Brewing beer is a craft of careful consideration of many ingredients and a multitude of combinations for each batch. A small variation in the recipe will create a completely different aroma, mouthfeel, colour, and finish.
If you taste fresh releases from the small-batch Abbotsford brewery branch, you will see how thoughtful and careful the choice of ingredients is. Here are seven essential ingredients for brewing beer that you need to pay attention to.
1. Water Composition
Your beer has lots of water in it, so understanding the water chemistry in your beer is important. Calcium, sulphate, and chloride help determine mouthfeel and how the hops or malt come across on your tongue.
If you have high sulphate, it will sharpen the bitterness from hops, and more chloride will make the malt feel smoother. Even small changes in your water can change your beer from being crisp and dry to soft and rounded.
2. Malt Selection
Both flavour and fermentable sugars are imparted to beers by the selection of malts. Pale malts impart a clean, bready flavour, whereas speciality malts impart flavours of caramel, chocolate, and roasted.
Thus, the selection of malts or the alteration of malts results in a change to the beer as a whole. An addition of roasted malt, for example, could give some depth and colour to a beer without overpowering the base.
3. Hop Variety
A beer’s bitterness, aroma, and flavour complexity are all enhanced by the addition of hops. Depending on the oil content in the hops, they can add citrus, pine, tropical, fruity, floral, or herbal flavours.
You might have noticed that late hop additions increase aroma, while early hop additions mainly contribute bitterness. The combination and timing of hops contribute to the overall character of the beer.
4. Yeast Strain
Yeast does more than just turn sugar into alcohol. Depending on the strain, it makes esters and phenols that give the plants fruity, spicy, or earthy flavours.
For instance, a clean ale yeast keeps the flavours simple and fresh, while a Belgian strain can add cloves or banana notes. If you change the yeast in a recipe, it can taste completely different.
5. Adjunct Grains
Wheat, oats, corn, or rice can alter the texture and taste of products. Oats create a creamier texture. Wheat helps maintain the head, and rice makes the beer’s body lighter.
When you experience a hazy IPA or a smooth stout, additive grains can be critical. They impact how something feels in the mouth, and they can influence the appearance of a product greatly.
6. Additions Like Fruit or Spices
One characteristic of modern beer brewing is the application of fruits, herbs, and spices. When added, they impact the aroma, add sweetness, or create a feeble touch.
However, in excess, these additions can make the base beer taste worse. When applied in moderation, these ingredients can create complex and legacy flavours for the base beer.
7. Fermentation Temperature
Temperature isn’t an ingredient, but it will alter the behaviour of the yeast during fermentation. If the temperature is on the higher end, more fruity aromas are produced. If it is on the lower end, the results are cleaner.
Incorrect temperature control will result in improper mixing of the different flavours. In the fermentation phase, paying careful attention will allow the desired characteristics of the brew to come across in the tasting.
Why Ingredient Choices Matter
Beer has a unique story to tell, and it’s told through its ingredients. Learning the seven elements that make up the character of beer will allow you to taste it more purposefully.
