Ingrediants

The lack of access to clean water sources is one of the factors that has led beverages such as beer to be a popular choice over the generations. Water constitutes over 80% of the finished product of beer. While we may not give much thought to the water in our beer, water plays a very important role in beer. Water is such an important ingredient that many popular beers around the world have established their distinction through the water profile of the indigenous area. For more recent beer marketing efforts, promoting the water source of a beer was a very critical attraction for developing client loyalty. What makes water so important to the production of beer? Primarily it’s mineral content. Mineral content determines yeast health and also starch conversion. For some brewers water chemistry is a fine science. Water is used in several stages of the brewing process. In the brew house water is used for mashing and lautering. In some types of beer such as light, low carbohydrate, and dry beer water may be added to the beer after it has been filtered.

Before water can do it’s job converting starch from grain several processes have to take place in the grain itself. Three to be exact. Steeping must take place within very specific heat and time parameters. Steeping gives the grain the signal to germinate. During the process of germination enzymes and starches are activated and modified. Germination is closely monitored to provide the best final product. One more critical step must take place to provide the brewer with a multitude of malted products. Kilning serves to stop the converting process. Prior to the early 1800 direct kilning resulted in a darker malt. Indirect heat kilning and the invention of the thermometer provides the maltster the opportunity to lightly kiln the malt. The invention of these two products lead to the popularization of light lagers and ales. It also allowed for the creation of crystal malts. Crystal malts are roasted rather than kilned after germination and produce a higher amount of sugar as a result. Another way to provide variety in beer flavor, color and aroma is by roasting malt. The most popular contribution roasted malt has made to beer style is the stout and porters. Roasted malts can contribute a great deal of color and flavor with only a small contribution to the grain bill.

Before the 1500’s a variety of herbs and spices were added to the wort. The addition of hops in beer was introduced by the Flemish in 1500’s. Hops proved to be a major contributor to beer as we know it. Hops provide bittering which give the beer balance to the sweet wort . Hops also provide a preservative quality. This preservative quality in hops was already a well respected attribute. Hops were used medicinally in tonics. Hops are recorded as early as 77-79 AD by Pliny the Elder in Naturalis Historia. Hops also lend a wonderful flavor and aroma profile to the finished beer. The hop which is used for the purpose of making beer is a very delicate female flower called Humulus Lupus. It is a very beautiful flower and plant. From afar it resembles a grape vine. For propagating hops varieties come in three categories: German, English and American. In Europe it is not uncommon for families to take working vacations and harvest hops during the late summer season.

The Reinheitsgebot Purity Law of 1516 limited beer ingredients to water, hops, and barley malt. The role of yeast was not yet fully understood for another 100 years. In 1868, French scientist Louis Pasteur was able to identify the yeast organism. Before this early Romans coined the word for beer as cerevisiea. Ceres, was a goddess of agriculture. Vis meant strength. It is ironic that the Latin term for beer yeast is saccharomyces cerevisiea. In the usages of beer yeast there are two families. Lager yeast is a yeast which ferments at very cool almost freezing conditions. It may also be referred to as bottom fermenting yeast. Ale yeast operates at warmer climates. It may also be referred to as top fermenting yeast. These two families of yeast exist in over 30 variations. A good brewer and beer judge can determine the beer style just from the fermentation characteristics of the yeast profile. Yeast is a living organism which consumes the sugars, lipids, and proteins provided by the wort and produces alcohol and CO2. These contributions add the final touch to the malt and hop flavors and aromas. Providing us a final product of something that has been attributed to the gods since the beginning of civilization.