You are on page 1of 10

BEER

It is a potable alcoholic beverage fermented from cereals and malt, flavored


with hops 3% to 8% by volume. Beer is the world's oldest and most popular
alcoholic beverage. Some of the earliest known writings refer to the production
and distribution of beer. It is produced by the fermentation of sugars derived
from starch-based material — the most common being malted barley; however,
wheat, corn, and rice are also widely used, usually in conjunction with barley.
The process of beer production is called brewing.

A Brief History of Beer


The origins of beer are older than recorded history, extending into the
mythology of ancient civilizations. Beer, the oldest alcohol beverage, was
discovered independently by most ancient cultures - the Babylonians,
Assyrians, Egyptians, Hebrews, Africans, Chinese, Incas, Tautens, Saxons and
the various wandering tribes that were found in Eurasia. These ancient peoples
have left records to indicate they not only enjoyed their beer, but considered
brewing to be a serious and important job. In recorded history, Babylonian clay
tablets more than 6,000 years old depict the brewing of beer and give detailed
recipes. An extract from an ancient Chinese manuscript states that beer, or kiu
as it was called, was known to the Chinese as early as the 23rd century BC.
Beer was enjoyed by ancient peoples at all levels of society. Of course, some
drank with more style than others. For example, the University of Pennsylvania
Museum displays a golden straw used by Queen Shubad of Mesopotamia for
sipping beer.
With the rise of commerce and the growth of cities during the Middle Ages,
brewing became more than a household activity. Municipal brew houses were
established, which eventually led to the formation of the brewing guilds.
Commercial brewing on a significantly larger scale began around the 12th
century in Germany. Although native Americans had developed a form of beer,
Europeans brought their own version with them to the New World. Beer enjoys
the distinction of having come over on the Mayflower and, in fact, seems to
have played a part in the Pilgrims decision to land at Plymouth Rock instead of
farther south, as intended. A journal kept by one of the passengers - now in the
Library of Congress - states, in an entry from 1620, that the Mayflower landed
at Plymouth because We could not now take time for further search or
consideration, our victuals being much spent, especially our beer...
The first commercial brewery in America was founded in New Amsterdam
(New York) in 1623. Many patriots owned their own breweries, among them
Samuel Adams and William Penn. Thomas Jefferson was also interested in
brewing and made beer at Monticello. George Washington even had his own
brew house on the grounds of Mount Vernon, and his handwritten recipe for
beer dated 1757 and taken from his diary - is still preserved!

TYPES OF BEER
1. Lager The word lager is derived from the German verb “lagern”, which
means: to store. During the late middle ages, before the days of refrigeration,
fermentation was a hit-or-miss affair, especially during the hot summer months.
To ensure a supply of beer for the summer, brewers in the Bavarian Alps stored
kegs of spring brew in icy mountain caves. As the beer slowly aged, the yeast
settled, creating a drink that was dark but clear and sparkling with a crisper,
more delicate flavour. In 1842, lager acquired its familiar golden colour when a
brewery in Pilsen, Czechoslovakia perfected a pale, bottom-fermented version
of the beer. Lagers typically take more time to brew and are aged longer than
ales. Lagers are best enjoyed at cooler-than-room temperature.
2. Bock Beer
The other bottom-fermented beer is bock, named for the famous medieval
German brewing town of Einbeck. Heavier than lager and darkened by high-
coloured malts, bock is traditionally brewed in the winter for drinking during
the spring.

3. Ale Although the term covers a fascinating variety of styles, all ales share
certain characteristics. Top-fermentation and the inclusion of more hops in the
wort gives these beers a distinctive fruitiness, acidity and a pleasantly-bitter
seasoning. All ales typically take less time to brew and age then lagers and have
a more assertive, individual personality, though their alcoholic strength may be
the same. Ales are best enjoyed at room temperature or slightly warmer.
4. Porter and Stout
Whether dry or sweet, flavoured with roasted malt barley, oats or certain
sugars, stouts and porters are characterized by darkness and depth. Both types
of beer are delicious with hearty meat stews and surprisingly good with
shellfish. The pairing of oysters and stout has long been acknowledged as one
of the world's great gastronomic marriages.
5. Dry “Dry” refers to the amount of residual sugar left in a beer following
fermentation. This type of beer is fermented for longer than normal brews so
that practically all of the residual sugar is converted into alcohol. The result is a
beer which consumers describe as having a crisp flavour, clean finish and very
little aftertaste.
6. PILSNER: A beer named after pilsner, who introduced beer to the
World, it is bright lagered beer.

7. DRAUGHT AND KEG: Draught beer from a pressurised keg is the


most common method of dispensing in bars around the world. A metal keg is
pressurised with carbon dioxide (CO2) gas which drives the beer to the
dispensing tap or faucet. Some beers, notably stouts, such as Guinness and
"smooth" bitters, such as Boddingtons, may be served with a nitrogen/carbon
dioxide mixture. Nitrogen produces fine bubbles, resulting in a dense head and
a creamy mouthfeel.

TERMINOLOGY IN BEER
1. WEISSEN BEER: German beer made of wheat
2. OCTOBER FEST: German beer festival
3. MARZEN BEER: (March Beer): Accompanied by pork, roast chicken,
pork sausages and pickled cabbage.
4. FEST BEER: German for a beer made especially for festival.

BOCKTAILS
1. RED INDIAN: Tomato Juice + Beer
2. SHANDY: Lemonade + Beer
3. COLORADE: Coke + Beer
4. BLACK VELVET: Guiness * Ale + Beer (* Brand name of
Ale)

INGREDIENTS OF BEER:

(a) MALT: Usually barley is used to make malt. Other grains such as
wheat, rice, corn, maize etc. can also be used. The malt prepared according to
the brew masters satisfaction. The most common starch source is malted cereal.
And among malts, barley malt is the most widely used owing to its high
amylase content, a digestive enzyme which facilitates the breakdown of the
starch into sugars. However, depending on what can be cultivated locally, other
malted and unmalted grains may be used, including wheat, rice, oats, and rye,
and less frequently, maize and sorghum. Malt is formed from grain by soaking
it in water, allowing it to start to germinate, and then drying the germinated
grain in a kiln. Malting the grain produces the enzymes that will eventually
convert the starches in the grain into fermentable sugars. Different roasting
times and temperatures are used to produce different colours of malt from the
same grain. Darker malts will produce darker beers. Two or more types of malt
may be combined.

(b) WATER: It gives body / bulk to the beer. 90% of beer consists of
water. The water is chemically treated before being used into production.
Pure water is an essential ingredient in good beer and brewers pay scrupulous
attention to the source and purification of their brewing water. The water used
in brewing is purified to rigidly-set standards. If it does not have the proper
calcium or acidic content for maximum activity of the enzymes in the mash, it
must be brought up to that standard.

(c) STARCH SOURCE


The starch source in a beer provides the fermentable material in a beer and is a
key determinant of the character of the beer. The most common starch source
used in beer is malted grain. Grain is malted by soaking it in water, allowing it
to begin germination, and then drying the partially germinated grain in a kiln.
Malting grain produces enzymes that convert starches in the grain into
fermentable sugars. Different roasting times and temperatures are used to
produce different colours of malt from the same grain. Darker malts will
produce darker beers.
Nearly all beer includes barley malt as the majority of the starch.
This is because of its fibrous husk, which is not only important in the sparging
stage of brewing, but also a rich source of amylase, a digestive enzyme which
facilitates conversion of starch into sugars. Other malted and unmalted grains
(including wheat, rice, oats, and rye, and less frequently, corn and sorghum)
may be used. In recent years several American manufacturers have produced
gluten-free beer made with sorghum with no barley malt for those who cannot
consume gluten-containing grains like wheat, barley, and rye.

(d) HOPS: These are the main flavoring agents in the beer. Hops are
flower of a vine like plants and resembles pine-cones. These are the plants
from nettle family. Best species of hops comes from Czechoslovakia and are
called “Bohmain Hops”.
Hops have commonly been used as a bittering agent in beer for over a thousand
years, the earliest evidence of cultivation for this purpose dates back to th e
seventeenth century (according to Judith M. Bennett). Hops contain several
characteristics very favourable to beer: (a) hops contribute a bitterness that
balances the sweetness of the malt, (b) hops also contribute aromas which range
from flowery to citrus to herbal, (c) hops have an antibiotic effect that favours
the activity of brewer's yeast over less desirable microorganisms and (d) the use
of hops aids in "head retention", the length of time that a foamy head created by
the beer's carbonation agent will last. The bitterness of commercially-brewed
beers is measured on the International Bitterness Units scale. While hop plants
are grown by farmers all around the world in many different varieties, there is
no major commercial use for hops other than in beer.

(e) YEAST: The two types of yeasts are used:


(i) Top Fermentation: Saccharomyees Cerevisae: This is
an acrobic yeast which works best at the temperature of 15 – 20 degree Celsius
and in this case, yeast comes at the top of liquid and fermentation is completed
within 3 – 6 days.
(ii) Bottom Fermentation: Saccharomyeen Carlsbergensis: This is
an anacrobic yeast which works best at the temperature of 5 – 9 degree Celsius.
In this case yeast settle down at bottom of liquid and fermentation is completed
in 7 – 14 days.

(f) SUGAR: Chemically refined and dissolved sugar is used, which


helps in giving pale color and less bitterness in beers.

(g) FINNING: Such as isinglass, used for clarifying the beer after
fermentation. Some brewers add one or more clarifying agents to beer that are
not required to be published as ingredients. Common examples of these include
Isinglass finings, obtained from swimbladders of fish; kappa carrageenan,
derived from seaweed; Irish moss, a type of red alga; polyclar (artificial), and
gelatin. Since these ingredients may be derived from animals, those concerned
with the use or consumption of animal products should obtain specific details of
the filtration process from the brewer.

(h) PRIMMING: This is a solution of sugar and hops added to the


draught beer at racking.

PROCESS OF MAKING BEER / BREWING PROCESS


1. MASHING: Converts starch into sugar i.e. Barley malt ground into
grist, fed into containers called Mashtun with hot water cooked together at low
temperature (154 degree F) for 1 – 6 hrs. The malt grains get activated,
converting starch to sugar grain, residue is strained and the remaining is called
Wort goes to the brewing kettle.
2. BREWING: Boiling wort + hops (Imparts flavor). This mixture is
boiled for 1 – 2 ½ hrs in a brewing kettle. Then strained and wort is cooled in a
cooler.
3. FERMENTING: Brewers yeast is added which converts sugar to
alcohol + CO2. In case of lager beer – yeast settles down in bottle thus known
as “Bottom Fermentation”. In case of ales, yeast rises, thus known as Top
fermentation. During fermentation CO2 may get collected and stored to add in
later stage.
4. LOGERING: It matures or ripens the beer, mellowing in flavor then
brought to near freezing temperature. It lasts for several weeks or months in
stainless steel or glass tanks and then CO2 is added and then the beer is
kegged / bottled / or canned.

CONTENTS OF BEER

1. Water: 89-91% by weight.


2. Alcohol: 3-5% by weight (in exceptional cases, up to 8%
3. Carbohydrates, sugar or dextrin: 3-4% by weight.
4. Protein: 0.4-0.5% by weight.

5. Carbon dioxide gas: 0.4-0.5% by weight.

6. Minerals, salts: 0.2% by weight.

BEER MANUFACTURE CHART


Barley (Generally, the entire crop of the village is
Bought. It is cut, dried naturally and stored
Ripened in sacks, fumigated, away from the floor
And walls, for better ventilation. The
Stored barley is screened for any foreign material
like straw and pebbles. This is done on
Screened conveyor belts or floors, mechanically or manually).

Soaked (The barley is soaked in water for 3-4 days, so


that the Barley can absorb water to its fullest
strength.
This softens the gluten).

Green malt (The barley is spread on a 'Malting Floor', with


a very small amount of moisture. The barley
germinates to form 'Green Malt').
Beer can be packed in the following manners:

1. KEG OR BARREL: Its main disadvantage is that it imparts a woody


flavor. Nowadays steel or aluminum containers are used. A wood keg can
withstand about 30016 / cm2. Even though yeast is filtered out, some of it is
retained which continues to act on sugar to produce CO2, thus this CO2 can
produce enough pressure to burst the wooden barrel. But in aluminum and steel
barrels this can not hopper.
2. BOTTLES AND CANES: Earlier dark colored bottles were used so
that sunlight cannot activate the yeast to start multiplying. To increase the shelf
life, the bottles and cans are immense in water at a temperature of 140 -150
degree F. It kills the yeast and also reduces the flavor. This process is called
Pasteurization.

S.NO. U.S. ENGLISH GERMAN DUTCH/HOLLAND


BEERS BEERS BEERS BEERS
1. Shultz Shesture Lowen Brau Hieneken
2. Mouseey London pride Becks Royal Dutch
3. Budweiser Wood worth Holsten Three Horses
4. Coors Old Times Stern Orange Boom
5. Signature Little John Amstel
6. Miller Bass
7. Carling White Bread
8. Old Top Double
Diamond
9. Strons Bass Red
S.NO. FRENCH DENMARK ITALIAN AUSTRALIAN
BEERS BEERS BEERS BEERS
1. 33 Export Carlsberg Merotti Fosters
2. Fischer Tuborg Poretti Leopard
3. Neptune Coopers
4. Odin Westend
5. Cascade
6. Abotts

S.NO. INDIAN BEERS BRAZILIAN MEXICAN IRELAND


BEER BEER BEER
1. King Fisher Brahma Corona Harp Lager
Beer
2. Kalyani Black Antartica Carta Blanco Guiness Stout
Label
3. Golden Eagle
4. Sand Piper
5. London Pilsner
6. Black Knight
7. Haywards
2000/5000/10000
8. God Father
9. Thunderbolt

Serving temperature:-
The temperature of a beer has an influence on a drinker's
experience. Colder temperatures allow fully attenuated beers such as pale lagers
to be enjoyed for their crispness; while warmer temperatures allow the more
rounded flavours of an ale or a stout to be perceived. Beer writer Michael
Jackson proposed a five-level scale for serving temperatures: well chilled (7
°C/45 °F) for "light" beers (pale lagers), chilled (8 °C/47 °F) for Berliner
Weisse and other wheat beers, lightly chilled (9 °C/48 °F) for all dark lagers,
altbier and German wheat beers, cellar temperature (13 °C/55 °F) for regular
British ale, stout and most Belgian specialities and room temperature (15.5
°C/60 °F) for strong dark ales (especially trappist beer) and barley wine.
Beer is consumed out of a variety of vessels, such as a glass, a beer stein, a
mug, a pewter tankard, a beer bottle or a can. Some drinkers consider that the
type of vessel influences their enjoyment of the beer. In Europe, particularly
Belgium, breweries offer branded glassware intended only for their own beers.
The pouring process has an influence on a beer's presentation. The rate of flow
from the tap or other serving vessel, tilt of the glass, and position of the pour (in
the centre or down the side) into the glass all influence the end result, such as
the size and longevity of the head, lacing (the pattern left by the head as it
moves down the glass as the beer is drunk), and turbulence of the beer and its
release of carbonation.

You might also like