Brewing Ingredients
The Basic Essentials
There are three basic essentials for the manufacture of beer. They are Malt,
Hops and Yeast.
Malt
This is the basic stuff that beer is made from. It is the source of
fermentable sugars which are converted by yeast into alcohol and carbon
dioxide. It is also the source of the basic malty flavour of beer.
Experienced commercial brewers seem to feel that as a general rule, malt
should make up no less than 70% of the total fermentable content of a beer.
Malt comes in several forms.
Malted Grain
Barley is the most common form of malted grain, but malted wheat can also be
obtained and used to make beer.
The grain has been specially treated to make it ready for brewing; however
it still has to be put through the “mashing” process before the fermentable
sugar can be extracted from it.
Malt Extract
This form of malt takes away the need for mashing. The manufacture has
already done it for you and then removed most of the water that was used in
the process. All you need to do to use it is dissolve it in water and mix it
with your other ingredients. Malt extract is available in dry (powder) and
liquid forms. Colours range from amber (light) to brown (dark) in the dry
form and amber (light) to black in the liquid form.
Hops
The flower cones of the hop vine are another essential ingredient in all
beers. They were originally used because of their qualities as a
preservative. Now they are used in beer for their bitter taste, flavour and
aroma.
Hops can be obtained in several forms; dried, pellets, extracts, essences
and oils.
Hop pellets are the same material as dried hops except that it has
been milled to a power then compressed into pellets. This process causes
them to yield more flavour and bitterness than dried hops. Thus, when using
pellets, you only need to use about 60% of the prescribed weight of the
dried hops.
Hop extracts are generally only made from the bitter components of
the hop cones, the aromatic components being lost or removed during the
extraction process.
Hop essence and oils are concentrations of the flavour and aroma
components of hops. If you can obtain them, you will amazed at the results
you will be able to achieve with them
Yeast
The collective name for the mass of microscopic plant cells that we put into
our beer to do the job of fermentation.
They feed on the sugars in the wort converting them to alcohol and carbon
dioxide. Yeasts vary a great deal in quality and characteristics. There is
no substitute for a good quality brewing yeast.
Water
Water quality is important. If your water supply is not good, boil it in
advance.
Adjuncts & Other Aids
Although malt, hops and yeast are the only essential ingredients in beer,
there are many other ingredients used in brewing for a variety of reasons.
Other Forms Of Malted Grain
Crystal Malt
This is a form of malted barley that has been partially roasted to give the
interior of the husk a red brown colour.
It has a distinctive flavour and gives added colour to the brew.
Black Malt
This is malted barley that has roasted until it is black. It has a sharp
acid flavour and is used for making stouts, porters and brown ales.
Roasted Barley
Similar to black malt but made from unmalted barley. It is used in the same
applications as black malt.
Opinion differs as to whether it has a different effect on the finished
product.
See Notes on
“Specialty Malts”
Unmalted Grain Adjuncts
Several types of grain are used in unmalted form, as adjuncts in the brewing
process. They generally provide starch (and/or protein) and flavour and
should be mashed to obtain most benefits. Some can be obtained in the form
of flakes (flaked barley and rice) which have been cooked and then rolled.
They can be put straight into the mashing process. Others are more readily
available as uncooked grain (rice, pearl barley, maize or corn grits). These
must be thoroughly washed and cooked before mashing.
Barley
It is high in protein with a smooth and grainy flavour. It is really good
for improving the head. Too much may cause some haziness but moderate
quantities will have an excellent effect.
Corn (Maize)
This has a slightly sweet grainy taste and is often used in American and
Scandinavian beers. Breakfast style cornflakes should not confused with
flaked corn for brewing.
Rice
This is mainly starch with minimal flavour. It is particularly useful for
increasing the fermentable sugar content in pale beers without adding to the
colour.
Oats
Not often used these days, except in some stouts.
Sugars
Traditionally, beers have been made from malt with other grains as adjuncts.
Sugars are not part of this tradition.
With the exception of lactose, sugars are used mainly as a cheap
substitute for malt as a source of alcohol.
They generally ferment right out leaving only alcohol behind. Excess
use may result in “cidery” or “off” flavours and the beer will be
thin, lacking in body, flavour and head.
Many experienced commercial brewers believe that if sugars are to be used,
they should not exceed 30% of the total fermentable content of the beer and
ideally, they should be less than 20%. On balance, the use of sugars should
be kept to a minimum.
Dextrose (Glucose)
If sugar is to be used, Dextrose produces the best result in terms of
smoothness and taste as it has less tendency to cause “cidery” flavours.
Cane Sugar (White)
Because it has a tendency to add a “cidery” taste to beer, white sugar is
not a particularly good brewing adjunct and should be used in moderation.
Cane Sugar (Coloured)
These sugars all tend to leave an additional “rumlike” flavour component in
beer. Some people like the effect, others do not.
Lactose
Also called “milk sugar”, lactose is not fermentable and therefore will
remain in the beer as a sweetener. It’s use in stout gave rise to the name
“milk stout”. If you want to sweeten your beer or stout, lactose will give
better results than artificial sweeteners.
See Notes on “Alternative
Brewing Sugars”
Other Additives
Corn Syrup, Dried Corn Syrup and Dried
Malt Additive.
These are all essentially the same thing, hydrolyzed starches which are made
from wheat or corn.
They are mainly non fermentable and remain in solution in the beer adding
body or thickness and improving the head. They are almost
flavourless.
Beer and Brewing Terminology
Click on the link above.