So lets start with a common one, what exactly is ABV?

Well ABV is Alcohol by volume or the Amount of alcohol in beer in terms of percentage volume of alcohol per volume of beer. There is a whole science behind calculating ABV that we may delve into in a later episode

 

Next what are IBUs?

IBUs are International Bitterness units. A system of indicating the hop bitterness in finished beer. The higher the IBU the more bitter the beer, the lower the IBU the sweeter the beer. The Scale Range for IBUs is 5-120.

 

What is the body of a beer?

The Thickness and mouth-filling property of a beer described as "full or thin bodied". it how the beer feels, is it smooth, grainy, sludgy? Do you have to chew it or does it just slosh right down your throat? These are ways to describe the body.

 

What is the Head?

The foamy goodness that appears after pouring your beer into a glass! This is caused by the carbon dioxide that is produced from the wort rising to the top of the glass.

 

What are Hops?

Herb added to boiling wort or fermenting beer to impart a bitter aroma and flavor. There scent however does not impart to the bitterness of the beer when relating to the previously mentioned IBU.

 

What is Malt?

Malt is a product obtained when cereal grains, usually barley, are allowed to germinate and sprout before being dried in a kiln. It is any type of grain that has gone through the malting process. Malted grain is the primary source of fermentable sugars in the brewing process, which is essential for producing the alcohol content in beer. It also contributes to the finished brew’s flavor, color, and mouth feel.

 

What is Fermentation?

Fermentation The chemical conversion of fermentable sugars into approximately equal parts of ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide gas, through the action of yeast. The two basic methods of fermentation in brewing are top fermentation, which produces ales, and bottom fermentation, which produces lagers.

 

What about a Nitro-Beer?

Well Nitrogen produces a smoother, creamier mouthfeel with smaller, denser bubbles, resulting in a cascading effect when poured. While CO2 accentuates the sharpness and brightness of certain flavours, nitrogen mellows out and softens the flavour profile.

 

So what exactly are the building blocks of beer? Well to make it plain we can break it down in to Four things!

 

First off we have Malt. Malt as we described earlier is what contributes to the beers color, flavors and aromas. These can vary wildly between styles and flavors, ranging from coffee or chocolate flavors in Stouts to fruity flavors in IPAs.

 

Second we have Hops, the hop is one of the most versatile ingredients in beer. They can be a light  inclusion to balance out the Malt in a lighter beer like a pilsner, or they can be heavy and dominate to increase the bitterness like in a DIPA. They also do some of the heavy lifting in providing the flavors of the beer, be it a hint of a grapefruit taste in your favorite IPA, or that domineering flavor of pine in some of the more bitter beers.

 

Thirdly we have the Yeast, the worker in the beer recipe. Yeast is what carries out the fermentation process in the brew. It is what breaks down and creates the flavors from our various ingredients. Many breweries and brewers keep their strains of yeast a secret as it is what helps give them their specific flavors and profiles.

 

And lastly we have what we can call the kitchen sink ingredient. Its basically whatever specialty ingredients are added to complete the flavor profile of your beer. From specific sugars ans spices, all the way to maple syrup, molasses, or full blown fruits. This is what can give your beer that flavor of the season, and help affect the body of the brew.

 

Closing:

 

That’s it boys and girls, these are are just some of the terms that you’ll hear in brewing, at the bar, or pn the Show! If you have any questions we didn’t Answer or if you want to make your voice heard leave us a comment

So, what exactly is a Stout?

Stouts, are dark beers that derive their color and flavor from roasted grains. These roasted grains can give stouts a taste reminiscent of coffee, chocolate, or even a hint of smokiness. Typically showcasing a balance between sweetness and bitterness, stouts come in several varieties, including dry stout, then one of my favorites the sweet/milk stout, oatmeal stout, and Imperial stout, each offering distinct qualities from coffee-like aromas to rich, creamy textures.

 

All stouts are porters, but not all porters are stouts.

 

Porters were the original dark beers from England. They were strong beers, often very dark brown due to the roasted malt and barley used without an excess of hops. It was a champion of the working class, consumed by the street and river porters that kept London humming. 

Street porters back then were the equivalent of today’s delivery drivers or couriers. These hardworking folk needed hearty beers and they consumed them by the barrel.

Porters had variable ABVs, and the heaviest and strongest of the porters were called strong or “stout” porters.

English influence made its way around the globe, and so did the immense popularity of porters and their heavier stout cousins, with the beers jumping across the sea to Ireland and America where brewers like the St. James Gate Brewery got a hold of the style. 

Eventually, the meaning of stout and its relation to beer changed transforming its meaning from “stronger and higher gravity” to its own separate style of dark beer

 

So long story short, Stouts originated in London evolving from the traditional Porter in the early 1700’s.  

 

 

Some examples of the types are:

 

Dry stouts - These dark colored roasted stouts with a thick head. They have a Strong almost burnt coffee-like flavor.  Dry stouts have a lighter body and lower Alcohol content. An example of a dry stout is the classic Guinness

 

Sweet/Milk Stout - These Stouts are brewed with Lactose, which the yeast cannot breakdown leading to a smoother sweeter flavor. They are usually a dark creamy color, with a full bodied taste and a light roastiness.  A favorite example of mine is the Neapolitan Milk Stout from Saugatauk Brewing Company.

 

Oatmeal Stout - This style of Stout contains a portion of oats in the grain mix, offering a smooth texture and a hint of sweetness. It’s known for its dark color, mild roastiness, and a creamy, velvety mouthfeel. A popular Michigan favorite is The Poet from New Holland Brewing Company.

 

Russian Imperial Stout- These bad boys are bold, with high alcohol content and intense flavors of roasted malt, chocolate, and often dark fruit. It’s dark in color, full-bodied, and features a balance between sweetness and bitterness. An amazing example is the North Coast Brewing Company’s Old Rasputin.

 

American Stout - These Stouts are generally morerobust than their Irish counterparts, often featuring notes of coffee, caramel, and dark chocolatewith a significant American hop character. Another popular Michigan favorite is the Kalamazoo Stout from Bell's Brewery.

 

Pastery Stout - A dessert beer combining the flavors of chocolate, carmel, fruits, lactose, and other sweets. They tend to have a higher ABV and are a newer style. One of my newer favorites is the Packzi Stout from Griffin Claw Brewing, Sin Repent Repeat.

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Closing:

 

That’s it boys and girls, Stouts in a nutshell! Uncle Drews preffered Fall and Winter brew! If you have any questions we/I didn’t Answer or if you want to make your voice heard leave us a comment!