| Brewing is hard work. There are no easy sun-filled | | | | In fact, most people seem to think that hops are the |
| days of dancing in woven baskets. The brewer must | | | | main beer making ingredients and that perhaps hops |
| work to loosen its grip on the essential beer making | | | | are grains. Actually, hop is a flower. It lends natural |
| ingredients - sugar. Anyone who seeks to create an | | | | preservatives qualities to the finished beer and |
| alcoholic beverage must have sugar to ferment. | | | | provides bitterness plus a range of flavors and |
| There are many details along the way that will | | | | aromas. Essentially, it acts as a spice. The bitterness |
| determine how the beer will turn out. Every journey | | | | of the hop is the backbone of the beer. |
| must begin with a single step; and when it comes to | | | | Yeast is another beer making ingredient. The right |
| beer, that first step is preparing the essential beer | | | | yeast will produce the right flavors. In many respects, |
| making ingredients, which is malting the barley. | | | | the yeast can be rightly said to be the single most |
| Malted barley, also known simply as malt, is barley | | | | important beer making ingredient the brewer selects. |
| seed that has been steeped in water until it starts to | | | | Centuries ago, before brewers learned what yeast |
| sprout, and then dried out in a kiln. For the brewer, | | | | truly was, beer was allowed to ferment |
| barley has special gifts that other grains cannot offer. | | | | spontaneously. |
| Its hard husk, low protein content and high starch | | | | The last and not to be forgotten beer making |
| contents all making a more suitable beer making | | | | ingredient is water. Water is important. Most beers |
| ingredient. | | | | are at least 90 percent water, so it should come as |
| From the beginning of the malting process, | | | | no surprise that water is a critical element in the |
| differences in moisture content, barley variety, and | | | | flavor of beer. The quality of the water will |
| kilning temperatures and times are crucial and result in | | | | determine the quality of the beer produced. |
| different varieties of malt. Every variety has a flavor, | | | | Beer is made from simple ingredients but the whole |
| a color, an aroma, and a purpose. Malt is still the first | | | | process of beer brewing makes beer a more than |
| beer making ingredient we are talking about. | | | | simple beverage. To truly appreciate the beauty of |
| The second essential beer making ingredient is hops. | | | | beer, you can consider getting the beer making |
| Most people seem to know that beer contains hops. | | | | ingredients and start brewing your own beer. |
