| Before I dive into the art of how to make beer, let | | | | because of its hard water, a great place to make |
| me give you a few interesting facts. Did you know | | | | stout such as Guinness. Pilzen on the other hand has |
| that beer is one of the oldest beverages, possibly | | | | soft water and is very well suited to make a pale |
| dating back to the 5th millennium BC? It has been | | | | lager like "Pilsener Urquell". |
| recorded in the written history of Ancient Egypt and | | | | Another key determinant of the character of beer is |
| Mesopotamia. Are you aware that it is the oldest and | | | | the starch source, supplying the fermentable material. |
| most popular alcoholic drink? | | | | Usually malted grain is used in beer. Most beers |
| And did you realize that the earliest known chemical | | | | include barley malt as their main starch. |
| evidence of beer dates back to circa 3500-3100 BC? | | | | Almost all beers contain hops for flavoring and |
| That is pretty amazing. Until the industrial revolution it | | | | preserving. Hops gives the beer the bitterness which |
| was mainly made and sold on a domestic scale, but | | | | balances the sweetness of the malt. Hops also gives |
| then the making of beer moved to industrial | | | | floral and herbal aromas and flavors to the beer. |
| manufacturing. Nevertheless to take up making beer | | | | And then there is the yeast, which is the |
| as a hobby is great fun and can give you great | | | | microorganism responsible for the fermentation in the |
| satisfaction. | | | | beer. Not only does the yeast ferment the beer, it |
| Your basic ingredients for beer are water, a starch | | | | also influences the flavor and the character. |
| source that is fermentable, i.e. malted barley, and | | | | Beer is consumed all over the world; there are even |
| yeast. Normally you add some flavoring, usually in | | | | breweries in the Middle East and in Africa, just in case |
| form of hops. | | | | you didn't know. Sales of beer are 4 times higher |
| Beer is mostly composed of water. Water contains | | | | than wine, the second most popular alcoholic |
| minerals, which are of great importance to the beer | | | | beverage. |
| you make, because they have great impact on the | | | | Making your own beer is a great and inexpensive |
| character of the beer. Different regions have | | | | hobby. You could share this hobby with your friends, |
| different mineral components in the water. Therefore | | | | make beer together and have a competition of who |
| you find some regions are better suited for making | | | | makes the best beer. |
| certain types of beer than others. Like Dublin, | | | | Cheers! |
