Beer
"Beer" refers to all brewed and fermented beverages that are made from malted grains and hops. Beer-making dates back to ancient Egyptian times.
There are five major types of beer: lager, ale, stout, porter, and bock. For all of these the stages of brewing are similar. The difference between light and dark beers comes from the amount of roasting, or "kilning," of the barley malt. The more roasting, the darker the color and the greater the caramelization of malt sugars.
Usually made from barley, beer begins with germination of the grain. Once germinated, the barley is called "malt."
The malt is next dried in a hot kiln. The temperature and duration of roasting determines both the color and sweetness of the final product. The longer the roast, the darker and sweeter the beer.
Next, the roasted malt is mixed with other cereals and water and cooked.
The type of water used for beer is important. Some waters make good beers. Other waters possess minerals or tastes more suitable for ale. That's why certain areas are noted for beer or ale but seldom produce both.
After cooking, liquid from this pre-alcoholic porridge is drained off. The liquid is call "wort." It's put into a brew kettle and infused with hops, a small, soft flower which adds a depth of flavor and a pleasantly bitter tang to beer.
After a few hours of boiling in the wort, the hops are strained out, the wort is cooled, and yeast is added which "attacks" the malt sugar, causing fermentation.
Yeast converts wort to beer. The pedigree of the yeast, the secret formula so carefully perpetuated so that the beer will have the same flavor year after year, is the brewmaster's "magic wand."
Two different types of yeasts make all the differences among beers. When "bottom" yeast finishes eating the sugar,
it settles to the bottom of the tank. Lager is a "bottom fermented" beer. Practically all beers brewed in the United States are lagers.
Ale, on the other hand, is a "top fermented" beverage. "Top" yeast floats on the top of the tank when it finishes with the sugar.
You can taste the difference the two yeasts make. Ale is sharper and stronger than lager, with a more pronounced flavor of hops.
The ideal serving temperature is 45°F for beer and 50°F for ale. Beer goes flat if it's served too cold. Imported beers should be served at 50°F and English or Irish stout at 55°F.
Store bottled or canned beer in a cool, dark place. Extremely sensitive to sunlight, bottled beer must never be put in windows or it will acquire a "skunky" odor. At home, store cans or bottles in the lowest, coolest part of the refrigerator.
To serve beer, pour it so that the stream flows directly to the center of the glass, which should be stationary on the table. This produces a nice foam or "head." Beer naturally accompanies hamburger, stew, sausage, cold cuts, lobster, and sharp cheeses.
Here are some definitions:
Beer—a generic term for all brewed and fermented beverages made from cereal grains
Lager—bright, clear-bodied beer, effervescent. A "bottom fermented" brew. Most of the world's beers are lagers.
Ale—aromatic malt brew usually fuller-bodied, darker, and more bitter than lager. A "top fermented" brew.
Stout—a very dark beer, sometimes sweetish and quite strong with a pronounced hops taste
Porter—a type of ale with a rich, heavy foam. Sweeter than ale. Not quite as strong as stout.
Pilsner—a term put on labels of many light beers around the world. These are bright, lagered beers in the style made famous by Pilsner Urquell from Pilsner, Bohemia.
Bock Beer—a strong style of lager beer, originally seasonal (autumn and spring)
Malt Liquor—a beer with considerable variation from light to dark color, and from a strong, hoppy flavor to little. Higher alcoholic content than most other beers.
Sweet Beer—a combination of fruit juice and beer. Yields a sweeter drink and higher alcoholic content than lagers.
Sake—actually a type of beer in that it is a re-fermented rice brew of high alcoholic content
Light Beer—lagers, lower in alcohol and calories, mild in taste
Low-Alcohol Beer—similar to Light Beer, but contains even less alcohol and fewer calories
Although almost every country produces beer, only a handful are famous for their brews, notably Germany, Belgium, and Britain. The U.S. leads in volume, despite having far fewer breweries than, for example, Germany. Currently there is a revival of the small local breweries that were once so common in this country. Some of these are producing brews of great distinction, fully the equal of the best imports.