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Drinking Beer
Frequently Asked Questions about beer, drinking beer, how beer is made and efects of beer.
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What are Ales and Lagers, etc, types and styles.
What are ales?
Ales are generally beers made with top fermenting yeasts They are brewed at "warm" temperatures, normally between 50 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
What are lagers?
Lagers are generally beers made with bottom Fermenting yeasts. They are brewed at cooler temperatures, generally 35 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit.These cooler temperatures mean longer brewing. The process of brewing at cool temperatures is called "lagering." Pilsners (most American beers) are a subset of lagers. The style originated in Pilsen Chezkoslovakia.
What are lambics?
Lambics are specifically Belgian beers, made in a certain part of Belgium using wild yeasts. They have a very distinctive taste, and are often flavored with fruit syrups.
What is malt liquor?
Malt liquor is a classification bestowed on beers that are above a certain alcohol content. The laws vary from state to state in the US. Many beers have been given the title malt liquor, even though that is not their true type.
What do 3.2 and 5.0% mean?
This is a "rating" of the amount of alcohol in the beer, by volume or by weight depending on where you are.
What is Reinheitsgebot?
It is an old German "purity" law that delineates the ingredients that can be used to make beer. Under this law, there are only four; water, barley malt, hops, and yeast.
"Rein" means clean or pure; "-heit" means "-ness"; so "Reinheit" means "cleanliness" or "purity".
What is "Dry" beer?
Dry beer is beer that has less malt, and more corn or rice sugars added to it during the brewing process. This produces a lighter, slightly more alcoholic, "dryer" tasting beer. It also probably reduces the brewing costs.
What is "Cold Filtered?"
Cold filtering is beer that is physically filtered after it has been brewed, before it is bottled. This tends to eliminate all sediments (yeast and malt leftovers... things that can give beer character), and makes the beer clear.
What does "Heat Pasteurized" mean?
It means the beer has been heated after fermenting, killing all of the remaining live yeasts and any other microganisms. It means that the beer will not continue to age in its bottle.
What does "bottle conditioned" mean?
It is beer that has not been pasteurized, and still has live yeast in it. It will continue to age in the bottle, and the character of the beer will change over time. For some kinds of beer this is good, for others it means they will spoil after a while.What is "draught" (draft) beer?
It is beer that has been drawn or pulled from a cask. Beer from pressurized kegs is often referred to as draft beer, but this is probably a misnomer, or an "Americanism"
What is ice beer/ eisbock? Whats the difference?
Ice beer is beer that has reportedly been fermented a nearly freezing temperatures. This is another ploy by Megabrewies to convince people that their beer is something different or better than everyone elses. Ice Beers are basically another style of light American lagers.
True eisebock's are beers that have been frozen after they are fermented to raise the specific gravity and alcohol content of the beer. The water in the beer turns to ice when the beer gets cold enough. The ice crystals are strained or filtered out, leaving a beer with a higher specific gravity and generally a higher alcohol content.
What is a brewpub?
It is a combination of brewery, pub, and maybe restaurant. There are LOTS of these in Europe, and are getting to be more in America.
Can I get beer in the mail?
Yes... Beer Across America's phone numbr is 1-800-854-2337, and Microbrew to You is, 428 E. Campbell ave Campbell, CA 95008 408-379-0500.
How do I make my own beer??
See below.
How do I judge a beer or what is good beer?
Good beer (what is it, and how to tell). Good beer is determined by an individuals tastes. It has been suggested that trying a wide variety of beers will usually help a person figure out what beer tastes good.
What makes beer go bad? (what it is and why it is bad/skunked.)
Bad beer is beer that tastes bad of is spoiled. Beer can and will spoil under certain conditions. Mishandling and old age are the two biggest causes of spoiled beer. Skunked beer refers to beer that has been lightstruck, causing the hops to take on a skunky odor. This is often happens with clear or green bottles, and tends to be prevalent in certain imported beers.