Beer Brand Tasting: A Beer Lover's Dream - By: Corrie Duana
These days, both men and women enjoy drinking beer, partying, clubbing, and having fun. It's probably part of the new generation's stress buster. This pastime somehow releases them from the daily pressures and demands of work, family, and responsibilities. Even if people don't leave their houses for the night, they just have a beer in hand to keep their nerves relaxed and ready for another day. Nowadays, most homes have a good stock of beer cans or bottles in their refrigerators or coolers --- both for their consumption and for unexpected guests who'll visit any day or night.
Beer has become one of the most common and popular drinks there is, this is why beer companies have embarked on this bandwagon by making and introducing more beer brands and products. There are already more than 20,000 beer brands in the worldwide market today --- for anyone's choosing. These 20,000 beer brands are in over 100 styles --- ales, lagers, pilsner, stouts, bitters, cream ales, iced beers, etc. These thousands of beer brands are produced all over the world in almost the same process flow, but mixed with certain local ingredients and additional stages to give it a special punk, making it distinct from the other beer brands.
Probably, a beer drinker would appreciate the number of beer brands there are in the market, because this gives him several choices. However, he may not know how even one can or bottle or keg of beer undergoes before it finally reaches his lips, tongue, mouth, and throat. No matter which beer brand he'll pick, it still has the tedious task of undergoing and facing those several stages or processes --- just to arrive at that particular taste that beer drinkers love. When one really thinks about it, he would or should be wondering why there are different styles of beer --- from light beer to strong ones --- if it passes through the same flow. It is because certain beer brands may pass through the same process but are done in a certain way to vary its taste from other beer brands. Also, the ingredients used may be similar all over but the family of those ingredients may differ depending on which locale the producers are --- this gives the beer a distinct taste; this is the main reason why European beers differ from American beers and from Asian beers.
With over 20,000 local, national, regional, and foreign beer brands, beer drinkers will never get bored of tasting and enjoying the feel of these different liquids flowing through their system.
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10 Great Beers That Won't Pack on the Pounds! - By: Autumn Rose
Do you like beer but get way too full after one or two? Are you constantly worrying about your weight even though you like to drink? If so, check this list out, these are 10 popular beers that won�t pack on the pounds. (Caution- this list is biased favoring US domestic beers).
Beck�s Light- It seems far more expensive than most domestic beers but this beer can really grow on you. For only 64 calories a bottle I think it�s worth the extra buck.
The Germans really stepped it up with this one; the calorie-to-alcohol ratio is practically unnatural.
Milwaukee�s Best Light- From one of the leading brewers in the world anything from Miller tastes good; it always gets a buzz going and only adds 98 calories to your daily intake.
Natural Light- With only 95 calories in this domestic beer, it may seem like a crappier one but can you really tell it�s made with cheaper ingredients?
Miller Genuine Draft- This one is tied with Beck�s light for the lowest calorie beer around. But it does have less alcohol in it. Either way 64 calories a pop isn�t bad at all.
Miller Lite- With the same amount of calories as MGD these two domestic beers are very low in carbohydrates as well. People say it is like the RC Cola of the leading light beers, I beg to differ, Milwaukee�s brew is hands down the best domestic beer there is.
Budweiser Select- Bringing in only 99 calories, this beer does not have a clear differentiation point from Budweiser or Bud Light; it�s basically the Coca-Cola Zero out of the bunch.
Michelob Ultra- This beer is tied with Aspen Edge for lowest carb count in its class. I would have to say this is the ultimate �diet beer� for young women but it is not very tasty.
Keystone Ice- This one has a big calorie count compared to the rest at 142 calories a bottle. But, it also has the biggest alcohol count at 5.9%. Call it what you will, any �ice� beers get me thinking, Alaskan wilderness.
Corona Light- This is the Diet Dr. Pepper of all light beers offering 109 calories a pop. In my opinion, it's one of the top three because it tastes identical to its original. I think of it as american caviar, obviously not from here, but everyone thinks so nonetheless.
Milwaukee�s Best Ice- Milwaukee�s Beast is one thing, but Milwaukee�s Beast Lite? This town is definitely stepping up their game. Appearing 4 times on my list, Milwaukee wins for best brewing city in the nation!
This list is pretty accurate, and very biased. See you at the pub!
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Types of beer - By: Eleanor Dark
Any fermented beverage brewed with a cereal grain is called a beer. It can be divided into two broad categories based on the brewing process used – lager and ale.
• Lager – A lager, roughly analogous to white wine, is generally lighter in colour, body and taste. You'll also hear beer types talk of Pilsner and bock styles, which are included in the lager family. Lagers are bottom fermenting beers.
• Ales – Darker and more robust, typically with a more complex flavour profile, which, for the sake of discussion, we'll consider the equivalent of red wine. Stouts and wheat beers are members of this family. Ales are top fermenting beers.
These two categories are not clear cut and there are quite a few drinks that lie in the twilight zone. The general distinction between different beers is made on the basis of the percentage of alcohol present in them. Alcohol content in different beers is referred to as ABV (Alcohol By Volume). It varies from zero percent for light, non-alcoholic beer to up to eight percent for strong stouts.
In the past few years, non-alcoholic beers have become quite popular in Australia and around the world. One of the most popular ultra light beers in Europe is Schlossgold, originating in Austria, which tastes so beautifully fresh and has the quality of a full-strength beer. Whilst the beer does contain 0.4 percent of alcohol, it is not liquor and is considered a non-alcoholic drink by most of the authorities. Therefore, Schlossgold non-alcoholic beer is a potential product for all retailers, small or large, without a liquor licence. You can also drink and drive with Schlossgold. It is currently available in Woolworth’s supermarkets in NSW, QLD and VIC and in clubs.
Konrad Beverages is a Sydney-based company that represents various international drinks and brands in Australia. Apart from representing Schlossgold low alcohol beer, they also sell a power drink called ‘Powerking’ from Holland, which is available in three flavours (Classic, Cranberry and Sugar Free) and a natural mineral water from Slovakia. The range contains a first in Australia; the natural mountain mineral waters are mixed with herbs and flowers. There are seven different flavours: Dandelion, Sage, Wild Thyme, Lemon Balm, Sparkling, Low and Still Mineral Waters. To know more about both Konrad Beverages and Schlossgold, please log on to their website at
www.schlossgold.com.au.
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Ale: What is it? - By: Corrie Duana
Ale is basically a kind of beer. It is brewed form barley malts, with most Ales flavored with Hops. They are very common in Germany, Britain, Ireland, Belgium, as well as Scotland. Most ales have that bitter, herbal flavor that neutralize the malt sweetness which defines them as a beverage.
Ale has a long standing history, dating back to the 15th century. The old world saw Ale as a staple food along with the ever popular varieties of bread that thrived during those times. The name comes from the Old English word, ealu, which took its origins from the Proto-Indo-European word alut, referring to certain connotations to sorcery, possession, intoxication and magic.
Today, the magic of the beverage comes in various types of ale, which the world just loves. Here are some of the more popular types of ale:
Dark Ale
Dark ales are distinguishable by their dark color. This type of Ale uses dark-roasted barley malts as its main brewing ingredient, thus its dark hue. Mild Ale and Stout ales are good examples so of dark ale. Stout ales are generally black in color, truly living up to their dark ale class of ales.
Pale Ale
Using pale shaded barley malts, pale ales bring about the selfsame hue of the barley malts used in brewing them. The Hops levels used in making them differ from one pale ale type to another, giving particular pale ale types a distinctive flavor. Amber Ale and Bitter Ale are two solid examples of Pale ale, with Bitter Ale being the most common in English pubs.
Brown Ale
Brown ales are somewhat in-betweens for Dark Ales and Pale Ales. They are brewed with a darker than amber colored malt, thus their brownish appearance. They are generally flavorful ale types, which are usually lightly mixed with hops. The Newcastle Brown Ale would be a good example of brown ales.
Cream Ale
Often called “creamers”, cream ales are generally brewed to be refreshingly light, and are often related to American lagers. Genesee Cream Ale and Little Kings Cream Ale are good examples of cream ale. With cream ale, malt flavor and hops is usually subdued, but not as a given standard.
German Ales
This type of ale is fermented with lower temperatures, and often have more body than Belgian or British ales. Germans ales are usually the results of the traditional German decoction mash, which gives German ales more oligosaccharides that results to more body to the beer.
So there you have it, the most popular of ale types in the world.
Bottoms up!
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Beers of the World: Featuring the much loved "Lambic" - By: sudesh1
In this series of articles I’m going to give you a crash course in the rich and varied beers that dot the globe. In case you haven’t noticed, microbrew beers are taking off big time. Beer used to be the “ugly cousin” of the alcohol world. Pretty well everyone drank their fair share, but only a handful of die hard beer drinkers ever really paid it too much respect. Finally beer is starting to be appreciated for its rich history and diversity, and the care and time that goes into crafting a quality brew.
In this series I will usually give a quick run down of the history, characteristics and popular brands you are likely to find in stores. I might even throw in the odd homebrew recipe, so keep an eye out!
The first beer I’d like to introduce to you is a peculiar style known as “Lambic”
Although no one is exactly sure how or precisely when this style of beer came about, the town of Lembeek (likely where the name came from) has been active in brewing since at least the 1400s. It’s in this region of Belgium we can derive most of the history and production of this particularly unique form variety of beer.
One of the things that make this type of beer so unique is the way in which it’s produced. The earliest forms of any style of beer were typically made from airborne yeast particles, since at the time no one really knew what caused beer to ferment. Instead, they observed that if they left their brew out in the open air for a time some magical force caused it to begin the desired process. However, since then, science has identified this substance that floats in the wind as yeast; brewers have used this knowledge to more purposefully start each new batch with the use of a yeast culture. Lambics on the other hand have never converted to the newer, more controlled method of brewing. Since brewers of Lambic allow wild yeast strains to inhabit their brew it causes the distinctive winy, tart flavor and earthy aroma. There is huge variation between Lambics produced at different dates, and even between different bottles.
Another characteristic of Lambics is that they are made traditionally with large amounts of aged hops. The reason for this is said to be that the old Belgian brewers understood that hops were a good preservative, but on the other hand didn’t want to influence the flavor of their beer too dramatically as would usually result from adding an abundance of hops. This is where the ageing process comes in. Aged hops are much less effective at imparting their natural flavor to beer, but they still have the ability to pass on their preservative qualities.
A common practice utilized by Lambic brewers is to blend their finished product with other beer varieties to produce fruit beers. By far the most popular styles of blended Lambic are “cherry kriek” and “raspberry frambozen”. Blended Lambic is actually where the bulk of the Lambic made by the larger producers is going. It’s still possible to purchase traditional unblended Lambic in Belgium, and to my knowledge there are some North American store bought varieties being produced. There’s no two ways about it though, the single best way to get your hands on quality Lambic is to home brew it yourself!
Unblended Lambic Producers:
Cantillon
Frank Boon
Blended Lambic/Fruit Beer Producers:
Samuel Adams Cranberry Lambic
Lakefront Cherry Beer
Mason Arms Damson Beer
I hope you enjoyed the first article in this series.
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Beer Kits For The Beginning Brewmeister - By: Ron King
If you enjoy a beer and you like to experiment with different beer tastes, you should try brewing your own. It can be lots of fun, not only savoring the beer after it is brewed, but the entire process.
The easiest way to start this hobby is to pick up one of the beer kits that are available, either online or at a local store which stocks these items. There are some options to keep in mind, however, whenever you pick one of these kits.
The first thing to be considered is whether it is your first time brewing beer, or if you have been brewing it for quite some time. The reason why is because many of the starter beer kits will provide you with absolutely everything you need in order to get a batch going.
If you have done this before, you most likely don't need some of the basic materials that come in one of these kits. Hence, it is a good idea to get a full starter kit if you're first starting, and subsequently to simply supplement with smaller kits with later batches.
There are a number of choices that you're going to have to make which will determine the type of beer that will result. While most of us have a favorite type of beer that we enjoy drinking, it's always exciting to experiment with different beer types in order to see what kind of results we get. By making a few small changes within the beer kits, you can change the entire batch, producing fascinating to fantastic results.
One final thing to keep in mind when you are looking at beer kits is that only a few of them are going to provide bottles, bottle caps and the bottle capper. Although you'll have time to secure these items while your batch is brewing, it is a good idea to consider buying them at the same time as your beer kit. That way, you will make sure that you have everything necessary to bottle the beer when it's finished.
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New Beer Products In Thailand - By: Tom Aikins
Fluid Asia Pacific, one of Thailand’s leading beer importers recently announced its newest lineup of draught beers that will be available in the country as of March 1, 2009. The company has been importing beer into Thailand, both draught and bottled, since September, 2005 and now has its largest product line ever.
Following agreements with brewing mega-companies Carlsberg and Foster’s, owners of many other international brands, Fluid Asia Pacific Managing Director Rob Murray introduced the new lineup of his company’s brands which include some of the top-quality brands from the U.K. and Australia. Fluid Asia Pacific has also concluded distribution deals with other U.K. brewers and producers of alcoholic ciders that have rounded out its line of upmarket products.
Products now available from Fluid Asia Pacific in major Thai markets include Tetley’s Smoothflow, Weston’s Cider, Stowford Press Cider, London Pride bitter, Kronenbourg 1664, Foster’s, Pure Blonde, Victoria Bitter and Crown Lager. Additionally, recent meetings with representatives of Carlsberg in Bangkok have led to further agreements which will increase the level of Fluid Asia Pacific’s involvement with the international brewing giant and result in more of the company’s brands being available in Thailand.
The brands currently being imported vary in availability in regard to draught or bottled status but eventually all of the brands are scheduled to be available in draught format since Fluid Asia Pacific considers itself the leader in draught beer in the country with more brands and more advanced technology than any other importer or local producer. The company’s customers include pubs, bars, restaurants and hotels in Bangkok, Phuket, Samui and Pattaya, where the company has offices, and in some other select markets such as Chiang Mai where there is a large expatriate population. Their products are now being made available in other parts of the country as well as demand is starting to ramp up as the word gets out.
Concurrently, the company has just launched its new website which allows consumers to find their favorite brands at the many locations they are available at throughout the country. There is also an event section on the site which lists the upcoming beer promotions and events where Fluid Pacific Asia’s brands will be sponsoring various beer brands. In addition to the main site Fluid Asia Pacific also has its own social networking site, http://thaidraughtbeer.ning.com which provides more information about the company’s events and promotions. It will also contain photos and videos about the company’s events and products and allow consumers to post their own information and connect with other beer lovers in the same way as Facebook, MySpace or any other social networking site.
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Beer Kits: Tastes Good, Less Work - By: Ron King
Anyone interested in the subject of beer brewing should be advised that it's a fun hobby that takes patience and a tiny bit of skill, but very little real labor. If you're thinking of starting this great pastime, you might be wondering why you should purchase beer kits as opposed to using household items.
While experienced home beer makers can produce some pretty decent brew using household ingredients, for those just starting out it's highly advised that you obtain a beer kit. It's as simple as this: would you rather begin with a significant amount of effort to create a mediocre product, or perhaps even a total failure; or would you prefer to be guaranteed an excellent beer with virtually no work? It's up to you.
The caliber of your beer home brewing equipment and the ingredients you choose will have a tremendous effect on the excellence of your product. For example, the containers to ferment your brew that are part of home beer kits are food-grade, which means that the plastic and the coating used in making the container will not obstruct the fermenting procedure or affect the taste of the completed product. The equipment that comes with beer making kits is designed to create the best beer.
The most deluxe and expensive home beer kits typically offer glass fermentation containers. That is because many home brewers believe that plastic might interfere with the taste of the beer, even if just a little. Glass is widely thought to deliver a taste that is cleaner and just a touch purer. Whether there is a taste difference that you can distinguish might better be left for later in your experience. You can always purchase a glass fermenter later to see for yourself if it matters.
Many beer kits also come with ingredients and detailed instructions for creating your beer. This is useful for the beginner, who otherwise has to look around trying to get the right grain or yeast. Having everything packaged for you in a beer kit, you're far more likely to obtain a batch of delicious beer -- allowing you the time to plan the party.
To add even more flavor, taste, and variety to your beer batches, fruit flavors, honey, and different varieties of malt and yeast are available from your beer supplies retailer. The instructions will direct you regarding how much of each flavoring to use to enhance, not overpower, your brew.
Most people are surprised at how cheap even the best home brewing kits are. Usually they're under $100 and they're meant to last a lifetime, so they are an investment in excellence.
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Health Benefits - Drinking Your Own Home Brewed Beer - By: Ron King
Beer is the new health drink? Binge drinking aside, in moderation beer actually has healthful results. Studies cited below point out several benefits from consuming beer. Home brewed beer is even better than commercial beer because it has no artificial colors, additives, preservatives or flavors.
Benefits
Here are just a few of the ways that home brewed beer is good for you:
-The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center discovered (in May, 1999) that moderate beer consumption reduces the probability of getting coronary heart disease by over 30%. Impressive!
-"The New England Journal of Medicine" discovered (in November, 1999) that moderate beer drinkers decrease the odds of suffering a stroke by 20%.
-The TNO Nutrition and Food Research Institute found that homebrewed beer contains vitamin B6, which prevents the accumulation of the amino acid homocysteine (reputed to cause vascular and heart disease). Beer increases vitamin B6 absorption into the blood plasma by 30%.
-Home brewed beer is a stress reliever. Try a quick experiment, if you have any doubt. Even the process of making beer is relaxing.
-Studies have shown that beer increases good cholesterol and decreases blood clot production. Home brewed beer includes no bad cholesterol and no fat.
-Drinking home brewed beer helps promote blood vessel dilation, sleep, and eases urination in elderly people.
Equipment
If the above information has whetted your appetite, let's next consider a common MYTH: that it is very costly to brew your own beer. Nonsense!
Forget those huge costly urns that you have no doubt seen. Basically you only need 2 pieces of equipment: a small fermenter (to store the beer during fermentation) and a hydrometer (to know exactly when the beer has finished fermenting). That's it for equipment.
The final thing you'll need are consumable ingredients: a container of malt and hops mixture, and some brewing yeast. You can select from many basic flavors and styles, also you can customize your own brews with many additional ingredients for your own secret recipes.
It's very simple to brew your own beer at home. Insert a container of malt mix into the fermenter, add water, add yeast, and seal. A few days later use the hydrometer to know precisely when it is finished and ready to drink. Place it into bottles and get ready for your friends to be amazed at your new skill.
It's easy to get started with home brewing kits abundantly available online. And it's cheap -- the beer only costs about $5 a GALLON!
Conclusion
Now you have even more reasons to start making your own delicious beer at home. It's tastier and cheaper than store-bought beer, also it's better for you. Now you can drink (responsibly) guilt-free.
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Tips To Help You Brew Your Own Beer - By: MIKE SELVON
When someone mentions going to a baseball game, many times the first images that come to mind are a nice cold beer and a hot dog. It is somewhat of a tradition to drink beer with certain sports or activities. No backyard football game is complete without having some cold brews in the ice chest.
You get hot and sweaty from the game and cool down with your friends over a few beers. Even watching some sports necessitates having a couple of pints. It does not matter if you prefer a Bud Light over a Canadian beer or German beer. The point is having a refreshing brew at your fingertips.
If you are interested in making your own batch at home, then you need to know a few facts about homebrewing and even learn how major manufacturers and brewers make their own tasty beverages. There are a lot of beer terms to learn and it is an acquired skill that many people spend years trying to perfect. But if you take the time to learn a few terms that pertain to the brewing system, then you will be ahead of the pack.
When it comes to brewing equipment there are some standard items that breweries use every day. They have large scale operations that allow the hops, barley, rice or wheat to bloom. You should also know that you may not have the capability to use some of the standard equipment, such as a large oak barrel or a keg. Most home setups operate with limited space.
One of the first decisions you will have to make is what type of brew you intend to make. Is it going to be a cold brewed beverage or a warm brewed beverage? The temperature refers to what the final product will be. Most lagers are cold brewed, meaning that the temperature of the beverage is kept at a low temperature throughout the brewing process.
After you have researched what type of beverage you intend to brew, it is time to consider where and what to purchase. A great suggestion for first time brewers is to buy a beer kit. These kits will contain the ingredients you will need to make your lager or ale.
Before you make that purchase though, you need to read exactly what comes in the kit. That way you will know what else you may need to purchase from the brewery store. If there is no local store that has the supplies, then you can always check Ebay or a specialty website.
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Beer: Providing Joviality to People’s Lives - By: Corrie Duana
Most people these days relate parties with beer and other alcoholic drinks. It is probably because beer has become one of the party essentials when families and friends gather together. There's something in this liquor that makes people open up, revel, enjoy, and celebrate the moment. Beer lets people party to the fullest.
So what makes up this drink that it has become one of the social drinks of the world --- no matter where people are? Well, like all other drinks and food, beer has certain ingredients that make it like it is and taste it as it is. Also, it follows certain processes and stages before it is finally ready for consumption. Beer production is truly an interesting area that various styles have been adapted and that different countries and places have added its own local taste and sparkle in it.
Beer has some main ingredients, but the taste may vary because of the kind of ingredients used --- especially if the ingredients used are locally made or locally produced. This is why various regions have different taste qualities --- the bitter or sweet levels will definitely vary. The common or main ingredients of beer are: water, fermentable starch source, flavoring, and secondary starch sources. Water is the main composition of beer, and because the water used is from a local source --- meaning there are specific mineral components in it that may not be present in some other sources or areas --- it somehow influences the beer characteristics. This is why there are areas, cities, states, or countries that are very good in making certain types of beer. The starch source plays a major role as well, especially that the fermentable material will determine the character or kind of beer. The common starch that's used in beer is the malted grain or malted barley. Hops or the flower from the hop vine is used for flavoring and preservative --- balancing the bitterness and sweetness of the beer. Another ingredient is yeast, which metabolizes the sugars, ferments the beer, and flavors it as well.
Beer may be called by several names in different places, but just the same, it has a common thing --- it somehow gives its drinkers a sense of delightful taste and satisfaction. It doesn't matter what type you like or where you are, as long as there's beer, a party can be in place. For beer drinkers, drinking beer isn't just a pastime for them, but it's more of a part of their regular routine. Beer will always give a smile to everyone who loves to quench his or her thirst for partying and celebration.
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Beer - By: Dev Saras
After water and tea, beer is the third most oldest and popular drink across the globe. Beer was said to be found in around 6th millennium BC. It is produced by fermentation and brewing of starches. Wheat, rice, corn and cereals are commonly used for beer. Millet, sorghum, cassava root, potato, and agave are some of the less used starch source. Making of beer is known as brewing through which starch source is converted into a sugary liquid known as wort. Then the process of fermentation by yeast into alcoholic beverage called beer.
Most important ingredients of beer are water, starch source, yeast and flavors such as hops; mostly flower of hop wine is used as hops. Earlier beer, especially wheat beers had a cloudy appearance. With the usage of clarifying agents’ beer now appear bright and clearer than the older styles of beer.
There are different varieties of beer available. Almost all countries have different methods of making beer. There are mainly two types of beers one is pale lagers, which is globally popular and the other one is ales, which is again categorized into various varieties including pale ale, stout, and brown ale. Alcoholic content in beer ranges from less than 3% to 30%. In some countries beer with 1% alcohol content are served for children in school instead of soft drinks. But nowadays the strength of beer has increased.
Beer varies in different types in different countries. The starch source differs from country to country. In Africa sorghum or millet are used as starch source while in Ethiopia Tella is used. There are specially designed beer glassware like white beer glass, pint glass, pilsner glass, beer stein, flute glass and lots more. It is very beautiful to see the bright and clear beer in the specially designed glassware.
There are many festivals in the name of Beer. Beer festivals are a part of enjoying beer. Among the beer festivals, Oktoberfest is the most celebrated and enjoyable festival. Many tourists across the globe come for Oktoberfest. Playing cards, darts, bags and other pub games are some of the social traditions and activities related to beer drinking.
Like alcohol beer has all health affects that of alcohol consumptions. Beer drinking is considered as a social drink. It is consumed all over the world. Brewing industry is one of the fast growing businesses. There are many small companies to big ones which produce beer across the world.
In a survey it was found that low alcohol beer carries anti cancer properties, and in another survey it states that nonalcoholic beer is good for cardiovascular. Some people say that beer drinking makes beer belly. But according to survey beer belly is because of overeating and lack of muscle tone.
Beer is one of the oldest and most popular drinks. There are many beer pubs and parlors world wide.
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Brewing Your First Beer - By: R Eddings
Brewing your own beer can be a fun and satisfying hobby. But brewing your very first beer can be a stressful thing. Until you have brewed that first one you really don’t know what making beer is all about. Here are a few tips to make sure that brew day goes off without a hitch.
First, double check all of your equipment. Homebrew supply shops usually sell starter kits that include almost everything that you need. If you can go to the store yourself instead of ordering it have the clerk explain what each piece is for and how it works. It’s not complicated stuff but its good to go over everything with some who has brewed before. 95 more capacity than the amount of liquid that you plan to boil and that’s a minimum, more is better. Boiling wort easily and quickly boils over producing a terribly sticky mess so you need plenty of room in the pot. Also, make sure that the pot is of good quality. Don’t settle for a thin bottomed pot that can scorch your beer. Consequently, expect your pot to be the most expensive piece of equipment.
Double check your ingredients. Make sure that you have everything that a recipe calls for and make sure that you understand when and how to use the ingredients. A lot of homebrew supply stores have pre-assembled ingredient packages which are perfect for first time brewers. Again, have the clerk explain everything.
Pick a good “first timers” style. I know that you want to brew the perfect pilsner, hoppy IPA or delicately balanced Belgian wit and you will in time. But for starters stick with simple, dark beers. Porter and stout are perfect newbie brews. The ingredients are simple and straightforward and dark beers tend to cover up mistakes. Give yourself room to learn.
These few simple steps will help your first brewday become a success. Save the complicated pumpkin-mango spice beers for later on when you’ve developed some skill as a brewer. For now, take it slow, keep it simple and in no time you’ll be sipping your own homebrew!
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Brewing Your Own Beer - By: R Eddings
Beer is one of those things that until you actually do it yourself it doesn't seem possible that an individual could make. Brewing beer must require a big brewery and years of training, right?
Wrong. Brewing beer is actually very easy. The hobby is incredibly rewarding and can truly enrich one's appreciate of ales and lagers. The homebrewing industry has developed to the point that homebrewers have many options available to them. They can choice ingredients that make brewing simple and relatively cheap without sacrificing their brew's quality. Or they can embrace more complex options that open a whole new world of types and styles of beer.
The simple option of homebrewing involves the use of syrups known as extracts. Extracts are basically partially dehydrated wort, which is unfermented beer. The wort is reconstituted with water and boiled. It is then cooled then yeast added. After a couple of weeks of fermentation the beer is bottled. The brewer might add a few ingredients to enhance the brew but that's basically it.
Extract brewing is by far the easiest form of making beer at home and consequently is the one that offers the fewest options to the brewer. Although there are lots of varieties of extracts on the market the brewer is bound by what manufacturers have made available. The next step up in brewing complexity and freedom is the partial-grain or partial-mash. Mash is simply the grain mixture - usually barley - to which hot water is added to extract the grains' sugar. A partial-mash uses unhopped extract, some grains which are used for their flavors, colors and aromas and hops. This type of brewing requires more attention to the details of brewing but no more equipment than extract brewing.
All grain brewing uses no extracts and requires a significant step up with regard to the skills and equipment required. All grain brewing is simply a scaled down version of the way that brewers make their beer. It sees the process all the way from malted grains and hops to beer. Though this is the most complex way to brew it is also the most rewarding and offers the brewer the most amount from freedom for innovation and invention.
Whatever type of homebrewing you decide to try, chances are you will find the hobby incredibly rewarding. There is nothing quite like popping the top on a beer that you made yourself!
For more information about homebrewing, making your own beer, and the equipment required check out http://www.knightsofbeer.com/.
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Beer boot - By: andrew philip
Many of you may be asking what exactly a beer boot is. What's the history behind them?
Beer boots or Bierstiefeln in German have over a century of history and culture behind them. It is commonly believed that a general promised his troops to drink beer from his boot if they were successful in battle. When the troops prevailed, the general had a glassmaker fashion a boot from glass to fulfill his promise without tasting his own feet and to avoid spoiling the beer in his leather boot. Since then, soldiers have enjoyed toasting to their victories with a beer boot. At gatherings in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, beer boots are often passed among the guests for a festive drinking challenge. Since the movie Beer Fest appeared in 2006, Beer Boots have become increasingly popular in the United States. Originally most commonly seen in the German Restaurant and Bier Garten (Beer Garden) scene in the US, they have become a party essential at college campuses across the nation. Beer boots are made of either manufactured pressed glass or mouth blown glasses by skilled artisans in form of a boot. They come in a wide array of sizes, and we carry the largest variety. For drinking groups in particular, the larger beer boots, especially the two liter, are the favored option.
When drinking in a group, the boot is passed around in a circle and a game is played to determine who pays for the next beer. The second to last person to drink is the loser and has to purchase the next beer. Therefore, there are two strategies to the game. One either tries to finish the boot in one drink without it spilling any, or one drinks as little ones as possible and hopes that the next person in line doesn’t try to drink the boot empty.
The shape of the boot makes drinking more difficult. As you drink down the beer and tilt the boot backwards at an angle, an air pocket fills in the toe and has to be cautiously released. The trick to drinking from the boot is to hold the boot so that the toe is pointed either to your left or right, preventing an air bubble from building up in the toe.
As Restaurant you can profit from offering beer in beer boots to your guests:
* Guests drink higher quantity of beer, resulting in higher profits.
* Guests entertain and amuse themselves.
* Because of the larger quantity of beer, they have to be refilled less and result in less work
As a restaurant or bar purchaser, before you buy beer boot glasses, you should try out whether they fit appropriately under your beer tap for filling. If necessary you can fill a beer jug and transfer the beer into the boot; however, the some head is lost in the transfer process.
Beer boot glasses are inherently more expensive than other glasses, because of their labor intensive mouth blown production process, their high demand, and the fact that they are imported from Europe.
Beer Boots are very popular pieces of collecting breweriana and make the perfect gift for college students, your everyday beer fan and are increasingly popular as groomsman gifts for weddings.
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Want to Sample a Good Beer? Try German! - By: Michael Usry
The German people are famous for a lot of things; one of them is brewing. Beer is an essential part of their tradition and civilization, with over 1300 varied breweries spanning the land. The Czechs and the Irish are the only ones who outdo the Germans with beer consumption per person. The monks started to experiment with brewing about 1000 A.D. at the origin of the Germanic history Eventually, brewing started to become really lucrative for the monks and the nation’s monarchy began to legislate the manufacturing of the brew. The most well-known and significant component to effect German brewing came in fifteen-sixteen with the Bavarian Reinheitsgebot, or the purity requirement.
To ensure that Bavarian beers were only the best quality the Duke Wilhelm IV ordered the Bavarian Reinheitsgebot. The standard states that beers must only consist of water, hops, and barley. Unchanged after nearly 500 years, the Reinheitsgebot is the oldest legislation placed on drinks on the earth. Yeast is the only extension to the list of essential ingredients in the act. Brewers before had just used the yeast found naturally in the air. Bavarian breweries were soon known as the best makers of beer because of the strict code of quality following by the purity requirement. More and more breweries started to adhere to the proclamation as the reputation of the Bavarian breweries continued to grow.
As a result of the Reinheitsgebot, Germanic brews have a long-standing reputation of producing quality beers made out of the purest ingredients. A lot of towns became famous brewing locations as time passed and Germany started to ship out beer. By fifteen-hundred, Scandinavia, Holland, England, and as far as India principally got their beer from one of the 600 breweries in the town of Bremen. Two more famous brewing towns were Einbeck and Braunschweig. Because of it’s hardy flavor and perfect amount of head foam the majority of modern-day Germans still choose fabbier, or draft beer, over bottled beer. Used still today, German beer steins became popular around the time the purity requirement came about in an effort to stop further breakouts of the black plague.
During the time of the black plague, Germany began a lot of laws to prevent its citizens from getting ill. Massive amounts of diseased flies would land in people’s food and spread the disease. This led to the stein, a drink vessel with a closed top that is operated with the thumb so somebody could prevent infection and still be able to drink with one hand. Beer consumption rose exponentially as people began to realize the disease spread in dirty conditions with brackish water. Steins were originally made of stoneware with pewter tops. Steins started to be crafted completely of pewter for almost three-hundred years as the pewter guild grew. Eventually, porcelain and silver steins were introduced and continue to be produced in the present.
More than five-thousand types of beer are manufactured today from more than thirteen-hundred and fifty breweries within Germany’s borders. The oldest brewery in the world still in operation in the present is the Benedictine abbey Weihenstephan, that has been making beer since one-thousand and forty. The Franconia region of Bavaria by the city Bamberg is the most concentrated region for beer makers in Germany. German breweries make a wide variety of flavors and types of beer with the majority of them able to be placed under ales or lagers. Most beers have an alcoholic content from 4.7% to 5.4% but some brands can be as high as 12%, making them more potent than most wines.
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Want to Try a Great Beer? Drink German! - By: Michael Usry
One of the various things the German people are famous for is beer. With more than 1300 different breweries spread across the country, beer is an essential part of their legacy and heritage. The Czechs and the Irish are the only ones above the Germans as far as beer drinking per capita. The history of Germanic brew spans back to the origin of the nation when monks started to experiment with brewing about one-thousand A.D. Eventually, brewing became really lucrative for the monks and the nation’s leaders began to legislate the manufacturing of the brew. The most well-known and significant component to effect German brewing happened in 1516 with the Bavarian Reinheitsgebot, or the purity requirement.
The Bavarian Reinheitsgebot was authorized by Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria to ensure that Bavarian beers were made of high quality. The standard states that beers should only be made of barley, hops, and water. Unchanged after nearly five-hundred years, the Reinheitsgebot is the oldest regulation placed on drinks on the earth. Yeast is the only extension to the list of crucial ingredients in the proclamation. Yeast that was naturally in the air was what manufacturers in the past used. Because of the stern code of quality followed by the purity requirement, Bavarian manufacturers were soon considered the best manufacturers of beer. As the prominence of the Bavarian breweries spread around the country more and more beer makers began to adhere to the proclamation as well.
German beers have a long-standing notoriety of making quality beers made only from the best ingredients as a result of the Reinheitsgebot. Some towns became famed brewing locations as time passed and Germany started to ship out beer. By fifteen-hundred, Scandinavia, Holland, England, and as far as India principally got their beer from one of the six-hundred breweries in the city of Bremen. Einbeck and Braunschweig were a couple of other famous brewing cities. In modern-day Germany, most of the country’s beer-drinking citizens still prefer fabbier, or draught beer, over bottle beer because of it’s hardy flavor and right amount of head foam. In use still today, German beer steins became popular around the time the purity standard came about in an effort to prevent further breakouts of the bubonic plague.
Germany enacted a lot of laws to prevent its people from becoming sick during the era of the bubonic plague. Massive amounts of infected flies would land in people’s food and spread the infection. This led to the stein, a drink container with a closed top that could be used with the thumb so a person could prevent disease and still be able to drink with one hand. As citizens began to realize the plague spread in dirty conditions with brackish water, beer consumption went up exponentially. German beer steins were originally crafted from stoneware with pewter lids. As the pewter guild grew, German beer steins started to be manufactured completely of pewter and stayed that way for over 300 years. Still manufactured today, silver and porcelain steins were eventually introduced.
Nowadays there are over 1350 breweries within Germany’s lands that make more than five-thousand types of beer. The Benedictine abbey Weihenstephan, which has been making beer since 1040, is considered the oldest brewery in the world. The most concentrated area in Germany for beer makers is the Franconia region of Bavaria by the city Bamberg. German breweries make a wide range of tastes and kinds of beer with the majority of them able to be placed under ales or lagers. Some kinds of beer can have an alcoholic content as high as 12%, making them more potent than a lot of wines even though most beers have an alcoholic content from 4.7% to 5.4%.
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Want to Sample a Magnificent Beer? Drink German! - By: Michael Usry
One of the many things the German people are renowned for is beer. Beer is an important part of their tradition and civilization, with over 1300 various breweries spanning the country. The Czechs and the Irish are the only ones who outdo the Germans as far as beer drinking per capita. The monks began to experiment with brewing about 1000 A.D. back in the beginning of German history The nation’s monarchy eventually began to legislate the manufacturing of beer as brewing started to be more and more profitable. The Bavarian Reinheitsgebot, or purity requirement, came about in fifteen-sixteen and is still the most important and influential component to effect German brewing.
The Bavarian Reinheitsgebot was ordered by Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria to ensure that Bavarian beers were only of the highest quality. Hops, barley, and water are the only ingredients allowed in beer according to the law. The Reinheitsgebot is the oldest legislation put on food in the world and has not been changed in almost 500 years. The only addition to the act is the adding of yeast to the cache of crucial ingredients. Yeast that was naturally in the air was what brewers in the past used. Because of the tough standard of quality following the purity standard, Bavarian producers were soon known as the superior producers of beer. As the notoriety of the Bavarian breweries spread across the nation other beer makers began to adhere to the act also.
As a result of the Reinheitsgebot, German beers have a long-standing reputation of producing quality beers made from only the purest ingredients. As time passed and Germany started to ship out beer, some cities became famous brewing spots. The town of Bremen had over 600 breweries in it by fifteen-hundred and was the leading exporter of beer to Holland, Scandinavia, England, and as far as India. Two more famed brewing towns were Einbeck and Braunschweig. Because of it’s full-bodied taste and perfect amount of foam most modern-day Germans still choose fabbier, or draught beer, over bottled beer. Used still today, German beer steins became popular around the time the purity standard came about in an effort to stop more breakouts of the black plague.
During the time of the bubonic plague, Germany started several laws to keep its people from becoming ill. Disease would spread as massive amounts of infected flies flew in citizen’s food and drink. This led to the German beer stein, a beverage vessel with a hinged top that could be operated with the thumb so a person could prevent infection and still be able to drink with their free hand. As people began to learn the plague spread in unclean conditions with stale water, beer consumption went up exponentially. Originally made of stoneware with pewter lids, German beer steins rose in popularity. German beer steins began to be crafted completely of pewter for nearly three-hundred years as the pewter guild grew. Eventually, porcelain and silver German beer steins were introduced and continue to be made in the present.
Today there are over 1350 breweries within Germany’s borders that make over 5000 brands of beer. The Benedictine abbey Weihenstephan, which has been producing beer since one-thousand and forty, is reported as the oldest brewery on the earth. The most concentrated area in Germany for breweries is the Franconia region of Bavaria near the city Bamberg. German breweries make a wide range of flavors and types of beer with most of them able to be categorized under ales or lagers. The majority of beers have an alcoholic content from 4.7% to 5.4% but some brands can be as high as 12%, making them more powerful than most wines.
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Want to Try a Fabulous Beer? Try German! - By: Michael Usry
The German people are famous for many things; one of them is beer. With over thirteen-hundred different breweries spanning the land, beer is an essential piece of their culture and heritage. The Czechs and the Irish are the only ones who outdo the Germans as far as beer consumption per person. The monks began to experiment with brewing around one-thousand A.D. at the beginning of German history The nation’s monarchy eventually began to regulate the production of beer as brewing started to be more and more profitable. The most important and significant factor to effect German brewing came about in fifteen-sixteen with the Bavarian Reinheitsgebot, or the purity standard.
The Bavarian Reinheitsgebot was ordered by Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria to ensure Bavarian beers were only of the highest quality. Water, hops, and barley are the only ingredients that should go in in beer according to the standard. Unaltered after nearly five-hundred years, the Reinheitsgebot is the oldest regulation placed on food on the earth. The only addition to the proclamation is the adding of yeast to the cache of crucial ingredients. Yeast found naturally in the air was what brewers before used. Because of the strict standard of quality followed by the purity standard, Bavarian breweries were soon considered the best manufacturers of beer. As the notoriety of the Bavarian breweries spread around the nation other beer makers began to follow the proclamation as well.
German beers have a long-standing position of producing quality brews made only from the best ingredients as a result of the Reinheitsgebot. A lot of towns became famed brewing spots as time went on and Germany started to ship out beer. By fifteen-hundred, Scandinavia, Holland, England, and as far as India mainly got their beer from one of the 600 breweries in the town of Bremen. Einbeck and Braunschweig were two more famed brewing towns. Because of it’s full-bodied flavor and right amount of foam the majority of modern Germans still choose fabbier, or draft beer, over bottled beer. In an effort to curtail more breakouts of the bubonic plague German beer steins came into use about the time the purity standard came about and are still used today.
During the era of the bubonic plague, Germany started several regulations to keep its people from becoming sick. Disease would spread as large amounts of infected flies landed in citizen’s food and beverages. This led to the stein, a beverage holder with a closed lid that is used with the thumb so a person could stop disease and still be able to drink with one hand. As people began to realize the plague spread in dirty conditions with stagnant water, beer drinking rose exponentially. German beer steins were originally crafted from stoneware with pewter tops. As the pewter guild grew, steins started to be made completely of pewter and stayed that way for over three-hundred years. Still produced today, silver and porcelain steins were eventually introduced.
Over five-thousand kinds of beer are produced nowadays from over 1350 breweries within Germany’s borders. The Benedictine abbey Weihenstephan, which has been producing beer since one-thousand and forty, is reported as the oldest brewery in the world. The most concentrated area in Germany for beer makers is the Franconia region of Bavaria by the city Bamberg. German breweries manufacture a large range of flavors and brands of beer with the majority of them able to be placed under ales or lagers. Most beers have an alcoholic content from 4.7% to 5.4% but some types can be as high as 12%, making them stronger than a lot of wines.
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How to Brew Beer For The First Time - By: Dominick Famiano
The process of brewing beer can be as simple or as complex as one makes it. This article is intended to simplify the process and outline the most basic elements of homebrewing for the first-time brewer. It is recommended that you first purchase an equipment kit from your local supply store or online. These generally cost anywhere from $60-$100 and include everything you need to get started.
Now, let’s prepare our first brewing session. Cleanliness and organization are two key elements. Make sure your brewing area is clean, all of your equipment is sanitized, and your ingredients are organized and readily accessible.
For the sake of simplification, we’ll brew what I like to call an “in-and-out” kit. One of my favorites that falls into this category is EDME’s Red Devil Ale. This particular kit includes a 4 lb. hopped can of malt extract and a pack of dry yeast. The only additional ingredients you will need to purchase are about 2 lbs. of dried malt extract and five ounces of corn sugar or priming sugar. Some would prefer to add hops during the boil, but this is not absolutely necessary because our malt extract is already hopped.
Bring about ½ gallon of water to boil in a stainless boiling pot. Reduce the heat, and add the contents of the can and 2 lbs. of dried malt extract. Stir fully to dissolve. Then bring the mixture back to a boil, and continue to simmer for about five minutes. Also continue stirring to avoid scorching and/or boil-over. After five minutes, turn off the heat.
Pour three gallons of cold water into your fermenting bin. Be sure to pour from a reasonable height so as to add oxygen to the water. Next, add the mixture (wort) from the pot, and top off the fermenting bin with more water until the total volume of the bin is between five and six gallons. Place the lid on top of the fermenting bin to avoid the introduction of contaminants and other airborne particles, and allow the wort to cool down to between 65 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Once the wort has cooled, add the yeast and stir with a sanitized stainless spoon. Place the lid and airlock on the fermenting bin, and stand the bin in a warm area (65-75 degrees Fahrenheit). Fermentation will take approximately one week. When fermentation appears to have stopped, you are ready for priming and bottling.
Siphon the beer from the fermenting bin into the bottling bucket making sure not to transfer any of the yeast sediment. Dissolve about five ounces of corn sugar or priming sugar into one cup of boiling water. Add this mixture to the bottling bucket, and stir. Now, siphon the beer from the bottling bucket into individual bottles. Cap each bottle, and store at room temperature for a couple of weeks. You may then transfer the bottles to a cooler place for conditioning if you wish. In all, your beer should be ready for consumption in about four weeks from the original date of brewing.
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Tips for Designing Your Own Beer Recipe - By: Dominick Famiano
Perhaps the greatest thrill in homebrewing is that innate desire of the individual brewer to create a truly unique, signature beer. This process of recipe design comes easy to some, but it can present quite a challenge to others. Sometimes it’s good to get back to basics and remind ourselves that all beer essentially contains just a few key ingredients: malt, hops, yeast, and water.
We know that the malt provides the fermentable sugars, and the yeast converts these sugars to alcohol, while the hops work to balance the sweetness of unfermented sugars. That’s the most basic process. It’s how we bring these and additional ingredients together that determines the characteristics of the finished beer. Take the time to really familiarize yourself with these ingredients. For example, it’s fine to read about the unique flavors imparted by different varieties of hops, but you should also focus on the aroma of the hops as you use them.
Seek out existing recipes calling for ingredients you have not yet used. Recreate these recipes, and keep a specific journal of each brewing session. This journal should include a list of the ingredients, starting and finishing gravities, fermentation temperature, and all important dates and times such as time of boil, pitching, fermentation, secondary racking, and bottling. ProMash is just one of many software programs available to assist you with this task. I only mention it because it is what I use. If you would prefer, a pen and notebook will work just fine.
Once you have found a recipe you enjoy, go back to your journal. Try to find ways to make it even better, and make it your own. Perhaps there are other flavors, enjoyable to you but not traditionally found in beer, that you can bring to this recipe. Begin the process of experimentation. Recently, I discovered a wheat beer recipe that I enjoy very much. My goal now is to recreate it, slightly lighter in body and with a hint of lemon and basil. Take the liberty to do the same with your beer. Just remember to keep the batch sizes small during the experimentation process. That way, if you don’t care for the finished product, not much is lost.
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Types of German Beers - By: Evelyn Whitaker
German beer - you have to admit, is one of the finest tasting beers you can drink. German breweries are pretty secretive about their "how tos". They all seem to say it’s in the water. I’m sure there’s some truth to that, but what really gives the beer it’s great flavor is the hops which is traded as seriously as grapes for wine makers.
Most German beers are great tasting because all are vegan (no animal products are used). Bavarian purity laws limit them to four ingredients only: water, grain, hops and yeast. Real German beer is also not pasteurized as many American beers are, which lets you taste the beer’s real flavor.
Listed below are some of the different types of German beers typically found in Bavaria and what you can expect should you order one of these types.
Ein "Helles", bitte ( A lite beer)
The standard light beer, when you order a "Helles" in a pub or restaurant you’ll most likely end up with a pint. Depending on the brewer it can be quite refreshing. Some beer gardens have responded to the public’s demand for smaller quantities and now also offer them outdoors, the "real" beer garden only serves the "Mass" (one quart) - pronounced "maus". By the way, Germany has laws governing the quantity of liquids served to the public, that is why you will find level markers on each glass. If your Mass looks like it is not quite 1 liter after the foam settles, just go back and ask for "bitte nachschenken". The man at the keg will be impressed that you know your way around.
Ein "Pils" (A Pilsener)
If you like a more bitter and less malty taste try the pils which is also called pilsner. You can order them in restaurants and special pils bars. Take a closer look at the time consuming process of serving a foam crowned pils with perfection. You will see dozens of glasses filled with foam only, waiting to settle. It can take a good quarter of an hour for the foam refills to turn into the golden liquid.
Ein "Dunkeles" (A dark beer)
Against popular beliefs it is not the most powerful in alcohol contents. It is basically a lager bottom brewed beer containing "toasted" malt.
Ein "Weissbier" (A white beer)
A very good idea when the sun is shining and you prefer being refreshed by a lighter tasting beer. Weizen means wheat, often called a Weissbier (white), and is served in tall and elegant 1/2 liter glasses. But beware of its "light" character, it is the strongest in alcohol. While some will serve it with a slice of lemon, do not put one in your Hefe (yeast) Weissbier. The Hefeweissbier comes only in bottles, a professional will wet the glass and pour the bottle at a steep angle. With the foam that remains at the bottom of the bottle he will collect the yeast (swirling action) and add it to your beer.
Ein Bock und Doppelbock (A Bock beer)
Bock is term used for a stronger beer (doppel meaning double even more so). Fasting monks found an ingenious way of compensating the lack of food - they started brewing very strong beers. March and October are the two most prominent seasons for brewing these special beers.
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Home Beer Brewing Success and Why You Should Brew Beer at Home - By: Paul P. Duxbury
Home Beer Brewing is becoming an increasingly popular hobby for men and women of all ages. The ever increasing price of drinks at bars and clubs coupled with a greater interest in entertaining at home have made it increasingly popular.
So yes you can start home beer brewing! However it dos not have to be a solitary occupation locked away in the cellar or shed for hour after hour. As well as being a hobby for the individual it can also be a family project through which you introduce members of the family to alcohol and the need to be responsible with it. Some people do not understand why people make their own beer. They wander why they want the all the mess and clutter associated with creating their own brew. They believe that it is far easier to simply go to the store and get what they want when they want beer. However, it is not simply about the convenience or the cost of the beer stores.
The actual reason why a lot of people have started home beer brewing is because they think it is both enjoyable and exciting. This is a way for them to participate in hobby that they like and that keeps them busy. Some people create their own brew just because they have never tried it before and now the proliferation of Home Beer Brewing Kits and other resources provide them with the opportunity relatively cheaply.
It is also a way for individuals to reconnect with their ancestors and family history. There are so many different recipes for beer, not only held by the breweries, but that have also been handed down through different families. They are using the recipes that their ancestors used and seeing if they can do what they did, In the process they are discovering that they can create great tasting beer. Many of the recipes are easy to follow and have an ingredient list that is easy to find. There are different things that people can buy to make their beer making experience more fun.
With the right kit and the best beer-making recipe, it has come within the reach of many more people and anyone can try making great tasting beer. Even if it is a one shot thing, it will be worth seeing if you can create a beer that is just as good as the beer that is purchased in the store. You can create anything with the home beer brewing supplies that you can now find in the store.
Buying the kits to brew your beer is going to make it easier for a lot of people to do. You can get everything that you need with this kit and it will make your beer brewing easier. Finding these kits will make the beer brewing adventure even more fun for someone that has not had the opportunity to try making their own beer yet.
Finding out about making your own beer is easy. You can go online and get all the facts and the tips that you need to get started on making your own beer. There are many tips and pieces of advice that you can use when you start your new hobby of making your own beer and I hope you will enjoy your own beer!
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Just Right: Storing and Serving Draft Beer - By: Michael Usry
If you’ve been drinking beer for any amount of time you are probably aware of draft beer. People around the globe enjoy the cold sudsy beverage that comes from a keg and out of the beer taps. When stored and served right, it is a tasty and refreshing way to enjoy a cold beer. However, some problems can arise that can definitely take away from the quality and taste of your favorite beverage.
The most important factor in proper draft care is the temperature of the beer. The proper temperature for storage and serving draft beer is 38 degrees Fahrenheit. If the keg falls above or below 38 F, the appearance, freshness, and most importantly, taste can be affected. Draft beer is kept at this temperature so that it can maintain the carbonation level that it has while it is being made at the brewery. It does not matter whether it is a domestic or imported beer or if it is pasteurized or not; the temperature must remain between 38-40 degrees.
If a keg gets too warm, the beer will foam up while it is still in the container. This happens because the pressure applied by the beer tap handles is not enough to keep the carbonation in the beer. This can lead to wasted beer and wasted profit. Once a keg has lost pressure and the carbonation in the beer is gone, it affects the taste, making it more bitter, and the appearance of the beer, making it appear clouded.
If the keg gets too cold it causes the carbonation found in the beer to remain there until the customer consumes it. The result is overfilled beer glasses and a lower yield of beers per keg. Also, if temperature drops too much without the pressure from the beer tap handles being changed, the beer may become over carbonated. This will result in foamy pours.
Temperature can be maintained with a little care. To properly measure a keg’s temperature you must place a thermometer in liquid with the keg. This is important to do to maintain proper temperature. A keg can go from 38 degrees to 48 degrees in as little as four hours. On the other hand, it can take up to ten hours for a keg that measures 48 degrees to be cooled down to 38 degrees. This is a serious matter in a business or party situation!
One way to prevent improper temperature is make sure that your keg refrigerator is well maintained and sealed properly. A poorly sealed cooler can warm the keg by several degrees over a relatively short period of time. When storing kegs, avoid keeping other items in the same cooler as the beer. Having other items in the same refrigerator can lead to people opening the door and affecting the temperature of the keg.
One must consider temperature when receiving a keg from delivery as well. A keg that has ridden around in a delivery truck for several hours is more than likely going to be several degrees warmer than when it came from the warehouse. The bottom line is that with a little care and attention draft beer can always be good all the way from the bottom of the barrel until it comes bursting forth in a golden frothy spray out of the beer tap handles.
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Use Draft Beer to Boost Sales - By: Michael Usry
Restaurant owners who offer a selection of beer without any draft beer are losing out. Draft beer sales in restaurants are often equal to or greater than bottle sales when a choice of both is available. What makes draft beer so appealing to people? It can be theorized that it not only has to do with taste, but with aesthetics as well. With so many choices of beer available, more and more people are being choosy about not only the kinds of beers they drink, but how they drink it as well. Glassware has come out in hundreds of shapes and sizes to encompass that perfect beer for the thirsty consumer. Large glasses, ornate glasses, promotional offers, and colorful signs and decorum make a big difference when it comes to sales. We have truly become a society of brand name conscious consumers and this is no exception in the beer market. It makes a lot of sense when there are so many different types of beers. Some of them will taste completely different from another and yet they are still called the same thing.
When a customer walks into a bar and orders a beer, a lot of times the first thing they see are the beer tap handles displaying the kinds of beer they offer. These beer tap handles are often ornate and eye catching in addition to displaying the different brands. As someone sees a recognizable brand name they are more likely to give up the search and go with what they know. Because draft beer is much cheaper than bottled beer, profits can also be much higher with proper regulation and care. Knowing what beers sell the best, sales figures, and keg yields are the key components in successful draft beer sales. Draft beer is profitable only when strict attention is paid to the inventory.
In addition to appealing beer tap handles, many companies will offer a variety of beer glasses that go with their particular brand of beer. These beer glasses have the logo of the beer and appeal to the bar-going public. With a little promotion and strategic placement of these products, restaurant beer sales have the potential to increase dramatically. Occasionally some beer companies and distributors will work with restaurants to increase beer sales by offering a product that can be given away to customers in a promotion.
Some potential problems can arise with a draft beer system. Temperature is the most prevalent problem. If kegs are not stored in the correct temperature, the beer foams up and volume per keg goes down. Dirty lines running from the keg to the beer tap handles can also affect the taste and amount of beer attained per keg. A badly tapped keg has the potential to lose pressure and affect the yield of the beer per keg as well. An inexperienced bartender can also affect keg yields by doing bad pours or improper storage. However, all these problems can easily be avoided with a little attention and care. There is a little potential for some problems, but the advantages and increased profit of draft beer make it well worth the effort.
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Proper Care for Your Beer Glasses and Steins - By: Michael Usry
For many beer drinkers, there’s nothing better than hearing that pop that comes with cracking open a fresh beer can. But is there an even better way to enjoy our favorite beers? Of course there is, the use of beer glasses and beer steins. Drinking from beer glasses and steins has a number of advantages over drinking your favorite beer right from the bottle or can, and it seems that people the world over are realizing this more and more. A glass or stein not only improves the taste and aroma of the beer, it improves the entire beer drinking experience. When a brew flows from the beer taps, the right choice of beer glass is essential in bringing out the maximum tastiness of the beer, but how do you continue to have a great drinking experience every time once you’ve selected your ideal container?
There are a few simple things that a caring connoisseur can do to ensure that they get the most out of their beer each and every time:
1. Whatever glass you choose, use them only for beer. Residue from other drinks may stay on or in the glass, affecting the appearance and taste of the next beer.
2. When washing beer glasses or beer steins, use hot water and a soft cloth and rinse by hand. Avoid using soap; the residue left on the glass can affect the head of the beer and therefore the taste. If you have to use soap, rub the glass with table salt to remove any soap residue and let the beer glasses or beer steins air dry before putting them up for storage.
3. When storing your glasses or steins, avoid putting them in the refrigerator or freezer. Overly chilled beer takes away from the taste by numbing the taste buds and inhibiting the full aroma to be released. A frozen glass adds to this problem by numbing the lips and mouth as the consumer drinks. It can also weaken the strength of your glasses, leading to chipped edges and lips. Then you’ll just have to throw the mugs away and get some more.
4.Avoid beer glasses that are opaque in color. The breweries carefully formulate the color of the beer and it is essential in the overall experience of drinking it. The Samuel Adams recently released a special glass that brings out the full color of their variety of flavors of beer. This is an example of how more and more people and breweries are catching on to the beer drinking experience
5. Use your own judgment and go with what you find to be your own preference. If you’ve got a sweet disposition for German beer steins, who’s to say that you won’t enjoy an American lager from it? Don’t get too caught up in the pomp of beer drinking, it doesn’t require the snobbery of being a wine connoisseur; It’s just good old beer drinking. So tip it up and enjoy a cold one every time.
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The History of the Beer Glass - By: Michael Usry
It is well known that beer has been with mankind for a long time. As beer itself changed, expanded, and improved, so did the way in which we actually got the beer to our mouths. The earlier vessels man used for drinking included earthenware, pottery, carved out wood, and even sewn-together pieces of leather. As time went on, man saw small improvements in the quality of their beer glasses. Early Europeans living during the time of the Bubonic plague saw the creation of beer steins, which had an enclosed top on the steins to keep flies from landing in the brew and getting the person sick.
The development of glass may have been the most important aspect of the way beer glasses are made today. As beer glasses became more and more popular, consumers could actually see what they were drinking and demanded a lighter and more appealing look as well as taste. This led to the filtration of beers; people no longer wanted the coarse chunks that were often found in the earlier beers of the breweries. With this new, more aesthetically pleasing wave of beer glasses, it seemed like beer steins were on the way out.
The development of glassware continued and produced a variety of beer glasses for all kinds of different beers. The most popular in the United States is the 16-ounce pint glass. It was originally used to fit the top of a Martini shaker, but bartenders soon found that as the brew flowed out of the beer taps the pint glass was the perfect vessel because it allowed for some of the carbonation to be released and allowed the aroma of the beer to be more pronounced. It is also favored for its storage capabilities; pint glasses can be stacked on top of each other and stored easily upright on shelves, quickly making them a favorite with the bartenders who ended up having to wash out each glass.
A drive to get people to buy their brand of beer by earlier breweries led to some unique and groundbreaking moves on the marketing and promotional front. Early breweries were often prohibited to give away beer or other rewards to their customers, but found that giving away beer glasses was a great way to reward customers and also to advertise for themselves. This led to the breweries producing beer glasses that were works of art unto themselves. The first were ornate and expensive; they would often have gold or silver embossed on the sides. Eventually, artists for the breweries began doing detailed etchings on the sides of the glasses or steins and even developed a method of firing enamel paint onto the beer glasses. These enameled glasses remain some of the most rare beer collectibles, even though they were made more recently than the others. Today, some of the beer collectables and signs are worth thousands of dollars and sought out worldwide by eager collectors. Have you looked up in the top of Grandpa’s old drawer lately?
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Which of These Beer Glasses is the Right One? - By: Michael Usry
How do beer glasses affect the whole beer-drinking experience? Some beginner beer enthusiasts say that glassware is just a marketing ploy, but the adept beer drinker knows better. Whether from a bottle or straight out of the beer taps, glassware is an important aspect of the beer drinking experience. For example, beer steins differ from a flute glass in forming a head as the beer is poured in, which makes a big difference in appearance and taste. A darker beer should have a wider brim in order to allow for more release of the volatiles found in the brew, thus enhancing the strong flavor and smell. A bottled beer is pasteurized and needs a taller, thinner pilsner glass for color and pourability. There are a lot of little different things like that that can make a big difference in your drinking experience.
Now of course there’s a big marketing presence in all these different varieties of beer glasses, but a true beer drinker knows that as the beer is poured in, something else is going on besides the nice looking logo on the side of the glass. The hue of the beer changes, the head forms at the top, and the anticipation of that first cool drink is more profound and complete. Just like any other pleasurable aspect of life, there’s a psychology involved here. Flavor, texture, aroma; these are the things that make up the drinking experience. If you’re drinking to relax and enjoy yourself, why not do all the things you can to enhance the experience.
One of the most important aspects of beer glasses is how the shape affects the formation of the head. This is important because the head acts as a sort of trap for the volatiles in the beer. What’s volatile in a beer? Compounds such as hop oils, a variety of yeast byproducts such as spices or alcohol are what make up a beer’s aroma and taste. Earlier beer that man drank was darker, stouter, and a lot grainier too, mainly because of the lack of filtration. As glass became more and more popular, so did lighter colored beers and better filtration processes. With so many different kinds of beers, a variety of beer glasses are needed to produce the maximum desired effect of the beer drinking experience. Many people have said that the 16-ounce pint glass is overall the most versatile glass for the widest range of beers. Many people place the importance of a glass because of the shape as they drink. A tall pilsner glass can be tipped up for quick drinking, while the tall narrow glass keeps the entire drink cold the whole time.
So which is the correct glass to use with which beer? The answers are vast and varied. Europeans may do it completely different than anyone else in the world, but what it really comes down to is your own personal preference. Go with some recommendations and then branch out and try some on your own. You may be surprised at the experience and find your own preferences to be totally unique to yourself.
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What Makes a Great Pint of Real Ale? - By: Matt OConnor
Finding a good pint of real ale is not always easy. Here are a few pointers to make life a little bit easier in finding a satisfying pint.
1) Having too many beers on draught can be a bad sign. This leads to beers that are not fresh due to some of the less popular beers being on tap for too long. Unless the pub is known for good ale. It would be advisable to stick to the well-known beers that would presumably sell quicker. Thus guarantying a fresher pint.
2) Always watch how the beer is poured. Serving real ale takes time. The swan neck hand pump works on gravity and has a piston inside. It takes a few moments for the piston to fill up after each pull. If you don’t wait, air gets into the system. It leads to a poor head and adds oxygen into the beer which spoils the flavour of the beer. Brewers go to great lengths not to add oxygen to their beer as it leads to infection and beer spoilage.
3) The appearance of real ale should be clear unless stated to be a cloudy wheat beer. Also make sure there are no foreign bodies in the beer (if there are it could mean they don’t clean their lines). In most cases the beer should also have a good head. A good tip is if you stick your finger in the head. There should be a nice amount of the head stuck to your finger. There are some regions where they do not like much head on the beer. A great beer will almost have a shine to it due to the crystal clarity.
4) As with wine, the aroma of the beer is also key. It can tell you a lot about the beer before tasting it. It can tell you quite simply if a beer is bad. If you detect vinegar or T.C.P. take the beer back as it’s "off". You are looking for floral, fruity and resinous notes from hops. From the malt you should detect nutty, malty and caramel notes.
5) When you finally taste the beer you are looking for beery qualities. A good beer will have what we call a start, middle and end. A good brewer picks his/her ingredients so that there is story to the beer. Generally you get the malt flavours coming through first. You may get a smoky flavour and some sweetness. As the beer passes over the tongue the bitterness of the hops will come through. Finally you will get a warming feeling and sometimes a little sharpness from the carbonation. Flavours you are not looking for are metallic and sulphury.
6) As you are savouring your ale. It will warm up as it is in your hands and from the ambient temperature of the surroundings. The flavour of the beer may change accordingly. It will make a bad beer more obvious to spot as the warmer the beer the more flavour can be detected. A good beer will often get better as it gets warmer as the flavours of the malt and hops become even stronger.
7) Finally if you start with a good head on your pint and it continues always the down the glass. It is a very good sign. It means the beer has been brewed without too much agitation in the process. The more processes a beer goes through the more it is moved generally leads to less head in the finished beer.
A good beer does need to be treated well. A good pub/bar will go through set procedures to serve a good pint. In the UK there is now a volunteer mark system. It is called The Cask Marque System. Bars/Pubs volunteer to have their pubs assessed by independent auditors with good public houses receiving a pass and accreditation.
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German Beer - By: Joshua Spaulding
Most German beers are popular, because they are vegan (no animal products are used). Bavarian purity laws require them to use four ingredients only: water, grain, hops and yeast. Real German beer is also not pasteurized as many American beers are, which allows the beers real flavor to flourish.
Listed below are some of the different types of German beers typically found in Bavaria and what you can expect if you order one of these types.
"Helles" ( A lite beer)
The standard light beer, when you order a "Helles" in a pub or restaurant you will usually get a pint. Depending on the brewer it can be quite refreshing. Some beer gardens have responded to the public's outcry for smaller quantities and now also offer them outdoors, the "real" beer garden only serves the "Maß" (one quart). By the way, this precise nation has laws governing the quantity of liquids served to the public, that is why you will find level markers on each glass. If your Maß looks like it is not quite 1 liter after the foam settles, just go back and say "bitte nachschenken". The man at the keg will be impressed that you know your way around.
"Pils" (Pilsener)
If you like a more bitter and less malty taste try the pils which is also called pilsener. You can order them in restaurants and special pils bars. Take a closer look at the time consuming process of serving a foam crowned pils with perfection. You will see dozens of glasses filled with foam only, waiting to settle. It can take a good quarter of an hour for the foam refills to turn into the golden liquid. This particular beer is arguably the closest to American beer you will find in Germany.
"Dunkles" (A dark beer)
Against popular beliefs it is not the most powerful in alcohol contents. It is basically a lager bottom brewed beer containing "toasted" malt. Many enjoy mixing this with cola.
"Weissbier" (A white beer)
A very good idea on a hot day when you prefer a lighter tasting beer. Weizen means wheat, often called a Weissbier (white), and is served in tall and elegant 1/2 liter glasses. But beware of its "light" character it is the strongest in alcohol content. While some will serve it with a slice of lemon, do not put one in your Hefe (yeast) Weissbier. The Hefeweissbier comes only in bottles. A professional will wet the glass and pour the bottle at a steep angle. With the foam that remains at the bottom of the bottle he will collect the yeast (swirling action) and add it to your beer.
“Bock and Doppelbock” (A Bock beer)
Bock is a term used for a stronger beer (doppel meaning double). Fasting monks found an ingenious way of compensating the lack of food - they started brewing very strong beers. March and October are the two most prominent seasons for brewing these special beers but you can find them year round.
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Only With Beer Can Chicken Taste Good - By: Andrea Nichol
Only with beer can chicken taste good – a sentiment shared by passionate beer drinkers. Gourmet meals are enjoyed by many; when one thinks of the beverages served in a high class restaurant, wine comes to mind most frequently. A diner may choose a tasty liquer such as Drambuie or whiskey to enjoy with coffee after a fine meal. It brings to mind silk dresses, tuxedos, a night at the opera. Many traditionalists would be surprised to learn that beer is now on the fine dining menu.
Despite its sporty, pub-crawl, keg party reputation, beer has been transformed into a chilled, foamy beverage served among the elite. It is becoming commonplace for hosts and hostesses to wonder what beer to serve with the meal they will serve their guests. On recent observation at a restaurant, I saw the people at the next table peruse a list of beers, not wine.
What type of beer goes with the dishes served at dinner parties and in restaurants? There are many different types of beer: lager, ale, pilsner, brown, bock, porter and stout. How do these beers pair up with food? There are so many types of food to choose from: Mexican, Chinese, Thai, Japanese, British, German etc. The easy answer is to choose what you, the diner, believe to be a great taste match. Everyone’s tastes differ and there are enough choices to go around. For those of you who are stuck and don’t know where to begin, the following is a good place to start.
One possibility is to choose a beer that matches the country of origin of the food being served. I recently went out for sushi and decided to have a Japanese beer with my tempura and maki. I have never tasted the beers from Japan before and I enjoy new experiences. I chose Kirin beer, which was a light, delicate beer ideally suited to the delicate tastes of sushi. The Kirin website (www.kirin.com) claims their beer has complimented sushi for almost a century.
In Mexico and south western United States, some people like to drink chilli beer – a lager style beer that is rich, malty and roasty. This rather hot beer is the perfect match for spicy Mexican offerings such as burritos. I like to drink Corona beer with lime as it is the perfect match for natchos and tacos.
British beef and Yorkshire pudding go best with a stout beer like Guinness. Guinness itself is like a meal in a glass. A hearty meal tastes better with a hearty beer. A stout beer can also be paired with other heavier meals such as lasagne, pasta, pizza and game dishes.
Fish dishes demand a delicate beer mate – unless the fish is heavily battered and deep-fried. Fresh fish tastes best with a pilsner or a light lager. Fish and chips, British-style, can accompany a brown ale or a heavier lager.
Chicken tastes good with almost anything and the choice of beer depends on individual tastes. Dramatic-tasting chicken dishes, such as curried or Thai heavily-spiced chicken can be paired with stronger beers like a malty amber or a dry porter. A roasted chicken might go well with a light lager or pilsner.
To end a dinner, diners may want to try dark ale, cream stout, Oatmeal Stout, Double Bock or Scotch Ale. All of these beers are heavy and sweet and would taste great with cheesecake or tortes. Imperial Stout needs a dessert made with chocolate as it is quite bitter and heavy.
If the dessert is light and fruity, perhaps a fruit-flavoured lambic would go well. Lambics are wheat beers produced in Belgium and some of them are flavoured with raspberry, cherry and peach. It is common sense that a fruity beer would pair well with a fruity dessert.
What an amazing, unique experience it would be to invite friends over for a six-course meal using various beers for each course, pairing each dish with an appropriate beer. It would be the dinner party talked about for years to come.
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