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The History of Beer Brewing

Beer is one of the world’s most loved beverages. Found on every continent is some form or another, the history of this beer goes back to ancient times. Evidence suggests that the ancient Egyptians used the brewing technique as early as the 6th millennium BC. Some of mankind’s first writings mention beer, including Sumerian writings, which are the earliest record of written language. There were even ancient hymns and prayers devoted to beer and beer making which, aside from paying honor to the ancient beer deities, helped those who couldn’t read remember the recipe for beer.

Nowadays, the brewing of beer is a global industry. There are several large brewery companies that produce the bulk of the beer in the world, and thousands of smaller breweries. It is estimated that over 133 billion liters of beer are sold every year. This makes it the third most consumed beverage in the world right behind water and tea.

There are three basic ingredients in beer; water, starch and yeast. There may also be different flavorings added, the most widely used of which would be hops, which gives the beer the flavor, aroma, and bitterness that is characteristic of most types of beer. The starch used may vary, but the most common grain that is used is barley. Other starches, like millet, sorghum, and even cassava root and potatoes are also used in some cases.

The first step to brewing the beer is to make the beer wort. This is done by first making barley malt, or other malted grain. The grain is soaked in a vat of water for about 2 days, and then it is spread out and allowed to germinate. The germination breaks down the starches in the grain, which makes it easier for the starches to convert to sugars. After the grain has germinated, it is dried out in a kiln. This roasting determines the color of the malt and the subsequent color of the beer. Dark malt, which has been well roasted, is responsible for dark beers like Guinness.

After the malt is made, it is milled, which breaks the grains into little pieces so they can absorb the water that they will be mixed with to extract the sugars from the malt. The milled malt is then mixed in a vat of hot water to make a sort of malt cereal mix known as mash. The mash is then strained and the liquid reserved. The liquid, which is now rich in sugar converted from the starch in the malt, is called wort.

The wort is then boiled along with hops or other herbs and flavorings. This boiling also concentrates and sterilizes the wort. After the wort has boiled and the necessary technical and chemical reactions have taken place, the wort is left to settle and clarify and most of the solid particles in the wort are removed. Next, the wort goes into a heat exchanger, where it cools down sufficiently to safely add the yeast.

After the heat exchanger, the wort goes into the fermentation tanks and the yeast is added. As soon as the yeast is added the process fermentation begins, and the sugars in the wort will soon turn into alcohol and other components. After several months, and a few polishing touches like filtering and undergoing carbonation, the wort will have turned in to the wonderful drink that we all love: beer.

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Brewing Your Own Beer at Home

Ah, beer! The beverage of choice for so many different occasions! Whether you are by yourself, enjoying a good game on the TV, just home from a long day of work, out with your friends on a Friday night, or celebrating the birth of your first child, there is no better accompaniment than a nice cold (or in some cases, warm) beer.

Beer is the third most consumed liquid on the face of the earth, with only water and tea outranking it, and it is definitely the most popular alcoholic beverage. Some beer drinkers like to take their love for beer a step further than just walking down to the store to buy a six-pack. They like to make their own beer!

So, can you really brew your own beer? The answer is: yes. People have been brewing beer since time immemorial, all without the help of a full scale brewery and all the equipment that large producers now have. Your next question may be, ‘Is it really worth the time and effort?’ Again, I would have to answer: yes. Brewing your own beer not only gives you the intense satisfaction that comes from making your own stuff, it also gives you control over the flavor, body, and alcohol content of the beer. It may take a few tries to get your original recipe just right, but finally perfecting your very own microbrew is very rewarding.

If you are planning on brewing your own beer, you should start by purchasing a beer making kit. You can certainly do without one, but the equipment included in the kit will make things much easier, especially if it is your first time to brew beer. And, if you decide that you want to brew on a regular basis, then in addition to checking out these luminess air reviews for further advice, the  items included in the kit will turn out to be a good investment.

If you decide you don’t want to buy a kit, but rather test out the waters before you make a commitment, you can make a very successful brew with tools that you probably already have. A few of the things you will need are:

-          Large, stainless steel pot

-          An airtight container large enough to hold your beer while it ferments

-          Sieve or strainer

-          Thermometer

-          Plastic hose (for siphoning the beer off the sediment)

-          Bottles (to hold your finished brew)

To make beer, you need to start by finding a basic recipe that you like. There are many recipes available on the internet and you can make anything from pale pilsners to fruit beer. Once you find your base recipe, you can make adjustments and perfect it just the way you want it. No matter what recipe you choose, one of the most important things to remember is to keep everything very clean. Sterilize anything that will come in contact with the wort, especially the container you use for fermenting.

Brewing your own beer can be a little tricky at first. But, with a little practice, you can make your own delicious beer that tastes much better than anything you could buy at the store and costs much less too. There is nothing like opening a cold bottle of beer, knowing that you made it with your very own hands. The satisfaction it will give you when you see you friends and family enjoying your brewing talents will make any hard work involved seem trifling and insignificant.

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Different Types of Beer from Around the World

Beer can be found on every continent of the world. It is the oldest of all prepared beverages, and recipes for the making of beer go back to the days of the ancient Egyptians and Sumerians. Beer is primarily made of water, barley malt, and yeast, with hops as a flavoring. But, there are thousands of different variations, and different countries have their own way of making beer with the resources that can be found locally.

While most beers rely on barley malt for the sugar content of the beer, some countries traditionally use other starches, like rice, sorghum, cassava root, potatoes, and even agaves. The starch in these sources is broken down into sugar, either through malting and boiling, or other methods. During fermentation, the sugars are then converted to alcohol. If you’re interested in a little known facts, these are also the ingredients which are also used for various home remedies so if you fancy killing two birds with one stone then you should have a gander at these no no hair removal reviews to discover how you can both brew and get rid of your pesky body hair!!!!!

The type of water used also makes a difference. Many regions are known for a certain type of beer, because the water that they have in the area has a certain composition which has an impact on the finished beer. The city of Pilsen in the Czech Republic has soft water, which is perfect for making pale ale. Burton in England has water that contains gypsum, which aided in the making of pale ale so much that, now, makers of pale ales add gypsum to the local water; this is known as Burtonisation.  Hard water, like that which can be found in places like Dublin, is perfect for making stouts like Guinness.

Beer is a big part of the culture in many countries, especially in Europe. The Oktoberfest in Germany is one of the largest celebrations of beer in the world, with over 5 million people joining the revelry every year. The country that consumes the most beer in the world is the Czech Republic, with an average yearly consumption of 156.9 liters of beer per person. The total amount of beer consumed by people in the Czech Republic in one year would be enough to fill about 500 Olympic sized swimming pools.

Many people are fiercely loyal to their local beer brands, usually dismissing other countries’ beer as less tasty, strong, flavorful, or whatever the complaint du jour may be. But, if they were to stop and think about why other countries love their beer so much and why it is so special to them, they would realize how much they are missing out on by being so unnecessarily picky. If they could learn to appreciate the differences in both the beer and the other culture, they might find that they really enjoy it. You don’t have to be a traitor to enjoy another cultures brew. Beer should be something that unites us, and not something that should keep us divided. It is one of the most social drinks on earth, and that is why, in most countries, people drink beer in pubs instead of their houses, because this is more enjoyable and they get to meet and talk to new people.

Sampling the different types of beer from around the world can be a great way to learn about other cultures. It is also a good way to have a great time. So, go ahead – have a beer! It’s not only a refreshing beverage, but it can be educational, as well!

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Some Fun Facts about Beer

Most people enjoy the taste of a nice cold beer after a hard day of work. In some countries, beer is served just as often as we drink sodas; basically with every meal. But, while most of us appreciate this wonderful beverage, a lot of us don’t know that much about it. We seem to prefer to enjoy its benefits without actually taking the time to know it too well.

But, just like a good friend, the more you know about them, the more you grow to love them. Learning a few fun facts about beer and the way that it is brewed can help you to enjoy it more and help you to appreciate the drink we’ve all come to know and love.

Here are a few things about beer that you may not have known:

  1. Beer is the third most popular drink in the world. The only other beverages that can top it are water (well, of course!) and tea.
  2. Beer is THE most popular alcoholic beverage in the world, with several million people drinking it at any given time.
  3. Beer is old. Very old. It has been around for at least 10,000 years and some of the earliest writings of mankind are devoted to recording beer recipes and brewing techniques.
  4. German monks were the first to start making the hops flavored beer that we are all now familiar with.
  5. Although most beer is made of water, barley malt, yeast and hops, there are many thousands of variations and different types of beer all around the world. Beer recipes in some countries may even substitute potato starch or the starch of the agave plant in place of the barley malt.
  6. Most beer is best served cold, but there are some types of beers that are meant to be served warm. These are usually dark lagers and they may also feel thicker in your mouth than other beers do.
  7. The country that consumes the highest amount of beer per capita is the Czech Republic. Annually, they consume about 160 liters per person. The amount of beer that is drank in the Czech Republic every year would be enough to fill about 500 Olympic sized swimming pools.
  8. Although too much beer is not good for you, it does contain a lot of good things. It has many B vitamins, including panthothenic acid and folate.
  9. Beer has held many religious uses in the past, and was at times even worshiped as a deity in itself.
  10. The most expensive beer in the world is called ‘Tutankhamen’. The recipe for it was found in the tomb of the Egyptian queen Nefertiti. It is prepared in limited quantities and costs about $52 per bottle.
  11. The term ‘rule of thumb’ was coined because, before the advent of thermometers, brewers would use their thumb to test the temperature of their brews. If the temperature was too hot it would kill the yeast, but if it was too cold, the yeast wouldn’t grow.

These are just a few of the interesting things you can learn when you research the history of beer. Since beer has played such a pivotal role in cultural development, and even to the survival of mankind (because clean water was often hard to find, but beer was always safe), it stands to reason that its history is important, so it is well worth learning a few new things about your favorite beverage.

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Regionally Distinctive Beers and the Way They are Produced

Beer and beer brewing has played a large part in the development of societies in many countries. Many cities were built up around the beer brewing industry. Many of these cities still hold the same beer culture traditions that they have had for hundreds of years.

While the basics of brewing beer are generally the same the world over, there are certain slight differences that give certain beers their regional character. Dublin, for example, has a long history of making stout beer. This is because the water in Dublin is hard water, which makes for good stouts.

The city of Pilsen is another place that has a distinctive type of beer because of the chemical composition of its water source. Pilsen is the first city to brew pilsner beer. The remarkably soft water that can be found in the region is one reason that this beer has its unique taste and character.

Pale ales made in Burton were also made distinct by the special characteristics of the water. The water in Burton has a large amount of gypsum in its composition. The gypsum in the water helped in the making of pale ales so much, that makers of pale ales everywhere started adding gypsum to their local water, as well. This process is now known as ‘Burtonisation’.

Other regionally distinct beers come from the type of yeast used in the brew. Most beers are either top or bottom fermenting. This means that the yeast either floats on the top, producing a higher alcohol content and typically sweeter taste, or flocculates on the bottom, usually producing a drier beer. There are several strains of yeasts used to produce different types of beer, but the two most popular are, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces pastorianus.

Yeasts are usually carefully selected and added to the wort once it has cooled. Once the yeast has been added the fermentation begins, and the beer is kept in a cool or warm place depending on the type of yeast that is used.

However, one type of beer, from Brussels, does not rely on yeast being manually added. Instead, the brewers expose the finished wort to the air, and the natural yeasts and bacteria found in the air and the brewery, itself, ferment the beer and give it a very unique taste. This spontaneous fermentation gives the beer a very distinctive sour taste, and other flavorings are often added to cut the tart flavor. This beer is known as Lambic beer, and while it was originally only produced in Brussels, it is now manufactured in other places thanks to the isolation of the certain yeasts and bacteria found in the area.

Many of the cities that sprung up around these breweries have a very deep rooted beer culture; usually, with yearly beer fests and other activities that celebrate beer drinking and brewing. Besides being a refreshing beverage, good beer can also give people a feeling of national pride and identity. More than any other drink in the world, beer has come to symbolize the spirit of merrymaking and camaraderie, and this has kept countries’ spirits high even in the worst of times.

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