| There are almost as many classifications of beer as | | | | persevered with it tend to be lifelong fans. It is |
| there are people who drink it. O.K. that's something | | | | relatively easy for the home brewer to produce a |
| of an exaggeration, but it is a fact that commercial | | | | very acceptable stout. |
| breweries produce an amazing variety of beers with | | | | Sweet Stout. - Or Milk Stout is a less bitter version |
| different flavours and textures, to cater for the very | | | | of Irish Stout. Not quite so heavy or dark, with a |
| varied tastes of the beer drinker. | | | | more foamy head. |
| The home brewer can also produce an almost | | | | Oatmeal Stout. - This stout falls between the two |
| limitless variety of beers, but they will all generally fall | | | | previous stouts. Being not as bitter as an Irish Stout, |
| into one of the main categories of beer. These | | | | and not as sweet as a Sweet Stout. It has it's own |
| categories are as follows:- | | | | flavour by the use, as the name suggests, of oats in |
| Bitter beer. - This is usually a fairly hoppy beer, with a | | | | the brewing process. |
| medium to strong alcohol content. Bitter will come in | | | | Barley wine.- This is a very sweet, heavy beer, with |
| different colours and flavours, but will always have a | | | | a high alcohol content. Commercial varieties often |
| slightly bitter finish. | | | | around the 10% ABV mark. High for a beer. Usually |
| Pale Ale. - Sometimes referred to as "Light Ale". This | | | | golden in colour, with just a touch of bitterness in the |
| is a beer that would more normally be drunk as an | | | | aftertaste. Usually served in small glasses. Not |
| accompaniment to food. Being a light, not too strong | | | | recommended as a session beer. This is quite a |
| beer, not as hoppy as bitter. It should have a clean | | | | difficult beer to get right for the home brewer, but |
| refreshing taste. | | | | worth the effort. |
| India Pale Ale. - This is another version of bitter beer. | | | | Lager.- An increasingly popular beer for the home |
| Somewhat stronger and more fully flavoured than | | | | brewer. Again, not easy to reproduce but well worth |
| Pale Ale. With more hops and malt. It should still retain | | | | it when it comes good. Pale in colour, and light bodied, |
| a clean taste. | | | | it has just a touch of hoppiness. To brew a good |
| Brown Ale. - One of my personal favourites, as it can | | | | lager it is essential to use a bottom fermenting (lager) |
| be very easily personalized to your individual taste. A | | | | yeast. |
| traditional brown ale can be dark brown to amber in | | | | These are the broad categories, and most home |
| colour, and has a very slight sweetness due to the | | | | brewers will produce a beer pretty similar to one of |
| use of lactose in the brewing process. It is only | | | | them. A common mistake with many home brewers |
| slightly hoppy, and often mixed with other beers by | | | | is to get a kit and make whatever beer it makes, |
| drinkers in pursuit of an individual taste. | | | | and either stick to it and get bored. Or not like it and |
| Irish Stout.- This probably needs little description due | | | | give up. I can assure you that using the right |
| to the popularity of Guinness. A very dark beer in | | | | ingredients and the right recipe you can find not just |
| appearance, very full flavour, and quite bitter. | | | | one beer that suits you, but many. And you won't be |
| Traditionally it has a thick, creamy head. Something | | | | bored. |
| of an acquired taste, those drinkers who have | | | | |
