History
Beer is almost as old as human civilization. One can imagine primitive
man at a wooly mammoth barbeque enjoying a hearty brew. The oldest
beer recipies are on clay tablets that date to 5000 B.C.
Types of beer
Ales
are beers brewed with top fermenting yeast.
Bocks are strong, full-bodies lagers.
Lagers
are beers brewed with bottom fermenting yeast.
Pilsner
is a general term for golden, highly hopped lagers.
Porters
are dark ales made with roasted, unmalted barley.
Stouts
are very dark, heavy ales.
Brewing
The brewing process begins by heating a mixture of grain and water
to produce mash. The grain is then removed from the mash to create
wort. The wort is boiled and hops are added to give flavor and
aroma. The wort is cooled, and yeast is added to begin fermentation.
The yeast eat the sugar in the wort and convert it to alcohol.
After fermentation is complete, the liquid is now beer.