RESEARCH

PROJECT REPORT

ON

BEER
(ORIGIN PRODUCTION AND USES
OF BEER)
COMPILED BY:VIVEK KUMAR TIWARY
NC ROLL-152367
SUBMITTED TO- MR. PRAMOD SAHANI
 CERTIFICATE

THIS IS TO CERTIFY THAT VIVEK KUMAR TIWARY STUDENT OF

6TH SEMESTER HAS MADE A RESEARCH PROJECT ON TOPIC
BEER FOR THIS HE HAS ACKNOWLEDGED MANY OF THE SOCIAL
NET WORKING SITES, BOOKS, MAGZINES AND OTHER REFERAL
SITES. THIS PROJECT IS COMPLETED UNDER THE SURVILLENCE
OF MR. PRAMOD SAHANI WHO HAS GUIDED ME WHILE
COMPLITION OF THIS PROJECT WORK.
SIGNATURE OF FACULTY SIGNATURE OF STUDENT

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The study was conducted by the assistance of several individuals. I

really appreciate their help and hereby thank them. I would like to give
special thanks to the following people:

1 Firstly, I would like to thank who had supervised the study and
was in charge of the entire project. His presence and assistant was
remarkable and so I am grateful to him.

2 Secondly, I would like to thank the outlet managers who were

interviewed. They took out time from their busy schedules to help
me proceed with my study. Their assistance was very significant
and so I am grateful to them as well.

3 Thirdly, I would like to thank all other people who provided me

with the resources to conduct my study. Their help and assistance
was very valuable and so I would like to acknowledge them as
well.

Overall all the above-mentioned people had a great role in my study. Their
direct and indirect help indeed proved to be a great help.
 OBJECTIVES

1. To find Production and Analyzing Styles of Beer.

2. To find the Variety of Beer.
3. To find the Making Grains( Malt) Beer.
4. To find the Term of Beer.
5. To find the Packaging of the Beer.
6. To find the Rating of Beer.
7. To find the Brand of Beer.
 METHODOLOGY

1. Desk research, which includes: books, Internet, magazines and

journals.
2. Through personal and telephonic interviews.
3. Through correspondence with export managers, owners of vineyards
and eminent people in the industry by means of e-mail and paper mail.
4. By attending shows, seminars, lectures, talks, forums, etc.
 LIMITATIONS

1. Non-availability of appropriate books regarding the subject.

2. Non-availability of appropriate practical knowledge regarding Beers.
3. Contradictory statements regarding Alcohol in different books.
4. Lack of opportunities to solve queries regarding Alcohol.
5. Since the subject of Beer is a very new one, gaining knowledge from
the people concerned was very difficult as few experts are available in
this field.
6. Trying to gain access to these experts to interview them was another
problem.
 BEER

Beer, generally, is an alcoholic beverage produced through the fermentation

of sugars suspended in an aqueous medium, and which is not distilled after
fermentation. The unfermented sugar solution, called wort, is obtained from
steeping, or "mashing," malted grains, usually barley. Alcoholic beverages
made from the fermentation of sugars derived from non-grain sources —
fruit juices or honey, for example — are generally not called "beer," despite
being produced by the same yeast-based biochemical reaction.

The process of beer production is called brewing. Because the ingredients

used to make beer differ from place to place, beer characteristics such as
taste and color vary widely, and consequently its style or classification.
 A HISTORY OF BEER

Between 10,000 and 15,000 years ago, some humans discontinued their
nomadic hunting and gathering and settled down to farm. Grain was the first
domesticated crop that started that farming process.

The oldest proven records of brewing are about 6,000 years old and refer to
the Sumerians. Sumeria lay between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers
including Southern Mesopotamia and the ancient cities of Babylon and Ur.
It is said that the Sumerians discovered the fermentation process by chance.
No one knows today exactly how this occurred, but it could be that a piece of
bread or grain became wet and a short time later, it began to ferment and a
inebriating pulp resulted. A seal around 4,000 years old is a Sumerian
"Hymn to Ninkasi", the goddess of brewing. This "hymn" is also a recipe for
making beer. A description of the making of beer on this ancient engraving in
the Sumerian language is the earliest account of what is easily recognized as
barley, followed by a pictograph of bread being baked, crumbled into water
to form a mash, and then made into a drink that is recorded as having made
people feel "exhilarated, wonderful and blissful." It could be that baked
bread was a convenient method of storing and transporting a resource for
making beer. The Sumerians were able to repeat this process and are
assumed to be he first civilized culture to brew beer. They had discovered a
"divine drink" which certainly was a gift from the gods.

From the Gilgamesh Epic, written in the 3rd millennium B.C., we learn that
not only bread but also beer was very important. This epic is recognized as
one of the first great works of world literature. Ancient oral sagas from the
beginning of human history were recorded in writing for the first time. The
Gilgamesh Epic describes the evolution from primitive man to "cultured
man".

In ancient times beer was cloudy and unfiltered. The "drinking straws" were
used to avoid getting the brewing residue, which was very bitter, in the
mouth. Beer from Babylon was exported and distributed as far away as
Egypt. Hammurabi, an important Babylonian King, decreed the oldest
known collection of laws. One of these laws established a daily beer ration.
This ration was dependent on the social standing of the individual, a normal
worker received 2 liters, civil servants 3 liters, administrators and high
priests 5 liters per day. In these ancient times beer was often not sold, but
used as barter.

The Egyptians carried on the tradition of beer brewing. They also used
unbaked bread dough for making beer and added dates to the brew to
improve the taste. The importance of beer brewing in ancient Egypt can be
seen from the fact that the scribes created an extra hieroglyph for "brewer".

Although beer as we know it had its origins in Mesopotamia, fermented

beverages of some sort or another were produced in various forms around
the world. For example, Chang is a Tibetan beer and Chicha is a corn beer
and kumis is a drink produced from fermented camel milk. The word beer
comes from the Latin word bibere, meaning "to drink", and the Spanish word
cerveza originates from the Greek goddess of agriculture, Ceres.

After Egypt was succeeded by the Greeks and Romans, beer continued to be
brewed. Plinius reported of the popularity of beer in the Mediterranean area
before wine took hold. In Rome, wine became ambrosia from the god
Bacchus. Beer was only brewed in the outer areas of the Roman Empire
where wine was difficult to obtain. For the Romans beer was considered a
barbarian drink. The oldest proof that beer was brewed on German soil,
comes from around 800 B.C. in the early Hallstatt Period, where beer
amphora found near the present day city of Kulmbach have been dated back
to this time. As Tacitus, who first wrote about the ancient Germans or
Teutons, put it like this: "To drink, the Teutons have a horrible brew
fermented from barley or wheat, a brew which has only a very far removed
similarity to wine". Beer of that era could not be stored, was cloudy and
produced almost no foam. Early civilizations found the mood-altering
properties of beer supernatural, and intoxication was considered divine.
Beer, it was thought, must contain a spirit or god, since drinking the liquid so
possessed the spirit of the drinker. The ancient Germans regarded beer not
only a sacrifice to the gods but they, as in Egypt, also brewed beer for their
own enjoyment. For example, in the Finnish poetic saga Kalewala, 400
verses are devoted to beer but only 200 were needed for the creation of the
earth. According to the Edda, the great Nordic epic, wine was reserved for
the gods, beer belonged to mortals and mead to inhabitants of the realm of
the dead.

Beer brewing played an important role in daily lives. Beer was clearly so
desired that it led nomadic groups into village life. Beer was considered a
valuable (potable) foodstuff and workers were often paid with jugs of beer.
 VARIETIES OF BEER

There are many different types of beer, each of which is said to belong to a
particular style. A beer's style is a label that describes the overall flavour
and often the origin of a beer, according to a system that has evolved by trial
and error over many centuries.

A major component of determining the type of beer is the yeast used in the
fermentation process. Most beer styles fall into one of two large families:
ale, using top-fermenting yeast, or lager, using bottom-fermenting yeast.
Beers that blend the characteristics of ales and lagers are referred to as
hybrids. Alcoholic beverages made from the fermentation of sugars derived
from non-grain sources are generally not called "beer," despite being
produced by the same yeast-based biochemical reaction. Fermented honey is
called mead, fermented apple juice is called cider, fermented pear juice is
called perry, and fermented grape juice is called wine

Ales

An ale is any beer that is brewed using only top-fermenting yeasts, and is
typically fermented at higher temperatures than lager beer (15–23°C,
60–75°F). Ale yeasts at these temperatures produce significant amounts
of esters and other secondary flavor and aroma products, and the result
is a flavourful beer with a slightly "flowery" or "fruity" aroma
 resembling but not limited to apple, pear, pineapple, grass, hay,
banana, plum or prune. Stylistic differences among ales are more
varied than those found among lagers, and many ale styles are difficult
to categorize.

An ale yeast is called top fermenting because of its tendency to flocculate

(gather) at the surface of the brew during the first few days before settling to
the bottom.

To brew an ale, fermentation must take place in warmer temperatures for the
yeast to multiply and do its magic. Ales are usually higher in alcohol and
will be noticeable fuller and more complex.

Barley Wine – Despite its name, Barley Wine is indeed an ale (beer). Barley
Wine is a very intense and complex beverage with alcohol content equal to
most wines. It is not for the faint of heart. It has a hearty, sweet malt flavor
which is offset by a strong and bitter flavoring from the hops for balance.
Because of the preserving qualities of alcohol, this is the best beer for
storing over a long period of time. The color ranges from copper to medium
brown. The strong scent of malt, hops, and even the alcohol are evident.

English Bitter – There are three classic styles of English Bitters. They are
the Ordinary (mild), the Special (moderate strength), and the Extra Special
(a stong bitter). They are typically characterized with traditional hops such
as Kent Goldings, Fuggles, or Brewers Gold. Just as they range from mild to
strong, the color and alcohol percentage also follow.

Pale Ale – As in the English Bitters, there are varying styles of pale ales.
They all share a pronounced hop flavor and aroma with low to medium
maltiness. There is also a good deal of fruity esters. Among the types of pale
ales are the English, the India (IPA), and the American. English have a dry
character usually due the high sulfate content of the water. The India Pale
Ale is usually stronger and hoppier because the higher alcohol content and
hop acids acted as a preservative on the long boat journey from England to
its colonies in India. The American is usually amber in color and has a bit
more maltiness flavor than the other two. When brewing pale ales, fresh,
quality hops is a necessity.

Scottish Ale – Scottish ales are close cousins to the English ales with the
exception that they are usually darker, maltier, and have less carbonation.
They range in color, maltiness and strength in the order of Scottish Light(60
Shilling), Scottish Heavy (70 Shilling), Scottish Export (80 Shilling), and the
Strong Scotch (wee heavy). The term 60-80 shilling dates back to when beer
was taxed by gravity and strength and is still the way to order a Scottish ale
in a Highland pub. The Strong Scotch is usually dark brown, high in alcohol
(6-8 percent) and can have a lightly smoky character.

Belgian Strong Dark Ale – Belgium is known for having hundreds of unique
styles of beer. One of my favorites is the Belgian Strong Ale. Though very
diverse, they are usually medium to dark in color with a high alcohol
content. They are very malty and with a low hop flavor and aroma. The most
important ingredient in this style of beer is the strain of yeast. The yeast and
warm fermentations create a unique biscuity flavor with fruity and spicy
overtones and a good deal of carbonation. These beers are usually very
aromatic and are best served in a goblet so as to better smell the beer while
drinking. Often considered the champagne of beers, the Belgian Strong Ale
is definitely a beer to be savored.

Porter – The Porter’s name comes from the Porters at London’s Victoria
Station. They would frequently mix several styles of beer into one glass and
drink large quantities of the mixture. A style was eventually created to
approximate this blend and came to be known as a Porter. Arthur Guinness
and Sons was the first brewer to offer a Porter commercially. Later on, they
increased the alcohol content of the Porter and the new drink became known
as the Stout Porter (which eventually became Stout). The Porter is a good
beer for those who want a full flavored, dark beer without the bitterness
from the roasted barley that a Stout now possesses.

Imperial Stout – The Czarist rulers of Russia so loved the English Stouts
that they would have it shipped to them from England. The beer didn’t hold
up too well on the long journey, so the English increased the gravity and
alcohol content just as they did when creating the India Pale Ale. Thus the
birth of the Russian Imperial Stout. An Imperial Stout is dark copper to very
black in color. It has a rich and complex maltiness with noticeable hop
bitterness. The two main ingredients are the dark roasted barley and black
malts. The Imperial Stout is like the espresso of beer styles,

Lager
The lager yeast simply flocculates (not at the surface) and sinks to the
bottom. Therefore it is known as bottom fermenting. Lager yeasts need cool
temperatures during fermentation to perform their magic.

Lagers tend to be lighter in color and usually taste drier than ales. They are
generally less alcoholic and complex. This is the most common beer type
sold in the U.S.

Lagers are the most commonly-consumed category of beer in the world.

They are of Central European origin, taking their name 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 fermentation
control, most lager breweries use only short periods of cold storage,
typically 1–3 weeks.

In terms of volume, most of today's lager is based on the Pilsner style,

pioneered in 1842 in the town of Plzeň, in the Czech Republic. The modern
Pilsner lager is light in colour and high in carbonation, with a strong hop
flavour and an alcohol content of 3–6% by volume. The Pilsner Urquell or
Heineken brands of beer are typical examples of pilsner beer.

Here are a few of the more popular lagers. Most of these types can be
faithfully reproduced in your own home.

American Lager – This is basically the main style of beer in America. It is a

mass produced, inexpensive product that’s aimed at the broadest possible
demographic. Since it is very watery and has little flavor characteristics, it
is the least likely to offend a large number of consumers. In the health craze
of the 70’s brewers started offering Light Beer. Light Beer is simply an
American Lager with an even lower gravity. American Lagers achieve a low
gravity by adding corn or rice syrup which is highly fermentable.

Pilsner – Pilsner style beer originated in Plzen, Czechoslovakia in 1842. It

was the very first light colored beer. Today, it is the world’s most popular
style of beer. The original Pilsners’ defining elements were the extremely soft
water that was pumped locally and the unique aromatic hops that were also
grown nearby. Pilsners are malty sweet, and well hopped. Caramel flavors
are often noticed accompanied by medium to high bitterness.

Bock – Originating in Germany, Bock beer is a hearty beer with high

alcohol content. Contrary to the rumor, bock beer is not what’s cleaned out
of the bottom of the vats at the end of the year! Bock beer has a pronounced
malt flavor with just enough hop bitterness to tame the sweetness. The
German word for lager “lagern” means to store. This being said, Bock beer
is a well lagered. In other words, the beer is matured for a long period of
time during the second fermentation.

Oktoberfest (Marzen) – Marz, the German word for March, is when the last
batch of beer was brewed before the warm summer months (before
refrigeration). This beer was stored in Alpine caves to keep cool and
consumed throughout the summer. At harvest time and the beginning of the
new brewing season (around October), the remaining beer in storage was
taken from the caves and consumed during a celebration. This celebration
still takes place in Munich for 16 days and ends on the first Sunday in
October. This beer is amber in color and is slightly heavy. It is malty sweet
as typical with beer from southern Germany and Austria. There is low to
medium bitterness but enough to offset the sweet.

Helles – The main beer consumed in Bavaria. Helles is a pale lager that is
light in color, not taste or calories. It is low in alcohol and intended to be an
everyday or session beer. The main quality that separates a Helles from a
Pilsner or Pale Lager is a less potent hop aroma and flavor.

Dunkel – Commonly known as German dark beer. It’s basically a Helles

with additional roasted malt added for color and a toasty, chocolate-like
taste. Contrary to its reputation, it is really not as heavy or strong as many
would think. It is slightly more bitter than a Helles,

SPECIALTY BEERS
Here are a few of the more popular specialty beers. Most of these types can
be faithfully reproduced in your own home.

Weizenbier (Weissbier) – Weizen is the German word for wheat. Weizenbier

is an ale made wheat. The German word weiss means white. This ale, is a
golden color but is cloudy and sometimes casts a whitish appearance. Don’t
worry about it being cloudy, it won’t hurt you! A Weizenbier is a very
refreshing, effervescent beer. The taste has hints of cloves and banana. If
when bottling, a little yeast is added, the Weizenbier is referred to as a
Hefeweizen. “Hefe” means yeast. A Weizenbier has to have at least 50%
wheat malt to be considered a Weizenbier. Many times, a Weizenbier is enjoy
with a twist of lemon.

Smoked Beer – One of the more unusual beers is the smoked beer. In
Bamberg Germany this style is very popular and referred to as Rauchbier. In
this style, a brewer will fires his malt over a wood fire and lets the smoke
absorb into the grains. This imbues a smoky character in the taste of the
brew. Many homebrew recipes call for duplicating this smoky taste with
liquid smoke.

Fruit/Vegetable Beer – Adding fruit to beer is a relatively new concept in

America. However, in Belgium this has been done for centuries. Just about
any beer can have fruit extracts or syrups added and they are readily
available at homebrew supply shops.

Herb/Spice Beer – Herb or Spiced Beer is very similar to Fruit Beers in that
it’s a fairly new trend for American brewers. With the amount of spices
available, there are a myriad of recipes to satisfy any urge. As in Fruit Beer,
any type of beer can be used as a base for selected herbs or spices.

MAKING BEER

Making beer is easy, inexpensive, and most of all, fun. With the rise in
popularity of homebrewing, there are a wide variety of top quality
ingredients available.

You can literally make hundreds of styles of beer that will taste great and
impress your friends. Getting started making beer will only cost you a small
amount of money, depending on your level of interest. Most beer making kits
range from only $60 to $200 and make great, unique gifts.

How to Make Beer

Making Beer is just like cooking. Each recipe requires different ingredients
and techniques. This page is an attempt to go over the basics of
homebrewing in order to give you an understanding of how beer is made.
First of all, beer is made from 4 basic ingredients: water, malt (malted
barley), hops, and yeast.

Water

Water is the most abundant ingredient in any style of beer. When making
beer at home try to use filtered water instead of plain tap water. If your
water doesn't taste good from the tap, you probably won't like it in your beer
either. Do not use distilled water because it has been depleted of its oxygen.

Malt

Malted barley is barley grain that has been carefully soaked in water until it
sprouts and then dried. This malting process develops the necessary sugars
and soluble starches needed for fermentation.

The malt is then taken through a process called mashing which extracts the
sugars and starches from the grain. Although advanced homebrewers can
accomplish this step at home, most will buy the malted barley already
mashed in a product called malt extract.

Hops

Hops are green flowers that grow on a vine and look similar to pine cones.
They perform several roles in the beer making process. Most notably are the
taste and aroma they impart on a beer.
Since not all of the sugars will ferment, the malt will cause the beer to be
really sweet. Hops will balance out the sweetness by adding a degree of
bitterness. Hops will also add a distinctive aroma to the finished brew.

Yeast

Yeast is the catalyst that makes it all happen. In short, yeast is a living
organism that feeds off of the sugars in the malt. The yeast will convert the
sugars to alcohol and carbon dioxide in a process called fermentation.

There are many strains of yeasts (even in the air we breathe). In order to get
the results needed for making beer, a specially cultured beer yeast is
required. The yeast will also impart taste and mouthfeel qualities to the beer.

The Beer Making Process

To summarize, the malt, hops, and water are boiled for a period of time. This
mixture is called wort (pronounced wert). Then the wort is poured into
fermenter and allowed to cool.

Next, the prepared yeast is pitched into the fermenter and an airlock is
placed over the opening. Now it's the yeast's job to do its thing.

The yeast will multiply like crazy as it consumes the sugars in the brew.
After a period of time, usually within 7 to 10 days, the yeast will have
consumed all that it can and fall to the bottom of the fermenter.

Beer Making Kits

Below are some suggested beer making kits. All of the kits have detailed step
by step instructions for brewing beer.

If you are interested in making beer at home with the least amount of
difficulty, I would recommend a start up kit such as the Beer Machine. You
can get a Beer Machine here. It makes the whole process extremely simple.
You'll be somewhat limited with the styles of beer you can make, but it's an
excellent way to get started and see if you like homebrewing.

If you are looking for more flexibility and are willing to put a little more
effort into your project, I found a good deal on beer making starter kits at
the Fermentation Products website. It's really not that difficult, and you will
love all of the different styles of beer you can make with these brewing kits.

Which ever you decide, making beer at home really is a fantastic hobby and
can be a great social activity. Have some friends over and let them try your
new brew. Better yet, get them involved and see who can make the best
batches. Have blind taste tests with your buddies. Most of all, have fun!

GRAINS (MALTS)

Specialty grains are used by intermediate to advanced homebrewers to add

color, body, taste, and aromatic properties to the beer. In fact, some styles of
beer cannot be properly achieved without the help of spe

cialty grains.

Don't be intimidated when considering using specialty grains for the first
time. It really is easy to do. Here is the method that I prefer.
How to Use Specialty Grains

The first thing you need to do is to crack the grains. The object here is to
lightly crack open the husks to allow the good stuff to come out, without
pulverizing the grains into a powder. I use a grain mill for this but you can
also use a rolling pin with a light touch.

Now that the grain is cracked and your ready to start brewing your beer,
take the brew kettle and fill it with about a 1.5 gallons and add the specialty
grains to the cold water.

Turn the burner on and just before the water starts to boil (this should take
around 20 minutes), strain the husks out of the kettle.

That is really all there is to it! Now proceed with brewing your beer as you
normally would by adding the malt extract and hops.

Types of Specialty Grains

Black Patent Malt

Black patent malt or black malt is very dark malted barley. It essentially
gets its black color from very high roasting temperatures. Black malt can be
used to give the beer a dark color, but will also impart a slight burnt or
smokey flavor to the beer. In homebrews, this burnt flavor can be
overpowering if too much is used. I would recommend using this grain
sparingly.

Chocolate Malt
Chocolate malt is similar to black patent malt, except it just hasn’t been
roasted as long. It is dark in color, but doesn’t have the burnt flavor of black
malt. It will give a nice deep nut-like flavor to the final beer. I prefer to use
this malt instead of the black malt in stouts and porters.

Crystal Malt

Crystal malt is produced using a special malting process that allows some of
the starches to be converted to simpler sugars (such as sucrose and maltose)
inside the intact grain. These simple sugars are fermentable. However a
significant percentage of more complex sugars remain intact and can add
body, sweetness and mouth feel to a beer. These sugars also help with head-
retention in the beer. Crystal malt is a good grain to start with if you’ve
never used a specialty grain before. It has a fairly mild flavor, and will
generally not overpower the final product.

Roasted Barley

Roasted barley is basically just that. Un-malted barley is roasted in an oven

at a fairly high temperature until it turns to the desired color. This specialty
grain will not contribute to any of the final alcohol content of the beer, and
is used primarily for flavoring. It will add a slight nutty flavor to the beer.

Cara-Pils

Cara-Pils or dextrine is can lend a range of characteristics to a beer. How

long it is roasted will determine what level of flavor it will impart in the
final product. Cara-Pils has no enzyme by itself, so it should generally be
used in conjunction with other types of malts that do contain enzymes. There
are three main types of Cara-Pils malts. They are referred to as Mild Malt,
Vienna Malt, and Munich Malt.

PACKAGING AND PRESENTATION

The Waitress (1879) by Edouard Manet

After brewing, the beer is usually a finished product. At this point the beer is
kegged, casked, bottled, or canned.
Unpasteurized beers containing live yeasts may be stored much like wine for
further conditioning in aging barrels to allow further fermentation and
development of secondary flavors. A long conditioning period is common for
Belgian ales and cask-conditioned real ales. It is not uncommon for strong
beers to be aged a year or more.

The conditions of serving have an enormous impact on a drinker's

experience. The most important factor is temperature: colder temperatures
inhibit the chemical senses of the tongue and throat, which prevent the
drinker from fully experiencing the beer. Conversely, beer served too warm
may have the opposite problem: strong beers in particular may taste overly
alcoholic and harsh, while lighter beers may seem flat and unappealing.
Every style has an ideal serving temperature.

Besides temperature, choosing an appropriate container is also important.

While casual drinkers of beer often drink straight from the bottle or can,
serious beer drinkers always pour their beer into a glass before imbibing.
Drinking out of a bottle severely inhibits aromas picked up by the nose,
which are as important as the flavours picked up by the mouth. So whether
on tap or from a bottle, the beer is first poured into a glass, mug, or stein. As
with wine, there are specialized styles of glassware for each style of beer,
and some brands of beer even produce glassware intended for their own
beers. While any glass is preferable to a bottle, aficionados claim that the
shape of the glass influences the perception of the aroma and the way in
which the beer settles, similar to claims by drinkers of brandy or cognac. It
is important to keep beer glasses clean. While glass is completely non-
porous, its surface can retain oil from the skin, aerosolized oil from nearby
cooking, and traces of fat from food. When these oils come in contact with
beer there is a significant reduction in the amount of head (foam) that is
found on the beer, and the bubbles will tend to stick to the side of the glass
rather than rising to the surface as normal. This is the same reaction as
would happen if you found yourself with too much foam and used the oil
from your brow to dissolve it.

Lastly, the pouring process is important to 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. Heavily carbonated beers such as
German pilsners or weissbiers may need settling time before serving.
Some stouts and British ales, most famously Guinness, are served from a
"nitrogen tap". This tap uses a nitrogen/carbon dioxide mixture, rather than
standard carbon dioxide, in order to obtain a creamier mouthfeel. These
beers will be poured in two stages, with a pause to allow settling. In an
attempt to simulate this process at home, Guinness introduced the widget
can in 1991; recently, Guinness has expanded the concept with the "draft in
a bottle" system.

Real ales have their own packaging requirements: These beers specifically
are unfiltered and unpasteurized, and are typically served with a beer
engine. A beer engine is simply a tall handpump that is used to transfer beer
from keg to tap. Because shelf life is shorter, publicans may be required to
perform additional duties regarding managing inventory and beer quality.

For most bottle-conditioned beer styles, it is recommended that you pour

slowly at a low angle, without glugging, leaving behind the undesirable
yeast sediment at the bottom of the bottle. There are certain styles (notably
hefeweizen) where it is usual to add the yeast back in, for the considerable
flavor and mouthfeel it imparts. Typically the person serving the beer will
pour 90% of the contents, and swirl the remaining part in the bottle to
dissolve the sediment before pouring it into the glass.
 BEER MAKING KITS

Getting started making beer will only cost you a small amount of money,
depending on your level of interest. Most beer making kits can be purchased
from $30 to $200 and make great gifts.

Making beer is easy, inexpensive, and most of all, fun. With the increased
popularity of homebrewing, there are a wide variety of top quality
ingredients available. You can literally make thousands of styles of beer that
will taste great and impress your friends.
Below are some suggested beer making kits. The kits usually always contain
instructions, but you might also want to refer to the step-by-step instructions
for brewing beer on this site.

For Beginners (or those who want the least amount of fuss)

The Beer Machine

If you are interested in making beer at home with the least amount of
difficulty, I would recommend a start up kit such as the Beer Machine. It is
(in my opinion) the best, and easiest beginners kit on the market.

It makes the whole process extremely simple. You'll be somewhat limited

with the styles of beer you can make, but it's an excellent way to get started
and see if you like homebrewing.

It is an almost fool proof, hassle free way to enjoy beer in about 7 to 10

days.

Mr. Beer
For another option that is less expensive, go with Mr. Beer. It is by far the
most popular kit (probably because of its price) and would be a fine choice
as well.

For Intermediate to Expert (maximum flexibility)

If you are looking for more flexibility and are willing to put a little more
effort into your project, I found a good deal on beer making kits at the
Fermentation Products website.

It's really not that difficult, and you will love all of the different styles of beer
you can make with these brewing kits.
 BOTTLING PROCEDURES

Now that you've made your homebrew, it's time for bottling the beer. The
bottling procedures are really easy, although they can be a bit tedious.

Here's What You'll Need:

(60) Reusable grade 12 oz. bottles or (32) 22 oz. bottles

(70) Bottle Caps (or enough to cap all the bottles and a few extra)

(1) Bottle capper

(1) 5 gallon, food grade plastic bucket (preferably with a spigot)

(5-6 feet) 3/8" inside diameter clear plastic hose

(1) Bottle of unscented bleach for sanitizing all equipment

(1) Racking cane

(1) Bottling Tube

(1) Bottle Washer (optional, but highly recommended)

(2) Small sauce pans

(3/4 Cup) Dextrose (corn sugar)

(1) 5 gallon batch of your homemade brew!

Let's Begin

It's important to make sure the beer is finished fermenting before bottling. If
it is not, you run the risk of exploding bottles due to excess carbon dioxide
production.

Step 1 - Sanitize Everything!

Just as when you brewed the beer, everything must once again be sanitized.
This step is extremely important because there is a big difference between
clean and sanitized. You can't see bacteria, but it can ruin an entire batch of
beer (and your valuable time).

In a large tub, or your kitchen sink, make a mixture of about 2 ounces of

unscented bleach per 5 gallons of cold water. The bottling bucket, hose,
racking cane and bottling tube need to soak in the solution for about 10
minutes and then rinse thoroughly. The bottles on the other hand, need to
soak for at least 30 minutes.

Do not soak the caps in the bleach solution, we will boil them later to get
them sanitized.

After sanitizing rinse thoroughly with plain water to remove all traces of
bleach.

Step 2 - Boil the Bottle Caps

While the bottles are sanitizing, take one of the sauce pans and boil the
bottle caps in enough water to completely cover all the caps for at least 5
minutes.

Cover, drain, and then re-cover until needed.

Step 3 - Prepare the Priming Sugar

Next take the other sauce pan and bring 3/4 CUP of dextrose (careful not to
go over 3/4 CUP for danger of over-carbonation) and about 16 ounces of
water to a boil and let boil for about 5 minutes.

Cover and remove from heat.

Step 4 - Transfer the Beer

The next step is to transfer the beer from the fermenter to the plastic bottling
bucket.

Place fermenter on a table. Remove the airlock and insert the racking cane
to just about an inch above the yeast sediment (you won't to leave about an
inch of beer in the fermenter).

Next, attach the bottling tube to the plastic hose and fill the hose with water.

Now attach the water-filled hose to the racking cane and set aside. Place the
sanitized bottling bucket on the floor under the fermenter and pour in the
boiled dextrose. This will give the yeast a little more food to create the
carbonation.
Finally, take the bottling tube and push down on the bottom of the bottling
bucket to start the siphoning process. Transfer the beer with as little
splashing as possible.

Step 5 - Bottling the Beer

Now place the bottling bucket on the table and move the near empty
fermenter aside. Remove the hose from the racking cane and attach to the
spigot on the bottling bucket. If you do not have a spigot, you must use the
racking cane and create another siphon.

Now take a bottle and set it on the floor under the bottling bucket. Open the
spigot on the bottling bucket and insert the bottling tube into the bottle.
Press down on the bottling tube to start the flow.

Fill the bottle until it is completely full (carefully because the level rises
quickly once it reaches the neck of the bottle). When beer is level with the
top of the bottle, remove the bottling tube. The beer will now drop down
about an inch or so to the proper level.

Repeat for all of the bottles.

Step 6 - Capping the Bottles

Now that you've bottled the beer, the next step is to cap the bottles. Find a
steady surface (I prefer to remain on the floor).
Grab your bottle capper and a cap and place the cap on the bottle. Now
with even pressure, slowly pull down the levers being careful not the let the
cap become tilted.

After fully crimping, check the cap for a proper seal. If in doubt about the
seal, remove the cap and try again. This is the purpose for the extra caps.

Repeat until all of the bottles are capped.

Step 7 Clean Up and Storage

Congratulations! You've just accomplished brewing and bottling your very

own homebew!

Now it's time to clean up. Clean up all of the equipment and place in a
mildew free place.

Now store your beer bottles somewhere where the temperature is consistent
and cool, but not cold (preferably around 65 to 70 degrees). You will need to
let the beer condition for at least 2 weeks.

After 2 weeks have past, put some of the beer in the refrigerator and when it
is cold, enjoy the fruits of your labor!
 RATING BEER

The art of rating beer is a skill anyone can acquire with a little information
and a lot of practice. Whether you desire to become a beer judge at
competitions or simply want to learn about the various beer styles for your
own personal enjoyment, here is some information to help get you started.

There are basically 4 things to notice when rating a beer. They are (in order
in which they are to be observed):

1. Aroma
2. Appearance
3. Taste
4. Aftertaste or finish

Aroma

A beer’s aroma is extremely important to its overall taste. Believe it or not,

your taste buds are only capable of detecting four distinct tastes. They are
sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. The receptors for these tastes are located on the
areas of the tongue shown in the diagram.
These four taste characteristics combine with the aromatic properties of the
beer to result in an overall flavor. The nose can detect literally thousands of
aromas which give us a multitude of flavors. The reason you want to observe
the aroma first is because your nose tends to become desensitized to odors
rather quickly plus the aromatics of beer tend to be transient.

One of the most noticeable aromas in a beer comes from the malt. Malt will
impart a sweet, caramel-like quality and will vary depending on the
darkness of the malt. Ales usually take on a fruity and sometimes
butterscotchy aroma. This is a result of the warmer fermenting
temperatures. If specialty malts are used, you may notice roasty, chocolate,
or even nutty aromas.

Another ingredient you will notice in many beers is the hops. Hops will vary
greatly depending on the style of beer being made. Some of the most
common are: grassy, piney, citrusy, floral, and spicy. A good way to detect
the odor of hops in beer is to brew a batch for yourself. Once you have
smelled the hops before and during a brew you will never forget it.

Appearance
The process of rating beer begins with its visual appearance. Many people
make hasty judgments of taste (food or drink) based entirely on sight alone.
When it comes to beer, sight can be deceiving. Just because a beer is dark,
rich, and potent looking, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s full flavored. It could
just be dark. But as far as appearance goes, what you’re looking for are
color, clarity, and head retention.

Color – Beer has a wide range of colors such as light straw, amber, copper,
red, chocolate, black and every color in between. No particular color is
better than the other. The color lends charm and personality and should be
fairly consistent among the different styles of beer.

Clarity - Americans tend to really value clarity in a beer. Since you can’t
really taste the difference in a clear or cloudy beer, it just goes to show how
important appearance is. It’s kind of sad too because most of the time these
fine particles are high in B vitamins (which coincidentally is what the
alcohol depletes from your system and helps contribute to a hangover). The
only way to guarantee clarity is to filter the beer. Most homebrew will settle
and clear up, so long as you don’t disturb the yeast in the bottom of the
bottle. There are also clarifying agents that can be used in the brewing
process.

Taste

As I said earlier, the tongue by itself can only detect four distinct tastes.
When combined with aroma, the result is its flavor. In beer, many styles will
often share many of the same taste attributes, but the intensity of the
individual flavors can differ dramatically.
Try to notice the taste and the way it feels in your mouth as it comes into
contact with the entire tongue. Is it heavy (like cream) or light (closer to
water)? This is what’s referred to as body.

Keep in mind that different styles of beer have certain guidelines as to what
tastes should be expected. Some taste attributes such as tartness are
acceptable (even desired) in certain styles of ale. The same tartness would
be considered a flaw if found in a German lager.

It is beyond the scope of this site to go into all the details of what gives a
beer its flavor, but it’s helpful to know a few things. For instance, many
times a homebrew will take on a rubbery flavor. This usually happens when
the beer stays in contact with the yeast too long during fermentation and the
yeast becomes autolyzed (it actually starts consuming itself after all the
sugars are gone!)

Most of the time, sourness comes from a bacterial contamination. A

contamination from wild yeast can impart a mediciny or plastic-like flavor.
These are a result from compounds call phenols, thus the term phenolic.

Aftertaste (finish)

The term aftertaste is not a negative thing like many would believe. An
aftertaste can be bad, or it can be good. It all depends on your personal
preference. The aftertaste will magnify the good and the bad qualities a beer
will possess.

Sometimes an aftertaste will last a long time. Other times there virtually no
aftertaste. This is referred to as being dry.
While noticing the aftertaste, it's a good time to reflect and decide for
yourself if this beer is true to its style and whether or not it makes you want
to have another drink. This is also where you take in consideration the
balance between the bitter and the sweet, the aroma, body, and the overall
impression the beer makes.

BEER BREWING EQUIPMENT

Whether you buy a beer making kit or prefer to buy your beer brewing equipment
separately, here is some of the equipment you will need. Some items may not be
absolutely necessary, but they are convenient and worthy of mentioning.

Glass Carboys (Fermentors) - Glass carboys are used to

contain the beer while it ferments. They are sometimes
referred to as fermentors. They come in various sizes, but
the most common is 5 gallons.
Carboy Stoppers - Stoppers are place in the carboy
opening and air locks are placed in the stoppers. There are
various sizes of rubber stoppers. The size that fits a 5 and 6
gallon carboy are 1 3/16" - 1 8/16".
Air Lock (type 1) - This is one of 2 main types of air locks.
This is the one I would recommend because you can clean
the inside.

Air Lock (type 2) - This is another type of air lock.

Although is works just as well as the one above, you cannot
clean the inside very easily.
Brew Kettle - This is basically a large stainless steel pot. It
needs to be at least 16 quarts to avoid spill-overs.

Funnel - a large funnel is needed to pour the beer from the

brew kettle to the carboy.

Sparge Bag - These bags can be either disposable or made

of reusable nylon. I prefer the reusable. They come in
various sizes and are used to steep the hops or specialty
grains in the brew kettle.
Racking Cane - A racking cane is a hard plastic tubing
with a bend on one end and a special cap on the other that
allows liquid to flow through with a minimum of sediment.
This is used when transferring the beer from the fermenter
to the bottling bucket.
Small Tubing - This tubing comes in either 3/8" or 1/2"
inside diameter. You will need about 3 to 5 feet of this
tubing to transfer beer from the fermenter and for bottling.

Large Tubing - This tubing has a 1" inside diameter. You'll

also need about 3 to 5 feet of this to attach to the fermenter
during initial fermentation.

Bottling Tube - A bottling tube is a hard plastic tube with a

special, spring loaded tip that allows the beer to flow when
pressed down on the inside bottom of the beer bottle.
Bottling Bucket - A botting bucket is made of food grade
plastic with a spigot on the bottom for convenience. These
are sometimes called priming vessels because the priming
sugar is added in these prior to bottling.
12 oz. Returnable Grade Bottles - Make sure the bottles
are returnable grade because of the pressure build-up and
the rigors of cleaning. If you decide on 12 ounce bottles,
you will need about 60 bottles if you plan on brewing a 5
gallon batch.
22 oz. Returnable Grade Bottles - Make sure the bottles
are returnable grade because of the pressure build-up and
the rigors of cleaning. If you decide on 22 ounce bottles,
you will need about 32 bottles if you plan on brewing a 5
gallon batch.
Beer Bottle Caps - Always buy more bottle caps than you
think you'll need. They are inexpensive and you never know
how many you'll mess up when crimping. Some caps have a
lining which absorbs oxygen which causes oxidation.
Bottle Capper - This tool will crimp the caps onto the
bottles. The one shown here is a two handed capper. There
are some that mount to your table so they can be operated
with one hand.
Bottle Washer - Bottle washers attach to a faucet and work
by spraying an intense spray when inserted into a bottle
and its lever becomes depressed. This makes cleaning the
hard deposits a breeze.
Carboy Brush - A carboy brush is pretty much a necessity.
There is no better way to scrub the inside of the carboy
without one (and you will have to scrub to get it clean).

Wort Chiller - Wort chillers are not really a necessity, but

they sure help cool down the wort much faster. They come
in various styles and sizes. You can even make your own
with some copper tubing and a tubing bender.
Hydrometer - A hydrometer measures the beer's gravity
before fementation and after. The resulting measurement
tells you how much of the sugars have been converted to
alcohol. This device usually comes with a sampling tube
(not shown) to take the meausurement in.

RECIPES
 Homebrew Recipes

The following homebrew recipes can be faithfully reproduced in your own

home with little experience.

Ale Recipes

Barley Wine

 10-12 pounds light malt extract

 4-4.5 ounces Eroica, Galena or Chinook bittering hops (50-60 HBU)
 1 ounce Cascade finishing hops
 1 ounce Willamette finishing hops
 Wyeast #1056 or #1728

English Bitter

 5 pounds amber malt extract

 1.5-2 ounces Cascade, Fuggles, Kent Goldings, or Willamette
bittering hops (7.5-10 HBU)
 .5 ounce Cascade, Fuggles, Kent Goldings, or Willamette finishing
hops
 Wyeast #1968 or #1084

Pale Ale (India)

 6-7 pounds amber malt extract

 1 pound crystal malt specialty grain
 1/2 pound Cara-Pils mild toasted malt specialty grain
  3-4 ounces Cascade, Fuggles or Kent Goldings bittering hops (10-20
HBU)
 1 ounce Cascade finishing hops
 Wyeast #1056 or #2112

Scottish Ale (70 Shilling)

 5 pounds light malt extract

 1 pound crystal malt specialty grain
 .25 pound Cara-Pils mild toasted malt specialty grain
 1.5 ounces Cascade, Fuggles, Kent Goldings or Willamette bittering
hops (6-8 HBU)
 Wyeast #1318 or #1084

Belgian Strong Ale

 8-9 pounds amber malt extract

 1 pound Cara-Pils Munich malt specialty grain
 2 ounces Fuggles or Golding or Willamette bittering hops (10-15
HBU)
 .5 ounce Tettnanger or Saaz finishing hops
 Wyeast #1214 or #3944

Porter

 7-8 pounds amber malt extract

 .5 pound chocolate malt specialty grain
 2.5-3 ounces Cascade or Fuggles bittering hops (12-16 HBU)
 .5 ounce Tettnanger finishing hops
Imperial Stout

 10-11 pounds amber malt extract

 .5 pound chocolate malt specialty grain
 .5 pound Roasted Barley malt specialty grain
 4-6 ounces Northern Brewer bittering hops (40-45 HBU)
 1.5 ounces Cascade or Willamette finishing hops
 Wyeast #1056 or #1728

Lager Recipes

American Lager

 4-5 pounds light malt extract

 1 ounce Cascade or Willamette bittering hops (4-6 HBU)
 .5 ounces Cascade finishing hops
 Wyeast #2035 or #2007

Pilsner

 6-7 pounds light malt extract

 .25 pound crystal malt specialty grain
 .5 pound Cara-Pils mild malt specialty grain
 2.5 ounces Saaz bittering hops (10-13 HBU)
 .75 ounce Saaz finishing hops
 Wyeast #2124 or #2007

Bock
  5-6 pounds amber malt extract
 .5 pound crystal malt specialty grain
 .25 pound black patent malt specialty grain
 .25 pound Cara-Pils Munich malt specialty grain
 1-1.5 ounces Hallertauer, Saaz, or Tettnanger bittering hops (4-6
HBU)
 .5 ounces Hallertauer or Tettnanger finishing hops
 Wyeast #2124 or #2278

Octoberfest (Märzen)

 6-7 pounds amber malt extract

 .5 pound crystal malt specialty grain
 .25 pound chocolate malt specialty grain
 .5 pound Cara-Pils Munich malt specialty grain
 1.5-2 ounces Hallertauer, Saaz, or Tettnanger bittering hops (5-9
HBU)
 .5 ounce Hallertauer, Saaz, or Tettnanger finishing hops
 Wyeast #2206 or #2278

Helles

 6-7 pounds light malt extract

 1-1.5 ounces Hallertauer, Saaz, or Tettnanger bittering hops (4-6
HBU)
 .25 ounces Hallertauer or Tettnanger finishing hops
 Wyeast #2308 or #2206

Dunkel
 6-7 pounds amber malt extract
 .5 pound roasted malt specialty grain
 1-1.5 ounces Hallertauer, Saaz, or Tettnanger bittering hops (4-6
HBU)
 .25 ounces Hallertauer or Tettnanger finishing hops
 Wyeast #2308 or #2206

BEER STORAGE
Storing Beer is important because just like food, Beer is perishable. Proper
Beer storage will help to ensure that the expensive French Bordeaux you
were given as a gift, will not turn to vinegar by the time you get around to
opening it!

How to Store Beer

The key to understanding proper Beer storage is to know what the enemies
of Beer are. They are heat, light, oxygen, low humidity, and I've been told,
vibration.
The ideal conditions to store Beer is in a cool (around 45°F - 60°F), dark,
and damp place. Since we no longer live in caves or castles, this can be
quite challenging.
It's really important to ask yourself how long plan on storing the Beer and
for what purpose. If you're just a causal drinker and just want to store a few
bottles for a maximum of a year or so, then your storage needs will be
dramatically different than if you are buying Beer as an investment.

The Casual Beer Storer

If you like to keep a few bottles on hand for those impromptu dinners or you
just don't like to go shopping for Beer but a few times a year, then I'm
referring to you as a casual storer. This also assumes that you rotate your
stock and only keep each bottle a maximum of about a year or so.
For you, storage will be relatively easy. Just find a place away from sunlight
that is relatively cool. Under the sink will probably be fine. Better would be
in a basement or under the staircase, etc. You will want to store the Beers on
their side though if possible.
You can keep the Beer in a Beer rack, but don't place it on top of the
refrigerator. The motor could make it warm and they say that the vibrations
are bad for the Beer.
This is especially true if you drink mostly white Beer or Champagne. There
are many on the market with a wide range of sizes and features. All of them
are made to be able to store the Beer on their sides. The little ones can be
placed just about anywhere and really affordable. Their motors are usually
made to have a minimize vibrations.
Even though they are not really a necessity at this level, I like them because
they keep the bottle at ready to drink temperatures. I, like most people, keep
my room temperature warmer than any Beer should be consumed.

The Collector

Regardless of your current knowledge of Beer, if you are wanting to store

many bottles or a bottle of Beer for a few years, I'm referring to you as a
collector. Your storage needs will be a little more demanding.
If you are planning on buying Beer as an investment, it may be impossible to
sell the Beer for what it's worth if you cannot convince the buyer that it has
been cellared properly. Over a long period of time, visual inspection of the
bottle and label will give many clues to it's condition and how well it has
been stored.
Not only will you need a temperature controlled environment, but you will
also need humidity levels well above 50%. Even though humidity levels in
this range could cause mold to grow and labels to deteriorate, it will keep
the cork seal tight and eliminate the Beer from evaporating out and oxygen
getting in.
The better Beer caves and cellaring environments maintain humidity levels
and circulate the air to reduce the chance of mold. The caves will also have
dampeners to cut down on vibrations.
You can even buy modular, self contained Beer rooms! These are a great
solution to maintaining the proper environment if your budget will allow it.
Storing Points
 Keep Bottles on their sides
 Store in cool place with little temperature fluctuation
 For long term storing, maintain high humidity levels (65% - 90%)
 Keep out of direct sunlight
 Keep away from heavy vibrations (motors shutting on and off)
 Find out the age worthiness of your Beers before they are past their
prime
 Buy a little more storage than you think you need

BEER GLASSES OR STEMWARE

Come to Your Senses With the Right Beer Glass

When the shelves at the chic little housewares boutique are lined with
espresso spoons, cheese forks, and beer plates, it’s easy to think they are just
trying to get another buck out of you.

On the other hand, sometimes these fancy tools for the trade make your food
and drink experiences genuinely tastier. When it comes to using the right
stemware for a particular type of Beer, they’re not yanking your chain. The
right glass absolutely brings out all the right stuff in the right Beer.

A good Beer yearns to be adored for its looks, its smell, and its flavor and,
therefore, holds so much delicious potential for the eyes, nose, and mouth.

Professor Claus J. Riedel was the first glass designer to recognize that the
bouquet, taste, balance and finish of Beers are affected by the shape of the
glass from which they are drunk.

He worked with experienced tasters to determine aspects such as:

 Which sizes brings the appropriate intesity of aromas for different
Beers
 Which shapes direct Beers to specific parts of the tongue
 Which shapes and sizes emphasize fruitiness
 Which shapes and sizes emphasize tannin
 Which shapes keep Champagne from going flat
 etc.
The whole approach is not about correcting flaws in certain styles of Beers,
but of achieving balance in bringing out the distinct characteristics of each
style of Beer.
Today, the Riedel collections of Beer glasses are considered the finest in the
world in regards to matching the right glass with various Beers.

The Riedel Sommelier Collection is hand blown and very expensive, but
drinking out of these incredibly thin, crystal glasses is like drinking Beer
from a delicate rose petal.

Sample Beer glasses with the corresponding Beers from the Riedel glass
company.
 Basic Tips for Choosing the Perfect Glass for Your Favorite Beers:

The Glass: Thin and clear

To appreciate the beauty of Beer, get glasses that are not colored or
decoratively chiseled. It's hard to explain (with words) the difference
between thin crystal and thick glass. You have to experience it to
understand.
The Stem vs. Stemless Tumblers

Personally, while I can appreciate the stylish good looks of the modern
stemless tumbler, I am still partial to stemware.

BREWING
The Brewer, designed and engraved, in the Sixteenth. Century, by J. Amman.

Brewing is the production of alcoholic beverages and alcohol fuel through

fermentation. This is the method used in beer production, although the term
can be used for other drinks such as sake, mead and wine. The term is also
sometimes used to refer to any chemical mixing process.

Brewing has a very long history, and archeological evidence tells us that
this technique was used in ancient Egypt. Descriptions of various beer
recipes can be found in Sumerian writings, some of the oldest known writing
of any sort.
The brewing industry is part of most western economies.

Brewing beer

All beers are brewed using a process based on a simple formula. Key to the
process is malted grain, traditionally barley, but often also wheat and, less
commonly rye. (When malting rye, due care must be taken to prevent ergot
poisoning (ergotism), as rye is particularly prone to developing this toxic
fungus during the malting process.)
Malt is made by allowing a grain to germinate, after which it is then dried
in a kiln and sometimes roasted. The germination process creates a number
of enzymes, notably α-amylase and β-amylase, which will be used to convert
the starch in the grain into sugar. Depending on the amount of roasting, the
malt will take on dark colour and strongly influence the colour and flavour
of the beer.

The malt is crushed to break apart the grain kernels, increase their surface
area, and separate the smaller pieces from the husks. The resulting grist is
mixed with heated water in a vat called a "mash tun" for a process known as
"mashing". During this process, natural enzymes within the malt break
down much of the starch into sugars which play a vital part in the
fermentation process. Mashing usually takes 1 to 2 hours, and during this
time various temperature rests (waiting periods) activate different enzymes
depending upon the type of malt being used, its modification level, and the
desires of the brewmaster. The activity of these enzymes convert the starches
of the grains to dextrines and then to fermentable sugars such as maltose.
The Mash Tun generally contains a slotted "false bottom" or other form of
manifold which acts as a strainer allowing for the separation of the liquid
from the grain.

A mash rest at 104 °F or 40 °C activates beta-glucanase, which breaks down

gummy beta-glucans in the mash, making the sugars flow out more freely
later in the process. In the modern mashing process commercial fungal
based beta-glucanase may be added as a supplement. A mash rest from
120°F to 130 °F (49°C to 55°C) activates various proteinases, which break
down proteins that might otherwise cause the beer to be hazy. But care is of
the essence since the head on beer is also composed primarily of proteins,
so too aggressive a protein rest can result in a beer that cannot hold a head.
This rest is generally used only with undermodified (i.e. undermalted) malts
which are decreasingly popular in Germany and the Czech Republic, or
non-malted grains such as corn and rice, which are widely used in North
American beers. Finally, a mash rest temperature of 149 to 160 °F (65 to 71
°C) is used to convert the starches in the malt to sugar, which is then usable
by the yeast later in the brewing process. Doing the latter rest at the lower
end of the range produces more low-order sugars which are more
fermentable by the yeast. This in turn creates a beer lower in body and
higher in alcohol. A rest closer to the higher end of the range creates more
higher-order sugars which are less fermentable by the yeast, so a fuller-
bodied beer with less alcohol is the result.
After the mashing, the resulting liquid is strained from the grains in a
process known as lautering. Prior to lautering, the mash temperature may
be raised to 165F to 170F (known as a mashout) to deactivate enzymes.
Additional water may be sprinkled on the grains to extract additional sugars
(a process known as sparging).
At this point the liquid is known as wort (rhymes with hurt). The wort is
moved into a large tank known as a "copper" or kettle where it is boiled with
hops and sometimes other ingredients such as herbs or sugars. The boiling
process serves to terminate enzymatic processes, precipitate proteins,
isomerize hop resins, concentrate and sterilize the wort. Hops add flavour,
aroma and bitterness to the beer. At the end of the boil, the hopped wort
settles to clarify it in a vessel called a "whirl-pool" and the clarified wort is
then cooled.
The wort is then moved into a "fermentation vessel" where yeast is added or
"pitched" with it. The yeast converts the sugars from the malt into alcohol,
carbon dioxide and other components through a process called Glycolysis.
After a week to three weeks, the fresh (or "green") beer is run off into
conditioning tanks. After conditioning for a week to several months, the beer
is often filtered to remove yeast and particulates. The "bright beer" is then
ready for serving or packaging.
THE NUTRITIONAL VALUE FOR: BEER

Saturated
Energy Carbs Protein Cholesterol Weight Fat
Description Quantity Fat
(calories) (grams) (grams) (milligrams) (grams) (grams)
(grams)
light 12 fl oz 95 5 1 0 355 0 0
regular 12 fl oz 150 13 1 0 360 0 0

INDIA PALE ALE

India Pale Ale (IPA, also known as Strong Pale Ale or Imperial Pale Ale),
is a distinct style of beer and is characterized as a sparkling pale ale with a
high level of alcohol (5.5% to 6.3% by volume) and hops, thus having an
increased bitterness (typically 35-48 on the IBU scale). The creation of
India Pale Ale (IPA) during the early 1700's was the result of tremendous
efforts by British brewers to overcome a difficult problem: during the 1700s
beer did not keep well on long ocean voyages, especially into hot climates.
These hot environments resulted in the arrival of flat, sour beer.

History

The East Indies market was a very tempting but difficult one to enter for
English brewers. After the British East India Company had established itself
in India by the early 1700s, it had a large number of troops and civilians
demanding beer. However, the long hot journey proved a difficult one for the
dark ales and porters of England. Ships typically left London, cruised south
past the equator along the coast of Africa, rounded the Cape of Good Hope
and then crossed the Indian Ocean to reach Bombay, Calcutta, and Madras.
The temperature fluctuations were huge, it was a very long trip (about 6
months) and the rough waters of southern Africa resulted in an extremely
violent voyage.
Despite these obstacles, however, English brewers did try to establish
exports to India. Early shipments to India contained bottled porters, the
favorite beer in London, which generally arrived flat, musty, and sour. The
answer to the great beer problem finally came from a recipe created by
George Hodgson at the Bow Brewery in East London. Hodgson began
shipping Hodgson's India Ale during the 1790s. India ale was a variation of
his pale ale, which Londoners had been drinking since the mid-1750s.

Before refrigeration and pasteurization, the brewer's only weapons against

spoilage were alcohol and hops. Alcohol provided an unfriendly
environment for microbes and the hops prevented the growth of the bacteria
which cause sourness. Therefore high alcohol content and high hopping
rates could protect beer from the souring associated with long storage times.
Hodgson took his pale ale recipe, increased the hop content considerably,
and raised the alcohol content. The result was a very bitter, alcoholic, and
sparkling pale ale that could survive the challenges of travel and shelf life in
India. IPA reached India in an enjoyable condition and Hodgson's success
became legendary.

In the same period, brewers that wanted to export pale ale from England to
Russia were facing the same problem of avoiding the rotting of the beer, thus
they increased the hop and the alcoholic strength of the beer, obtaining the
so called Imperial Pale ale. Ultimately the exports to Russia had to be
stopped for political reasons. Brewers exporting to Russia eventually
switched to India, and so "Imperial Pale ale" and "India Pale ale" became
synonymous.

Today

Today, however, no brewer in India makes India Pale Ale. All Indian beers
are either lagers or strong lagers (8 per cent alcohol - such as the popular
MAX super strong beer). International Breweries Pvt. Ltd. have recently
announced an intention to work with Mohan Meakin to produce and launch
an India Pale Ale called Indian IPA from India's first brewery at Kasauli.
International Breweries have stated their intention to reverse the historic
flow of beer by sending it from the Himalaya mountains in India to Britain
by ship.
The IPA style has virtually died out in the United Kingdom, most beers
called IPA in the UK are indistinguishable from ordinary session bitters.
One of the few traditional examples still brewed is Freeminer Trafalgar
IPA .

The IPA style has become very popular with American microbreweries as
well, taking the name American India Pale Ale it has matured into a style its
own (one example being Victory Brewing Company's HopDevil IPA). Unlike
traditional IPAs they are generally brewed with citric American hop
varieties such as Cascade, Chinook, Centennial, and Columbus although
some are being made to original recipes. The American brewers have also
expanded the style to increase the bitterness of the beer well over 100 IBU's
and alchohol levels up to 10% or even more than 20% ABV, these beers are
refered to as American Double India Pale Ales or Imperial India Pale Ales
(though the former is generally prefered as more accurate by brewers since
Imperial specifically refers to a stong ale style that was invented in Imperial
England).

Double India Pale Ale

Double India Pale Ales, or DIPAs, are a strong, hoppy style of beer
associated with the U.S. West Coast. The style is sometimes known as
Imperial IPA, but the name seems to be falling out of favor with brewers. As
the name implies, these are basically India Pale Ales with double the malt
and hops. DIPAs typically have alcohol content upwards of 7% by volume.
IBUs are in the very high range (60+), with many going beyond the
theoretical threshold of human sensory.

Many DIPAs could alternately be classified as American barleywines. As a

relatively young style, it is still being fleshed out. However, it is one of the
fastest growing styles in the craft beer industry, and a favorite among
hopheads.

COBRA BEER
. $1 million investment in brewery to meet Cobra’s strict quality standards
. Priced at Rs 50 and Rs.30 for a 650ml and 330ml bottle respectively in
Delhi,
. To be distributed in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Goa, Pune
and

SETTING STANDARDS IN BEER & THE INDUSTRY

Cobra’s decision to domestically brew beer in India is backed by its desire to
set the highest standards of brewing excellence. Cobra Beer brewed in
Europe was awarded two Grand Gold Medals and four Gold Medals at the
Monde Selection, Brussels, World Selection of Quality Awards 2004.

Karan Bilimoria is confident that Cobra will achieve what it has set out to
do. “Cobra will not only set standards in taste, flavour and quality, but also
carry forward its reputation of being incredibly drinkable, extra smooth and
less gassy,” he adds.

“We hope to demonstrate through our success that the Indian beer lover is a
consumer with discerning tastes who relates to beer as a social drink,” says
Bilimoria. “At Cobra, our vision is “to aspire and achieve against all odds,
with integrity” and we believe that the sky is the limit for Cobra in India”.

WORLD CLASS BREWING

Cobra Beer announced a technical collaboration with Mount Shivalik
Group in 2004.

Shivalik, one of the largest independent breweries in India, is now brewing

Cobra under license at its facility in Rajasthan, for the domestic Indian
market.

“The experience of working together to brew a beer that meets the stringent
standards set by Cobra has been extremely rewarding,” says Perses
Bilimoria, Regional Director of Cobra Indian Beer Pvt. Ltd. “We are
confident that Cobra brewed at Mount Shivalik will certainly be the best of
its class and will compete favourably against competitors brewed
throughout the world.”

The Beginnings of a Global Brand

Cobra Beer was founded in 1989 by Karan Bilimoria, then aged 27, with
$40,000 of student debt. A Cambridge Law graduate and a qualified
chartered accountant, Bilimoria launched Cobra Beer when he realised that
Britain needed a smooth beer to accompany Indian food.
"I saw that the market was dominated by harsh, gassy Eurofizz beers, all
poor partners to spicy food, and so I wanted to produce a really good
quality lager that would complement, rather than fight against, Indian
food," says Bilimoria. His intent was also for the lager to appeal to both ale
drinkers and lager drinkers alike.

About Cobra Beer

Cobra Beer is one of the fastest growing beer brands in the UK and has
been exported to over 30 countries worldwide. It is available in the UK in
more than 6,000 Indian restaurants, major supermarkets and off-licenses
and now to nearly 6,000 mainstream bars, pubs and clubs. Cobra Beer was
awarded two Grand Gold Medals and four Gold Medals at the 2004
Monde Selection, Brussels - World Selection of Quality and Gold for three
successive years at the 2003, 2002 and 2001 Monde Selection awards.
Monde Selection also presented Cobra with the International High Quality
Trophy in 2003 for its achievements. Founder and Chief Executive, Karan F.
Bilimoria CBE, DL, was honoured with the RSA Albert Medal, and as
Business Person of the Year by the London Chamber of Commerce; Best
Business Leader by the Sage Business Awards 2004 in partnership with The
Daily Telegraph; Entrepreneur of the Year 2004 by the National Business
Awards; London Entrepreneur of the Year (Consumer
Products) 2003; Entrepreneur of the Year 2003 by the Asian Achievers
Awards; Asian of the Year 2002. Cobra was recently recognised as Business
of the Year by the Asian Business Awards. Headquartered in London, UK,
Cobra Beer has offices throughout the world, including India, South Africa,
and the USA.

For further information:

Pinday Bains
CommsPlus
Tel: 020 7978 4132
Email: Pinday@commsplus.com
 Bottle Price: £1.19
Case Price: £27.70
Cobra 330ml

Tasting Notes:

Country: India
Type: pils/lager
ABV: 5.0%
Bottle Size: 330ml
Case Size: 24
KINGFISHER

INDUSTRY INFORMATION

Products of the Alcoholic Beverages Industry fall into the categories of Beer,
Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL), Country Liquor, Wine and Bottled in
origin (BIO) spirits. Of these industry segments, your Company currently
operates only in the IMFL space. The Indian IMFL industry is estimated to
be in the region of 121 million cases of 9 Bulk Litres (BL) each. The segment
has an historical CAGR of more than 10%.

Contrary to international trends, brown spirits account for 95% of the

Indian industry. Whisky dominates the industry at 54%, followed by rum at
25% and Brandy at 16%. White Spirits comprising Gin, White Rum and
Vodka account for the residual 5% of the industry.

The Country Liquor segment of the Alcoholic Beverages Industry is

unorganized and therefore accurate statistics of its size are not available. In
our estimate, the Country Liquor market would be in the region of 200 – 225
million cases of 9 BL each.

The market size in India is expected to expand in the next 5 years as

consuming population is expected to increase by 100 million. This is due to
rapid development of growth factors like changes in lifestyle, higher
disposable income, shift in expenditure pattern in favor of personal
consumption items such as food, drinks and entertainment and exposure to
global trends.

The growth would also be fuelled by changing consumer perception of

alcohol and upgradation from Country Liquor to the branded segment of the
industry aided by progressive regulatory changes.

KINGFISHER 330ML

TASTING NOTES:

Country: India
pils/lage
Type:
r
ABV: 4.8%
Bottle
330ml
Size:
Case Size: 24
Bottle Price: £1.19
Case Price: £27.70
Kingfisher 660ml

Tasting Notes:

Country: India
pils/lage
Type:
r
ABV: 4.8%
Bottle
660ml
Size:
Case Size: 12
Bottle Price: £2.39
Case Price: £27.82
Lal Toofan
FLYING HORSE ROYAL LAGER BEER FROM INDIA

The Bottom Line "Superior malt, aromatic hops, yeast and crystal clear
water" are used in the beer's production and a special maturing process is
used to produce a full-bodied, malty tasting beer.

Flying Horse Royal Lager Beer is one of the few beers from India that I
have ever seen in America. In fact, so far, it is the only Indian beer that I
have ever seen.

The beer industry in India was heavily influenced by the tastes and
traditions carried into the country from England during India's colonial
rule. That being said, it surely is true that British-style ales are probably the
most popular beers in India. This pale lager beer, then, is something of a
departure from the British tradition.

Flying Horse Royal Lager Beer

This beer is marketed as "the champagne of beers" in India. That sounds

suspiciously like Miller Brewing Company's old ad slogan for Miller Beer.

This beer is brewed and bottled by United Breweries Ltd., in Bangalore,

India. The chairman of the UB Group, Mr. Vijay Mallya, "certifies" the
beer's good taste with a proclamation that "Superior malt, aromatic hops,
yeast and crystal clear water" are used in the beer's production and that a
special maturing process is used to produce a full-bodied, malty tasting
beer.
I will attest to this beer's taste: it is, indeed, a full-bodied and malty lager.
Certainly having more character than America's Budweiser or Miller beer
brands.
This 5% alcohol by volume lager pours with light gold color, has good head
formation and moderate amounts of carbonation. This malty brew avoids
some of the sweet graininess that one sometimes experiences with beers like
Michelob. A decent amount of bitterness is present, but not overly
pronounced, and all around this is a very satisfying, thirst-quenching beer.
Finishes clean, crisp and a little hoppy.