base malt to add flavor and color to the beer
How are base malts generally prepared, what is their typical color range, and what do they have that specialty malts often do not?
All the common base malts are kilned. Base malts are light colored malts that contain the enzymatic diastatic power necessary to convert their remaining starches into fermentable sugars during the mash. Base malt makes up the bulk of every beer recipe. They range in color from about 1.5L for pilsner malt to about 10L for Munich malt.
Describe pilsner malt and what it’s commonly used to make.
Pilsner malt is the palest base malt at 1.5-2L. It is typically used to make pale lagers and other European beers such as Belgian styles.
Describe Vienna malt and Munich malt what they’re commonly used to make.
- Vienna malt* is a German base malt used to make amber beers like Vienna Lager. It’s typically about 4L.
- Munich malt* is a German base malt. It is the darkest base malt and will make a deep amber beer that’s caramelly with hints of toast, like Oktoberfest. It is similar to Vienna malt but darker at 7-10L. The darkest versions of Munich malt can be 20L+.
How are stewed specialty malts made and what is the result?
Stewed malt is kilned at about 150°F (a typical mashing temperature) in an extremely moist environment, which results in it being stewed. Its enzymes are activated and convert the starches in the kernel into fermentable sugars. The result is that stewed malts such as crystal and caramel malt have a crunchy bit of sugar in the middle.
How are roasted specialty malts made and what is their color range and typical flavor profile?
Roasted malts are put in a drum or barrel roaster and heated to create lots of dark color and roasty flavor. Roasted malts range from Chocolate malt on the low end to Roasted Barley on the high end and range from 200-650L. They are all black in color. These malts often add a chocolate, coffee, or even acidic burnt flavor and aroma to beer.
Describe pale malt and Maris Otter malt what they’re commonly used to make.
- Pale malt* is a pale base malt, usually about 2L. It is typically used for ales and is the most common base malt.
- Maris Otter* is a barley varietal used as a base malt for most British ales. It’s similar to pale malt, but has a richer malt profile.
What is the range of color that kilned specialty malts have? Name two kilned specialty malts and beer styles made with them.
Kilned specialty malts range in color from 1.5 to 200L and include Aromatic malt (10-20L, dark lagers), Melanoidin malt (20-35L, dark lagers, ambers, Scottish styles), Biscuit malt (20L, nutty, biscuity, British ales), Brown malt (60-70L, brown porters), all the way to Pale Chocolate (200-250L, stouts, porters) at the high end. Victory malt lends a nutty biscuity flavor and amber color (30L, ambers).
What do crystal/caramel malts bring to a beer?
Crystal and caramel malt is available in a range of colors from 10L to over 100L. Lighter versions give beer a sweet caramel flavor, darker versions provide a dried fruit character of raisin, fig, and plum. They also add body to a beer. Commonly used in amber ales.
What’s the difference between Chocolate Malt, Black Patent, and Roasted Barley?
- Chocolate malt* is a dark roasted malt typically over 350L. It provides a bittersweet chocolate and coffee character.
- Black patent malt* is the darkest malt at 500L+. It lends a highly roasty burnt, acrid, ashy, dry character to beer.
- Roasted barley* is in the same color range of these roasted malts but it is not malted before being roasted. It gives stouts their dry acidic roastiness, color, and tan-brown head.
Discuss the history of Black Patent malt.
In 1817 English inventor Daniel Wheeler patented a new drum roaster that could make very dark roasted malt without burning it. Brewers quickly realized that they could use light base malt with more diastatic power and just a small amount of dark roasted specialty malt for the roasty color, flavor, and aroma they desired. It was more efficient and cost effective than using all brown malt to make the popular porter style.
What is an adjunct?
“Adjuncts” are any source of sugar used to make beer that isn’t malted barley (they generally have starch, but no enzymes of their own to convert that starch). Adjuncts include unmalted wheat, rye, corn, rice, or even plain sugar. Some styles require them, including oatmeal stouts, and some rye and wheat beers.
What’s the scientific name for hops and when did they become popular for beer making?
Humulus lupulus. Hops have been cultivated since at least 736 AD, they began to be used in beer around 1000 AD and began to threaten the use of gruit (a mix of bitter herbs and spices) as the primary bittering agent in beer in the 1400s. They were the main bittering agent in all beer by 1600.
Name two Asian hop producing countries and a famous variety each makes.
Japan makes the famed Sorachi Ace varietal, described as lemony and bubblegum like. China is the third largest hop grower in the world, but there is little available information on their varieties.
Name all the major continental European locations for hop growing and famous varieties grown there.
Germany (Spalt, Tettnanger, and Hallertau)
Czech Republic (Saaz)
Belgium (in Poperinge)
Slovenia (Styrian Goldings)
Poland (Styrian Goldings)
France (in Kochersberg and in northern Alsace)
Name two hop producing countries in the Southern Hemisphere and a famous variety they make.
Australia and New Zealand have recently made an impact in craft beer by exporting hops to the US. Their hops are often described as having tropical fruit characteristics.
- New Zealand’s *Nelson Sauvin is the most famous and is described as having the character of passion fruit. Others include Galaxy, Moteuka, and Pacific Gem.
- Australia’s* main hop growing region is the island of Tasmania, its main varietal being Pride of Ringwood.
When are bittering, flavoring, and aroma hop additions added to the boil?
Hops added before the final 30 minutes of the boil are primarily for bittering the beer. Hops added between the final 30 to 15 minutes of the boil are considered flavor hops but may lend some aroma and low levels of bitterness. Hops added during the final 15 minutes up to “flame out” are primarily for aroma.
Name the three major hop producing areas in the USA.
Washington state’s Yakima Valley is the US’s primary hop growing area. Oregon’s Willamette Valley is a major hop growing area. Western Canyon County in Idaho is a major hop growing area.
