Wheat Beers

Wheat beers are beers that are brewed with both malted barley and malted wheat, rather than using just barley. The addition of wheat will lend wheat beers a lighter flavor and somewhat paler color than most all barley ales and beers. Wheat beer is normally top fermented, which is fermentation with ale yeast. All types of wheat beers have become very popular in the last several years, especially in warm weather.

In earlier centuries, the brewing of wheat beer was illegal in many places, simply because wheat was too important as both bread and cereal to waste it with brewing beers. The two most important varieties of wheat beers are Belgian and German. Belgian Belgian wheat beers are easily the best known, as they get their name from the suspended wheat proteins which give it the whitish color. Belgian white beers often have spices such as coriander or orange peels added, which help to give them a hint of fruity flavor. German German wheat beer is a well known variation through the sourthern part of the country. The German yeast wheat is a variety in which the yeast isn't filtered out. The filtration will take the yeast out, and also strips wheat proteins which will make it appear cloudy.

A lot of microbrewers in the United States as well as Canada that make their own variations of wheat beer, which is particularly popular in Portland Oregon, which is considered to be the beer capital. In Europe, wheat beer is normally served in special types of wheat beer glasses. In Belgium they are normally solid glasses. Other countries will take half a liter, in which the glasses are normally tall and slim, tapering slightly towards the base. In the United States, wheat beer is normally served with a slice of lemon.

The Brewing Process

Brewing is the actual process of alcoholic beverages and alcohol through fermentation. This method is used with beer production, although the term can also be used for other drinks as well. The term brewing is also used to refer to any chemical mixing process as well. The process of brewing has a long history indeed, which archeological evidence tells us that this technique was actually used in ancient Egypt as well. Many descriptions of various beer recipes can be found in Sumerian writings, which are some of the oldest writings of any type. Even though the process of brewing is complex and varies greatly, Below, you'll find the basic stages relating to brewing.

1. Mashing - This is the first phase of brewing, in which the malted grains are crushed and soaked in warm water in order to create an extract of the malt. The mash is then held at constant temperature long enough for the enzymes to convert starches into fermentable sugar.

2. Sparging - At this stage, water is filtered through the mash to dissolve all of the sugars. The darker, sugar heavy liquid is known as the wort.

3. Boiling - The wort is boiled along with any remaining ingredients to remove any excess water and kill any type of microorganisms. The hops, either whole or extract are added at some point during this stage.

4. Fermentation - The yeast is now added and the beer is left to ferment. After it has fermented, the beer may be allowed to ferment again, which will allow further settling of the yeast and other particulate matter which may have been introduced earlier in the process.

5. Packaging - At the final stage, the beer will contain alcohol, but not too much carbon dioxide. The brewer will have a few options to increase the levels of carbon dioxide. The most common approach is force carbonation, via the direct addition of CO2 gas to the keg or bottle.

After it has been brewed, the beer in normally a finished product. At this point, the beer is kegged, casked, bottled, or canned. Beers that are unfiltered may be stored for further fermentation in conditioning tanks, casks, or bottles to allow smoothing of harsh alcohol or heavy hops. There are some beer enthusiasts that consider a long conditioning period attractive for various strong beers such as Barley and wines. Depending on the beer enthusiast and what he likes to drink, it will vary.

Troubleshooting Home Brewing

Stuck fermentation Stuck fermentation occurs when your beer fails to ferment to completion. This can result from the use of old yeast or poor ingredients. The best way to take care of this problem, is to prevent it from starting. To do this, you should:

1. Re-hydrate the yeast by adding it to some water and adding wort to the yeast an hour or more before you pitch. This will help ensure that your yeast is still active.

2. Use an all malt or a recipe that has a lot of it, as yeast needs nutrients to stay alive. Corn and sugar lack these nutrients. If your yeast still fails to survive, it cannot reproduce. For this very reason, distilled water shouldn't be used when making beer. Under carbonation If you've used the proper amount of priming sugar and your beer is still flat, it's probably due to the fact that you didn't properly rise the sanitizing solution from the bottles. If too much sanitizer is left in the bottles, it can kill the yeast, which results in flat beer.

The only way to prevent this is to stop it from happening. Over carbonation Over carbonation can cause your beer to turn into a foam disaster. It can result from these causes:

1. Too much or uneven priming sugar. You should measure your primer carefully and dissolve it thoroughly in boiling water and allow it the proper time to cool. Before bottling, make sure to stir this into your beer.

2. Bottling your beer too early can also result in too much carbonation.

3. Poor sanitization is also a cause. If you allow your beer to come in contact with wild yeast, it can result in over carbonation and possibly even off flavors.

4. Bottles that are under filled can also contribute to over carbonation. You should allow 1/2 inch of head space to allow your beer time to pressurize. By taking the proper time to fix problems, you'll ensure that your brew comes out great every time you brew it. If you happen to run into a problem, always take the time to rationize it before you rush into fixing it. If you rush into fixing a problem, you may start another one. You should expect problems, especially if this is your first time brewing. Even for expert home brewers, problems can occur from time to time - which is something you'll learn to deal with.

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Pale Ale Beer

English pale ale The style of English pale ale was originated by producers in Burton during the 1800's. The high levels of calcium found in the water compliment this style quite well, by making a more efficient extraction of bitter resins from the hops. The taste and aroma of English pale ale is similar to that of the English Bitter. The term "pale" was intended originally to distinguish beers of this type from the black London Porter.

Classic English ales aren't pale, rather golden to copper colored. American pale ale The types of American pale ales range from golden to light colored copper. This style of ale is best characterized by American variety hops used to produce high hop bitterness, aroma, and flavor. These types of beers are less malty than their British counterparts. These beers have medium body and low to medium maltiness. Chill haze is acceptable only at cold temperatures. Belgian pale ale The Belgian ales are very similar to British ales, although they are more spicy and aromatic - both in malt and yeast character. These types of ales are known by low, yet noticeable hop bitterness, flavor, and aroma.

Low malt aroma and light to medium body are typical for Belgian pal ale. In color, they are golden to deep amber. Noble hop types are normally used, while low to medium fruity esters are evident in both flavor and aroma. Chill haze with Belgian pale ale is acceptable at cold temperatures. Pale ale beers are very popular throughout the world, being served in hundreds of thousands of bars. They are also great for social occasions as well, as millions of people enjoy their dark yet satisfying tastes. If you've never experienced pale ale beer - you shouldn't deprive yourself any longer.

Process Of Homebrewing Microbrews

The normal batch of homebrewed beer is five gallons in volume, which is enough for 2 cases, or 48 12 ounce bottle of beer. The typical homebrewed beer is produced by boiling water, malt extract and hops together in a large kettle and then cooling the resulting wort and adding yeast for fermenting. Experienced homebrewers will make their own extract from crushed malt barley by a more complicated process of mashing the grain in boiling hot water.

With both cases, the wort is boiled for 15 min to an hour, to help remove some impurities, dissolve the character of the hops, then break down some of the sugar. The wort is then cooled down to a pitching temperature. The cooled wort is then poured into the primary fermenter in a manner of aggression, as to aerate the wort. Sufficient oxygen is also necessary for the yeast's growth stage. The yeast is then put into the wort. The primary fermentation will take place in a large food bucket or carboy. Sometimes it is left open but often stoppered with the carbon dioxide gas that's produced by venting through a fermentation lock.

The process of making microbrews takes a lot of time indeed, although you can take the necessary short cuts once you learn more about how the process works. If this is your first time brewing, you should always use common sense and know what you are doing. One of the best things about making your own homebrews is the fact that you can experiment with ingredients and brew your own creations. You can brew almost anything, providing you have the right type of equipment - which can easily be found.

Original Microbrews

Beer is almost as old as civilization itself. It is mentioned in Sumerian texts that date back more than 5,000 years ago. Beginning in the 1950s, scientists debated the notion that beer, not bread, was actually the start of the development for agriculture. Almost every culture around the world has invented its own concotion of beer. History says brewing was a home based operation, as part of the preparation in meals.

From South Africa to China, the production of beer grew in scale with the rise of society, then later became primarily a function of the state. The physical evidence of ancient brewing isn't easy to obtain. With most cultures, home beer brewing required only the basic of ingredients, such as a fire, cooking vessels, and some jars. None of these materials are unique to the brewing process. Jars that were found near a kiln could have been used for storing barley or wheat for bread, while cooking pots could have been used for heating liquids. So far, archaeologists haven't been able to find a complete set of evidence.

One of the oldest breweries was found in southern Egypt and dates back to over 5,000 years ago. At this site, teams found well heated vats that were encrusted on the inside with a cereal based residue. Another ancient brewery was discovered along the Nile in the middle of Egypt. The site was located in what is thought to be the Sun Temple, where a king's wife was buried. Archaeologists found a complex set of rooms that had been used for cereal processing. Ovens, grains, and larger jars indicate that the rooms were used as a bakery or a brewery.

In a different area of the world, excavators found a brewery dating back to the times of the Romans. On this site, there were preserved tables that date from A.D. 100, with beer being specifically mentioned on several of the tablets. The chemical evidence of beer would prove to be a site's purpose once and for all, although that normally isn't easy. Alcohol is much too delicate to last for centuries, as any cereal based residue found could have come from baking just as easily as from brewing. Throughout the course of time, there will always be evidence of beer being brewed many centuries ago. Without actually finding physical evidence though, it can be really hard to determine. If there were physical evidence, it would be really different indeed.

Oregon Microbrews

To get the most out of a visit to Oregon, you'll need to try a local craft beer. Even if you don't like to drink craft beer, it's something you should at least experience. If you are knew to microbrews, you should know that just because the beer is a microbrew, it doesn't mean that you'll need a knife and fork to drink it. All over the state, you'll find several different microbreweries that offer everything you could ever want. All mass produced American style lagers have set a rather disappointing standard for the beer drinkers of the country. These beers can only be as good as their ingredients. Instead of the fine grains such as barley and wheat, corn and rice are often used as cheaper replacements. In place of the whole kiln hops, the bigger breweries rely on small pellets of compressed hop dust.

Throughout the state of Oregon, there are more than 50 breweries that provide both locals and visitors with many alternatives to drinking. The microbrewed craft will rely on tradition, using the more expensive ingredients in place of money saving shortcuts. The implication here, is that these types of beer are normally bitter or overly sweet. Anytime you visit an unfamiliar brewpub, there is a great way to sample a variety of brews without having to buy a whole pint. Several pubs offer a sampler tray with five to seven two ounce beers, often labeled to avoid any type of confusion. Throughout Oregon, microbrews are very popular, in the pubs and on the street. You can find many different varieties, more than you can find in other states. If you don't live in Oregon, and you get the chance to visit, you shouldn't hesitate to check out some of the excellent microbrews.