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Subject: Re: pretty awesome!
From: angus
Posted: Mon Aug 3. 2009, 19:16 UTC
Followup to: "Re: pretty awesome!"  by Davidh  (Mon Aug 3. 2009, 17:33 UTC)
Dear D,

I am not sure what you clicked on or are talking about... there is very little 
on beer on my website.

Ditto Black Russian (but are we talking US, Europe or Irish style Black 
Russians?)

Please let me know where you are seeing this.

cheers

aw

here (below) of course is what is in my manual on beer...in the manual is 
easier to read of course.

"Beer

Beer is the world's oldest and most popular alcoholic beverage, selling more 
than 133 billion litres (35 billion gallons) a year. It is produced through 
the fermentation of starch-based material, commonly barley, though cassava 
root in Africa, potato in Brazil, and agave in Mexico, among other starch 
sources, have been used.
Only beverages produced by this method are considered to be beer. Neither 
alcoholic beverages made from the fermentation of sugars derived from 
nonstarch sources (e.g., grape juice or honey), nor beverages which are 
distilled after fermentation should be classified as such.
Because the ingredients and procedures used to make beer can differ, 
characteristics such as taste and colour may also vary. While local names for 
beers made with the same methods and ingredients vary, the similarities of 
method and ingredients can be detected to form a study of the nature of beer 
styles.
Beer is one of the oldest beverages humans have produced, dating back to at 
least the 5th millennium BC (prior even to writing), and recorded in the 
written history of Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. As almost any substance 
containing carbohydrates, namely sugar or starch, can naturally undergo 
fermentation, it is likely that beer-like beverages were independently 
invented among various cultures throughout the world.
Beer largely remained a homemaker's activity, made in the home in medieval 
times. By the 14th and 15th centuries, beermaking was gradually changing from 
a family-oriented activity to an artisan one, with pubs and monasteries 
brewing their own beer for mass consumption.

The process of making beers are complex but a basic overview is:


Mashing: The first phase of brewing, in which the malted grains are crushed 
and soaked in warm water in order to create a malt extract. The mash is held 
at constant temperature long enough for enzymes to convert starches into 
fermentable sugars.
 
Sparging: Water is filtered through the mash to dissolve the sugars. The 
darker, sugar-heavy liquid is called the wort. 

Boiling: The wort is boiled along with any remaining ingredients (excluding 
yeast), to remove excess water and kill any microorganisms. The hops (whole, 
pelleted, or extract) are added at some stage during the boil. 

Fermentation: The yeast is added (or "pitched") and the beer is left to 
ferment. After primary fermentation, the beer may be allowed a second 
fermentation, which allows further settling of yeast and other particulate 
matter ("trub") which may have been introduced earlier in the process. Some 
brewers may skip the secondary fermentation and simply filter off the yeast. 

Packaging: At this point, the beer contains alcohol, but not much carbon 
dioxide. The brewer has a few options to increase carbon dioxide levels. The 
most common approach by large-scale brewers is force carbonation, via the 
direct addition of CO2 gas to the keg or bottle. Smaller-scale or more 
classically-minded brewers will add extra ("priming") sugar or a small amount 
of newly fermenting wort ("kräusen") to the final vessel, resulting in a short 
refermentation known as "cask-" or "bottle conditioning". 


Styles of beer


Lager

Lager is the English name for bottom-fermenting beers of Central European 
origin, though the term is not used there. They are the most commonly-consumed 
beer in the world. The name comes from the German lagern ("to store"). Lager 
yeast is a bottom-fermenting yeast, and typically undergoes primary 
fermentation at 7-12 °C (45-55 °F) (the "fermentation phase"), and then is 
given a long secondary fermentation at 0-4 °C (30-40 °F) (the "lagering 
phase"). During the secondary stage, the lager clears and mellows. The cooler 
conditions also inhibit the natural production of esters and other byproducts, 
resulting in a "crisper" tasting beer.
Modern methods of producing lager were pioneered by Gabriel Sedlmayr the 
Younger, who perfected dark brown lagers at the Spaten Brewery in Bavaria, and 
Anton Dreher, who began brewing a lager, probably of amber-red color, in 
Vienna in 1840–1841. With modern improved yeast strains, most lager breweries 
use only short periods of cold storage, typically 1–3 weeks.
The lagering phase is not restricted to lager beers. In Germany, all beers are 
stored at low temperatures before consumption; in the British tradition, the 
practice of Cold Conditioning is similar in nature.
                
Ales
A modern ale is commonly defined by the strain of yeast used and the 
fermenting temperature.
Ales are normally brewed with top-fermenting yeasts, though a number of 
British brewers, including Fullers and Weltons, use ale yeast strains that 
have less pronounced top-fermentation characteristics. The important 
distinction for ales is that they are fermented at higher temperatures and 
thus ferment more quickly than lagers.
Ale is typically fermented at temperatures between 15 and 24°C (60 and 75°F). 
At these temperatures, yeast produces significant amounts of esters and other 
secondary flavour and aroma products, and the result is often a beer with 
slightly "fruity" compounds resembling but not limited to apple, pear, 
pineapple, banana, plum, or prune. Typical ales have a sweeter, fuller body 
than "lagers".
Differences between some ales and lagers can be difficult to categorise. Steam 
beer, Kölsch and some modern British Golden Summer Beers use elements of both 
lager and ale production. Baltic Porter and Bière de Garde may be produced by 
either lager or ale methods or a combination of both. However, lager 
production is perceived to produce cleaner tasting, drier and lighter beer 
than ale.
.

Stout

Stout is an English invention but is made mostly in Ireland, stout is a top 
fermented beer containing a high proportion of malted barley and hops it is 
very dark and heavy with a slightly sweet flavour.
Originally, the adjective "stout" meant "proud" or "brave", but later, after 
the fourteenth century, "stout" came to mean "strong." The first known use of 
the word stout about beer was in 1677, the sense being that a stout beer was a 
strong beer. The expression Stout-Porter was applied during the 1700s for 
strong versions of Porter, and was used by Guinness of Ireland in 1820, 
although Guinness had been brewing porters since 1759. "Stout" still meant 
only "strong" and it could be related to any kind of beer, as long as it was 
strong: in the UK it was possible to find "stout pale ale", for example. Later 
"stout" was eventually associated only to porter, becoming a synonym of dark 
beer. During the end of the nineteenth century, stout porter beer got the 
reputation of being a healthy strengthening drink, so it was used by athletes 
and nursing women, while doctors often recommended it to help recovery.

Stouts can be classed into two main categories, sweet and bitter, and there 
are several kinds of each:
•	Irish stout or Dry stout is the original product. It is very dark in color 
and it often has a "toast" or coffee-like taste. 
•	Imperial stout was originally brewed in England for export to the court of 
the Tsar of Russia. It is highly hopped, very dark and has a very high alcohol 
content

Guinness - the most famous stout was first brewed in Dublin in 1759 it is now 
produced all over the world. Guinness stout is made from: water, barley malt, 
hops, and brewers yeast. A proportion of the barley is flaked (i.e. steamed 
and rolled) and roasted to give Guinness its dark colour and characteristic 
taste. It is pasteurised and filtered. Despite its reputation as a "meal in a 
glass" or "liquid bread", Guinness only contains 198 calories (838 kilojoules) 
per imperial pint (1460 kJ/L), less than an equal-sized serving of skimmed 
milk or orange juice. Guinness is not suitable for vegans and vegetarians due 
to the use of a fish based fining agent called isinglass.

Beer Consumption


Beer is drunk from a variety of vessels, such as a beer bottle, a can, a 
glass, a beer stein, a mug or a pewter tankard. Some drinkers may pour their 
beer into a vessel before imbibing, while others may drink straight from the 
bottle or can. Some drinkers consider that the type of vessel influences their 
enjoyment of the beer. A few breweries produce glassware intended only for 
their own beers. While some drinkers in Britain may prefer their ale to be 
served in pewter tankards, other drinkers in Europe may want their glass to be 
rinsed just before beer is poured into them to ensure the beer has a 
satisfactory head.
The pouring process has an influence on a beer's presentation. The rate of 
flow from the tap or other serving vessel, tilt of the glass, and position of 
the pour (in the center or down the side) into the glass all influence the end 
result, such as the size and longevity of the head, lacing (the pattern left 
by the head as it moves down the glass as the beer is drunk), and turbulence 
of the beer and its release of carbonation.
Unfiltered bottled beers may be served with the addition of the remaining 
yeast at the bottom of the bottle to add both flavour and colour.
The temperature of a beer has an influence on a drinker's experience. Colder 
temperatures allow fully attenuated beers such as pale lagers to be enjoyed 
for their crispness; while warmer temperatures allow the more rounded flavours 
of an ale or a stout to be perceived. There are no firmly agreed principles 
for all cases; however, a general approach is that lighter coloured beers, 
such as pale lagers, are usually enjoyed cold (40-45F/4-7C), while dark, 
strong beers such as Imperial Stouts are often enjoyed at cellar temperature 
(54-60F/12-16C) and then allowed to warm up in the room to individual taste. 
Other beers should be served at temperatures between these extremes.


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