Wine, Cider, Beer, and Vinegar Flashcards
what is beer?
a solution of water, alcohol and carbon dioxide that is flavored by carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, and different aromatic compounds that it acquires from malt, hops, and yeast.
what is brewing?
Is the combined process of preparing beverages from the infusion of grains that have undergone sprouting, and subsequent fermentation of the sugary solution produced, by yeast – where a proportion of the carbohydrate is converted to ethanol and carbon dioxide
what is gravity density of the wort?
a way of calculating the amount of dissolved substances, largely sugars that will be converted into alcohol. expressed as original gravity
how is gravity calculated?
calculated using either a hydrometer or a refractometer
what is a hydrometer?
A weighted glass tube with a scale on the inside which stops at the relative density of the liquid being measured
what is a refractometer?
Measures the original gravity only, based on the refractive properties of sugar. Alcohol distorts the readings
what is terminal gravity?
how much gravity is left after the fermentation is finished and can be used to calculate the alcohol content of the finished beer (or wine, or cider
what is the alcohol by volume and how do you calculate it?
The percentage of ethanol in the finished beer
ABV = (OG - TG) * 131.25
color of a beer
The value of lightness/ darkness and red/ yellowness of a beer. Light/ dark measurements are acquired by measuring the beer in a spectrophotometer. Tristimulus are used to assess colour.
bitterness of a beer
Is the level of bitterness you taste when you drink beer. It is measured in bitterness units (BU) which relates to ppm isomerized alpha acid
what is attenuation and how can it be altered?
way to measure how complete a fermentation process is.
Apparent Attenuation=(OG-TG)/OG
can be altered by sugar type, mashing method, composition of the wort, or type of yeast.
high apparent attenuation signifies a … beer, while low apparent attenuation signify a … beer
dry
sweet
what is malting? what is the aim?
- the process of allowing the grain to germinate (usually by soaking them in water) => controlled germination process
- The aim of malting is to transform the food reserves in the grain into substrates that are convenient for fermenting in the brewery
describe the malting process
- The moisture content of the grains at the start and during storage shouldn’t be higher than 20%
- To commence the malting the grains are soaked in water to start germination (8h) (happens when the grains are at 42-46% moisture)
- The water is not left on the grains there are intermittent periods of drainage (10-14h) when air is blown though
- CO2 is dispersed and this promotes germination
- Air is blown through the germinating grain bed, and grains are turned slowing in drums or by automated turning arms
what is milling? what are the 2 types?
process that breaks down the malt into smaller more fermentable sizes
- wet and dry milling
what is the makes up beer?
water + malt + hops + yeast = beer
what is mashing?
process where ground malt is mixed with brewing water, such that a fermentable extract is produced that will support the growth of yeast
what is produced after mashing?
wort
what are the three varieties of hops?
- aroma hops
- alpha hops (flavour)
- dual purpose hops
what do we do with the produced wort after mashing?
it is boiled with hops for a bit over an hour before being cooled down and yeast is added
what is the purpose of adding hops to beer making?
it adds bitterness to the beer, but can also add a floral taste or fruity or citrusy flavour or aromas
which yeast is used for the fermentation of beer?
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
what causes a “cold-shock” during fermentation
if the wort is more than 5C cooler than the yeast. this will result in a prolonged lag period (normally it is 6-15h)
what are fusel alcohols?
alcoholsthat contain more than two carbons. (Ethanol is a two carbon atom molecule)
what can cause fusel alcohol?
yeast stress can lead to undesirable fusel alcohol production
what is the wort composition?
- maltose (50-60%)
- dextrin (20-30%)
- matotriose (15-20%)
- glucose (10-15%)
- fructose (1-2%)
- sucrose (1-2%)
in which environment does yeast grow in?
aerobic and anaerobic
… conditions are essential for the production of …. by yeast. What happens in the presence of oxygen?
anaerobic
alcohol
sugar up-take is diminished
how long does the beer fermentation last?
theoretically, as long as anaerobic conditions are available and there are hexoses in the media
why does the theoretical fermentation process of beer does not actually happen in practice? (3 reasons)
- Budding requires cell wall synthesis which cannot happen in anaerobic conditions, therefore eventually growth must cease
- Eventually the level of ethanol present becomes toxic to yeast
- When fermentation slows the yeast cells flocculate and sediment out (which causes growth to slow even further)
explain the beer fermentation process
The lag phase is followed by a short phase of exponential growth
During the exponential growth phase the yeast density can increase by four- to six-fold
During exponential growth yeast are at their highest level of utilizing sugars and producing ethanol and carbon dioxide
A considerable amount of heat is also produced, and cooling is usually needed to keep the temperature down to 20-22C
If the temperature gets too high higher (fusel) alcohols (propanol, iso-amyl alcohol, or iso-butyl alcohol) will be produced, and this will impart off-flavours
Exponential growth lasts for 48-60 hours, after which growth is decelerated before the cells reach stationary phase
what are the 3 phases of beer fermentation?
- lag phase
- exponential growth
- stationary phase