Beer, considered the world's oldest and most widely
consumed alcoholic beverage, and the third most popular
drink overall after water and tea, is composed essentially
of water, malted barley, hops and yeast. Flavoring, sugar
and some other minor ingredients are also included.
The starch source in beer provides the fermentable material
and is a key determinant of the strength and flavor 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. Nearly all beer includes barley
malt as the majority of the starch. There are many
advantages in using barley in making beer. Barley has a
fibrous husk which facilitates the brewing process. It is
also a rich source of amylase, a digestive enzyme, which
facilitates the conversion of starch into sugars.
The water content in beer is more than ninety percent, and
consequently, plays a major role in determining the caliber
of the final product. Unlike in everyday living, when it
comes to the brewing of beer, "water" is not just "water".
Where the brewing of beer is concerned, there are many
intricacies associated with the kind of water, its sources,
and what it contains. Water from natural sources contain
elements such as Calcium and Magnesium, which aid many of
the biochemical processes taking place during brewing.
It is said that "hops are to beer what lemon is to
lemonade". Hops mainly contribute bitterness, aroma, and
flavor to beer. Beer hops also have anti-bacterial
properties, which help ward off spoilage and give beer a
longer shelf life. The hops plants are very prolific and
can be grown in many parts of the world.
Yeast is a microorganism that's responsible for
fermentation. Specific strains of yeast are chosen
depending on the type of beer produced. The two main
strains are ale yeast and lager yeast, with other
variations available as well. Yeast helps to metabolize the
sugars that are extracted from the grains, and produces
alcohol and carbon dioxide as a result. Before the
functions of yeast were understood, all fermentations were
done using wild or airborne yeasts.
A lot of brewers prefer to add one or more "clarifying
agents" to beer that aren't required to be published as
ingredients. Examples include isinglass finings, which are
obtained from swim
bladders of fish and Irish moss, which is a type of red
alga. Since these ingredients can be obtained from
animals, those who are concerned with either the use or
consumption of animal products should obtain detailed
information from the brewer.
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The author of this article, Patrick Carpen, is the writer,
designer of the website:
http://www.platinumrecipescollection.com . The Platinum
Recipes Collection lists thousands of recipes in hundreds
of categories.
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