Beer has been around for thousands of years. In fact, it rivals wine as one of the earliest known prepared beverages in the world-dating back as early as 9000 BC. There's record of its consumption in the earliest civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt, and it was popular among the Germanic tribes of Europe by 3000 BC.
The drink played a large role in the lives of Europeans throughout Medieval and early-Modern history. As it was more safe to drink than the water in the cities, it became a staple in many homes. More recently, industrial manufacturing practices have turned beer into a quarter-trillion-dollar industry, while modern techniques have contributed to an explosion in craft brewing.
How Beer is Made
Most types of beer are made of four essential ingredients:
* water,
* hops, the flower of the hop vine, a member of the hemp family;
* specially prepared barley, a wheat-like seed grain that grows throughout the world;
* and yeast, the microorganism that, during the fermentation process, creates the alcohol and the carbon dioxide (i.e., the bubbles) in beer.
The specifics of the brewing process are too complex to get into, but there are essentially three steps. First, there's the mash process, in which the barley is broken down into its constituent parts, which are then prepared for fermentation. Second, there's the wort process, which is also called the boil. This is when the brewer adds the hops, which add bitterness to beer.
Finally, after the wort stage, the brewers remove all the solids from the beer and add yeast, the magic ingredient, into the mix. The yeast fermentation is usually done in a large fermentation tank, and it can take up to two weeks or more, depending on the type of beer being made. During this time, the substance gradually becomes the substance we know as beer. After it's done, the yeast is removed, and the beer is bottled.
Types of Beer
There are literally hundreds of types of beer, and craft brewers are always coming up with new ones, but here are the popular essentials:
* Ale: Ales are sweet, full-bodied, top-fermented beers that contain no hops. Due to the brewing process, ales typically have a higher alcohol content than other types of beers, and they're known for the wide range of flavor subtleties that can be produced. As such, there are many types of ales.
* Stout: A stout is a dark beer made with malts and usually containing a brown-ish coloring. The alcohol content is relatively low, and the flavor is often quite dry.
* Lager: Lagers are long-fermenting brews with an amber to dark-amber coloring. As the lager formula provides the basis for the brews of many of the largest beer-making companies in the world (including the American behemoths), its flavor is quite familiar to most people.
* Wheat beers: Wheat beers are brewed with a large amount of wheat in addition to the barley. This gives them a dry, slightly sweet flavor and a lower alcohol content.
The drink played a large role in the lives of Europeans throughout Medieval and early-Modern history. As it was more safe to drink than the water in the cities, it became a staple in many homes. More recently, industrial manufacturing practices have turned beer into a quarter-trillion-dollar industry, while modern techniques have contributed to an explosion in craft brewing.
How Beer is Made
Most types of beer are made of four essential ingredients:
* water,
* hops, the flower of the hop vine, a member of the hemp family;
* specially prepared barley, a wheat-like seed grain that grows throughout the world;
* and yeast, the microorganism that, during the fermentation process, creates the alcohol and the carbon dioxide (i.e., the bubbles) in beer.
The specifics of the brewing process are too complex to get into, but there are essentially three steps. First, there's the mash process, in which the barley is broken down into its constituent parts, which are then prepared for fermentation. Second, there's the wort process, which is also called the boil. This is when the brewer adds the hops, which add bitterness to beer.
Finally, after the wort stage, the brewers remove all the solids from the beer and add yeast, the magic ingredient, into the mix. The yeast fermentation is usually done in a large fermentation tank, and it can take up to two weeks or more, depending on the type of beer being made. During this time, the substance gradually becomes the substance we know as beer. After it's done, the yeast is removed, and the beer is bottled.
Types of Beer
There are literally hundreds of types of beer, and craft brewers are always coming up with new ones, but here are the popular essentials:
* Ale: Ales are sweet, full-bodied, top-fermented beers that contain no hops. Due to the brewing process, ales typically have a higher alcohol content than other types of beers, and they're known for the wide range of flavor subtleties that can be produced. As such, there are many types of ales.
* Stout: A stout is a dark beer made with malts and usually containing a brown-ish coloring. The alcohol content is relatively low, and the flavor is often quite dry.
* Lager: Lagers are long-fermenting brews with an amber to dark-amber coloring. As the lager formula provides the basis for the brews of many of the largest beer-making companies in the world (including the American behemoths), its flavor is quite familiar to most people.
* Wheat beers: Wheat beers are brewed with a large amount of wheat in addition to the barley. This gives them a dry, slightly sweet flavor and a lower alcohol content.
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