Beer

Basic Beer Terminology

Beer: A fermented drink made from malted grain, seasoned with hops.

Body: Beer is described as light-bodied, medium-bodied, or dark-bodied; the darker the beer, the fuller the body.

Grist: Ground barley.

Fruit beer: Any style of beer with fruit juice added.

Hops: A plant with cone-shaped flowers that are used to flavor beer; the hops flowers themselves.

Malting: Barley cured by heating, also. called malt or malted barley when processed

Mash Tun: A wood-lined vat used in brewing beer.

Mouth feel: The way beer feels in one's mouth.

Wheat Beer: A beer with a clove-like bouquet, made from 20%-60% wheat.

Wort: A sweet liquid that is produced while cooking malted barley during the beer-making process. Beer is also called wort before yeast is added.

Beer Brewing

Barley is the grain most often used in brewing beer, and will be what is meant whenever 'grain' is mentioned. The following describes the process of malting and drying the grain and brewing it into beer.

During the malting process, the barley is soaked in a vat for 40 candlemarks. The water is changed several times to prevent bacteria from infecting the grain. The water is drained off, and the grain is left in the vat for 6 to 12 additional candlemarks. The barley is then laid out in a well-ventilated room and allowed to germinate. This process requires considerable amounts of oxygen and creates a lot of heat. The resulting barley is called green malt.

Next is the drying. The germinated grain is put into a kiln and heated. This heating process can take 35 to 40 candlemarks. The temperature is kept very low in the beginning and then raised, to cure the malt.

After the grain is roasted, it is screened to remove the sprouts. These sprouts can be fed to herdbeasts so as not to waste them. The remaining kernels are milled or ground into grist.

The grist is poured into a mash tun, where it is soaked and stirred in hot water (140+ degrees). This is when the sugars and flavors are extracted. The temperature in the mash determines the character of the beer:

• high temp = sweet and rich
• low temp = less sweet and light

This "bath" lasts for a couple of candlemarks. The mash is then drained through screens to remove impurities. The resultant wort is placed into a large copper kettle.

At this point comes the addition of hops to the brewing malt. The flavors desired from the hops boil away in high temperatures, so it is added in the last few minutes of the brewing process. Hops can also be added immediately before the beer is bottled or kegged.

After a few candlemarks of brewing, the liquid is placed in a cooling tank and rapidly cooled. The next step is transfer to a fermentation tank. Yeast may be added at this time. After fermenting for two to five sevendays, during which the mixture must be stirred occasionally, the beer can be kegged or bottled.

Misc Information on Beer

The most common type of beer is made from only four ingredients: barley, hops, yeast, and water.

Beer has been made from many different grains. Wheat and barley are the main grains used. Rice and corn are less common grains, but have been used as well.

There are many different styles of beer. Each has its own unique color, from pale straw to gold, amber, copper, brown or black.

Like wine, beer has different ranges of sweetness, flavor, and bouquet. It also can be served with a variety of different foods, depending on its flavor and tastes of the drinker.

Beer should be served after it has been allowed to sit for half a candlemark. Beer that is too cold loses its flavor.

Any fruit can be added to the beer, if the brewer desires. Other flavors that have been used over the turns include raspberries, red fruits, yellow fruits, beachberries, blackberries, cherries, peaches and gooseberries.