Beer Basics
The Four Main Ingredients of Beer
The Great Divide: Ale vs. Lager
The Four Main Ingredients Of Beer
Malted Barley is barley that has been allowed to germinate (sprout) to a certain point, and is then dried. The barley is slowly dried in a kiln at temperatures gradually rising to 122 F for lighter malts and 220 F for darker malts. This kiln drying takes about 30 hours. The degree of drying or toasting in a kiln brings various flavors to the beer. A medium roasted malt will have caramel flavors, while a dark roasted malt will have chocolate or coffee flavors. Other grains such as wheat and rye can also be used instead of or in combination with barley to create specific styles of beer.
Hops are the cone-like flowers of the female hop vine. Hops were originally introduced by brewers to help inhibit the growth of beer spoiling bacteria, to maintain flavor stability, and to help retain the head of the beer. They not only provide bitterness as a counter-point to the relatively sweet malted barley, but they bring various aromas flavors to the beer depending on the type(s) of hops used. Citrus, pineapple, green grass, pepper and pine are just some examples of what one might taste and smell. There are over 50 different varieties of hops which are grown commercially.
Yeast are tiny one-celled organisms that turn sugar from the malted barley into alcohol and carbon dioxide in a process called fermentation. In other words, yeast are what makes beer a bubbly, alcoholic beverage. Yeast also greatly contributes to the flavor of the beer, and specific yeast are used for specific styles. The top-fermenting yeast are used for making ales and stouts, and can lend fruit, butterscotch and buttery flavors. Yeast in German wheat beers provide clove and banana flavors, while yeast in farmhouse-style beers lend flavors of earth, cheese, hay and horse-blanket.
Water is a very substantial ingredient of beer, composing of 90-95 percent of beer by mass. The taste and chemistry of water is a big factor of what caused different styles of beer to be created in different regions. The hard, mineral-laden water of Burton, England contributes greatly to the distinctive taste of Bass (a British Pale Ale), while the softer water of the Czech Republic is what makes authentic Pilsner taste so clean and pure. Through filtering and/or additives, brewers today can change the chemistry of their water to meet the needs of the specific style they wish to brew.
Spices, fruit and other flavorings may be added to beer in ways only limited by a brewer’s imagination. Chili beers provide a kick, while cinnamon, orange peel and cloves can be warming in the cold winter months. Even exotic spices such as cardamom, star anise and grains of paradise are not that uncommon in beer. Raspberries, cherries, peaches, apricots and currants are among many fruits traditionally used in Belgian lambics. And pumpkin has become an autumn favorite of American brewer
The Great Divide: Ale vs. Lager
Much like the wine world which is primarily divided between Reds & Whites, most of the beer world falls into the categories of either Ales or Lagers. The basic difference is that ales use top fermenting yeast, are fermented for a relatively short time (1-2 weeks) at warmer temperatures, and result in what is typically a darker, fruitier brew. Stouts, Porters and Dubbels are all ales. Lagers use bottom fermenting yeast, are fermented for several weeks at cold temperatures, resulting in a clearer, often lighter colored and crisper brew. Most popular American beers (Budweiser, Miller and Coors) are all lagers.
A Lager of a Different Color
There are exceptions to every rule: Schwarzbier is an almost black German Lager, while some Belgian Tripels (Ale) may be lighter in color than many lagers.
Beers come in varying strengths. While most mass-market American beers are typically 3% to 5% A.B.V. (alcohol by volume), there are some strong styles and varieties of beer that can reach 8% A.B.V. or more. For comparison, wines typically range between 8%-12% alcohol content. To figure out the alcohol content of hard liquor, simply divide the proof by two. For example, an 80 proof vodka is 40% alcohol.
Now That’s a Real Devil of a Beer
Dogfish Head Worldwide Stout is the strongest beer currently in production with a whopping 18% ABV and 666 calories per 12 oz bottle. Samuel Adams Utopia was the strongest beer ever produced at 25% alcohol. Only 8,500 bottles were made, at a price of $100 each.
Pale Ale
The English Pale Ale can be traced back to the city of Burton-upon-Trent, a city with an abundance of rich hard water. This hard water helps with the clarity as well as enhancing the hop bitterness. This ale can be from golden to reddish amber in color with generally a good head retention. A mix of fruity, hoppy, earthy, buttery and malty aromas and flavors can be found. American versions tend to be heavier on the hops.
Common examples of Pale Ales: Bass Ale, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and Ballast Point Yellowtail Pale Ale
IPA – India Pale Ale
This typically very hoppy ale originated in England when brewers were trying to find a method for their ales to travel well over the long sea voyage to the British colony of India. Hops are a natural preservative, and adding more hops helped the beer to survive the long trip. First brewed in England and exported for the British troops in India during the late 1700s.
Common examples of IPA’s: Dogfish Head 60 Minute IPA, Russian River Blind Pig, and Port Brewing Wipeout.
ESB – Extra Special (or Strong) Bitter
A historically British style of Ale, the Bitter style came from brewers who wanted to differentiate these ales from other mild brews, with pale malts and more hops. Extra Special Bitters are essentially more aggressive and more balanced Bitters, both in alcohol and hop character, but nothing overpowering. The malts tend to be more pronounced, often leading to toasty and fruity flavors,
Common examples of ESB’s: Fuller’s ESB, Young’s Special London Ale, and Redhook ESB
Porters
Porter is said to have been popular with transportation workers of Central London, hence the name. Most traditional British brewing documentation from the 1700’s state that Porter was a blend of three different styles: an old ale (stale or soured), a new ale (brown or pale ale) and a weak one (mild ale), with various combinations of blending and staleness, leading to a pleasing taste of neither new nor old. It was the first truly engineered beer, catering to the publics taste.
Modern-day Porters are typically just a single brew rather than a blend, but are similar in flavor to their ancestors. Hop bitterness is moderate on the whole and color ranges from brown to black. Overall they remain very complex and interesting beers.
Common examples of Porters: Stone Smoked Porter, Sierra Nevada Porter, Samuel Smith’s Taddy Porter
For more information on porters, click here
Stouts
An extra-dark, almost black, top-fermenting brew, made with highly roasted malts. Sweet stout, an English style, usually contains milk sugars (lactose) resulting in a sweet & creamy brew. Dry stout, the Irish style, is typified by Guinness, contains roasted unmalted barley and only a small amount of hops, which leads to a coffee-like roasted and slightly bitter dry brew. Imperial Stout, originally brewed as a winter warmer, for sale in the Tsarist Russian Empire, is medium dry and distinguished by its great strength: anything from 7% to more than 10% ABV. Oatmeal Stouts are yet another variation, where the oats not only add a lot of smoothness to the mouth feel but give a touch of sweetness that is unlike any other type of stout.
Average alcohol by volume (abv) range: 4.0-7.0%
Common examples of Stouts: Guinness Stout, Murphey's Irish Stout, Young's Double Chocolate Stout, and Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout.
Drink Stout for Your Health!
Many people assume that due to their dark color and strong flavor that stouts are high in both alcohol and calories. In fact, most stouts (with the exception of Imperial Stouts) are typically relatively low in both alcohol and calories. So go ahead, and have a second pint! Or a third!
Barley Wine
Despite its name, a Barleywine is very much a beer, albeit a very strong and often intense beer! In fact, it's one of the strongest of the beer styles. Lively and fruity, sometimes sweet, sometimes bittersweet, but always alcoholic. A brew of this strength and complexity can be a challenge to the palate. Expect anything from an amber to dark brown colored beer, with aromas ranging from intense fruits to intense hops.
Most Barleywines can be cellared for years and typically age like wine, becoming both more mellow (in terms of alcohol content) and more complex (in terms of flavor).
Average alcohol by volume (abv) range: 7.0-12.0%
Common examples of this style: Green Flash Barleywine, J.W. Lees Vintage Harvest Ale, Insanity (Weyerbacher Brewing Co.)
Abbey Ales – Dubbels, Trippels, Quads
The Trappist Abbeys of Belgium are notorious for their wonderful distinctive beer. They are only six such breweries which are allowed to say Trappist on their label: Westmalle, Westvleteren, Chimay, Rochefort, Orval and Achel. These are still all brewed in the tradition of, and with the supervision of, the brothers of their respective monasteries. The popularity of these beers has lead many brewers to copy their unique styles. These are generically referred to as Abbey-Style Ales, of which there are four distinct types: Dubbels, Tripels and Quads.
Pilsner
The birth of Pilsner beer can be traced back to its namesake, the ancient city of Plzen (or Pilsen) which is situated in the western half of the Czech Republic. They have a light straw to golden color and appear crystal clear. Hops are very prevalent usually with a spicy bitterness and or a spicy floral flavor and aroma. Smooth and crisp with a clean malty palate, many are grassy. While many American Lagers (e.g. Budweiser) may refer to themselves as Pilsners, these examples often lack the distinctive hop flavor and are brewed with grains other than barley (such as corn and rice) making them far sweeter and more mellow than more authentic versions.
Common examples of Pilsners: Gilde Pilsener, Jever Pilsener
Lager
Lager is a catch-all term that is used on labels of various styles of beer, all of which use bottom fermenting yeast and are brewed at cooler temperatures. Budweiser and Coors Original are both examples of American Adjunct Lagers, meaning lagers that use grains other than barley (mainly corn and rice). These tend to have a very mild flavor, and are pale in color. To differentiate themselves from Adjunct Lagers brewed by major breweries, the lagers brewed by craft breweries are often referred to as All-Malt Lagers, meaning no added grains are used. The true malt character and taste comes through in these examples.
Sam Adams Boston Lager and Dos Equis are both Vienna Style Lagers. These tend to be reddish in color, and have a richer flavor and more prevalent hops. Many other traditional German styles such as Oktoberfest, Dunkel, Bock and Helles fall into the Lager category. A wide variety of colors, aromas and flavors are all possible within this broad style.
Common examples of Lagers: Brooklyn Lager (All-Malt Lager), Negro Modelo (Vienna Lager), Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest, Dinkel Acker Dark (Dunkel), Paulaner Original (Helles)
Malted barley is typically one of the four main ingredients in beer, along with hops, yeast and water. However, barley isn’t the only grain one can use. Typically, so-called “Wheat Beers” replace only some of the barley with wheat, so the barley is still in there. The wheat is added to provide a distinct flavor, as well as when paired with the right yeast, a “fizzy” sort of carbonation that makes such beers so refreshing on a hot summer day.
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Time to Learn Some German
Germany is where Wheat Beers truly shine, and the Germans therefore are responsible for the naming of various styles of wheat beers. Who would think that drinking beer would also help to make you multilingual?
Weissebier – Literally translated, this means “white beer” because of its relatively light color. The most basic and lightest of all German-style wheat beers. Also sometimes called a Weizen.
Hefeweizen – “Hefe” meaning yeast, this is an unfiltered wheat beer, where a small amount of yeast is bottled with the beer, which helps to condition the beer and brings forth flavors such as banana, clove and other spices.
Dunkel Weizen – “Dunkel” means dark, and the darkness comes from darker roasted malts, which add a deeper, richer malty flavor to the beer. Combined with the crisp, light character of the wheat, you end up with a very complex and interesting beer. Between the banana and clove flavors of the yeast, and the sweetness of the darker malts, this may remind some drinkers of banana-bread.
Weizenbock – “Bock” in German means goat… and how this became applied to beer, no one really knows for sure. Essentially, when the term “bock” is used for a beer, it usually means a beer that is stronger both in flavor in alcohol content. Essentially, a weizenbock is a more powerful version of a Dunkel Weizen.
While you’ll taste many of the flavors described in a Dunkel Weizen, darker fruit flavors come forward too such as cherries and raisins. Some might compare it to fruitcake, but given the bad rap that fruitcake gets, it wouldn’t be fair to make that comparison to this wonderful brew. Overall, the most complex in flavor of all the German wheat beers.
Witbier – The Belgian interpretation of a wheat beer, which also literally means “white beer”. Typically this beer is unfiltered, and is brewed with coriander and orange peel, along with other spices unique to each brewer. Oats are also sometimes used in addition to wheat and malted barley. Definitely a great beer to enjoy on a hot summer day.
Ein Bier, bitte – “One Beer, please” – The most important German phrase one should know!
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Time to Practice Your German
Now that you know the terms, it’s time to put them to good use by ordering one. And while Germany has its share of classic examples, some American brewers are making worthy wheat beers as well. Here are some great examples:
Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier – The true original Hefeweizen, brewed by “the oldest brewery in the world”. Big white head, crisp taste and spicy finish… everything a hefeweizen should be. Hacker-Pschorr and Paulaner are two other true German hefeweizens more commonly found in the U.S.
Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse Dunkel – A classic German example of the Dunkel Weizen style, you can truly taste both the crisp wheat and sweet malt in this example.
Ramstein Winter Wheat – A truly great tribute to German brewing from good old New Jersey. Only brewed during the colder months, it’s the real dark side of wheat beer.
Aventinus – An amazingly dark, rich and complex Weizenbock from Schneider & Sohn, happily found more commonly these days in the U.S.
Brooklyner Weissebock – Not as dark and rich as Aventinus, but amazingly complex. Overall, a delicious example of a German beer brewed in Brooklyn U.S.A. Unfortunately, this one’s only available on-tap.
Hoegaarden Original White Ale – The true original Belgian Witbier. And while it will always be a classic, some American brewers are making witbiers that might just be surpassing the original.
Allagash White – The Allagash Brewery in Maine makes some wonderful Belgian-style beers, and this Witte is the perfect choice for summer drinking.
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To Lemon or Not To Lemon?
That is the question! Many a bartender will add a slice of lemon to the rim of your glass when ordering a wheat beer. Some beer purists feel that the lemon shouldn’t be there at all… why mask the taste of a perfectly good beer? Others will point out that even in Germany, home to so many wonderful wheat beers, that a lemon is a traditional accompaniment to lighter styles. Truly, there is no right or wrong, just a matter of personal taste. However, I do suggest tasting the beer before squeezing that lemon in. Some wheat beers have a citrusy character of their own, and adding the lemon might be overkill.
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The Basics of Hops
There are four main ingredients in most beers. They are malted barley, yeast, water and hops. For this topic, we are focusing on the hops. Hops are the most recent of these four ingredients to become a staple of beer. They serve several purposes:
Hops are a natural preservative that helps beer to last longer. In the years before refrigeration, they helped beer to last through the heat of the summer. They also helped preserve the beer for travels to distant lands.
Before hops, the beer you drank was the beer closest to home. Without hops, you probably couldn't enjoy an ice-cold Corona from Mexico on a hot summer day in the U.S. (Of course, the invention of modern refrigeration, tractor-trailer trucks and multi-national ad campaigns helped this too!)
Before hops were discovered by brewers, various spices were used in beer, such as rosemary, ginger and anise. Hops provide a bitterness and spicy flavor that balance the sweetness of the malted barley.
Hops also help to clarify the beer, which is especially important in pilsners to produce their clear golden appearance.
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"Hey, bartender! There's flowers in my beer!"
They're supposed to be there (but you never actually see them). Hops are actually a cone-shaped flower (with a shape similar to a pinecone) grown on a vine. Germany, England and the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. are the most well-respected hop growing regions of the world.
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Hop Terminology
Bittering hops: Hops added early on in the brewing process at the beginning of the boil to provide bitterness, but add little to the overall flavor.
Flavoring hops: Added during the last 5 to 15 minutes of the boil to season the beer without boiling off their flavor and aroma.
Dry hopping: Hops added to the fermenting tank or cask. It adds no bitterness to the beer, and simply brings out a greater hop character. Beers that are labeled as "dry-hopped" will have a much greater hops presence.
Hop-head: A beer drinker who loves beers with lots of hops!
Hop-to-it: I need a beer, and I need it now :)
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Varieties of Hops
There are literally dozens of varieties of hops available to brewers. Here are just a few examples of flavoring hops, and the beers you might find them in:
Saaz Hops:
This is the variety of hops found in most true German Pilsners. They bring a fine spicy bitterness and floral aroma to these beers. Gilde Pilsner is a fine well-balanced example that can be found here in the U.S.
Jever is also a very good & widely-available example that has a much more pronounced hop bitterness.
Kent Goldings & Fuggle Hops:
You'll typically find these two varieties paired in true English Pale Ales. They tend to lend earthy flavors and aromas such as hay or fennel to the brew. While there are plenty of examples of English Pale Ales to choose from, Bass Ale is the most well-known in the U.S.
Cascade Hops:
American West Coast brewers just can't seem to get enough of these distinctive hops. They have a citrus and pine aroma and taste, with flavors such as grapefruit and pineapple coming through. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is a very popular "hoppy" example that many hop-heads enjoy. Certainly a quality brew, but a little too bitter for my enjoyment. I personally find Anchor Liberty Ale a more balanced, less bitter brew where one can taste the true character of the Cascade hops. Both of these California ales can be found throughout the U.S.
Multiple Hop Varieties:
While many of the previous listed examples use more than one variety of hops, they clearly have one variety whose character is very present in taste and aroma of the beer. However, brewers can use multiple hop varieties to create interesting varied and complex flavors. Bridgeport IPA from Oregon uses Cascade, Chinook, Golding, Crystal and Northwest Ultra hops, resulting in a beer where one can truly smell and taste the floral nature of the hops. I find the level of bitterness to be just right in this one. Unfortunately, it's hard to find this one beyond the West Coast. On the East Coast, Weyerbacher Hops Infusion uses Target, Magnum, Cascade, Liberty, Willamette, Fuggles and East Kent Goldings hops to create a beer that's high on hops, but not overly bitter.
For All You Hop Heads:
American IPA's are where hops truly shine. One of the best beers for experiencing the true power of hops is Dogfish Head IPA. It comes in 60-, 90- and 120-minute varieties, each progressively more bitter, more hoppy, and with more alcohol content. Even the 60-minute variety is aggressively hopped, but the 90 and 120 minute are extreme to say the least, and are probably only enjoyed by those who are true hop-heads!
And at $10 a bottle and 20% alcohol, you're probably not going to be drinking a six-pack of the 120-minute variety.
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- Benjamin Franklin
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