BEER INGREDIENTS: WHAT ARE THEY?

Beer is an alcoholic beverage made using four basic ingredients: water, malt, hops, and yeast. It is produced by fermenting cereal grains, and then flavored with hops. Beer is made starting from grains such as wheat, oats, spelt, rice, and most commonly barley. The care that each brewmaster puts into each phase of the wort fermentation and blending is important.

WATER

Water is the most important element in beer, as it can determine the influence of the other ingredients on the final product, and it is the most abundant ingredient in the production mixture (about 90%). The chemical composition (minerals and calcium) also makes a difference to the taste of the beer, and each type requires water with specific characteristics. The minerals have an effective impact on enzymes during the purification phase of the fermentation process. Today, thanks to technologies like osmosis or microfiltration, it is possible to treat water according to specific needs by modifying its hardness. If you want to obtain a light beer, sweet water is used, while for a dark beer, hard water is required.

MALT

Malt is the result of the malting process, to which the grains are subjected. The starches in the grains are transformed into fermentable sugars. The most common is barley malt. Beer can be the result of the transformation of a single cereal or also of several, which can also be added without being malted (raw). Malt gives beer its color, aroma, and taste.

YEAST

Yeast, which can be of low or high fermentation, converts sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. This ingredient is responsible for the most important phase, which is fermentation. Depending on the type and number of fermentations, and depending on the quality and temperature, beer obtains a particular flavor and aroma.

HOPS

Hops are a plant called Humulus lupulus and are another fundamental element in beer production, and the most expensive. They serve for aroma and bitterness, as well as allowing the product to be stored for a long time thanks to their antibacterial properties. There are mainly two types: bitter and aroma, which are used based on the characteristics of the beverage itself. The first are responsible for the bitter part of the beer, while the second enrich the aroma with spicy or fruity notes, for example.