Beer-ducation

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!

Now Folks first off we have to answer the question, what the hell is an IPA? Well an IPA aka an India Pale Ale, According to the Beer Bible (an actual book!) is “A beer brewed by the British for the British - first for those managing affairs in the colonies, and later for those enchanted by the idea of a beer with such an exotic provenance. Originally a strong hoppy, elegant beer able to survive long-distance travel, as well as thrill the English palate.” The massive hoppiness of the original IPAs was to help it survive the trip from England to the colonies in India. Beer that was traveling in the Atlantic to the Americas was able to be kept around 55* throughout the trip due the cooler waters. While beers travelling to India and the Far East were subjected to higher temps below the equator. The Temps could fluctuate below deck between 60*-80*, when combined with the constant frothing would cause the Beer to go  bad, basically turning it into vinegar. So IPAs came about for no reason other than the English wanted to get drunk in India. They were then marketed as a specialty beer back home as “Beer prepared for the India Market.”

So what exactly is a British IPA?

 While modern English-style IPAs are generally more hop-forward, they are quite balanced in overall malt and hop character notably floral, earthy, grassy hop character and a caramel, bready malt backbone. They have a typical ABV of 4.5 - 7% and an IBU of 35-60.

How about an American IPA?

An American IPA, is a popular style of craft beer that is characterized by its strong hop bitterness and rich malt profile. It has much the appearance of a pale ale, with a color range from burnt gold to an orange tinted copper. It is brewed with American hops, typically the varieties of Cascade, Centennial, and Amarillo, which contribute to its intense hop character. The beer is characterized by floral, fruity, citrus-like, piney or resinous American-variety hop character. The American IPA is a relatively new brew that originated in the 1970s when American craft brewers attempted to put their unique spin on an older style. They typically have an ABV of 5-8% and an IBU of 40-70.

West Coast IPA

West Coast IPAs are characterized by intense hop bitterness, floral aroma, and a firm malt backbone. They are typically on the upper end of the range of alcohol and bitterness, and avoid crystal malts. The hops are added after the boil when the beer is still hot, contributing to the bitter flavors. they have a typical IBU of 65-100 and an ABV of 6.5-7.5%.

East Coast IPA

 East Coast IPAs are smoother, juicier, fruitier, and have a stronger citrus kick compared to West Coast IPAs. They also follow traditional British IPA styles and contain a higher proportion of malts. they have a typical ABV of 5.5-7.5% and a typical IBU of 40-70.

New England IPA or NEIPA

Also known as Hazy or Juicy IPAs, this variation of the American IPA is known for its intense dry hopped citrusy character and softer texture. They also have an extremely low bitterness or an IPA. They typically have an ABV of 6-7.5% and an IBU of 30-50.

DIPA or Double IPA

A style of beer that is characterized by its higher hop content and intense flavor compared to a regular IPA. It typically features a stronger aroma and fruity notes, making it more hop-centric. The style originated in the United States and is often referred to as an Imperial IPA. DIPAs are brewed with a higher malt ratio, which can lead to a sweeter taste, but brewers often balance this with additional hops to create a drier finish. they typically have am ABV of 7.5-10% and an IBU of 60-100.

Black IPA

A Black IPA is a dark beer that combines the hoppy characteristics of an American IPA with the roasted malt flavors typical of darker beers. It typically features medium-high to high hop bitterness and a flavor profile that includes notes of caramel, dark roasted malt, and sometimes hints of chocolate or coffee. they have a typical ABV of 6-9% and an IBU of 50-90.

And finally a Rye IPA

A RyePA is an IPA that has rye grains added to the mash ingredients to add a crisp, tangy,  spicy characteristic to the beer. They typically have an ABV of 5.5-8% and an IBU of 50-75.

That’s it boys and girls,lPAs at a glance! If you have any questions we/I didn’t Answer or if you want to make your voice heard leave us a comment on this video or drop an email to us at YourDrunkcles@gmail.com!