1.1.
Beer types & their raw materials
Beer is to all intents and purposes, a beverage made from the fermentation of sugars
derived from malted grain and flavoured with hops.
The alcohol in beer is produced by yeast, which, when it grows (ferments) in a sugar
solution, produces alcohol and carbon dioxide. This is unlike most organisms which
produce water and carbon dioxide (plus of course in both cases energy for growth)
The grain derived fermentable material may be added to with other carbohydrate
(sugar) sources (adjuncts) and very occasionally the flavouring may be augmented
with other herbs or spices.
The two main classes of beer in the world are Lagers and Ales.
Lagers are generally made with light, rather unmodified malt (see Malt) which is only
slightly kilned so that its colour is low.
Bitterness levels are relatively low (although there are some exceptions) and colour
is light (again with some exceptions; e.g. German Dunkel beers).
They are invariably produced with bottom fermenting yeasts and are traditionally
matured in a cold environment (Lagered: from the German to store) Fermentation is
also notmally cold, although there are notable exceptions such as American Steam
Beer.
Ales are the traditional beers of the UK and Ireland, although there are areas in
Europe, (Cologne, Kolsch beer for example) and increasingly in North America
where ale type beer is brewed.
It is characterised by a more full bodied taste, derived from well modified malts and
frequently a relatively high bitterness. Unfermentable or only partially fermentable
sugar is frequently added (usually in the copper) to accentuate the body.
They are brewed with top fermenting yeast, (generally at a higher temperature than
Lager) and are rarely matured in tank.
Typically Ales are golden coloured, although Stouts and “Mild” and “Brown” ales are
darker, usually achieved with coloured malt or caramel.
Whilst barley is the most common grain used in brewing noticeable amounts of
wheat beer are produced (particularly in Germany) and sorghum is widely used in
West Africa due to economic prohibitions on importing Malt (Barley will not grow in
tropical areas). Tesguino is produced in South and Central America from malted
maize. Sake, “rice wine”, is made in Japan from rice.
There is also a growing demand (for health and safety reasons) for alcohol free
beers. These are generally produced by distilling off the alcohol (which is a useful
and lucrative by product) or by reverse osmosis (q.v.). They should not be confused
with low alcohol beers which are produced by fermenting low gravity worts.
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A minor market has also developed in low carbohydrate beer, generally produced by
ensuring that all carbohydrate is reduced to fermentable sugar. This is normally
achieved by specialised mashing techniques, usually employing external enzymes to
ensure 100% saccharification.
Before we start:
There are some new words and concepts we must understand. The first is:
1.1.1.1. Gelatinisation.
Before enzymes can digest starch, it must be gelatinised.
Gelatinisation is caused by water and heat. It turns starch into a sticky liquid.
You can see this happening if you cook rice. At first the grain is hard. Then it starts
getting softer as water is absorbed. With more heating, it boils and becomes sticky
and very soft. Enzymes could now digest this starch.
Different types of starch have different gelatinisation temperatures.
1.1.1.2. Hydrolysis
Hydrolysis is a chemical reaction. Hydrolysis is the splitting of large molecules into
smaller ones.
Starch is a very large molecule. When it is hydrolysed, it is split into smaller sugar
molecules.
The amount of hydrolysis (more splitting of molecules) gives different types of sugar.
Complete hydrolysis gives glucose. Glucose is 100% fermentable (i.e. 100% usable
by yeast)
Partial hydrolysis gives some sugars which are poorly or non fermentable by yeast.
Malto dextrin is one of these.
In the brewery, starch is hydrolysed with enzymes. You can hydrolyse materials with
chemicals as well.
1.1.1.3. Enzymes
Enzymes are molecules that cause a reaction to happen faster. For example the
splitting of large molecules into smaller molecules is caused by enzymes. This
reaction would occur very slowly if the enzyme was not there. During the reaction,
the enzyme does not change (just like a chemical catalyst).
If you heat wheat starch with water to 65 o C, it will simply become a sticky mess as it
gelatinises. If you add the right enzymes then the gelatinised starch will be
hydrolysed into a less sticky sugar solution. There will be as much enzyme left at the
end of this as was put in.
Starch hydrolysing enzymes are called Amylases.
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