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Are some beers brewed with meat? I've heard this urban legend that when Guinness changed their brewing equipment at some point, people started to complain that the beer tasted worse. According to the legend, it turned out that before rats were getting into the barrels, drowned in them and thus gave Guinness its "unique flavour". That legend aside (although I would also be interested to hear opinions on that), are there any beers that are deliberately brewed with meat or meat products? What does adding meat to the brewing process achieve? <Q> Bacon Beer <S> I've heard of beers made with rauchmalt - smoked malt, <S> where the brewer has " dry hopped " with bacon or bacon flavored soya to give the beer a bacon flavor and aroma - allowing the bacon and the smoked malt to enhance each other. <S> One commercial example is Bacon Maple Ale from Rogue, which features a variety of smoked malts (over different woods) plus applewood smoked bacon. <S> Cock Ale <S> Here is a recipe for ale made with chicken broth: <S> PERIOD: <S> England, 17th century | SOURCE: <S> The Closet Of the Eminently Learned Sir Kenelme Digby Kt. <S> Opened, 1677 | CLASS: <S> Authentic DESCRIPTION: <S> A drink of ale, chicken broth, & sack To make Cock-Ale. <S> Take eight gallons of Ale, take a Cock and boil him well; then take four pounds of Raisins of the Sun <S> well stoned, two or three Nutmegs, three or four flakes of Mace, half a pound of Dates; beat these all in a Mortar, and put to them two quarts of the best Sack: and when the Ale hath done working, put these in, and stop it close six or seven days, and then bottle it, and a month after you may drink it. <S> And PS: the Guinness meat story because of finding rats in the fermentation tanks or barrels is a myth. <S> Or to put it another way, even if it did ever did happen once, it's not practiced now. <S> It's hard enough for bacteria to get into the fermentation tanks or barrels, let alone something as big as a rat! <S> (Nowadays they use stainless or aluminum kegs.) <A> Another example is oyster stout . <S> While some breweries today use the name for beers that don't contain oysters, it was originally brewed with oysters. <S> It seems that the style grew out of the popular food pairing of stout and oysters, leading to attempts to combine the two, starting in New Zealand in 1929. <S> One example of a modern brewery using oysters is Porterhouse Brewing Company in Ireland . <S> More information on the style can be found in this article . <A> A recent release by an Icelandic brewery actually contains whale meat, and inevitably this has been quite controversial! <S> Whale Meat Beer From Icelandic Brewery Stirs Up <S> Controversy, Outrages Conservationists. <S> I'd like to try it myself <S> but it's not for export and the only way I could afford to get to Iceland <S> anytime soon would be canoe. <S> Seems a bit chilly out for that, though. <A> This substance is not nominally retained in the final beverage.
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Guinness, in common with some other beers, does actually involve a meat product in the brewing process, specifically the swim bladders of fish .
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Does use of Isinglass require special mention on the beer? Isinglass is a fining - when added to beer it helps the beer clarify - and it's a form of collagen derived from fish swim bladders. Given that this is an animal-derived product, do breweries have to declare this on the packaging? <Q> NO . <S> In 2003, the EC discussed requiring labeling for Isinglass as a potential food allergen. <S> The brewers in the EC successfully argued that it was part of the processing and not an additive and thus did not require labeling. <S> Isinglass finings are a tried and tested method of clarifying beer and so it came as a great relief to traditional cask ale brewers when the EC, last year, introduced an amendment to the 2003 labelling directive. <A> At least in the United States, there is no requirement for ingredients to be listed on bottles/packaging. <S> While foods are required to list ingredients, this is because they are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). <S> Beer and other alcohol, on the other hand, are regulated by the Treasury Department which has no such ingredient listing requirements. <S> So, Isinglass would need no special ingredient listing. <S> Some of the ingredients found in many American beers that might surprise you <S> include: <S> Propylene Glycol (Also used in anti -freeze) <S> GMO sugars/corn syrup Monosodium Glutamate Calcium Disodium EDTA <S> Insect derived food dyes <S> There was a law enacted in Germany in the 1400's concerning purity of beer, known as Reinheitsgebot. <S> This has been adapted and changed slightly since then, and was adapted in the 1950's into a taxation law that also addressed purity (Biersteuergesetz). <S> The taxation law was relaxed in the late 1980's, and allowed any ingredients allowed in food to be allowed in beer. <S> This only applies to imported beers, however, as German breweries still have to abide by the purity restrictions. <A> Clause 4 of Standard 1.2.3 deals with ingredients that trigger a mandatory declaration. <S> The "fish products" line of the table of covered ingredients was amended to read Fish and fish products, except for isinglass derived from swim bladders and used as a clarifying agent in beer and wine <S> The report from FSANZ also included a survey of international laws regarding isinglass. <S> In addition to the USA and EU that have been covered by other questions, it mentions: <S> Health Canada amended its food labelling requirements in September 2004 such that fining agents derived from fish, milk and egg, used during the manufacture of standardised alcoholic beverages, would be exempt from the allergen labelling requirements. <S> In Japan, Fish is not included on the list of allergens requiring mandatory labelling, with only certain fish species being recommended for labelling. <S> However, alcohol beverages and related products are not subject to the allergen labelling requirements, so wouldn't be covered anyway. <S> The Codex Alimentarius General Standard for the Labelling of Pre-packaged Foods <S> ( Codex Stan 1-1985 ) requires the declaration of fish products used as ingredients or food additive, and makes no mention of an exemption for isinglass. <S> In countries that have adopted this standard without making any modifications and apply it to alcoholic beverages, use of isinglass would presumably have to be declared. <A> I think what you are trying to get at is should it be disclosed for people who might be ideologically or otherwise opposed to consuming or using animal products. <S> If that is the case then I think you should disclose on your packaging. <S> It does should like more of a filtering agent than an ingredient though, so like passing something through a charcoal filter. <S> You don't see charcoal as an ingredient.
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Food Standards Australia New Zealand approved an amendment to the code in March 2009 , providing an exemption to mandatory labelling requirements for the use of isinglass in beer and wine. The brewing industry successfully argued that as a processing aid, not an ingredient that would be consumed, and with a long history of use with no recorded incidents of an allergic reaction, there was a good case for isinglass to be exempt from the directive.
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Does beer suffer from being warmed and then rechilled? I typically prefer my beer only a bit cold, so when I buy a 12-pack from a store's cooler I typically just leave it out. The excess I'll refrigerate at the end of the night, and sometimes repeat the process with the same beer on a different night. Does this affect the quality of the beer in some chemical way? I almost exclusively drink IPA's and personally never notice a difference, but many of my friends have commented on the habit of mine to let beer warm. <Q> TL DR; <S> No. <S> Beer flavor changes over time (hops fade away, oxidation takes hold, etc.), and this process happens more quickly at warmer temperatures than colder ones. <S> But there are no additional chemical reactions caused by temperature changes, so warming to room temperature and re-chilling multiple times is not going to have any added effects on the beer. <S> I think this myth took hold from left-over kegs after parties: A half-empty keg that was dispensed by pumping air into it will start to oxidize much more quickly since oxygen is being added to it. <S> When it warms the oxidation speeds up and it tastes stale within a day or two. <S> Keeping it cold slows that down a bit, but even cold it won't last very long. <S> A keg being dispensed using CO2 is a different story: that will last as long as bottled beer and can be warmed and rechilled without ill effects. <S> In all of this, I am referring to room temperature. <S> Beer left in a car in the sun for hours will start to stale much more quickly, even if bottles are protected from the sunlight. <S> You won't get the skunky flavor caused by the light, but it will taste stale. <A> Repeatedly cooling and warming (to ambient temperatures) <S> a beer can induce a permanent haze, where proteins and tannins bond to create semi-soluble molecules. <S> While this can have an aesthetic impact, it does not impact flavour, aroma or mouthfeel. <S> This is mostly an issue in beers where the knocking-out, or rapid cooling of the beer may not have been effective at precipitating what is known as cold-break proteins. <S> Which generally leads to chill haze (haze when the beer is cool, but not when it is warm). <S> This generally isn't an issue with most commercial beers (especially if filtered), and is more often found in home-brewed beers. <A> I did some experimentation at home to answer this question. <S> My results indicated that room temperature and temperature fluctuation had no impact on flavour. <S> Very high temperature (140° for 24 hours) seems to create a very slight hard to define harshness. <S> Check out my results here: <S> Beer Experiments: <S> Sunlight Exposure and Temperature Regulation <S> Beer Experiments: <S> Temperature Regulation Part 2 <A> Cooling and warming a beer does have an effect , but it is minor in the beginning. <S> If you heat, cool, repeatedly many times, there will be evidence of damage and it will become staggeringly obvious!At Budweizer <S> they gave us a beer that was cycled over a 100 times! <S> It was shocking how many off-flavours such a delicately flavoured beer can get! <A> I am now drinking a beer from a keg from last weekend. <S> I left the beer keg inside my storage with door open and it's been warm this week (100°F). <S> Five days later the beer tastes <S> almost same exept that the beer foam has gone which in my opinion the beer foam gives it a better taste.
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Assuming you are drinking it within a few weeks, you won't notice the difference with bottled or canned beer.
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Are there any beer styles that are served flat? I thought of this question when I've read the one about mulled beer . I thought heating the beer would make it lose carbonation, but then I've read somewhere that you have to carbonate the mulled beer as well. So are there any beer styles that are served without carbonation or nitrogenation? I myself think that there are probably none, but I'm no beer expert (yet :D). <Q> Historically beer was almost definitely still (flat) for thousands of years. <S> Before the discovery/invention of force carbonation methods, all beer was carbonated naturally via bottle or cask conditioning. <S> But people were brewing alcoholic beverages commonly referred to as beer in antiquity, and evidence from these cultures ( ancient China , Neolithic culture, etc) suggests that they were doing this in big stone and earthenware pots and jugs, which may have had no lids or loose lids. <S> Their vessels probably could not have withstood the pressure of carbonation even if they were using wax or cork to seal the vessels. <S> So if you were to brew a historical style and you wanted to be truly accurate, then you would not carbonate it. <S> But the modern historical interpretations usually are carbonated (like Dogfish Head's ancient ales ), because they are selling them and Westerners generally prefer them :) <S> There is one "modern style" (e.g. a style you'd find in the BJCP style guide ), that can be served with no carbonation , namely straight (unblended) lambic . <S> Several have little or low carbonation, (e.g. barleywine) mentioned in other answers. <S> Sahti also has very little carbonation. <S> But people do still drink flat/still beer all over the world, <S> for example there's some uncarbonated corn beers that are popular, like chicha in Latin America <S> ( Dogfish Head made a Chicha inspired beer ) and umqombothi in South Africa. <S> There are other names for similar beers in other regions. <S> These are typically homebrewed. <A> What you're most likely to find everyday are not beers that are flat, exactly, but are very low in carbonation. <S> In the UK, real (or cask) ale is another style with very little carbonation. <S> The only style I can think of off the top of my head that is really and truly uncarbonated are the super high alcohol beers like Boston Beer's Samuel Adams Utopias and some of the various high-alcohol freeze-distilled* varieties. <S> To me, these styles have nearly as much in common with fortified wine or spirits as they do with beer, and they're not easy to find, so they're a bit of an outlier. <S> * Distillation requires heat, so the process of freezing to concentrate alcohol in a beer isn't really technically distillation, but hey, that's what it's called, so when it Rome... <A> Cask beers have very low levels of carbonation, enough that one could almost consider them to be flat. <S> This is due to the fact that they aren't served under any pressure. <A> I home brew ales and stouts all the time and have never carbonated or even bottled it. <S> I have never missed the bubbles or the constant burping. <S> In fact, I am enjoying a glass of English Bitter right now. <S> Tasty and refreshing. <S> Five gallons of beer so that I can dip a jug whenever I want, and no messing with bottles. <S> By the time you finish the 2nd one, you will not miss the carbonation.
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Barleywine ale is one of these styles, and though it will typically have some carbonation, it will be very little.
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Is Oyster Stout really made using oysters? One of my favorite stouts is Oesterstout by the Schelde Brewery . The website states: During the brewing process, the wort of the beer is pumped across the oyster shells. Is this what gives it it's distinct taste? In Denmark, another more easily available Oyster stout is Marston's Oyster Stout . Do all Oyster Stouts follow this particular process, or is it more of a sales pitch? <Q> Oyster stout traditionally uses oysters as part of the brewing process, and that is the flavour that differentiates them from other stouts. <S> While it is traditional to use oysters, some modern breweries use artifical flavours in their oyster stouts, or simply say that they are intended to be eaten with seafood. <S> From their website : <S> Marston’s <S> Oyster Stout is a dark, creamy, smooth, clean tasting English stout. <S> It doesn’t contain oysters, just called Oyster Stout as this style of ale is a great complement to shell fish dishes. <A> Just had a bottle of Marston's Oyster Stout two days ago (10/25/14), the label states it is brewed with oyster shells. <A> Oyster stouts are indeed brewed with oysters. <S> The occasional offering that we sell (Niagara College Teaching Brewery), uses oysters at the end of the mash regime (hot soaking of the grains). <S> The idea here is that you are extracting calcium carbonate from the shells, which helps reduce the tannic astringency that can result from the roasted grains used in stouts. <S> This is the same reason/benefit that stouts are traditionally brewed in areas with relatively hard water. <S> It also happens to be the perfect temperature for cooking oysters. <S> Oysters cooked or uncooked could be added at other parts of the process, but may not have the same impact on reducing astringency. <S> There is a subtle undertone of the oyster that makes it into the finished product, but your palate may vary and may or may not detect it (depending on process and quantity used). <A> If it is an Oyster stout then it probably should have contact with ACTUAL oysters. <S> Using the shells is a cop out that is like stone soup . <S> Checkout new brewery Hammertown in London who do it <S> properly:"In 1938 <S> the original Hammerton Brewery was famous for being the first in the world to use Oysters as part of the brewing process. <S> In this new recipe we’ve used a variety of flavoursome malts, including a good dose of oats. <S> Fresh wild Maldon oysters are then added to the boil to add a subtle extra complexity to the taste of this stout." <A> Oysters used to be served as an accompaniment to beer in pubs in Victorian England, so the first beers called Oyster Stouts were probably beers intended to compliment oysters rather than containing them. <S> Later someone discovered that you could use crushed Oyster shells as a fining agent in beer and later still someone actually added the oyster meat, probably as a marketing gimmick since oysters aren't going to add much to the flavour. <S> So it's fine for oyster stout to not contain oysters. <A> This, "The idea here is that you are extracting calcium carbonate from the shells, which helps reduce the tannic astringency that can result from the roasted grains used in stouts. <S> " from John, was most helpful and logical. <S> Understanding how chemistry functions in brewing becomes logical once you ponder the explanation. <S> Thanks, John.
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You mention Marston's Oyster Stout, which is one example of an oyster stout that doesn't use actual oysters in the brew.
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Are Hitachino's beers characteristically really heavily carbonated? I recently picked up a bunch of bottles of what seemed like interesting brews from Hitachino , because I was interested in exploring some Japanese beers. However, more than anything, I've found both to be severely overcarbonated. To the point of both making a mess, and being unpleasant to drink. Is this sort of over-the-top carbonation characteristic of Hitachino's beer (or Japanese beer in general)? Or is it more likely that the bottles (which I purchased all at once from a single retailer) were somehow compromised or spoiled in the process of being imported to the US? Or just spoiled by sitting on the shelf too long? None of the bottles are marked with any sort of freshness or sell-by date, so is this possibly some sort of spoilage I've just never encountered before? <Q> Over-carbonation is typically a sign of infection, which is certainly a possibility. <S> It's not a problem I've had with Hitachino, but at their price point I don't drink them often <A> I just went through four Hitachinos, and I can say for sure - they are solidly carbonated, but nothing I would call undrinkable. <S> I've definitely had - and enjoyed - more carbonated beers. <S> I've also had them before (bottle and poured at a bar) and never had the overcarbonation problem you describe. <A> The chances of contamination at a Japanese brewery are very low. <S> The Japanese tend to drink their beer much colder than craft beer drinkers in the United States - Think Coors cold. <S> Hitachino's beers when stored and poured correctly are quite good, but buying them in the United States after a trans-pacific journey is both expensive and less tasty than on tap. <S> Answered by: The Gastrograph Team
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We suggest placing the beer in the freezer for 3-5 minutes before opening the bottle, leaving it undisturbed and pouring it into an over-sized nonic glass.
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Where can I find open APIs about beer? Not sure if this is on topic! Could be interesting though. Feel free to flag/VTC if you disagree. I'm looking to build an app that has to do with beer. It occurred to me that ratings/information/any beer-related API could be useful. Both BeerAdvocate and RateBeer seem to have no officially available API. Are there any beer-related sites or resources with an open API? <Q> There are a number of beer-related APIs available. <S> RateBeer does have a JSON API , but it's apparently currently unavailable <S> and I don't know if they intend on making it available again or not. <S> Here are several that I've found: <S> Open Beer Database is a beer API, but it appears that it's still under development and may be unstable, so YMMV. <S> The Beer Spot offers an API that includes some social aspects, such as what people are drinking, and ratings, but not as much in the way of rich data about the beers themselves. <S> Untappd is another social/beer app that offers an API, but you need an account on the site to view the documentation and they seem to be a bit more strict in that they have to actually review and approve your app idea before they'll give you an API key. <S> Open Food Facts <S> while not limited to beers, has 1500 of them and an API with barcodes, nutrition, ingredients… It's fully opendata and collaborative, meaning you can upload new beers from their mobile apps. <S> There are others, but those are a few of the most common and/or promising from what I've seen. <A> I started an open beer n brewery data project, that is, beer.db - all data is public domain, that is, license-free, no rights reserved). <S> You can also run your own HTTP JSON API service e.g GET /beer/brooklynlager or GET /brewery/guiness etc. <S> Adding new beers and breweries works like a wiki - that is, anyone can update the plain text documents (datasets) in your browser or on your local machine with your text editor of choice and than upload the changes back to the repo (e.g. git push ) <S> Cheers. <S> Prost. <A> I would like to add the Beer Mapping API as well. <S> I really don't know much about any of this <S> but when I read the question I thought it was such a cool concept! <S> Definitely worth looking around a litle bit.
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Brewery DB has an API that can return JSON, XML, or PHP, and from their API documentation, it appear that they have quite a bit of info available about both breweries and beers.
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What is the strongest beer? I've always wondered what the strongest beer in the world is and how would taste. Are there reliable historical records of a very strong beer? What would be the highest % alcohol that's Brewable for a beer? And also of course it would be great to know where to get such a beer from. <Q> There are strains of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae (brewer's yeast) such as WLP099 - Super High Gravity Ale Yeast that reportedly can tolerate up to 25% alcohol by volume. <S> The world's strongest beer is Snake Venom coming in at a colossal 67.5% abv. <S> Sources cite it as freeze-distilled, where the beer is frozen and the ice (pure water) is drawn off, leaving a more concentrated beer behind. <S> Although, comments in the same link cast doubt upon if the beer is truly the abv claimed. <A> There has been a bit of a battle recently, with Brewdog and Schorschbräu constantly topping each other's efforts: BrewDog Blog. <S> Currently it's a Schorschbräu Schorschbock 57% finis coronat opus, which comes in at 57.7% , beating Brewdog's latest effort: <S> Schorschbräu Schorschbock 57% finis coronat opus. <S> I'd say the strongest commercially viable option (these 50% beers only ever have a few bottles in the batch and cost a silly amount) in the UK anyway, is Watt Dickie , also by Brewdog, which comes in at 35.0% : BrewDog UK. <S> EDIT: <S> Oops, I didn't know about Snake Venom, 67.5% : Brewmeister Beer. <A> Brewdog's The End of History, at 55% is currently the world's strongest beer. <S> Take a look at the Brewdog Blog . <A> I suppose it depends on how one defines beer. <S> Following the German Reinheitsgebot, beer may contain only 4 ingredients: Water Yeast <S> Hops Barly malt <S> Beverages which do not adhere to these restrictions may not be labeled as beer in Germany, and several other countries. <A> This might be a duplicate question , but since as far as I know beer uses fermentation and no distillation, I expect the maximum alcohol level to be around the same maximum as for wine, which I believe is somewhere around the 13% to 15% level (by volume) as this is the level around which micro organisms seem to die . <S> I know some beers in the 10% to 12% range, like the Dutch het Kanon ("the canon") by Grolsch at 11.6% and Grand Prestige by Hertog Jan at 10%, both of which I like. <S> They have a bit of a sweet caramel-like flavour, but I'm not sure if that related to the amount of alcohol in any way. <A> It depends on your definition, commercially available is Kwak, around the same as wine, if you go to the Grand Place it comes in those horse & cart designed bulbous glasses (like a mini yard of ale). <S> Once you go above that the others are all pretty specialist. <A> The strongest beer I know - made without distillation - is a Belgian beer called Bush Prestige, with 13%.Source and description of taste: Dubuisson
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To my knowlege, the strongest beer of kind is Schorschbock 57 , an ice-distilled doppelbock with 57,5% alcohol content.
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Cooking with beer for a vegetarian I know, that there are many threads on what you can cook with beer as an ingredient. But: I recognized that all of them include some sort of meat or fish and I eat neither. So what am I asking you: Do you have some ideas on how to use the possibly greatest liquid of all times to cook some awesome (vegetarian or vegan) dishes? To start I think I found a nice beer-pumpkin soup which ingredients are, besides the obvious beer and pumpkin, butter, onions, vinegar, cream and cress. EDIT : To be more clear. I ask you to name me something that you have tried and that you would recommend. <Q> I used this recipe for Black Bean Soup with Roasted Poblano Chiles . <S> It doesn't include beer as an ingredient <S> but I chose this recipe as part of the beer/food pairing menu I put together for my parents. <S> I decided to pair it with Out of the Ashes (Smoked Marzen) from Fort Collins Brewery. <S> I poured about 1 1/2 cups of it into the soup while it was cooking. <S> You may not be a fan of smoked beers, but it went amazing with this soup. <S> The smokiness blended with the soup and did not have a strong flavor. <A> Since I can't comment yet, I need to use this answer box... <S> I guess you could just create the exact same dish and leave out the meat or replace it by those vegetarian replacements <S> (quorn etc.).I can imagine a beer stew would be epic without the meat but with more vegetables. <S> I quickly looked up one of our Belgian dishes in a vegetarian way, more specific: stoverij Stoverij translated would be "stewed things" or <S> something like that. <S> Here is the original recipe (in Dutch).Try to translate it through Google translate. <S> If you have troubles, I could help I guess. <S> The old tradition is to use a sandwich with mustard and high quality beer, you'll read that :). <A> I made beer bagels several years ago, and the beer imparted a sort of sour dough flavor. <S> Guinness ice cream was also delightful - http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/guinness-ice-cream-with-dark-chocolate-honey-sauce-recipe.html <S> Beer batter onion rings also come out nicely, but I've never really tasted the beer after frying. <S> That being said, if you are up for frying, anything that asks for a seltzer in the batter for the bubbles could probably sub in a brew. <A> It is kind of thing you prepare when you are ill. <S> As dessert it is considered "controversial") <S> But you can try, some people really like it. <S> Maybe I should add that it is rather hard to make, because you need right temperature of a liquid, so that mixture thickens but yolks do not coagulate. <A> Stone Brewery serves a smokey cheddar garlic soup at their tasting room bistro which is cooked with their Ruination IPA. <S> The bitterness balances the salt and richness of the cheddar. <S> I would definitely use IPA cautiously in cooking though, as the beer and alcohol will partially evaporate, causing the hop bitterness to concentrate noticably. <A> A great recipe that use lots of beer: <S> Vegetarian Pot Pie:2 Bottles of StoutCarrots, celery, onion, garlic, oil or butter, potatos (pre-baked <S> for 30min)salt and pepper to taste2 pie shells 1 bag of white flower Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees Brown the vegetables in a skillet over medium heat. <S> Add salt and sugar <S> to get the caramelization going. <S> Pour in the beer and bring to a boil. <S> Slowly pour in and stir the white flour, 1 cup at a time, until it becomes very gloopy. <S> Keep at a low simmer / boil. <S> Fill the pie shell with the gloopy stew, and cover the top with the 2nd pie shell. <S> Bake in the oven for 50 minutes. <S> Then take it out and let it cool for a few minutes before serving. <A> Please take a step back and remember that beer may include isinglass as fining as per this wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarianism_and_beer . Going back to your question of dishes with beer that I tried, adding some beer to a crepe is good to make it taste richer. <S> Crepe recipe is really easy. <S> Mix the following in a blender: 1 glass of milk, 1 egg, 1 glass of wheat flour, some oil, some beer, a bit of salt and a bit of sugar. <S> Use a fry-pan to bake the crepes. <S> Tomato, cheese and herbs are my favorite topping for crepes. <S> Good luck.
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In my country drink made of mulled beer (usually with some spices) mixed with egg yolks beaten with sugar is quite popular.
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How do Trappists Brew so much? I'm pleasantly surprised to find a small selection of Trappist beers for sale at a venue in Inner City Brisbane, Australia. A quick look at the Chimay website (one of the beers available) shows a map explaining that you can get a Chimay pretty much anywhere. This map doesn't even include Australia, so I assume it's more widely available than they claim. Now, all the branding explains how the beer is brewed in a traditional Trappist abbey, under the supervision of the monks, which is congruent to my understanding of how Trappist brewers operate. So how does one Abbey produce enough beer to be able to sell it not only all over Europe, but on the other side of the world in seemingly mainstream quantities? <Q> Wikipedia's article leads to several sources that substantiate what @ValentinGregoire preempted. <S> For example, Chimay put up a series of short video clips that take us through surprisingly up-to-date facilities capable of bottling up to 40,000 bottles a day! <S> (Probably it's just my own prejudices—associating monks and monasteries with old times, thus old technologies—causing surprise in my case.) <S> With many other competing beers, and demand checked by relatively higher prices, the abbey alone suffices. <S> To put this in some perspective, according to this 2008 article St. Bernardus at the time was exporting to 20 countries and producing 13,000 hectoliters (considerably lesser than Chimay) annually. <S> And as @ValentinGregoire started saying, Westvleteren is difficult to find because the monks of the abbey of Saint Sixtus decided not to increase production despite the beer's popularity, and thus produce only 4,800 hectoliters according to a 2005 publication. <S> For me, it's hard to grasp such large numbers in any meaningful way. <S> I looked up Stella Artois' production figures (and not because it's Belgian—it was just the first popular, global beer to come to mind), and found that in 2012 they produced a little over 10,000,000 hectoliters that year. <S> Divide that by Chimay's 120,000 hectoliters per annum. <S> Can I believe that 83 units of Stella are being consumed for every 1 equivalent unit of Chimay? <S> Meant only as a sanity check and not any rigorous argument, it checks out as believable to me—after all, Stella's on draught all over the U.S. <S> (I can't speak for other countries but <S> I'm sure everywhere else too). <A> I am not sure about this <S> but as it occurs to me, through the years these abbey breweries got larger and get operated with more efficiency and more modern equipment <S> (I guess!!).What <S> I do know however: Chimay is one of the largest Trappist brewers so it's not that weird that it's widely available. <S> With hundreds (thousands!) of beers in Belgium, Chimay is a popular beer, but far from the most popular. <S> I think that's the reason why they can sell a lot abroad. <S> Also a fact, beers like Westvleteren (that won a lot of prizes) are even in Belgium (where it is brewed) pretty rare and hard to get. <S> Basically you have to go to the Abbey yourself to get some beer. <S> If you're there, you only get ONE crate (6 beers) per person. <S> I was lucky enough to visit Westvleteren a while ago and found out that in the nearby cafe you also could buy one crate per person, however there were only about 100 crates available that day and only one type was available. <S> You can drink all types though by ordering it to drink in the café (3 types).If you would ever want to taste Westvleteren but cannot find it, Sint-Bernardus Abt 12 is a very similar beer. <S> I've heard that it is brewn exactly the same way <S> but with some slight differences. <A> Monks Monks in br’yAchel 2,000 <S> HL <S> 2 17 <S> 1Chimay 120,000 HL 82 20 0 Orval 45,000 HL <S> 32 <S> 16 <S> 0Rochefort <S> 18,000 HL 15 17 <S> 6Westmalle <S> 120,000 HL 41 20 0Westvleteren <S> 4,750 <S> HL <S> 10 <S> 28 <S> 7 Stan also mentions in Ep 37 of <S> Beersmith Radio <S> that some of these Monasteries own their own bottling plants and production facilities. <S> I can't remember which one, but one of the Abbey's facility that they operate out of is owned by Heineken, but operated by the monks.
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The volume produced, according to this 2012 article , is 120,000 hectoliters of beer annually, or 16,000,000 bottles (750 mL) of beer. Stan Hieronymus, the author of "Brew Like a Monk" has some info on his website (from 2006) about production numbers from various Monasteries: Monastery Production Brew staff
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Why is it a Ginger "Beer" and not a Ginger "Cider"? It seems that Ginger Beer has no barley, no hops, no wort, no malted anything; so why is it a "beer"? Seems like it is closer to a cider. <Q> The term "cider" is generally reserved for apples. <S> There are 'pear ciders' such as Woodchuck that use the name, but as Wikipedia points out, "A similar product made from pears is called perry but sometimes (incorrectly) called Pear Cider in the marketing of some producers' products". <S> I personally can forgive this, since pears are closely related to apples, and the result is quite tasty. <S> The "beer" part of ginger beer is due to the fermentation process involved in its creation. <S> In this way, it is more similar to "root beer", since ginger is a root, like the sassafras root used in root beer and birch roots used in birch beer. <S> The website todayifoundout.com has a well referenced article for <S> Why Root Beer is Called That covering the naming of root beer. <S> Even with ginger products, the differentiation is not really all that terribly strict, as noted by this Huffington Post article . <S> Initially, ginger beer, root beer, birch beer, etc, were frequently alcoholic, but Prohibition ruined that for the U.S. <S> As a bit of a side note, the alcoholic versions are making a wonderful comeback (in my personal opinion) with Sprecher's and Small Town Brewery for root beer. <S> I personally have not seen as much alcoholic ginger beer, but Crabbies from the U.K. is quite good. <S> Although I personally do not like Kuchi's ginger beer , I have several friends who absolutely love it. <A> According to google: ci·der noun 1. <S> an unfermented drink made by crushing fruit, typically apples. <S> No fruit in ginger beer. <A> Ginger beer is not just water, sugar, crushed ginger and yeast. <S> I make it with some spices boilled in water to flavour it, some of it to kill off the yeast if I want it to. <S> That's my opinion. <A> Beer (malt, wheat and ginger etc.) is brewed and fermented, cider (apples) is pressed and fermented.
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If the ginger based version isn't fermented, but is instead ginger flavouring added to carbonated water, it would be "ginger ale"; I have no idea why, since an India Pale Ale is certainly fermented. KIlling off the yeast makes it an ale ; and cider must have apples or apple juice in it.
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How exactly does buying directly from Westvleteren work? Even if I managed to reserve some beer, it appears here that I need my own car, or at least one whose plate # I will know long in advance to pick up beer. Has anyone done this? What is the exact procedure? <Q> I live in Amsterdam, and I have not personally been to Westvleteren <S> but I have friends who have made the trip. <S> If you can't make it at the appointed timethen you lose out, and you must start the process all over again. <S> Iforget how much bier this is for, but I think it is 24-48 bottles. <S> Indeed when you make the appointment then you must supply your license place number which they use to keep track of you. <S> They will not allow you to make 2 appointments with the same license plate number in a 60 day period. <S> Additionally, the phone number you must call to get an appointment is always busy, I have heard of people using automatic redial for hours before they finally get through. <S> If you are in the area (again you will need a car, because there is no public transport, and biking there is unreasonable from most places.) <S> Of course while you are there you can also eat some good food, and buy other items that the monks make and sell. <S> This is much less hassle, but you cannot get much bier, so it may not be worth trekking all the way out there specifically for this. <S> However if you are in the area already and you have the time to take a small detour then you should certainly pop in for lunch or dinner and get some tasty brew. <S> Finally if you are in the Benelux region you can sometimes find Westvleteren in local shops or cafes, however the prices range from 10-16 euros per bottle (in Amsterdam) which is a lot more than you will pay at the monastery. <S> (However, beer bought at the monastery isn't meant for selling, it's meant for private consumption, it says so every time you buy some) <A> In addition to what Chris has answered, here are some nice to knows: <S> To see which beer is available at which time etc, look at this page: http://www.sintsixtus.be/bierverkoopactueel.htm <S> In addition to the 60 days you need to wait for your license plate, also your phone number will be blocked once you made an order for the beer. <S> Callers with an anonymous phone number will be blocked automatically. <S> One crate of 24 bottles costs: Trappist Westvleteren Blond <S> (5,8 vol.% alc.) <S> 30,00 euro Trappist Westvleteren Acht (dark) (8 vol.% alc.) <S> 35,00 euro Trappist Westvleteren Twaalf (dark) (10,2 vol.% alc.) <S> 40,00 euro <S> The Trappist Westvleteren Twaalf is the dark beer that won several prizes and is world famous. <S> In my opinion, the Blond and the Acht are a bit overrated (opinion!!). <S> You could in fact go by buss, but that would be really complicated and almost impossible to do, so indeed it's better to go by car/taxi. <S> In the end, if you think it's not worth it, you could try the St. Bernardus Abt 12 beer. <S> It's is brewed almost the exact same way <S> and it tastes pretty much the same. <S> The Sint Bernardus Abt 12 is basically for sale throughout whole Belgium in every big grocery store (or beer/drink shop). <S> In addition to the abbey, you can also buy the beer in the café/restaurant nearby. <S> However, depending which beer is left over, that beer will be for sale and you can only buy 1 pack of 6 bottles per person (if there would be <S> any left!).You could also just go there and sit and enjoy a Westvleteren there because they sell them there :) <S> .You could also buy glasses and some other souvenirs at the café. <S> They have a little shop. <S> If you have any questions in addition, please don't hesitate! <A> Just returned from the abbey after collecting some westy 12Being as I was going in friends car the monk takes your name and used that instead of car reg is on his paperwork <S> The monk also asked me if my car reg was still the same! <S> Must put car reg numbers to phone numbers from the last time we managed to get a booking . <S> Clever monksWhile there we collected another 12 bottles each from the inn they had all 3 for saleAnd <S> yes it is worth seeking outWe drove over 700mile round trip from UK to collect <A> Another thing to note is try and use a car if you are going for the simple six pack. <S> If you don't you can rent bikes from Hotel Palace? <S> I believe in the center market. <S> The hotel isn't open on Sundays.
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It turns out that you have a few options: You can call and make an appointment and IF you get anappointment then you must drive there at the appointed time to pickup your crate of bier. You can pop in and there is a small shop next to the monastery where you can buy a 6 pack per person without appointment, and also with out a huge price markup.
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Giving beer a decent head and why people like it? I love beer, but when I pour myself one, I try not to make it foam too much, I personally don't like the 'head' of a beer (Don't really know how to say it). My dad drinks beer religiously and demands a head when ever I pour one for him. A few (Most of my friends) aren't keen on having a head, but some love it. Obviously this is personal preference, but is beer normally supposed to have a head? <Q> Yes, beer is indeed generally supposed to have a head. <S> The foam can add to both the flavor and the texture of your beer. <S> It is preference for sure, and if you don't like it, then you don't like it, <S> but I'd encourage you to try it from time to time with an open mind. <S> The head of a beer is quite complex, consisting of proteins that are acted on by the hops, the yeast, and the carbonation. <S> Because of the complexity, creating the perfect recipe for foam in a beer is something the brewers spend quite a lot of time and energy on, and it's a fairly integral part of a good beer. <S> Note that there are exceptions. <S> Truly non-carbonated beer, like Samuel Adams Utopias will not have a head. <S> Hever, from what I've read, that specific example is probably more closely comparable to a fortified wine than a common beer in any case. <A> Beer is typically supposed to have a head of about 1/2 inch. <S> This enhances the flavor and gives off an aroma that will add to the experience. <S> You should not be getting a glass half full of foam. <S> Some brewers (I know Guinness specifically, but I'm sure there are others) even have special glasses and pouring procedures to give their beer the perfect head. <S> If you try a beer with a head, try not to look down into your beer, but instead look straight ahead and bring your glass to your mouth with your elbow out. <S> This will keep you from getting a mouth full of foam, and is how you are supposed to drink most beers. <A> I had an opportunity to visit the Heineken Brewery on a trip to Amsterdam. <S> During my tour, our bartender was able to give a succinct and general answer: to protect the beer, it's flavor and aroma. <S> If you like, you can read more about foam physics and the importance of foam in this dated WSJ article: http://www.rpi.edu/dept/chem-eng/Biotech-Environ/FOAM/bcbeer.htm
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A good bartender should give you a nice head on your beer unless you ask for your beer sans head.
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Are brown bottles sufficient to protect beer from skunking? I have read that when stored in a clear container, sunlight can cause beer to skunk in a matter of seconds or minutes. I have also read that brown bottles are "better" when it comes to preventing this. But how much better? Enough to "not worry about it" for short-term storage? My specific situation is this: I have a (clear) glass cupboard in the living room. I also have a rotating (every few weeks or so) selection of beers, some of which are in rather nice bottles. I would like to store the bottles in said cupboard. The bottles are brown, and the cupboard is not exposed to direct sunlight, but the room is generally well-lit. Would I be risking (or just waiting for) spoilage? <Q> Certain wavelengths of light are responsible for skunking beer. <S> I believe these are mostly in the blue and ultraviolet parts of the spectrum. <S> Brown bottles do the best at blocking out the UV rays. <S> This is why you can get an occasional Rolling Rock that tastes off. <S> I've never heard of a UV reflective coating before, but it makes sense. <S> What follows is probably only relevant if you want to be nit-picky about this: <S> I'd say both however give off some sort of UV light. <S> Vehicle window tint is designed to block out UV rays that can damage the interior of cars. <S> Your level of protection depends on how dark you want your tint. <S> If you want the highest protection though, I'd recommend a wooden cupboard. <A> Go to the store and get Bitburger german pilsner in a can, and in a bottle. <S> Tell me if you taste a difference. <S> I tried that and the canned stuff is a heck of a lot better tasting than the skunked stuff in the brown glass bottle. <A> I think for short term storage it shouldn't be a problem. <S> It sounds like you're just keeping the bottles in the cupboard outside their cardboard carriers? <S> You could always use the carriers or keep most in carriers in the back and single bottles in the front if you enjoy the appearance of the bottles. <S> Samuel Adams' carriers are taller for the exact reason of keeping out light, and they use brown bottles so obviously even with brown bottles light is still of some concern. <S> I've usually had a problem with beer tasting off if it goes from a refrigerated state to room temperature and then back in the fridge. <S> I've noticed this happens to me more frequently than anything with light. <A> No. <S> They are not sufficient, but are one of several necessary conditions to keep beer from going bad. <S> In general, keep beer at a cool temperature (50-60 degrees), away from light, and stand the bottle up (do not lie them sideways like wine bottles are stored).
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Brown bottles help keep beer away from light, but as a rule of them, store your beer someplace dark. If you are really concerned, you could tint the cupboard glass. I don't know what your lighting situation is, but I know most incandescent bulbs mostly give off infrared light (I'm not sure if infrared light has been correlated to skunking) and the modern CFL bulbs mostly give off light in the visible spectrum. If it is not in direct sunlight, I'd say your pretty ok.
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Are adjunct ingredients always GMO by default? Does the presence of adjunct ingredients like rice or corn imply that these ingredients are always of the genetically modified variety? I mean, if you are going to add adjuncts to a beer, the main reason is usually to reduce production costs right? In that case, GMO rice and corn adjuncts are the cheapest, so it seems to me like any beers using adjuncts will be using GMO adjuncts. <Q> The chances of corn being grown for industrial purposes, like making dextrose have a very high probability of being GMO. <S> If you are buying specialty grains (like for steeping), the probability of those ingredients being genetically modified are much lower. <S> That said, finding out whether or not your adjunct is made from GMO corn (or rice) is very difficult. <S> You may be able to find companies that market things as GMO-free, in that case, they are probably GMO free. <S> Otherwise, they may or may not contain GMOs. <A> No. <S> An adjunct is simply an ingredient that is not strictly necessary to brew the beer. <S> In some cases the purpose of the adjunct is to reduce costs, while in others it is to achieve certain flavours (e.g. in honey beers, or various spiced beers). <S> If cost is the primary concern, then GMO ingredients may be picked if they are cheapest. <A> First of all, GMO seem to be getting a bad reputation, as opposed to the hormones that are given to animals, like dairy cows. <S> In general, GMOs are safe. <S> In fact, modifying plants' properties and features to something that the farmer wants is been going on for thousands of years (it's how we got broccoli from a plant that looked more like kale). <S> That said, many of the Light Lagers (BJCP Styles 1A, 1B and 1C) have adjuncts like corn and rice (as much as 40% of the total grain bill), both of which are notorious for having many varieties that are GMO. <S> One of the reasons for this is that it allows the brewer to brew a high ABV beer and add water back to bring the ABV down to whatever the local laws say are the maximum without being labeled with the ABV. <S> Large breweries will manufacture in one state and sell their product in many states. <S> I have noticed that some beer labels list GMO free rather prominently, however, if a GMO free lifestyle is something you're interested in, I would stick to beers that have ONLY Barley, Hops, Water and Yeast as ingredients. <S> According the Briess, a very large maltster, website:[B]ecause malt is made from whole grain and minimally processed <S> , it is an all natural ingredient that helps achieve product claims like natural, healthy, Kosher and non-GMO.
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When adjuncts are used for flavour, cost is not going to be the primary concern so it would be incorrect to assume that a GMO source would be picked by default. If you are concerned about the safety of genetic modification, you should know that GMOs are very safe and are tested for safety much more than the wild crops their genes are borrowed from.
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What gives a "smoky" beer a smoked flavor? I recently started getting interested in smoked beers. Quite a few years back, Shiner had a seasonal called Smokehouse. I didn't care for it. However, I've recently been intrigued by varieties of smoked saisons, ipas and marzenbiers. What makes a beer smoky? Is the flavor created by casking, adding flavor or part of the brewing process? <Q> Some of the oldest smoked beers still produced are German (Rauchbiers) and the malt is dried over beechwood . <S> Other woods can be used, and you can find malt smoked over oak, cherrywood, and any number of other species. <S> As mentioned in another answer, peat can be used as well and in fact is for Stone's Smoked Porter . <S> Another method for adding a smoky flavor is to use liquid smoke extract . <S> This is made my cooling and condensing smoke with water, and can be used instead of smoked malt. <S> I'm not aware of commercial brewers who use this method, but it's a way for home brewers who use malt extract instead of dried malt to add smokiness to their beers. <A> Peated malt can provide a beer with subtle smokiness. <S> Peated malt is malt that has been smoked over peat (decaying vegetation). <S> This is common in Scotch & Whisky Ales. <S> Cheers <A> It is certainly possible to make a smoked beer by using a smoked malt at the brewing stage. <S> Excellent information here: Brewing Smoked Beers: Tips from the Pros. <A> Smoked malts. <S> Start with a normal malt <S> put malt in a large metal screen <S> COLD smoke for a few hours (if you add heat it will also add color to the malt) <S> Let sit for a day or so. <S> brew beer with it <S> enjoy something not many get to taste, yet alone <S> the possibilities of different woods to use for the smoking make it an unused "5th" beer ingredient. <S> How to Smoke Malts Woods to use for smoking <S> cherry <S> apple maple <S> mesquite <S> pecan <S> other fruitwoods <S> alder (alaskan) beechwood (Rauchbeir) <S> OAK is usually used raw, added as "barrelling" addition not normally used to smoke malts <S> NEVER <S> USE EVERGREEN WOOD FOR SMOKING MALT. <S> - PINEY (HOP TERRITORY) <S> Smoke-Flavored/Wood-Aged Beer Peat malt is bad stuff- <S> only used for scotch and whiskey mashes. <S> DO NOT USE IT IN BEER unless you want to throw it out. <A> One other potential source of smoke flavors is actually the yeast. <S> Some yeast produce phenolic compounds during fermentation that produce smoke flavors and aromas. <S> Scottish yeast strains in particular are known for this. <A> One source of smokiness unmentioned as of yet is vinvyl-guaiacol production from bacteria metabolism. <S> The answers already given are more relevant, however there is one important source that has been unmentioned. <S> Although more common in distilling, lactobacillus and other strains of bacteria can attribute flavor to fermentation products. <S> Different strains induce a different, possibly harmful, effect. <S> Focusing on lactobacillus, which is your common bacteria used in cheese making, lactobacillus can introduce more lactic acid into the beer. <S> This anaerobic bacteria is more active either before fermentation has started (either by contamination or inoculation) and after fermentation has ended. <S> More so after fermentation this bacteria has metabolize the autolysis products of yeast. <S> The acids from this bacteria later form into vinvyl-guaiacol, a flavor compound that lends a spicy and smokey note.
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To add a bit of detail to the existing answers, the primary method for adding a smoked flavor to beer is by using malts that have been dried over a smoky fire, rather than in a kiln which allows the malt to absorb compounds from the smoke that they then release into the beer during brewing.
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Sour Beers for the beginner What sour beers would be a good starting point for someone that enjoys pale ales and too strong of a flavor profile may turn them off at first? <Q> I'd start an introduction to sour, or wild ales with the more approachable Lambics, like Lindemans Framboise Lambic . <S> With a beer like that, the sour notes from the wild yeast are offset by the sweetness of the fruit and the pleasant texture from the fizz of the carbonation, making it an approachable drink not only for one not used to sour ales, but for one not used to beer at all. <A> It is relatively inexpensive, surprisingly available for it's style, and damn tasty. <S> It is a Flanders Red style, brewed with sour cherries, of which there are many similar brands ranging from candy-sweet to very sour. <S> Rodenbach is the perfect balance of the two IMO. <S> If you like the style, graduate to the Grand Cru, which adds more age, funk and sour. <S> After these I'd check out Flanders Brown ales (similar though less cherry), and Geuzes, such as Almanac's Golden Gate Gose. <S> If you're feeling adventurous and spendy, make your way through Almanac's unique "Farm to Barrel" series of wild fruit beers, as well as The Bruery's Oude Tarte and possibly Sour in the Rye <S> (warning, this one will melt your tastebuds). <A> You might also want to try a berliner weisse. <S> They can be pretty sour, but are still very drinkable (at least in my opinion). <S> Some breweries have these on tap, and offer a choice of flavored syrup as a sweetener (e.g., raspberry, strawberry, peach). <S> In terms of bottled ones to look for, Dogfish head has Festina Peche. <S> My current favorite is Cruiser, a recent release by the Ithaca Beer Co. available in 6 packs and pretty reasonably priced. <S> Berliner Weisse are usually available this time of year, so check your local beer store for some other seasonals.
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Another option (for a North American) might be a beer categorized as an American Wild Ale, such as Russian River's Consecration, or Sierra Nevada Brux which will have the sour character but also be conscientious of the flavors favorable to the American palate. I would highly recommend Rodenbach as a starting point.
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What is the definition of Beer or the Beer "family" of drinks I was picked up by someone on another SE site (unrelated) when I used the phrase "Some beers, like mead...(blah blah)" - Apparently a mead isn't a beer. I'm good with that in the pedantic sense that it's correct , but I wasn't intending to be quite so specific, and was merely suggesting that I was not talking about spirits etc. It got me thinking about the definition of what could, or could not be called a beer, and whether a beer is an actual drink at all, or just the name of the group of drinks that we call beers, but which really have more specific names and definitions. The key phrase for me, in understanding it from a simple taxonomy point of view is that alcoholic drinks are essentially either Beers Wines or Spirits . That's my starting point, which may well be rudimentary at best and wrong at worst Using this definition, a Mead must clearly be a beer in the most basic definition; it's certainly not a win or spirit? Obviously under beer you then have ales, lagers, ciders, perrys, meads, stouts, bitters and probably a million others, and probably further sublevels (dry cider, sweet cider, sparkling cider....), but is there a second level "beer" also at this level? Really, is there actually a single specific drink that is a beer that is not further defined as, for example, an IPA, or a Stout? <Q> IMHO, I would classify ciders, perrys, and meads to be more like wine than beer -- they are made by fermenting fruit or honey without substantial change to the base ingredients. <S> Beer is made from malted grain, which must first be mashed to convert starch into fermentable sugars. <S> Beer must contain 4 essential ingredients: Malt extract (from the grain), hops, water and yeast. <S> It may contain others as well, but if any of these four are missing it is not beer. <S> I think that your premise of "that alcoholic drinks are essentially either Beers Wines or Spirits. <S> " is wrong because it oversimplifies and excludes some beverages. <S> Besides mead and cider, there are also malt-based alcho-pop beverages <S> (Mike's Hard Lemon, Twisted Tea, etc.) <S> that I would not call beer either - they contain 3 of the four ingredients, but lack hops. <S> There are other local indigenous alcoholic beverages around the world that don't fit any of these categories, like Japanese sake. <S> There are many styles of beer -- so the word "beer" refers to all of them, and there is no style that is called just "beer". <S> Here is a link that describes many styles of beer, mead and cider. <S> Note that this is not a comprehensive list; brewers keep developing new styles all the time to create desirable products. <S> For example, Black IPAs came into vogue a couple of years ago, now I am seeing White IPAs. <S> BJCP Style Descriptions <A> An incredible variety of beers are derived from only these key ingredients, though many brewers do add additional ingredients called adjuncts (fruit, spices, herbs, etc). <S> Mead is the product of fermented honey, sometimes called "honey wine", and is more comparable to the wine family (including cider and fruit wines) than beer in terms of body, alcohol, bitterness, base sugars, and typically effervescence. <A> It is quite simple. <S> Beer is made off starch (read: <S> the alcohol)and Wines are made from fruit's sugar (fructose and glucose). <A> I think the main difference is that beer is brewed <S> - you have to steep the grain in water. <S> You don't do this for meads or wines.
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Beer generally refers to the fermented product of malted grains, yeast, water, and hops.
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What kind or kinds of beer are common in Bavaria, Germany? I visited Bavaria Germany once and had my first taste of beer ever. It was delicious! I have no idea what beer or even what type of beer it was. I've since "sampled extensively" many beers in my home area ( Minnesota, USA ) but whenever I look through a liquor store, I never see "Bavarian Beer" on any labels. I sometimes see "Belgian" and get that by mistake, but I usually don't like those ones, haha. Looking suggestions of beer type or specific brands or flavors. <Q> Was the beer that you tried pale yellow, slightly sour in flavour and cloudy? <S> If so it was probably Weissbier which is Bavarian wheat based beer. <S> Any Weissbier or wheat beer should be similar to it and these are widely available (some British and American breweries have started to make wheat beers recently). <S> If you like Weissbier you will probably like the Saison (style) beers from France and Belguim. <S> It the beer was dark coloured it was probably the <S> highly seasonal and delicious Bockbier which is extremely difficult to get outside Bavaria and out of season. <A> As was said before, a Weissbier is also called a Hefeweizen and is very common in Bavaria and the rest of Germany. <S> If you want something similiar look for a Paulaner Hefeweizen which is sold in America. <S> The yeast that is added gives it a strong Banana like flavor. <S> It is typically served in a tall narrow glass. <S> Out of those the Pilsner and Oktoberfest don't have a ton a flavor. <S> The other two have sweeter flavors and are darker with the Doppelbock being available in the winter as a high alcohol beer. <S> Very few labels will specify Bavaria, but all imported beers are required by law to specify their country of origin. <S> Bavarian Beers(or Biers if you will) are the same as other German beers, so simply look for a German beer. <S> Answered by: The Gastrograph Team <A> If you're looking for brands, you find a List of Bavarian breweries on Wikipedia. <S> The page is in German, but due to the fact that you are interested in the brand names, this should also work if you don't speak any German.
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Other common beers in Bavaria are Oktoberfest, Pilsner, Doppelbock, and Dunkel.
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How can I try a wide variety beers without buying them by the case/spending a lot of money? Like most of you here, I thoroughly enjoy beer.How can I try a wide variety beers without buying them by the case/spending a lot of money? Aspiring beer enthusiast that is grows tired of the usual, and wants to branch out.Also on a broke, paying for school out of pocket, college kid budget. <Q> You can look for breweries in your areas that give tours. <S> These often include free tastings. <S> (Since you mentioned you're from the Chicago area, I know there's a bus tour that takes you to different breweries in Chicago and Milwaukee. <S> There's a fee, but you'd get to try a lot of different beers.) <S> Also, look for brewpubs and restaurants in your area that sell flights of beer. <S> A flight is 4-5 samples of different beers served together. <S> The cost is normally about the same as a full glass, and the total volume is usually the same or a little more. <S> This allows you to try 4 or 5 different beers for about the same price as you'd normally pay for one. <A> I will update this answer when I get more information from OP about region <S> but I believe the following will be helpful: <S> [edit]: reread the tags and spotted that it was US - think that my thoughts all still stand up but will check some specifics on US beer festivals. <S> In the UK and a few other countries and regions organizations like CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale) run beer festivals which work out, on a pint for pint basis, cheaper when trying a wide variety of beers. <S> Although there is usually an entry fee (at least as far as CAMRA events go) <S> each drink tends to be cheaper and there is the option of trying more different beers by buying in half pint measures (recommended). <S> The biggest benefit of going to festivals, however, is the range of beers available. <S> A liquor store / off license / bar can only really stock a few different beers and these are usually ones that they can get consistently, in volume, and at either a suitable price or within their tie (don't get me started on the beer tie), whereas festivals are much freer to buy different beers from varying sources as they are one-off events and less restricted. <S> A second idea would be to set up a tasting club so that you can share the costs and the beers. <S> This runs the risk (!) of making new friends as well! <S> source: I help to run a CAMRA beer festival and work at 2+ others dependent on my free time <A> Most beer shops and some grocery stores (if that's legal in your state) allow you to do a "Mixer-Sixer" or "Create your own six-pack" where you can combine a variety of single bottles/cans for a variety six pack. <S> You pay a little bit extra per bottle for the convenience <S> but and you get to pick specifically which ones you try. <S> To learn your preferences, I would suggest the following styles: (ordered from darkest to lightest with a recommended beer in parenthesis) <S> Stout (Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout) <S> Double Bock/Doppelbock (Ayinger Doppelbock) <S> IPA (Dogfish Head 60min or 90min IPA) <S> Pale Ale (Sierra Nevada Pale Ale) <S> Pilsner (Bell's Beer by Bells Brewery - <S> this is a traditional Czech Pilsner) <S> Hefeweizen (Paulaner Bavarian Hefeweizen) <S> EDIT <S> @Bill <S> The Lizard's answer: <S> Going on a brewery tour is definitely good advice. <S> Additionally, you should consider getting beer on tap which tends to be fresher and in better condition while at restaurants or breweries. <S> Answered by: The Gastrograph Team <A> I live in a state that (mostly) requires that you buy beer by the case. <S> I feel your pain. <S> ("Mostly": there's still the bar option, and there are a very few places where you can buy mixed cases or six-packs of things other than the big mainstream beers.) <S> The solution <S> I'm partial to is the beer co-op. <S> Mine started as a group of coworkers; we've scattered to a bunch of different companies by now, but the co-op remains. <S> Every 4-6 weeks the organizer sends out email announcing a planned buy, with the goal of getting a multiple of 8 people (12 works, but we prefer 8). <S> Participants get a case with variety of beers and divide the total cost. <S> I've gotten to sample some beers I'd never have tried (or known about) otherwise. <S> (Most people don't participate every time, but the organizer does because, hey, beer.) <S> If you're doing a co-op anyway, then it's easy to add on the occasional "side buy" -- something that comes in 25oz bottles, or is particularly expensive, etc. <S> You can be very organized about this, requiring commitments in advance, or you can be flexible and deal with the occasional surplus. <S> People interested enough to organize co-ops <S> usually don't mind some surplus (assuming finances aren't too tight). <A> If you venture west to Iowa most HyVee stores will let you do the mixer-sixer as Gastrograph describes. <S> Two of Iowa's best breweries are on the eastern side of the state as well in Toppling Goliath and Backpocket.
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Furthermore, if you have the chance to visit a brewery, you should specifically try their seasonal, limited, and special releases. So long as there's enough interest to get the case, people can then buy them individually.
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How do restaurants/businesses get their beer? Do they get them from stores, or do they set up a distributor? Also, is it cheaper than getting the beer from a store? <Q> Some businesses (brew pubs and brewery taps for example) produce their own so don't have to buy it. <S> Most businesses (pubs, bars, restuarants etc.) order from a wholesaler or cash-and-carry in the same way that they order pretty much everything else, or they may order direct from the brewery or an distributors. <S> The prices are wholesale price so cheaper than they would be in a store so that they make a profit. <S> I help to run a beer festival in the UK and we tend to order our beers from distributors or direct from the brewery (we know most of the 50+ breweries in London well enough that a few donate some barrels as well as we are a not for profit organization). <S> A distributor works partially as a broker between breweries and buyers and partially as a wholesaler, the difference is that they tend to keep the beer at the brewery and only pick it up and transport it to fulfill an order. <S> One of the distributors that we use is FlyingFirkin http://www.flyingfirkin.co.uk/ , just to give you some idea of how it works. <S> Additionally, in the UK, duty is paid at point of sale <S> so VAT is paid on the beer when it is bought from the supplier but duty is only applied when it is sold to the end user, or "drinker", and so the price paid from the supplier will be significantly lower. <A> This depends on a few things (mostly the location & regulations associated with). <S> (And as breweries expand it is most defiantly worth it to go through a LDB or other distributor, as you can't be making sales calls to the other side of a country to deliver a 20L keg.) <S> From my experience, businesses will generally contact or be contacted by a sales rep who will take care of them. <S> Somewhat surprisingly, a lot of new-ish pubs and bars will actually be provided with very low cost or even free beer (or other alcohol) on the condition that only that brand will be on tap for x amount of months/years. <S> This generally happens with bigger breweries. <S> Pubs also will sometimes sell taps to breweries. <S> In terms of cost, no, it wouldn't be cheaper for a pub to go the the local liquor store and buy the beer there (might be 20%+ more expensive). <S> When a brewery sells to a organization (pub, restaurant, liquor store etc.) <S> it is generally at a 18-26% discount so that it can then be marked up by the pubs at a reasonable price. <S> A lot of this is the same sort of way that pubs get their chicken wings, just more heavily regulated. <A> In Belgium, you have the breweries itself that distribute their beer. <S> They have a large collection of different beers (and even soda, cola,.. <S> ).When <S> you open a pub, you can choose to buy directly from the brewery. <S> You will have lower prices and you have to possibility to get parasols, cards, logo's, chairs, tables, ... with the logo of one of their beers. <S> If you don't choose to buy from the brewery, you can buy from a local distributer and compose your own beer-list. <S> But no perks this way and it is more expensive.
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Sometimes breweries will be able to sell directly to liquor stores, pubs and so on, they may also have to go through a liquor distribution board (LDB).
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I'm aging a few bottles. They've been in the fridge for a while. Should I take them out now? Pretty much this. I'm storing/aging bottles. They've been in my fridge for 6+ months now. I want to leave them there at least another 6+ months and on. But I've read aging beers in fridge is a "bad" idea because the cork will dry up. (All my bottles have corks). Temperature in the fridge is just above 32F (0 celsius) I've talked to my father recently who's more into wine and told me I should get them out of the fridge and leave them somewhere else. That somewhere else is pitch black, pretty much on a cool floor and ambient temperature is about 65F(18 celsius), 85% humidity Is there a risk to change the ambient temperature while it is aging, am I better getting them out of the fridge or does it matter little. I have a few bottles I've left out of the fridge in that place already. Should they go into the fridge? I'm also a bit curious as to why as well how it would affect the beers. <Q> I believe the general principal is that lower temperatures will result in slower (or negligible) aging process than warmer temperatures. <S> The results will certainly vary depending on the ABV and other qualities of the beer. <S> Storing bottles horizontally should prevent the corks from drying. <A> Remember, that not all of the beers are suitable for aging. <S> Mainly porter beer can be stored beyond expiration date (30 years!), but some others too. <S> And i see no point for aging beer in a fridge. <A> Work done by Dr. Charles Bamforth has suggested that every extra 10 degrees Celcius of temperate cuts doubles the speed of beer deterioration. <S> So, if you pull them out and store them at cellar temp (~55 F), they'll age about twice as fast. <S> Dark is definitely good. <S> Higher humidity vertical storage is preferential to horizontal storage in a bottle conditioned beer, as you'll want particulate settling in the bottom. <S> You can see an interview with Charlie here . <A> That sounds pretty much like an ideal place to store and age beer and wine. <S> 65F is maybe a tad on the warm side, but nowhere near the temperatures that would actually cook the beer and be harmful to it. <S> There is no harm in taking the bottles out from the fridge and in to your "cellar". <S> And yes, leaving them in the fridge will not be good from an aging point of view and yes, the corks are likely to dry out in the fridge.
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It won't hurt the beer to take it out of the fridge.
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How to store a bottle of beer once it has been opened? Some of my favorite beers come in 22+oz bottles. Typically these are heavier beers and sometimes, I simply cannot finish the entire bottle in one sitting (maybe I had too much to eat previously. Who knows). Because they are nice beers, I want to enjoy them to their fullest extent, and so I will save the remainder for another night. How can I prevent these beers from losing any (at least a bare minimum) of their quality once they've been opened? And, does this being opened for a duration -- typically 1 to 2 days -- have a noticeable effect on their quality? <Q> Two things you want to prevent in this situation are: oxidation of the beer, which will change the taste of a beer. <S> loss of carbonation. <S> For non-carbonated drinks such as wine, a common method to combat oxidation in an opened bottle is to remove the air from the bottle using a vacuum pump. <S> This is a bad idea for carbonated drinks, since the lower pressure will force carbon dioxide to out of solution causing it to go flat. <S> One alternative would be to replace the air with an inert gas (perhaps with a product like Private Preserve ). <S> To minimise loss of carbonation, you really only need to reseal the bottle so it is airtight: carbon dioxide will stop coming out of solution once the pressure builds. <S> The smaller the air gap in the bottle <S> the faster the pressure will build, so if it is a large bottle with only a small amount of beer left it might make sense to transfer it to a smaller bottle first. <A> I typically drink all of the beer in a sitting, or share it with someone. <S> However, if you need to save it, a good cork will work. <S> Pour the beer you want in a glass, cork it and return it to whatever cooling method you used before. <A> If you have a sparkling water maker, you could theoretically use it to force-carbonate a flat beer. <A> I buy growlers and as soon as I open one I will pour what I am not going to drink into containers I can top off. <S> It easily keeps for 2-3 days in the fridge. <S> Even at 7 days it is just a bit flat. <S> A bigger air gap lets more CO2 escape. <S> I will drink directly out of the canteen to not lose more CO2 on a second pour. <S> And pour carefully the first time. <S> It may be me <S> but I think a pouring into a chilled canteen has less head. <S> For small you can use kids canteens - <S> this is 12 oz <S> and you can get a regular lid <A> I put a teaspoon or a fork in the bottle. <S> Empirically it works, but I don't know exactly what physics laws are involved. <S> This method will allow you to keep carbonation longer. <A> If you have beer left in a screw-top (i.e. twist-off) glass beer bottle, immediately screw the cap back on as tightly as possible. <S> Place in the refrigerator <S> UPSIDE-DOWN. <S> The pressure won't escape because the cap now only has to be liquid-tight, not air-tight. <S> It should stay fizzy for at least a week upside-down. <S> Storing right-side up will allow pressure to quickly escape because the re-used cap can never seal as tightly as the original factory seal. <S> This also works for any other carbonated beverage with a screw top. <S> By the way, for long term storage, a bottle or case of any carbonated drink in screw-tops should be stored upside-down. <S> Because even the factory sealed caps will leak CO2 over time.
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The short answer is that the beer will not last long after opening, and in most cases you are best off resealing the bottle with an airtight cap/stopper that can withstand mild pressure. You should make sure to keep it cold and sealed however, as exposure to oxygen or sunlight will rapidly degrade the flavor.
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Is beer bad for dogs I've read that raw hops can be bad for dogs, somehow causing hyperthermia. But once it's brewed, is beer bad also? What about very hoppy beers? Answers might include reports on what it is in hops (alpha acids?) that make hops bad for dogs. Please keep answers restricted to the effect of brewed hops. I already realize the fermented alcohol can be bad for smaller pets. I'm not looking for alcohol related answers, just answers on boiled and fermented hops. As an aside, it seems okay for cats. Mine decided to take a sip, seemed to like it, and came back for more. <Q> I haven't looked for a full toxicology report (not that I would be able to understand it), but this Wikipedia article mentions that hops causes hyperthermia and may cause death. <A> Spent hops (hops dumped from a brew kettle) may cause hyperthermia in dogs in addition to raw hops, so you should never dump them as fertilizer in an area accessible to dogs. <S> Source: Vet Learn web site Beer is bad for dogs (and cats!) <S> due to the alcohol. <S> I don't know about the hops, but I wouldn't risk it with my pets. <S> It seems like someone sneaking booze into a punch bowl -- the animals that trust you aren't consenting to it. <A> Independently of any ingredients like hops and barley, beer and any other beverage or food containing alcohol is SUPER BAD for your dog. <S> A few drops licked from the floor may not be a problem for a 70 pound dog (like mine) but in greater concentrations such as a cup or bowl it will cause your dog's liver to fail killing him/her in a short period of time. <S> It also depends on how much the dog weights and his/her particular sensibility to alcohol.
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I personally do not think that a sip of beer, especially of the standard lagers, will cause any major problems, but I prefer to err on the side of safety when it comes to my pets.
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Specialty Beers at Local Markets so I am trying to find some pretty nice beers, beer like a Delirium Tremens, to try. Does anyone have any recommendations on some nice beer that isn't insanely hard to find. Money is not really the issue, it's just I do not want to go looking at several specialty alcohol stores for one type of beer. I live in North Carolina, near the triad area. <Q> Although transportation and supply chain storage has greatly improved, beer is always best when you are closest to the source. <S> The North Carolina Brewers Guild will be a great resource for you to find beers in your area. <S> http://www.ncbeer.org <S> Belgian style beers, like the Delirium Tremens are growing in popularity very quickly. <S> You should have no trouble finding some in your local area. <S> This might be a good place to start. <S> http://www.newbelgium.com/community/ashevillebrewery.aspx <A> This is really incomplete since you haven't given us your locale. <S> But Tremens is a Belgian Golden Strong ale, <S> so you could find similar flavors in anything with a description like "Belgian Gold", "Belgian Strong", "Belgian Pale", "Tripel", "Blonde" (Except American Blonde). <S> For well-known brands you'd be looking for something like... <S> Duvel, Piraat, Hades (Great Divide), St. Bernardus Tripel, Chimay, Westmalle, Leffe Blonde, La Trappe Blonde, a few of the beers by Unibroue... <A> This topic is very broad and subjective, but I would recommend anything by Allagash , especially Tiarna (outstanding), Mischief and Saison Rue by The Bruery, Inferno by Lost Abbey, as well as widely available Belgian classics like Chimay, Duvel, Rochefort, Leffe, Kwak. <A> You should try the famous smoke beer "Schlenkerla". <S> Maybe you can find it in North Carolina: http://www.schlenkerla.de/verkauf/haendlerint/retailer-us.html
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I would suggest going with the beers that are brewed closest to you.
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What transforms a beer into a Barley Wine? Is it merely high alcohol content or some change, alteration or addition to the brewing process, mandated by law or otherwise that requires the brew be called Barley Wine? <Q> Barley wine is a style of beer: it isn't something that is made using beer as an ingredient (as you might describe whisky). <S> The alcohol is produced via fermentation, the same as any other beer, and without distillation. <S> Note that not all high alcohol beers are necessarily described as "barley wine" though. <S> As for the legal aspects, I don't know of any regulations that specifically target barley wine. <S> The law usually deals with alcoholic beverages based on the alcohol content, and from that point of view barley wines would usually be treated similar to normal wines due to the similar ABV. <A> There is no significant difference in preparation between barley wine and any other strong ale, some barley wines are made with OG's as low as 1.062 <S> (Smithwick's) and the main characteristic is they have very strong kilned malt flavors. <S> In my opinion Barley Wine is to Malt, what an IPA is to Hops. <A> A key distinction between barley wine and other strong ales is the presence of residual sugars. <S> When made right, the yeast will be unable to finish fermentation due the high alcohol content. <S> The remaining sugars should then provide the complex fruity/malty/toasty flavors mentioned in the bjcp guide.
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There are a number of varieties of barley wine (some hoppy, and some with almost no hop characteristics), but they all have a relatively high alcohol content compared to most beers.
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What does "fl. oz" mean? I have seen the expression "fl. oz" accompanied by a number in a lot of labels of beers. For instance, I have seen "9.4 fl. oz", "12 fl. oz", "11.2 fl. oz"... What do these numbers mean? <Q> It sounds like you live in a place that uses the metric system. <S> A fluid ounce (fl. <S> oz.) is a measure of volume in U.S. customary units: 1 fluid ounce = 29.5735 milliliters. <S> However, you are unlikely to find any modern labeling that uses British Imperial units since the U.K. has fully adopted the metric system, so in all likelihood the labels you are seeing refer to U.S. customary units. <A> Fluid Ounces, even though it sounds like a measure of weight, is actually a measure of volume. <S> Specifically, 1 fluid ounce is the volume of 1 ounce (by weight) of pure water. <S> Similarly, in the metric system, 1 ml (or cubic centimeter) has 1 gram of mass, so often times (even in the US) <S> you'll see ml listed as the volume as well. <A> For quick calculations, a Fluid Ounce is is slightly less than a tot. <S> Tots are (at least in South Africa) <S> 30 ml.
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A Fluid ounce in British Imperial Units is slightly smaller: 1 fluid ounce = 28.413 ml.
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Are there any microbrewery in Lisbon/Tomar in portugal? Are there any microbrewery in Lisbon/Tomar in Portugal? What is the specialty brew in Portugal? Is there any special beer or beer-like alcohol from Portugal? <Q> Portugal Beer History Lisbon Beer Museum <S> Edit: <S> Generally, Lisbon seems to be a wine destination, which means beer doesn't end up shining in any significant way in the region. <A> Oficina da Cerveja, shop Sant’Ana LX Brewery, cerveja artisanal Lisboa, rua Bernardim Ribeiro 53oficina <S> aberto ao público apenas Terças e Quintas das <S> 14:30 às 19 h (sem necessitar de combinar antes) <S> http://oficinadacerveja.pt/ <S> The shop provides some products to home brewers. <S> The microbrewery (quite micro indeed) makes some really good brews in today’s IPA trend. <S> During a stay with friends in september (Belgians), we bought some American Pale Ale (4,9 %) and some Rye IPA (6,8 %). <S> Very nice. <A> The two craft breweries in Lisbon are Dois Corvos and Oitava Colina. <S> Dois Corvos has a tasting room a couple km from the centre. <S> Both make good beer. <A> There is a chain restaurant over in Portugal called Cervejeira Lusitana ; also known as the Lusitanian Brewery. <S> This restaurant is a brewpub that sells beer and Portuguese food. <S> There should be a few in Lisbon, but I am not quite sure about Tomar. <S> Portugal is not really known for their beer that I know of. <S> It seems like the beers they sell commonly aren't too much on the hoppy-side either. <S> From what I found about the usual style of beer over there, it seems that lagers are very common. <S> I would ask around and see if any of the locals know of any particular bars and brews to try. <S> EDIT: <S> Forgot to add the TripAdvisor link for them. <A> Go to http://www.ratebeer.com/search.php <S> and in the Brewer Search enter Lisbon in the City and Portugal in the Country, then click Search. <S> It returns 4 breweries. <S> 100 <S> Maneiras Rua do Teixeira, 35 Lisbon <S> Portugal Amnesia Brewery Oeiras, Lisbon Portugal Cerveja Aroeira Lisbon Portugal <S> Dois Corvos Cervejeira Lisbon Portugal <A> Almost five years after this question was asked I can add Quimera Brewpub , in Rua Prior do Crato, Lisbon, that I visited in March 2019. <S> The About page of their website states: <S> We have 12 taps of craft beers and bottles, all produced either by us or from good Portuguese micro breweries.
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There are a few other styles it seems, but no real specialty brew. Dois Corvos and Oitava Colina are both craft breweries in the area.
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What are the differences between mead and beer? Where can I try one in the US? From my understanding, mead is primarily made from honey and may or may not have hops added.Is mead considered a style of beer, or more of a wine, or a completely separate kind of beverage? Are they brewed similarly? More specifically, would it be reasonable to think a brewery I like may make, or consider making mead as well? <Q> Mead is not considered a style of beer, since the sugars in mead come from honey, not from the starch of a grain. <S> Hops are sometimes added to mead for flavor and as a preservative. <S> The process for making mead is more similar to wine making than brewing beer. <S> There's no brewing (boiling) stage necessary in making mead. <S> All of the fermentable sugar comes from the honey in mead, so you just mix honey with water (and whatever spices you want) and go directly to the fermenting stage. <S> Mead also has a higher alcohol content than most beers (8 - 20%, which is more similar to wine, or even brandy). <S> ... <S> would it be reasonable to think a brewery I like may make, or consider making mead as well? <S> Not really. <S> At least not in the U.S. Beer is much more popular than mead, and the process for making mead is different, so relatively few brewers are going to make it. <S> I tried mead once at a specialty beer & wine store, which is your best bet for finding it in the U.S. <S> You may have to ask around to see if a store can order some for you. <A> In addition to what was already said, there's a lot of legal gray area, as most if not all states have different laws governing breweries and wineries. <S> Mead is really something different than both, but I believe most meaderies choose to identify as wineries, and many if not all states prohibit wineries from having malt on premises, and breweries MUST use malt in fermentation. <S> You'd either need to find someone that has a license for both beer and wine, which probably isn't that common in commercial operations <S> (brewpubs may be your best bet there), or look for someone who makes a braggot, which is generally a beer/mead blend. <S> Dogfish Head makes Bitches' Brew, and Sprecher Brewery just released a braggot this year. <S> If you're looking to buy, wine shops are generally a better bet - again, lots of people don't know exactly what to do with mead, but I've had good luck finding it, usually around the dessert wines, sherry, port type of wines. <A> Mead is an entirely different product which tastes more like a wine than a beer but is quite distinct from either in terms of taste, designation and production. <S> I have never come across a mead flavoured with hops but some are flavoured with other botanicals such as spices or orange peel <S> so I cannot guarantee that none are. <S> Most beer breweries undertake a more complex brewing process involving adding ingredients to the mash at different stages and as such, knowing a few hundred UK brewers as I do, they are all about getting the complex mixture correct and blending ingredients correctly they are disinterested in the simple mead making process. <S> That said the mead making process; adding honey to water, adding yeast and letting it ferment may be boring to them <S> it doesn't mean that none do, <S> but I have never known any to be interested. <S> On the other hand some wineries in the UK have their own beehives to help pollinate their fruit and so they produce mead as a side product. <S> This may also be true in the US. <S> A quick search bears out my thoughts on wineries in the US: Where to buy Mead . <A> Simplified definition: <S> If you're fermenting grains, it's beer. <S> If you're fermenting fruits, it's wine. <S> If you're fermenting honey, it's mead. <S> It's not really that simple, because there are beers that use fruit (e.g., cherry lambic, raspberry wheat) <S> , beers that use honey (it's a fairly common adjunct), wines that use fruit (e.g., elderberry wine ), and a whole lot of meads that use fruit. <S> The crossover is substantial. <S> When you consider hard ciders, it gets even more complicated (is apple wine really a cider?). <S> The base ingredient of beer is almost always malted barley. <S> Even beers named for another grain — like wheat beer, oatmeal stout, rye beer — use malted barley as a base. <S> Hops are a critical ingredient in beer for two reasons: bittering and aroma. <S> The base ingredient of mead is always honey. <S> I've had mead with hops ( Charm City makes one), but it's uncommon, and I personally don't like the flavor. <S> It's more common to find a winery that makes mead than a brewery that makes mead. <S> There's an outstanding one in Montana called Hidden Legend . <S> They also make a mead/wine blend called a "pyment," which was popular in the 15th century or so. <A> Mead is its own thing but often will be called “Honey Wine” but it is never an ale or beer. <S> The process it’s made from is pretty much a wine-making process but there are a few differences leading to the fact that some places list their meads and honey wines together and others list them separately. <S> Technically mead is its own category, but it’s basically a sibling to wine not beer. <S> It’s fermented not brewed. <S> Beer is more of a cousin to it. <A> Mead in some European countries is one of the stronger alcohol beverages you could get reaching 50%. <S> (Apart from pure spirit of course) some people consider mead to be medicine rather than alcoholic beverage. <S> Some European countries defines mead as "The savory materials were given up by honey, carnation blossoms, poplar buds, oak acorns, juniper berries, and many other valuable herbs. <S> Rich taupe color is reached by the use of natural blueberry, black currant and raspberry juice. <S> This drink of great aroma and taste is of 50 % alcohol by volume"
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Some people might say mead is part of beer but they are wrong and confusing yeast and sugar getting fermented with actual mead.
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Is Heady Topper by The Alchemist worth it? I have heard a lot about Heady Topper, the Double IPA by The Alchemist brewery, and how it is a fantastic beer. Online reviews always rank it exceptionally high and everyone I have asked that has tried it has said it was good. However, I have also been told that it is fairly pricey; due to name, renown, and the exclusivity of it. Would it be worth trying to get or order some? <Q> I believe this discrepancy arises from the fact that Heady Topper is a relatively well balanced IPA. <S> So lots of people are shocked when drinking it that it actually has some balance between the body and the aftertaste, so that's part of what leads to the high reviews (in my opinion). <S> So if the opportunity comes up to try it, sure, go for it. <S> But I wouldn't really go out of my way to chase after it - there are other well balanced IPAs out there that are more readily available. <A> I live in Vermont <S> and I've had quite a few cans of Heady Topper and some from cask. <S> I really love Heady Topper and I haven't yet had another DIPA that tastes similar. <S> First, it's not that expensive. <S> It's $3.75 for a 16 oz can. <S> $14 for <S> a 4-pack. <S> You can get it at local bars, pubs, and restaurants for $5/can. <S> Around $78 for a case (24 x 16oz cans). <S> Compared to other DIPA of similar quality, it's not that expensive (sure if you compared it to macro lagers...) <S> It's produced by a small family owned brewery that's went through 2 expansions which doubled their brewery in size each time over the last 2 years (cannery has only existed for 2 years, before that they brewed it at a brewpub until the brewpub was destroyed by Hurricane Irene). <S> They are currently getting their paperwork finalized for construction of a second brewery which will expand their production even more than before. <S> For locals, it's not that difficult to acquire. <S> If you visit Vermont and plan ahead, then you're sure to leave with a case or two. <S> I think it's worth trading for, but just remember that there's no beer that's life changing. <S> Just a lot of really good tasting beer. <A> I was recently in Burlington and picked up a couple of cases. <S> Yes, it's a good beer. <S> No, it's not as good as the hype suggests. <S> One of the previous posts hit the nail on the head. <S> Heady Topper has a good balance between the strength and the hoppiness. <S> It has what I call smooth strength. <S> But is it worth driving up from Pennsylvania and following the delivery truck around - probably not <A> Being in California, I have only been able to get my hands on one can. <S> I did enjoy it, however I found it to be very common. <S> In California we are bombarded with IPAs of this same ilk. <S> High alcohol, created by adding sugar to lighten the body, and huge amounts of hops. <S> Call me old school <S> but I prefer IPAs that have about 7 ABV. <S> and about as much hops as the average Pale Ale these days. <S> Lagunitas just put out a beer that is 4.75 ABV with a bunch of hops. <S> Maybe I can have two!
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It's been overhyped, in my opinion, and while it's a good beer I don't think it's really as mind-breakingly good as many others seem to think. It has the hops bitterness to it that IPAs do, and the high alcohol content of a double, however it also has more of a malty body to it that most people are unused to when drinking IPAs. I've had it and I would say it's not really worth going out of your way for it.
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Apps for recording variety of beers consumed I'm looking for apps, as a beer aficionado, to record the different beers that I try. Is there a vivino for beer? <Q> I would suggest the app Untappd . <S> It gives you an opportunity to comment on beers and include pictures and locations. <S> You can even earn badges that notate various "beer achievements". <A> In my opinion most of such apps are not what you really need and they often lack something. <S> Therefore I simply use Google Drive Spreadsheet. <S> As cheap as it sounds, it has everything that you want out of it. <A> The quality of the graphics isn't intensely refined, but the beer list is very comprehensive. <S> I found that the beer list was one of the most important things in an app like this, since I was usually in quick situations when I wanted to record and rate a beer. <S> I didn't want to be out with friends and browsing through a ton of pages to finally have to input all the details of a beer that was fairly common. <S> A friend of mine just switched to Beer Citizen (also cross platform), which seems to have a more refined look. <S> I've done some searching through the database though, and there seems to be quite a bit missing... <A> Beer Buddy. <S> Hands down best beer tracking, rating, and review app ever. <S> It's associated with ratebeer.com <S> so if you have an account with them you can sync your reviews.
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I have personally used Pintley on iOS (but it's cross platform) and found it to be a pretty good app.
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Does drinking mainstream, mass-produced lagers give you a worse hangover than real ale? I have noticed that when I spend a night drinking the usual lagers found on bar taps in the UK (Heineken, Carlsberg, etc.), I have a much worse hangover than when I spend a night drinking locally brewed real ales (or mass-produced real ales such as Spitfire, Wainwright, etc.). Is there any reason for this? Do lagers contain any ingredients that can cause worse hangovers than real ales? <Q> That is possible to a level, but not proven, and probably does not make a huge difference, as there are many factors causing hangover , some stronger than others. <S> Moreover, that would be saying that all commercial beers have the same effects and all local brewed ales have the same other (better) effect, which sounds to me very simple and convenient to conclude. <S> But anyway, hangover mechanisms are not well understood, so I could be wrong ! <A> Yes, they contain adjuncts which aren't malted barley to make them cheaper to produce. <S> These adjuncts aren't the same type of sugar so are fermented differently than maltose. <A> This does indeed happen to me, too. <S> So I stopped drinking beer where the ingredients aren't listed or if I think the beer is likely to contain GMO. <S> Call me a tree hugger I don't care;-) <S> I remember reading the head aches may come from fusel oils, which are byproducts of fermentation. <S> Depending on the ingredients there may be more or less of them. <S> I remember reading a while back that mold and spoilage can cause a higher concentration of those fusel oils in the wine; hence, wine made from handpicked grapes is of higher quality. <S> I wouldn't be surprised if it's similar in beer production <A> A while back Jim Koch, the owner of Boston Beer Company, said in an interview that his secret to hangover avoidance was straight up eating live brewer's yeast. <S> This is probably dubious at best, but if you had to stretch to make something sound plausible... <S> yeast has a good amount of Vitamin B and Magnesium, which are essential nutrients. <S> Anything marketed as Real Ale is likely unfiltered and will therefor have more live yeast in it than filtered ale or lager. <S> So it could, in theory, maybe, sortof, a bit, if you squint at it, sideways, have something to do with buffering the hangover better vs filtered ale or lager. <S> It may also be an adjunct fermentation or ABV related thing like others have mentioned. <S> Or it may not? <A> Hangovers are worse depending on sugar content regardless of type of alcoholic beverage. <S> Mixed drinks that use sugar free mixes don’t hurt as much the next day so figure out the sugar content.
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That being said, adjuncts in mass-produced beers may still play a role, but I would tend to seek the explanation for the hangover difference in context first.
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Why do some grocery stores in Colorado have regular beer and liquor but some only sell 3.2% beer? I live in Denver, Colorado and I have noticed many grocery stores will have full a liquor selection and normal alcohol content beer, but others will only sell 3.2% beer and no liquor. This goes even for the same chain of stores. For example, Safeway will carry a full liquor selection at one location but only 3.2% beer at another. This seems to apply to every chain in town including: King Soopers, Safeway, Walmart, Target, etc. Therefore I am wondering if there is a law limiting this? If so, what are the details? <Q> Retail stores in Colorado sell spirits, wine, and beer. <S> Grocery and convenience stores sell 3.2 percent beer only, and then not between 2 a.m. and <S> 6 a.m. Package stores are open 8 a.m. until midnight and are closed on Sundays. <S> Bars stop selling alcohol between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. <S> http://www.alcohollaws.org/coloradoalcohollaws.html <S> I would guess those "grocery stores" selling spirits and such are probably classified as something other than a grocery store. <S> This information may be a little out of date, Colorado does allow Sunday sales now. <S> I found this on Wikipedia: Spirituous, vinous & malt liquor available in liquor stores and liquor-licensed drug stores only. <S> Liquor stores closed on Christmas Day. <S> Sunday sales restriction lifted on July 1, 2008. <S> Liquor stores and liquor-licensed drug stores may have only one location, while 3.2% beer may be sold in gas stations, supermarkets, and convenience stores. <S> Appropriately licensed businesses may also sell 3.2% beer for both on and off-premise consumption. <S> As an example, a chain grocery store that has pharmacy services at most or all locations may elect a single location in the chain as the licensed establishment to sell beer, wine, and spirits. <A> In Colorado only 1 store in a chain is allowed to sell liquor, wine or full strength beer. <S> These are known as 'State Stores'... <S> So a chain like Target or King Soopers picks one location in the state that they want to have that license <S> and that's the one that can sell it... <S> All others are only allowed to sell 3.2 beer. <A> The above answer is correct. <S> Just to expand a little, companies can only hold one Colorado retail liquor store license, which is the type of license that allows them to sell "full strength" beer, wine and spirits. <S> It's the same class of liquor license held by the liquor stores found in most shopping centers. <S> There is no limit to the number of 3.2% beer licenses a company can hold. <S> For example, a Safeway store in Glendale holds their only retail liquor store license, while Target holds theirs at a store in Littleton. <S> Their other Colorado stores all hold licenses to sell 3.2% beer. <A> It doesn't matter what beer you drink, whether it is a beer bought from the grocery store or a liquor store in Colorado. <S> It is all the same beer, bottled off the same vat. <S> In every beer sold, alcohol is measured by volume, except 3.2% beer which is measured as alcohol by weight. <S> Ask a brewer they will tell you the same. <S> They (the beer owners) did this so that they could get around the blue laws prohibiting beer sales on Sunday, but without any cost increase to the business. <S> If you drink Coors Light bought at a liquor store <S> it's 4.2% ABV, <S> that very same beer bought at a 7-11 is 3.2% ABW. <S> The measurement ABW is just about a 1% difference vs. ABV.
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A small number of grocery stores are licensed as drug stores and sell full strength beer, wine, and spirits.
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Who invented beer and when? It is known who invented the beer? And when was beer invented? Links: History of Beer at Wikipedia When was the first beer ever brewed? <Q> As your link indicates there is evidence of beer going back to around 5000 BC, however, this is only the first time that it is known to have been recorded. <S> Alcoholic drinks made by naturally fermenting fruit are drunk by monkeys and elephants and probably long pre-date the evolution of humans. <S> Evidence of breads, which could result in a type of beer if allowed to ferment in the same way as the fruits if the mixture was left with yeast in too long, exists from 30,000 years and pre-dates the advent writing ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_bread ). <S> It is likely therefore that beers existed tens of thousands of years ago through accident at first and eventually design and were likely to be similar to traditional African beers such as the Kenyan busaa, which by coincidence is still made by my girlfriend's grandmother for the elder men of her tribe. <S> I.e. these beers would be a form of thick, alcoholic liquid bread. <S> the date was probably some time over 20,000 years ago but that is unknowable for the same reasons. <S> Interestingly, as it is a drink made from a cheap foodstuff that was widely consumed by the people rather than by nobility who could record such things, it is not known who invented lager either. <S> It is likely that Lambics were the precursors of Lagers though. <A> As MD-Tech mentioned, beer wasn't exactly invented. <S> However, the answer of when seems to be that it followed the production of wine. <S> Here's a clip from a paper I had written a while back. <S> Based on available evidence, it is likely that S. cerevisiae was first used in the production of wine. <S> DNA evidence dates winemaking to 3150 BC, and the earliest molecular evidence available indicates winemaking having taken place at least as early as 7000 BC in China. <S> (Fay J. C. and Benavides J. A. 2005) <S> One issue with production of alcohol is that it takes away precious food supplies and so is a lot easier to produce when agriculture is in place than when it is not. <A> Please also see this question <S> When was the first beer ever brewed? <S> Which has more information
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In other words we cannot know who "invented" beer as it probably pre-dates written language and it wasn't "invented" by anyone really it was made serendipitously at first.
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How can I learn to recognize the flavor and aroma of different varieties of hops? Background: I was drinking a New Belgium "Tour de Fall" last week and thinking about the hops that I was tasting in the finish. For me, hops in general were a pretty slowly acquired taste, and I didn't start truly appreciating the hoppy West Coast style until I encountered Sierra Nevada "Torpedo" and fell in love. Now I finally find myself wanting to get to know specific varieties of hops by flavor and scent. Amarillo, Cascade, and so on - I know there are dozens and dozens of varieties, but how do I start training myself to recognize their differences (and identify the most common varieties) in the drink itself? Should I buy some hops from a supply store, and huff 'em like a soccer mom in a fabric softener commercial? Or would that be totally different from what comes through in a beer? Would it be better to find a stool at a local brewery/brewpub and ask for a lesson in liquid form? <Q> This is a great question, I'm still learning but here's what I've tried: Single hop beers. <S> I'm in the UK <S> but here's what I've managed to get in the past <S> Mikkeller single hop series IPA is dead by BrewDog Arbor often do single hop beers <S> Your mileage may vary but if you keep your eye out, hopefully you'll find a local brewer doing this kind of thing. <S> I've also had a couple of single yeast flights which were very enlightening. <S> Tastings <S> A couple of hops really stick in my mind because of when I had them. <S> I remember going to a tasting of a local's brewers Galaxy IPA <S> and he'd filled the shop with glasses of Galaxy hops and it smelled incredable. <S> Another time was tasting a Sorachi Ace beer by Wiper and True. <S> It was horrific, but hearing the descriptions my fellow drinkers came up with and having the brewer explaining the history of the hop really anchored it to me. <S> It meant when I had Little Things that Kill by weird beard, I could pick it out straight away. <S> Geography <S> The other thing that I enjoy is learning where and when and why a hop has come about. <S> European hops are so different from American which are different again from British. <S> Not to mention New Zealand hops which have their own aromas. <S> Obviously it's not always consistant but being able to say what kind of region a hop tastes like is a good start! <A> Hop Union has an " Aroma Wheel " that can help with scent: Also look at the Hop Variety page to get a little more information. <S> The thing to remember is scent doesn't always translate to taste, especially with hoppy beers such as IPA's after the beer has aged a bit. <S> To get the taste you really need to try a beer made only with that hop (my opinion) to see what characteristics it imparts. <S> Hop Union does have a Hop and Brew School every year for both craft (professional) brewers and home brewers. <A> You can buy a small selection of a few hops and a 6 or 12 pack of bud light or coors light. <S> Pop the tops, toss in a few hops, re-cap and mark what hop is in each. <S> Wait a day or two and then taste. <S> This will highlight the aroma and some of the upfront flavors of the hop more than it's bitterness and will get you familiar with that hop variety. <S> This does require having a bottle caper and some caps, but those can be bought either at a local homebrew store or online for less than 20 dollars when you purchase the small 1oz bags of hops. <S> If you homebrew, try to brew small brew in a bag batches of 1 gallon to try different hop varieties. <S> I don't do it too often <S> but it's an easy 3 hour brew day and helps a lot with identifying hop profiles for bitterness, late addition, and dry hopping. <A> Water does a fair job of dissolving the aromatic compounds in hops but the resinous or oily compounds will dissolve better in ethanol. <S> To get a really clean extract of hops, steep fresh or dry hops in vodka or neutral grain spirits, then filter and dilute with water for tasting. <S> The straight extract can be overwhelming. <S> A really good extract will be a milky yellow color. <S> Also, try adding the extract to an un-hopped beer to to see how the flavor changes when mixed with other ingredients. <S> When hops are boiled in the wort during brewing, the heat can cause chemical reactions between the aromatics and other ingredients, giving the brew a slightly different flavor than the uncooked flavor of the extracts. <S> We grow hops and my husband loves IPAs so he makes these hop extracts to mix with beer and cocktails. <A> Try to make a tea out of the hops. <S> Put a flower or a pellet in a mug,Pour boiling water over it,Wait for 10 minutes,Taste,Make notes. <S> Most likely they will be happy to help out a fellow brewer.
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Try to get hold of some samples of hops at local or regional (home)brewers.
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"Pumpkin" beers made with actual pumpkin? It's about that time of year again, when pumpkin flavored beer (and everything else) starts making its way onto store shelves. I was wondering, what pumpkin flavored beers are out there, if any, are made with actual pumpkin and not just pumpkin pie spices? My personal favorite is Pumpkin Head by Shipyard, but I've been unable to find any evidence that would suggest it is made with real pumpkin. Are there readily available beers made with real pumpkin? I live in western PA, but any brand not specifically available here would be good to know. <Q> I drank once <S> Post Road Pumkin Ale from Brooklyn brewery that is brewed with, to quote them, Hundreds of pounds of pumpkins <S> [...] blended into the mash of each batch: <S> Post Road Pumpkin Ale <A> My favorite is Pumpking from Southern Tier . <S> They claim it is brewed with real pumpkin. <A> Along with Marty's reccommendation of Pumpking, Southern Tier also makes an Imperial Pumpkin Stout called Warlock . <S> Best Pumpkin beers I've had so far <S> ( Warlock > Pumpking imo ). <S> I've also heard Griffin Claw makes a good one too: <S> Screamin' Pumpkin <A> At least some pumpkin ales are brewed with real pumpkin (for example polish Dyniamit brewed by PINTA). <S> If you are interested in recepies you can look for them from the examples found at Brewtoad. <A> Elysian Brewing in Seattle has a beer made with pumpkin festival every year. <S> Their festival site has a great list of beers to try - http://www.elysianbrewing.com/great-pumpkin-beer-fest/ <S> My favorites are the ones which taste nothing like pumpkin pie and Black Raven's Harbinger is the top of that list - http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/black-raven-harbinger-strong-pumpkin-squash-stout/189456/ <A> Pump Up The Volume by Hi-Fi Brewing is the best pumpkin beer I've had, but you'll only get it poured in Redmond, if you're lucky enough to find it. <S> "Pump Up the Volume <S> A blast of pumpkin pie aroma introduces you to this full-bodied and fairly malty beer. <S> We brew it with fresh Washington pumpkin and add cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, and vanilla after fermentation. <S> It finishes with a very subtle warmth. <S> Alcohol: 6.8% ABV, Bitterness: 35 IBU." <S> Witch Hunt by Bridgeport Brewing was decent, but doesn't specify whether or not it's made with actual pumpkin flesh. <S> I think we got a 22oz at Costco. <A> If you are a fan of BIG beers. <S> Let me suggest the mother of all pumpkin beers, Avery's pumpKYn . <S> I try to land a few bottles every year. <S> It is expensive, but it is not the type of beer one drinks several bottles of. <S> Each year, the ABV sits around 15 to 16 percent. <S> I like to say that this is the pumpkin beer that should end every other breweries' attempts to craft a pumpkin beer. <S> They should all stop and deem Avery the winner. <S> It is not just a little aroma of pumpkin, it is a mouthful of thanksgiving with each sip. <S> This beer is heavy and creamy and fills your nose with nutmeg and cinnamon. <S> Skip a meal for this one, it will fill your stomach. <S> If you want to explore a wonderful variety of this brew. <S> I would suggest Avery's RUMPKIN , which is their pumpkin ale aged in rum barrels. <S> This is a bit more of a kick in the mount though, as it not only get's a great deal of sweetness from the rum, it also gets a bit more alcohol too. <S> Rum barrel aging is a unique process. <S> So you get to try something that is likely new to you. <S> So often, brewers use other spirit and wine barrels, but you do not see as many use rum or tequila barrels. <S> Kudos to Avery for that. <S> Both brews are priced around 10 bucks per 12oz bottle. <S> And you will need to shop at a specialty store for them. <S> I occasionally see them in Schnucks in Saint Louis though (which is a grocery store). <S> They are pretty rough when they are fresh. <S> So I like to grab a stock each year, then drink the ones I purchased the year before. <S> Age them upright at cellar temps, IN THE DARK. <S> I can not stress that enough. <S> Hope you enjoy them. <A> I saw today that my local Whole Foods had on display an island of Dogfish Head Punkin Ale which is brewed with real pumpkin, though I myself prefer Southern Tier's.
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Schlafly also makes a popular pumpkin beer with real pumpkin.
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Why does Trento (Italy) have such a range of German beers? Trento in Italy has a lot of German influence and especially when it comes to food and beer. They even serve their versions of German Weizenbier. See Wikipedia and TripAdvisor . Why is that so? Does anyone know whether there is a difference between Trento's German style beers and German German style beers? <Q> To add to Leo's answer... <S> Northern Italy is very much associated with Austro-Bavarian heritage. <S> The province of South Tyrol is predominantly German speaking, and Trento is just south of that province. <S> In addition, Weissbier is to Bavaria/Munich as Pretzels are to Philadelphia or Pizza is to New York.... <S> Hmmm maybe that pretzels analogy was a bad idea since they are a German thing. <S> Oh well, I think you get the point. <S> You've got German people in Northern Italy making German beer. <S> I would trust any Hefeweizen from Trentino over Blue Moon, that's for sure. <S> Cheers! <A> It is probably because it is so close to Austria and Germany and because the cold climate is excellent for brewing such beers. <A> I will resume here what I know about this topic. <S> One of the twenty regions of Italy, and one of the most northern, is Trentino-Alto Adige . <S> It borders with Austria and, for some 20km, with Switzerland. <S> Trentino-Alto Adige is divided in two provinces: province of Trento ( Trentino , capital town Trento) and province of Bolzano/Bozen ( Alto Adige/Südtirol , capital town Bolzano/Bozen). <S> The latter is more northern than the former and is the proper bilingual area on that side (German and Italian are the two most spoken languages). <S> Bolzano/Bozen is the most populated city council in its province and, curiously, the one with the highest rate of native Italian speakers. <S> Unfortunately I can't reference this statistic that I heard in the years I was used to visit those places often. <S> Roughly speaking, the German or Austrian influence on culture and food and drinks is positively evident all around the region, becoming milder moving north to south. <S> The interesting point about beers, but not unexpected: beverages from several foreigner brands and companies are distributed but also produced in Italy . <S> While I was searching for the linked reference, that seems to agree, I was sure to remember that Weihenstephan, one of my favourite beers back to those mountains, was produced and bottled either in Germany or in Italy at the Forst brewery in Lagundo, in Alto Adige/Südtirol.
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Several Austrian and German beers are popular here: Stiegl, Spaten, Maisel's and many more.
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Tripel beers on tap I was under the impression that tripel beer is supposed to be fermented inside the bottle. From time to time I come across beers that are tripel but on tap. There is a substantial difference in taste I noticed. In my opinion, tripel beers that are served bottled are way better than the same tripel beer on tap. How and why do companies serve tripel beers on tap while they lack taste and they aren't really fermented further inside the bottle? Do they just bottle them and put them in kegs at the same time so the beer that is bottled actually ferments more or do they keep the beer for the kegs fermenting longer and then put it in kegs? <Q> The biggest difference between Singels, Dubbels, Trippels, and Quads is ABV. <S> The (purported) origin of these come from the Trappist Monasteries of Belgium where illiteracy was high. <S> Because a lot of people couldn't read the kind of beer that was being brought to them, the barrels were marked with Xs. <S> One X meant, low ABV (think <=3% ABV like Miller or Bud) four <S> Xs meant super strong (along the lines of >10% ABV). <S> These are the BJCP Guidelines. <S> They go into Belgian Doubles and Tripels on page 27 (actual pg 27 not e-page 27). <S> Discerning between the styles is largely based on these kinds of guidelines, not on how they are fermented/conditioned/etcetera. <A> Bottle fermentation is somewhat of a misnomer, as the term should really pertain to any fermentation done in the final packaging, in tap beer's case that's the keg. <S> Pretty much any unfiltered beer (not just tripels) will have sugar added to continue to ferment in the bottle/keg. <S> If you think the bottled beer tastes better there's a simple explanation that isn't exactly pretty. <S> There's a good chance your bar is not cleaning its tap lines regularly enough. <S> This messes with the taste and can add some funk. <S> Edit: It could also simply be due to the beers age. <S> If a bar regularly rotates out kegs it could be much fresher, versus a store where a bottle might sit in storage for a few extra months. <A> The differences in taste of bottled versus kegged tripels are more likely psychological rather than practical, as Belgian bottles tend to be expensive, rare, and exotic. <S> Because the primary purpose of conditioning is to carbonate the beer, the method (bottle vs keg) used to do so is a matter of personal preference or production constraints. <S> At this point in the production cycle, the yeast have done all they're going to do with the wort (technically referred to as a yeast's "attenuation") and you're left with two options that yield virtually identical results: bottle the beer with some added sugar to motivate the remaining yeast to create more CO2, or force-carbonate the beer in a keg.
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In the case of a bottle-conditioned beer the older bottle will taste better than a newer keg.
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Local microbreweries and craft beer in Tokyo Are there local micro-breweries in Tokyo? Are they serving local Japanese craft beer? What are Japanese craft beer that one can find in Tokyo? <Q> There are many craft beer pubs in Tokyo. <S> But there is no craft beer brand made in Tokyo. <S> I recommend Coedo Beer from Kawagoe-city, Saitama-Pref. <S> Kawagoe is a traditional town near Tokyo. <S> It takes 40 minutes by train from Shinjuku/Ikebykuro. <S> Coedo has 4 flavors, "Kyara" (Golden Brown), "Ruri" (Blue), "Shiro" (White), "Shikkoku" (Black) and "Beniaka" (Red).Especially, " <S> Beniaka" is made from sweet potatoes in Kawagoe. <S> Kawagoe is famous for sweet potatoes. <S> And "Coedo" means "Little Edo". <S> "Edo" is the old name of Tokyo. <S> Kawagoe has still old Tokyo street. <S> Please come and drink up! <A> most <S> All of the micro-breweries <S> I know of are located outside of Tokyo. <S> However, I can't definitely say "there are no micro-breweries in Tokyo <S> " as I am not omnipotent . <S> Again , there are a ton of places to get micro-brews in Tokyo; here is a restaurant that I have frequented over the past years that serves Japanese micro-brews exclusively: BanKan . <S> BanKan has 14 taps of Japanese micro-brews and they rotate their offering frequently; whenever a keg runs out it is replaced with a new brew. <S> A pint runs between 900 to 1400 yen and the current offering is here . <S> Notice that the prefecture the brew comes from is listed as well. <S> Enjoy! <A> On my 2nd trip to Tokyo, I found Popeye pub in a quaint part of the city @ <S> Ryogoku: Popeye Beer Club . <S> They have 70 taps and mostly from Japanese breweries. <A> Another one is Ryujin Shuzo Brewery or Ginko Kura Brewery , from Gunnma Prefecture , not too far from the capital. <S> Oze <S> no Yukidoke <S> IPA (that I tasted) seems to be their most popular product. <S> I am disappointed for not finding any more precise references online now, but I advise to search the names in bold above on Google or Instagram (where I have my beer-also blog) to find some further pictures and information.
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You can find a lot of different bars that sell micro-brews in Tokyo.
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Is there a BeerAdvocate-like ranking of beers commonly found in supermarkets? Is there a ranking of beers (maybe by country) you can actually find in a supermarket? I know the BeerAdvocate one, but it seems I would need to sell my soul to get any beer in the top 250. <Q> You can filter by style and country, and the app is very easy to use. <S> I'll bring it up on my phone when I'm at a restaurant or grocery store <S> and I want more info about a beer I haven't seen before or to check out the ratings. <A> There actually are a lot of really high-quality beers that are extremely well-distributed. <S> The Trappists aside from Westvleteren and the new ones from the past couple years are available all over the place as well as a lot of classics like Weihenstephaner or Schneider. <S> You would be surprised at just how well you can do simply trying out anything you haven't seen a commercial for. <S> You also need to keep in mind personal taste. <S> The BeerAdvocate list is NOTORIOUSLY skewed towards IPAs, Stouts, Sours, Seasonals, Limited Releases and overall big beer. <S> If you find yourself mostly enjoying things outside those categories then their list is certainly not for you. <S> Furthermore there is certainly some inflation to a lot of the ratings, if there is a beer fewer people can get then there are fewer ratings and the law of averages loses some influence. <S> Plus there's the beer hipster effect where people feel safer about having strong opinions on beers nobody else has had. <S> My advice would be to simply get a couple of friends, buy a bunch of 6-packs and share the beer and try different styles from whatever is available locally. <S> Figure out what style your favorite beers are and then go into some research about the best beers of that style and see what you can do from there. <S> Even if you do find a top 100 beers available in the exact town you live in it won't be catered to your tastes. <A> If you're looking on the fly, check out NextGlass . <S> It's a craft beer (and wine) <S> discovery app that works by scanning labels. <A> you can find a rank-list country by country. <S> Italy <S> you can find a list with score of italian beers. <S> England <S> you can find a list with score of english beers. <S> Germany <S> you can find a list with score of german beers. <A> This reflects the local "beer culture". <S> it is, as always, a matter of supply and demand. <S> Industrial beer is very often just bad beer (because it is pasteurized, thus it kills all the bacteria and such that make craft beer so good and different). <S> It is very difficult for a heavily distributed (thus cheap) beer to be good enough to compete with really good, local craft beers. <S> Very good beer is expensive to make, and often made in small or mid-size breweries. <S> In Italy in the last years we have seen a huge leap in beer culture (a "Beernaissance", if you will). <S> We have hundreds of microbreweries, a lot of good breweries, a handful of excellent and internationally praised ones. <S> People is drinking much more good beer (meaning, craft), so now you can find a lot of craft beer in bars, restaurants and finally supermarket. <S> Until few years ago, supermarkets had just industrial beer, and the occasional Leffe Blonde bottle. <S> Now you can find a lot more. <S> At the end of the day, I think it is much better that you reverse your approach: find some non trivial beers in your local supermarkets, and query them on apps or http://ratebeer.com .
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You can check out the top rated beers at the user ratings site Untappd . I think a lot depends on where you live and what is currently distributed in your local supermarkets.
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Beer recommendations for India, please Which is the good brew for India? I generally prefer Budweiser and I am pretty much good with it. <Q> As in every country exist brands most famous inside India too. <S> Kings (4.8%) <S> Personally I've tried Kalyani Black Label and I think is very good <S> (is important the personal taste when you drink a beer bottle). <S> Unfortunately I haven't tried other four beer in upper list. <A> Some of my favorites are in rank-wise order: 1. <S> Hoegaarden(Belgian Brewed) <S> 2. <S> Stella Artois(Again Belgian Brewed) <S> 3. <S> Erdinger(German Brewed) <S> Also I recommend you to try Ballantine Ale, American Brewed Beer.. <S> These Royal Lagers are worth giving a try!! <S> Cheers! <A> My favoured beer is Erdinger but it is priced high due to import duties. <A> Different people have different tastes. <S> For me, I like much hard beer <S> , Budweiser is pretty much mild for me. <S> In hot days, I look for chilled Cobra, if it's not available, I settle for Touborg strong
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In India, We have many foreign brews available. Of the local fare, UB's London Pilsner & Kingfisher Blue are my favourites The five brands are: Kingfisher (4.8% grade - strong 8%) Haywards (7%) Royal Challenge (5%) Kalyani Black Label (7.8%)
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What type of beer did the pilgrims have? What type of beer would the pilgrims have had access to in the early 1600's, and if they did have beer, would it be a good pairing with turkey? <Q> Also bear in mind that beers back then were made out of lots of ingredients that we'd think of as odd. <S> Cock ale was obviously a thing, which was beer that was fermented (or boiled) with a rooster in it. <S> Lots of beers would also have been strained through spruce post-boil which would've given them some wood or pine quality. <S> Lots of other flowers were often involved. <S> Check out George Washington's small beer recipe here . <S> Though this is a poor transcription and a lot of folks agree that it should read "Bran, Hops to taste", it's still clear that the grain is sort of a "for taste, whatever you can spare" thing while the molasses is the star of the show. <S> A lot of early drinks were like that, involving some sort of concentrated or burnt sugar in addition to grains, which generally weren't barley at the time. <S> However, in the most ideal case where you had access to the best beer you could find...it would be some form of brown ale or lighter porter. <S> Maybe an amber ale if you could find one that wasn't very hoppy. <S> The stable kilning process that enabled people to make pale malt wasn't really invented until the mid-1600's and wasn't very popular until the 1700s, so brewers in the 1600s would've used a sort of generic-y brown malt that might taste slightly burnt and premium beers may have been able to include some lighter malt that was much harder to make and find. <S> And it'd probably still have some molasses in it. <A> Beer was commonly drunk in the Elizabethan period in Europe, but what they drank is different from the beer we're used to today. <S> Beer and ale, being grain-based, were important dietary staples -- it's said that beer is liquid bread, and that's not far off. <S> For the common man (not nobility), in particular, grain made up a substantial part of the diet, with meat being fairly rare. <S> Common beer was not aged for months or years like some beers today; rather, a batch might be produced in as little as half a week. <S> These are "small beers" (or "small ales", for the unhopped variety), which are mildly alcoholic but drinkable in volume without unfortunate effects. <S> These small beers/ales were produced in the home/manor; it was just one more task for the cooks. <S> See, for example, Markham's The English Housewife , 1615. <S> (I don't know of an online copy, sorry.) <S> Note that this means that the pilgrims wouldn't have brought beer from Europe; it'd be consumed, or probably go bad, before they reached the new world. <S> So they probably didn't have beer in their first year because they'd need to wait for a grain harvest. <S> After that, if they brought hops with them then they could have made small beers like from the old country; if they didn't bring hops, they probably made ales instead. <S> Turkey would have been new to their palates (it's a new-world bird), but beer was commonly drunk with meals where they came from, and those meals sometimes included other fowl. <S> So, probably it pairs fine. <S> However, they probably didn't care as much about the proper pairing as we might today, the same as we might not care about pairing the proper cola with the turkey sandwich we have for lunch. <S> You may find the following helpful: <S> discussion of Elizabethan homebrewing Wikipedia article on ale and Wikipedia article on small beers <A> It was often unfiltered. <S> This was more or less consumed daily instead of water, since there was no sanitation at the time.
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The bulk of what they drank would have been small beer: very low alcohol content beer.
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Why is beer in Czech Republic so cheap? I recently traveled to Prague where beer was extremely cheap, usually around $1-$2 USD in supermarkets for 16 oz. cans. Even brands like Heineken and Stella were this cheap. What are the main factors for this? <Q> It is in my opinion mainly thanks to low excise duty on beer in the Czech republic. <S> Another factor is the fact that there are lower prices of almost everything in the Czech republic (I am talking mainly about local food and beverages). <S> And last but not least <A> I am Czech <S> and I would say there are few factors to it. <S> Firstly many grocery products are cheap as well as services which makes beer affordable even in restaurants. <S> Most importantly there is long historical tradition in drinking beer. <S> It is common to drink it with lunch, it is usual to visit the pub for a chat with friends and drink 1,2 or 10 beers there. <S> Beer is cheaper than water in restaurants and this is another reason why people prefer it to other drinks. <S> It is said that the government can do anything unless they increase the price of beer. <S> The pub is often the cultural center of many villages where people meet after work and when we are there we drink beer. <A> Consumption of beer in the Czech Republic has been the highest in the world for many years. <S> Bavarians claim that it is the highest in Bavaria, but they are not an independent country. <S> Anyway, if we talked about historical lands then consumption of beer in Bohemia (Czechia's "mainland") would be higher than Bavaria.
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, Czech republic is I guess second or third in the whole world in beer consumption, which means there is high level of demand for traditional czech beer, which allows producers to produce beer in large quantities.
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Is there a site (or app) like Beer Advocate that lets me give just an overall rating? Beer Advocate used to allow you to give an overall rating for a beer, rather than giving score breakdowns (appearance, smell, mouth feel, etc). They have recently changed this and you can only supply a rating if you rate all the factors. That makes sense if you're a site owner trying to gather better data, but it's not so great for the casual beer-drinker who just wants to keep track of what she's had and how she liked it. The value of a site like Beer Advocate, rather than just keeping a file on disk, is having access to the descriptions (including categories like "winter warmer" and "amber ale" and suchlike), other items from those breweries (useful when looking at a menu, or shopping), and, out of curiosity, the variance between my rating and the average for people who rated that beer. Also, I want to be able to see and add ratings from multiple locations, so if I just used a file it would have to live in the cloud somewhere. Alternatively, I'd be happy to use an app on my Android phone. What's the easiest way for me to track what I've had, with information about the beers (and breweries) and my own ratings? I don't care if my ratings are shared with the world; I'm happy to contribute them if that's helpful, but I'm looking for a way that I can track information about my own tastes. <Q> It also has a 5 point rating system but you can also just "tick" beers 1-5 stars, which may be helpful for you. <S> There's also Untappd which is pretty popular. <S> It operates more on a 4square-style check-in system and has a lot of social features as well as badges for various types of beer, origins, location, timing, etc. <S> But their rating system is a simple 1-5 stars with an optional notes field and location tagging. <S> They also include a recommendation system but it doesn't take locality into account making it largely useless since the majority of the beers they'll recommend are impossible to find in your area. <S> There are a few smaller ones kicking around as well. <S> A buddy of mine did littlebeerbook.com , which is fairly up your alley based on the description. <S> However it's pretty rough on mobile, and even outside of that the User Experience isn't the best. <S> Work is being done, but it's slow going with day jobs and families and all that. <S> So if you don't mind the interface, it'll track what you want pretty well. <A> There is Untappd , which is a social network for beer drinkers (web and app). <S> Quite straightforward, actually. <S> You check you beer in, rate it and leave a short comment (like Twitter). <S> And you see a timeline with your check-ins and your friend's ones. <S> The rate is what you're looking for, an overall score from 0 to 5 (multiples of 0.25). <S> It's nice for keeping a log of what you have had and see what you friends are having, too. <S> But, it's very simple when it comes to features, don't expect much of it. <A> Beer Citizen allows you to rate Appearance, scent, taste and mouthfeel. <S> You can look at individual reviews or get an average rating from everyone who has reviewed the beer. <S> Each beer has brew facts and show you similar beers to the one you are reviewing. <S> Great app
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RateBeer is the other big rating site.
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Why does Belgium have such a rich and profound brewing culture? I discovered craft beers some years ago, but I've been always been amazed by Belgian brewing culture, which is so different from German and Great Britain traditions. Why is it that beer has such important and diverse roots in Belgium? What are the historical reasons? <Q> When one speaks of "Belgian brewing", one must distinguish between two major styles of beer: the famous abbey ales produced by Trappist orders in Belgium (and now one in America), and the the saisons and bières de garde produced as inexpensive nutritional supplements and dietary staples for farm life. <S> An interest in the history and production of these beers is best served by Phil Markowski's <S> Farmhouse Ales and Stan Hieronymus' Brew Like a Monk . <S> To touch on a few of your questions: <S> As previously alluded, beer served a utilitarian purpose as a dietary staple and nutritional supplement for an agrarian society. <S> Beer was frequently brewed in large batches at regular intervals in support of farm life, and the result were table beers and saisons for work during the harvest and bières de garde <S> (loosely translated: "beers for keeping") to survive the winters. <S> Abbey ales are not as varied as they initially appear. <S> Much of the variation in beers brewed in Trappist style come from fermenting different "runnings" of the same batches of wort (unfermented beer); to summarize very briefly, the strength is dependent upon the sugar content which is dependent on how many times the mashed malt has been "rinsed". <S> See Wikipedia's page on lautering for more details. <S> Belgian and English brewing are actually not very dissimilar from a historical perspective, and there was quite a bit of overlap in technique between English, Belgian, and Flandrian brewers. <S> The differences in style we perceive now (e.g. IPAs vs Flemish sours) evolved by regional taste preferences from common roots: malt-forward beers (which were originally quite sour) using the low alpha acid noble hops which thrived on the continent. <S> Consider the similarities in taste and composition between an ESB and a dubbel. <S> In addition to the above referenced works, a quick read through the history section of Jeff Sparrow's Wild Brews should answer any remaining questions you might have about the history of Franco-Belgian beer. <A> Brewing in monasteries did a lot to keep brewing more of a passion thing than big business. <S> It stopped adjunct malts from showing up in the brews and watering them down. <S> By the time worldwide distribution became a thing their own styles had been engrained for so long that high quality beer had become a tradition that nobody was willing to leave behind. <S> Sure there are some crappy beers like Stella Artois, but the vast majority of Belgian beer is awesome stuff like Chimay, Corsendonk or Rochefort now. <S> There's also a pretty big culture there of pairing beer with food and even cooking with beer. <S> Its just deeply engrained in every day life for them, not just as a way to get drunk and be merry but of simply enjoying your breakfast. <A> Trappist Monks sold beer to support the monasteries. <S> There is no order for the monks to abstain from alcoholso they use the money raised to support the monks and the abbey in which they live. <S> People really liked the unique flavors of the Belgium Trappist Monk's beer and it became its own style. <S> Most of the time you will see home-brewers air-lock their fermentors so wild yeast cannot spoil the beer. <A> A couple other things contribute to the Belgian beer culture: <S> They didn't have to follow the (pointlessly restrictive) Reinheitsgebot, thus allowing the use of fruit, spices, Belgian 'candi' sugar (and probably other things). <S> It is said that the wild yeasts in certain parts of Belgium make great beer. <S> Entschuldigung an Deutschland.
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The strains of yeast that have been cultivated for centuries inside the abbey walls have given the Belgian beers their unique flavors. The monks of the Trappist monasteries were largely concerned with just keeping afloat and contributing to charitable works than expanding and making huge piles of cash so their brews don't need to worry about using using malts that are too expensive or things like that.
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Is it possible to change the outcome of a beer in the fermentation stages? I am brewing a batch of Amber Ale right now and I was wondering if it would be possible to put something in with the wort while it is fermenting in order to change it's flavor. Could I add in like orange extract or something along those lines in order to get a citrus flavor in the beer? Is there anything I can do or should that have happened when I was boiling the wort in the first place? On a different note, would it be possible to raise the alcohol percentage of the beer/ make it stronger in this stage? <Q> Could I add in like orange extract or something along those lines in order to get a citrus flavor in the beer? <S> Yes; search Google for "secondary fermentation additions". <S> Is there anything I can do or should that have happened when I was boiling the wort in the first place? <S> There are flavor additions you can throw in the kettle <S> but you'll get the most bang for your buck with (SANITIZED!) <S> additions during fermentation. <S> Don't think twice about an amber ale, though; wait until you have some more experience before improvising with recipes. <S> would it be possible to raise the alcohol percentage of the beer/ <S> make it stronger in this stage Again, yes and no. <S> In theory you can add more cane sugar, but in practice it only works with yeast that are highly alcohol tolerant. <S> (Usually Belgian; highly alcohol tolerant yeast strains usually make no secret about their properties.) <S> The yeast used for an amber ale is most likely not tolerant enough to go very far outside the recipe, and beer that is too alcoholic for the recipe generally tastes pretty bad. <A> yes, not really and yes. <S> It's quite popular to add flavors, especially spices, afterfermentation. <S> Adding it during fermentation makes theend result harder to predict (especially if the CO2 scrubs outvolatile flavor compounds) but it is not uncommon to dry hop <S> whilethe beer is near the end of fermentation. <S> The only special thing to do on brew day is make sure the beer style is suitable for the spice that you want. <S> For barleywine some people will continue to add fermentables over a long time, apparently it keeps the yeast happier. <A> Ideally you'd want to add flavors in the secondary fermentation stage (aka placing your fermented beer in a brightening tank). <S> After your primary fermentation happens, you'd rack the beer into another clean container and let it set for longer. <S> This would allow any of the remaining sediment to fall out of solution and make your beer less cloudy. <S> This is a very common time to do things like "Dry hopping." <S> Where, in addition to adding hops in the wort-making-stage... <S> You take (as sterile as you can get them): hops; spices; fruit; or whatever you feel like adding - place them in a sterile cheese-cloth if they would get messy/float - <S> and then let the new mixture set until you're ready to bottle/keg. <S> @Pepi is correct. <S> Since you cannot "clean" a cinnamon stick, it is common practice <S> is to make a spice extract and place it into the beer, a little at a time, until you achieve the appropriate flavor. <S> You probably can add something during the primary fermentation; but, the chances that it would cause issues with the fermentation become much greater.
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The ideal method is to make extract of the spice, tryit in a sample of the finished beer, and add the right amount to getthe flavor level you want.
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Why are Enkel trappist beers not sold publicly? The four grades of Trappist beer are Enkel, Dubbel, Triple and Quadrupel. Dubbel and triple are most common and occasionally, we see quadrupel. Is there a history account of how the grades were called as they are? But why are Enkel not seen publicly? Is there a reason for the secrecy or is it that dubbel is too light be to call a trappist? <Q> The Dubbel/Triple/Quad designations are totally separate from the Trappist label. <S> Several of the monasteries form the International Trappist Association in order to prevent anyone who's not actually a part of the order from using the name Trappist on their products. <S> But Trappist ale isn't really a style, it's a commercial seal like "Organic". <S> Dubbel coming to use in the 1850s and Tripel (1950s) being a renamed and slightly hoppier version of what the monks used to call Superbier (1930s). <S> Quadrupel is a brand of La Trappe made at the Koningshoeven abbey, which was probably introduced some time in the 1990's. <S> Koningshoeven Also used to market a beer named Enkel, but stopped production in 2000. <S> In all cases the popularity of the beers led to imitation by other brewers which sort of turned their brand names into loose stylistic designations. <S> It'd be like if people started imitating Stone's Arrogant Bastard and started producing their own Arrogant ale. <A> The dubbel/tripel classifications come from the process of parti-gyle brewing : tripels come from the extremely high gravity (~1.080 gravity) <S> first runnings of the wort from the lauter tun to boil pot; dubbels come from the slightly lower (~1.060 gravity) second runnings. <S> The term "enkel" does not figure into Stan Hieronymus's Brew Like a Monk , but according to the Wikipedia article on "Trappist beer" : <S> Enkel, meaning "single", is a term formerly used by the Trappist breweries to describe the basic recipe of their beers. <S> This makes sense, considering the classifications "dubbel" and "tripel" simply refer to different stages of brewing one recipe. <S> Also worth noting is that the "quadrupel" is not a traditional Trappist beer designation. <A> Enkel means 'single', meaning it is the strength of beer made by the abbey without doing anything extra to it. <S> Several (most? <S> all?) <S> of the Trappist abbeys sell a beer the ~6% range, dubbel and tripel, are stronger, but not double or triple alcohol content. <S> I can only speculate as to whether anything is doubled or tripled to get those styles. <S> Double or triple amounts of grain should give quite a bit higher alcohol than they actually have. <S> Any Trappists on this site to explain? <A> Indeed to confirm what others have said above, it is my understanding that the enkel or single bier was consumed by the monks, to prevent them from getting drunk all the time because it was weak bier, but they sold the stronger biers (dubbel, tripel etc...) to make money. <S> Which is also why you don't see enkel biers in stores today.
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Both Dubbel and Tripel originated as names of specific beers brewed by Trappists at the Westmalle abbey. The Trappists are an official Catholic religious order that follow the rules of St. Benedict, one of which states " for then are they monks in truth, if they live by the work of their hands" . The monasteries all make goods, most commonly beer and cheese, that they sell in order to fund themselves. The name 'Enkel' simply isn't used anymore.
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What beer is really bitter, but has a fantastic aftertaste? A beer where you take a sip, and you think, "Oh my, that is weird! But I'll have another sip because it tastes good now", kind of beer? <Q> For really bitter, a double/imperial IPA is the way to go. <S> For the big bitter hop flavors, check out some of these: Stone Ruination IPA, Port Mongo IPA, Russian River Pliny the Elder, Lagunitas (pretty much any of their hoppy beers), Southern Tier 2XIPA, Cigar City Jai Alai. <S> Many more to choose from depending on your location. <S> Maine Beer Company and Kane Brewing are two of my favorite small breweries on the east coast. <S> A great start into the world of sours would be the Oud Bruins -> Monks Flemish Sour Ale, Rodenbach Grand Cru, or Liefman's Goudenband. <S> These will run your a little more $$ but are super refreshing and really great to sip on. <S> They open up and change flavor that longer you leave them out. <S> Cheers. <A> There are examples of sour beers where the brewery will suggest taking several sips to get over the initial shock of sourness, so your palette can adjust, allowing you to taste the other flavors. <S> Such beers may or not be bitter (from hops). <S> In the case of bitterness from hops, I think it takes more than a few sips to desensitize yourself, but maybe that's just me. <A> Try Lagunitas Hop Stupid. <S> Great bitter beer. <A> Try Lagunitas Sucks! <S> It's my favorite hoppy beer! <A> In SriLanka lions lager is the most bitter beer <A> How about a beer with German Tradition in it. <S> IT is called "Tannenzäpfe" which translates to a small pinecone from a fir
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As Pepi mentioned, sour beers are certainly very interesting.
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Is there a widely-accepted procedure for saying one beer is definitively "better" than another? I am just mesmerized to see the microbrewery revolution take off and I have visited a couple of breweries here in San Diego. I really find that there is a distinct taste to the beers as opposed to walking into a store and buying. I know that brewery beers are distinctively better, but how do you theoretically prove that Beer A is better than Beer B. Is there any checklist to compare beers with each other? It may sound like a very basic question but there has to be a way to tell a good beer from a bad one, right? <Q> I'd believe that. <S> Beer from a brewery's tap is likely incredibly fresh, which most people would agree for most styles is better. <S> Especially with <S> how popular hoppy beers are in the San Diego scene, hops fade quickly... <S> fresher will be way more aromatic. <S> The beer you buy in the store may have been filtered or pasteurized, has been bottled and then sat in a warehouse for a while before being trucked around the county and then sitting on a shelf for a while before you hauled it back home. <S> However, is there an objective way to express <S> "Fresher is better"? <S> Dunno, probably not. <S> You could run lab analysis and try to point at alpha and beta acid numbers, volatile organic oils or something...but it almost seems like trying to cobble together a theory after having made the conclusions already. <S> The BJCP was mentioned in another answer. <S> What BJCP is, is an attempt to apply objective qualitative judgment to taste, which is inherently subjective, by asking folks to compare what they're sensing to an ideal example. <S> Basically "How closely does this beer I'm tasting now adhere to description of the style of beer <S> it's supposed to be? <S> " <S> They'll generally look at Head: color, density, how long it lasts. <S> Aroma: <S> malty? <S> hoppy? <S> spicy? <S> grassy? <S> sulphury? <S> Visual: color, clarity <S> Feel: <S> thickness on the tongue, fizziness, acidity... Taste: <S> malty, hoppy, spicy... balanced? <S> What you <S> COULD theoretically do is drink the beer at the brewery, and then describe as if it was a BJCP description, then drink the beer from the store and grade it according to how close it resembles the brewery beer in those categories. <S> Outside of that, everything is subjective. <S> What you feel like drinking, right now. <S> The beer best suited to the weather will change with each season, beers best suited to the evening <S> will change with what you're having for dinner. <S> Hell, if you happen to be playing Skyrim maybe the beer with the dragon on the label will be better than anything else regardless what it tastes like. <A> While there is no current objective assessment of beer other than IBU <S> /abv you can take classes to become a subjective judge of the major traits: nose/head/appearance/taste/finish. <S> Classes are available via a simple google search that will return results like this: http://www.bjcp.org/index.php <A> The philosophy of beer . <S> Heh. <S> I'll give you two answers: 1) <S> There is no way to determine that a beer is objectively better than another beer. <S> Why? <S> Because taste in beer is subjective. <S> What may be an awful beer for an aficionado, may be a great beer for someone else. <S> So, is it really true that [x] is a better beer than [y] if person [c] can like [y] better than [ <S> x]? <S> 2) <S> There is a way to determine beers that are subjectively better than another. <S> Check out beeradvocate.com which has a mass of users rating beers in all walks of styles on different criteria. <S> The result is an eerily accurate rating system which gives an incredibly good idea of how much you'll enjoy a beer in reference to another. <S> In other words, they've done exactly what you're suggesting.
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What it really sounds like you're getting at is that the beer you drink at a brewery is better than the beer you buy off the shelf at a store.
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Where to buy "Grimbergen" in Canada I've spent much time in Ottawa and Halifax, and have yet to find a consistent source of this nectar of the gods.Locations Found: Liquor Store in Whistler, BC LCBO in Trainyards, Ottawa Greek Restaurant in Downtown Ottawa Brussels. Anyone know where to find it? <Q> This may not help you in Quebec, but if a product can be found in an LCBO somewhere in Ontario, you should be able to order that product at any LCBO in Ontario. <A> God & Beer partnership gives abbey much needed cash,, they've brought their suds to Toronto Lads.. <A> Here is the address of the one I go: Dépanneur Paul50 Avenue des PinsMontréal, <S> QC H2W 1N5 <A> Toronto - Town Crier Pub (John and Adelaide) <A> I find it so weird that there is no consistent rules as to why some varieties of beer and ales are so difficult to obtain in Canada. <S> Regulations change even between the provinces. <S> It seems so strange that in BC there is a regular list of products sold in liquor stores as well as a restricted list for restaurants and a specialty list where one can buy products providing one buys the whole box. <S> Some private liquor store may allow you to buy a six-pack if it is permitted to be sold within a particular province. <S> One can also order it online using the same criteria. <S> Here is an example for Alberta. <S> If you are fortunate enough to be able to cross the border you will have little trouble finding Grimbergen in the US. <S> Normally would pay duty upon returning to Canada, but in my experience here in BC is that if your bottle of wine is valued less than $10.00 or you are bringing back only a six-pack of beer or cider, you will not pay anything. <S> I always declare my purchases and have yet to pay any duty.
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Well there is some small convenient store in Montreal that you can buy some Toronto - Bier Markt (various locations) You need to ask and find out if the province carries Grimbergen.
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Growler fillups in San Jose/South Bay Area So I just recently got a growler and so far so great. The only problem I am having is finding places where I can fill up. Does anyone have any recommendations as to location in the San Francisco Bay area (South Bay would be great). There seems to be surprisingly little, easy to find information on the internet about this. <Q> It's not quite the South Bay but close. <S> I've seen them fill growlers that do not have their name on them. <S> Steelhead Brewing Company <S> 333 California Dr Burlingame, CA 94010 <S> United States <S> If you like IPAs or APAs, the Bombay Bomber and the Double Play are worth a try. <A> Thus if you buy a Growler from ISO Beers, they will not fill it at Original Gravity 2 blocks away (both very decent places). <S> It is just not good business - they want you to come in and pay premium on their single draft beers. <S> So if you want to take some to go they want to at least win your loyalty by giving you discount on Growler fill, but make sure you come back to their brewery. <A> My favorite place to fill up a growler is Hopdogma near Half Moon Bay. <S> It's worth the drive up from San Jose or down from San Francisco on a beautiful day. <S> You can see the ocean from the bar as well <S> and it's a great place to have a pint!
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Most places (generally everywhere and certainly in Bay Area) allow only their own growlers to be filled with their beer.
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Is there an example of the Trappist style that's considered the best of the style? I read in a blog post a few months ago that Westvleteren 12 is considered one of the, if not the, best example of a Trappist. I had one shortly after and it was a very, very good beer, although I don't know if it was so different from other similar versions (i.e. Rochefort 10) that I'd feel comfortable calling it 'the best'. That said, I wonder if there's any particular Trappist that's normally considered the best of the style? <Q> "Trappist" isn't so much a style as it is a commercial label. <S> Something like "Organic" or "Kosher" that comes with a set of regulated conditions that product was produced under. <S> Per wikipedia , to be able to be labelled a Trappist beer: <S> The beer must be brewed within the walls of a Trappist monastery, either by the monks themselves or under their supervision. <S> The brewery must be of secondary importance within the monastery and it should witness to the business practices proper to a monastic way of life <S> The brewery is not intended to be a profit-making venture. <S> The income covers the living expenses of the monks and the maintenance of the buildings and grounds. <S> Whatever remains is donated to charity for social work and to help persons in need. <S> Trappist breweries are constantly monitored to assure the irreproachable quality of their beers. <S> A lot of those monasteries also make lighter or hoppy beers. <S> Engelszell even uses honey in their beers, so there's a pretty significant variety when it comes to what you can call "Trappist". <S> But if we're talking the classic dark Belgian-y abbey ale. <S> According to the Beer Advocate ratings, the top Trappist-produced beers are: Westvleteren 12 Rochefort 10 Chimay Cinq Cents <S> Achel Extra Blond Rochefort 8 <S> Through user rankings. <S> The Brothers that run the site give Rochefort 8 a higher rank than 10, which I agree with, and give both Rochefort's a higher rating than Westy 12. <S> So I guess the answer is that somewhere between Westvleteren 12, the Rochefort 8 and 10, and Chimay is the best Trappist beer. <S> But even in the top 5 here there's some variation since Chimay and Achel are blondes, and Rochefort 8 is a fair lower ABV than the other 3. <S> With the styles being so wide, the real answer is probably whichever one you like drinking the most. <S> Though really, Rochefort 8 forever. <A> Here in Belgium where the majority of 'true' (certificated "Authentic Trappist Product") <S> Trappist breweries are located (6 out of 11), the common answer is the almost mythical Westvleteren 12. <S> It is notoriously hard to acquire. <S> One has to register by phone to get a date and hour. <S> You can only reserve 2 crates (42 euros each) and this at most once every 60 days per phone number and car. <S> I drank it once and it was very very good. <S> I however like blonde beers more and prefer Orval, which has the additional benefit of actually being readily available. <A> As said, Trappist isn't a style but something like a certificate of origin and, let's say, quality standards. <S> That put aside, it can be anything. <S> Belgians themselves don't give a damn about style definitions actually. <S> They only follow their traditions (from the region where they live, their monastery, their community, whatever). <S> So, you are going to find beers varying from very shinning blonde to dark/ruby and thick ones that almost resembles a wine, which is the case of Westvleteren 12 , that one being the myth it is because it is not sold (at least officially) outside the monastery, and one is supposed to schedule and go pick it up personally with an amount limit, and everything. <S> Off course, although I'm sure it is a really good beer <S> (I've never had it), all that difficulty to get it undeniably contributes to its fame. <S> I find Rochefort 10 (a belgian dark strong ale as Westvleteren 12 ) <S> one of (if not the) best, certainly my very favorite on the list, but on the other end of the flavor range, Achel 10 (a strong golden ale) is my favorite blonde/pale trappist as well. <S> La Trappe , which is the biggest trappist brewery, has at least twice the labels other breweries have, and is widely available on market, still has very good beers. <S> So, the short answer is: trappist is not a style, and there's no such thing as the best one. <S> Even nowadays, with some new-age trappist beers popping up, there aren't still so many out there, so tasting all trappist beers is pretty feasible in short time (except for Westvleteren, off course). <A>
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The Westvleteren 12 is rated best beer in the world according ratebeer It all depends on what you like, so, taste all them.
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Why cork a beer? I have seen a lot of beers that have been corked and I can't really understand what the significance is. When I tried to look it up, most of what I found is just related to how to properly store corked beer and similar means, but nothing really answering my question. I am trying to figure out what corking a beer actually does to it and if there are any real benefits. Is it simply a style choice or is it there for a reason like it is for wine bottles? Does it actually have an effect on the beer's taste, quality, etc? <Q> The likely answer is somewhere between carbonation pressure and marketing. <S> It's hard to find numbers for how much caps can handle vs corks <S> but you should notice that most corked beers also come in bottles with very thick glass <S> , this is because the beer inside is at a higher pressure than most other styles. <S> Most beer styles will fall pretty close to 2.0 or 2.5 volumes of CO2 (just the term, think of the number as a relative baseline), but a lot of Belgian strong beers like Bierre de Garde or Tripel will be carbonated with 3.3+ volumes. <S> Lambics and other sour beers can go up to 4.5 volumes. <S> This is a linear scale so that becomes possibly twice as much pressure as a normal bottle... <S> so yeah, thicker glass. <S> At such high pressure you might find corks will stay put more reliably than a cap since it has more surface area in contact with the bottle. <S> It also might provide a more airtight seal than a cap for long-term aging. <S> Those would be technical considerations. <S> Corking also predated capping so there's also a very traditional feel about a bottle with a cork and a cage, which can fit into the traditional image a lot of breweries market themselves using. <S> I say I'm not sure <S> and it could just be marketing because a lot of Wheat styles like German Wheats, Belgian Wits, etc are fairly highly carbonated (near the 3.3 volumes range) <S> but most of them have no problems being capped. <S> As to the affect on taste? <S> Nada, apart from hypothetical aging concerns...unless mistreated you should not taste the cork. <A> A cap is not going to fly off a bottle unless it is not properly seated, no matter the carbonation. <S> It is crimped onto the bottle. <S> The bottle will first explode. <S> It is also incorrect that a cork is necessary for higher carbonated beers. <S> Many of the styles identified at higher carbonation volumes also come in capped bottles (particularly 375ml bottles). <S> That is the primary technical difference between the two. <S> The primary reasons for corking beer today is marketing. <S> In some areas where corked bottles were traditionally used for bottling it was easier to get champagne bottles or similar bottles that could support carbonation and corking became a matter of convenience as it was cheaper to source bottles locally. <S> However, now it is just a matter of marketing the product. <S> All other corked bottles went into large format, corked bottles to make them look like a classier product than a six pack and legitimize higher prices in the customers' eyes. <S> That is true for the beers you find on the market today in almost all cases. <S> Very few beers go into corked bottles because the brewer truly believes it is necessary for the long term quality of the beer in a way that a cap or a cap plus wax would not provide. <A> I visited the brewery of West-Malle, Belgium recently. <S> The bottles of 75 cl have a cork instead of a cap, and it's just because of marketing.
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Corks do provide a better seal that slows the flow of air into the beer so those bottles will age more slowly than bottles with caps.
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Why does draught (draft) beer cause hangovers? Why is draught (draft) beer known to cause more hangovers than bottled beer? <Q> Draft beer does not give you a hangover, headache, or any kind of sickness just because it is a draft beer. <A> Because you end up drinking more of it <S> ;-) <A> Any alcoholic drink will cause a hangouver if you drink too much. <S> Bottled beer and draft beer are basically the same product, they should produce the same hangover. <S> But it's easier to drink too much of draft beer as they are typically served in larger volumes. <S> The exception are darker beverages (like wine and cognac), they produce worse hangovers because part of their alcohol is in worser forms to your body then ethanol. <S> I am not aware of any beer containing it. <A> Headaches from draft beer could be caused by a sensitivity to tyramine. <S> People with this food and beverage allergy should be aware of the consequences of what happens when consuming foods high in tyramine. <S> HealthLine explains why you may have to say no to draft beer: http://www.healthline.com/health/tyramine-free-diets
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If you’ve ever felt sick after drinking draft beer, you either: Had too much Drank from a dirty tap.
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What is a good beer for starters, or people who don't typically enjoy the taste of beer? Asking as a beer lover, my roommate does not enjoy most beers, nor does my fiancé. I have nobody to share my enjoyment and taste testing with. What is a good beer that I can get them started out on to maybe get them to eventually appreciate the taste of beer ? They enjoy sweeter flavors, whereas I enjoy more bitter flavors. My roommate recently started drinking Angry Orchards and will occasionally drink a Blue Moon Cinnamon Horchata Ale, so he is starting to appreciate the taste more, but my fiancé just has not found her favorite yet. She says that she didn't mind Dos Equis as much as others, but still didn't really like it. Is there a beer that is good for starters that is not overwhelmingly "beery"? <Q> I would recommend starting with a draft Hefeweizen or Belgian Wheat, or a fruit flavored mead such as a blackberry or passion-fruit mead. <S> I would also recommend pairing the beer with a good meal so the experience is not centered around the beer, the beer is instead an accent to the experience. <A> This largely depends on the person's tastes, but in general one that tastes good . <S> etc (no introduction to beer at all, and likely a big reason why they don't like it). <S> The predominant character of these beers is that they're bitter and flavorless, so if that's what people don't like: move in the opposite direction. <S> When I got my girlfriend into beer I introduced her to particulars like 'St. Ambroise Apricot Ale' and a 'Fruli'. <S> She had no idea that fruity, sweet beers like this existed, and after trying enough of them she became more of a beer person. <S> You might find they can jump to a complex and heavy beer quickly, but for most people they have to move gradually into this realm. <A> If you are trying to get a person who does not like beer to try beer, you are going to have to be creative and go for something a little more exotic. <S> Young's Double Chocolate Stout or Rogue's Chocolate Stout would be my first two choices. <S> My partner dislikes American beer, but really likes these two brands. <S> In addition to Chocolate Stout, Rogue also has Pumpkin-flavor, Hazelnut-flavor, and Voodoo "Lemon Chiffon" Donut-flavor beer (and many others). <S> When my partner's first two choices are not available, we go fruity. <S> Pyramid Brewery makes an absolutely delicious apricot ale. <S> We were in a little brewery in Hannover and they had the best banana-flavored beer in the entire world. <S> Now I know you are not going to be able to get this, but you might be able to find some banana bread beer in the USA instead. <S> I have not tried this brand, but if it is anything like the beer in Hannover, your friends will probably like it. <S> (source: drizly.com ) <A> There is a variant of stout available in the UK known as Sweet Stout. <S> There is a version made by Sam Smith of Tadcaster in England who export to the US as Samuel Smiths Organic Chocolate Stout. <S> The beer actually has organic cocao mixed in the brew. <S> It may well suit the tastes of someone moving into beer. <A> I would choose a wheat beer for start, mainly because thats what got me started in the "real" beer world (with Erdinger and then Paulaner to be more precise). <S> Mostly because they are not too bitter or complex, I find then accessible even to non-beer people, and they are still clearly beers, while many fruit beers (kriek for example) are so centered around the fruit that the beer part can almost be ignored. <A> This might sound heretical to the true aficionados, but why not try a „Bananenweizen“, which is a Hefeweizen (.5l), to which you add about .1l of banana juice. <S> It’s refreshing, not too sweet, and might be a good starting point. <S> Albeit being a purist, and preferring more bitter flavours (eg. <S> Jever), I still enjoy this drink from time to time. <A> This is a highly subjective question. <S> It depends on the types of food they eat and what their preferences are taste wise. <S> Ask them which notes within beer they find unappealing and what makes them cringe. <S> My wife hated beer because of the carbonation and forever nobody asked why they just suggested beers that she subsequently hated. <S> Eventually I asked her why she explained <S> so I went out and got an Allagash four <S> and she loved it. <S> It is entirely subjective though and you will need to find the flavors she likes then tailor your approach around that. <S> Hope this helps! <A> A faro , a lambic with added sugar, is sweet but not fruity. <S> I find them enjoyable once in a while. <A> My wife will try a beer mixed as a shandy e.g Badger brewery's Tanglefoot 1:1 with lemonade. <S> This can take the hoppy edge off "beery" beers. <S> Mort Subite or Kriek fruit beers are also a hit <A> When I look at all the answers previously given, the common denominator seems to be: start with the least “beery” tasting beer. <S> “Bitterness” and “hoppines” are two of the most easily identifiable beer characteristics. <S> Keeping that in mind, trying one of the multitude of flavoured beers that are now common is likely the safest route to take. <S> (I make beer and can get a reasonable cerveza-like flavour by adding cloves and allspice at the primary fermentation of a light lager or wheat beer). <S> Corona Extra and Dos Equis are two popular and seemingly inoffensive brands. <S> Another popular favourite of mine that I can get non-beer drinkers to appreciate is Innes & Gunn original. <S> It is a Scotch beer with hints of toasted oak, caramel, vanilla and whisky flavours.
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So in general spiced or sweet beers are usually a good direction to go, but it also depends on the person's tastes. In my experience, most men I know are already beer drinkers, and most women I know have only been exposed to beer in the form of generics like Canadian, Bud, Coors Light.. For most North Americans any cerveza (which will likely come from Mexico) is a sneaky place to start as they seem to be flavoured without being labelled as such.
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What other beer brands began as fictional but eventually became real? Duff is the only one of which I am aware. I know there are Game of Thrones inspired brews, but are there any others that originated from works of fiction? <Q> According to the Beer Advocate website , Romulan Ale from Star Trek is brewed by Cervecería Centro Americana in South Africa. <S> A search in Google Images will produce several images of the bottles. <S> I have included a link to one image. <S> Romulan Ale <A> While I'm not a fan Butterbeer from Harry Potter is apparently a thing. <S> However I don't believe it's widely available and is pretty niche by the looks of it. <A> Olde Frothingslosh started as a joke. <S> Not quite from a book, but possibly of interest. <S> Olde Frothingslosh Pale Stale Ale <A> Discworld Ales have a range of drinks inspired by the Terry Pratchett novels! <S> I've not tasted any myself <S> but they were well received as a gift. <A> Duff Beer " <S> Duff Beer is a brand of beer that originally started as a fictional beverage on the animated series The Simpsons. <S> Since then it has become a real brand of beer in a number of countries without permission or consent from its original creator, Matt Groening, and has resulted in legal battles with varying results. <S> An official version of the beer is sold in three variations near The Simpsons Ride at Universal Studios." <S> - Duff Beer (Wikipedia) <A> Dagschotel In Belgium, there's a tv-show that's been running for 20 years. <S> One of the characters always orders a "dagschotel" (french: plat du jour, english: <S> the dish of the day) when he orders a glass of beer. <S> A few weeks ago, some brewery makes bottles of Dagschotel. <A> In Germany there is a famous comic book beer called Bölkstoff .They <S> also began producing it <S> but nowadays it's rare, but you can get it online. <S> There are films about Werner where he drinks this specific beer. <S> Rötger Feldmann is the author of these comic books and films. <S> You can find info here and here much more on the German wikipedia page. <S> If you have further questions about the films or the beer, feel free to ask. <A> There is also a BreakingBad based beer that you can find here <S> He is seen bottling the beer in Breakage, the fifth episode of season 2. <S> He offers a six-pack of the beer as a prize in a fundraiser in ABQ, the thirteenth episode of season 2.
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Schraderbräu is a homebrew beer brewed by Hank Schrader.
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Would a beer still be good after being cold then hot then cold again? My main question is really, I guess - how resilient is beer? I have some beer in my refrigerator that was cold when I bought it. I couldn't bring it home quickly due to having to visit my fiancee's grandmother in the hospital (short notice). It got pretty warm sitting out in the car and I have it refrigerated again. My roommate took one out to drink it, but fell asleep before he opened it - therefore, it got warm (room temperature) again. If I were to put it back in the refrigerator a third time, would the beer still be safe to drink? Would there be any quality loss? <Q> During the brewing and distribution process beer is exposed to a wide range of tempretures numerious times. <S> Some specialst beers may include "adjuncts" or additional ingredients(fruit, honey etc...) <S> that may be effect quality with a tempreture range (none spring to mind).However normal beer made with malt, hops & water should be fine. <S> Exposure to sunlight is more likely to affect beer than temperature. <A> It would be safe to drink, in the sense of it would not cause any harm to you. <S> Beer is very resistant to heat, it will preffer to be stored in a cold location, but will probably not go bad at room temperature for extended periods of time. <S> What really spoil it is is UV light. <S> But everything changes when the beer is opened, it should then be drinked on the spot, because it will soon loose all its CO2 and start oxidizing, making it terrible and probably hazardous. <A> Heat energy is produced by catalytic components at variable rates during the brewing process. <S> The outcome is pretty stable. <S> and delicious.
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Reaction to O2, full spectrum uv light, and cigarette butts from drunken friends would affect beer faster. There should be no reason why beer would lose any quality from being left out at room tempreture then being re-cooled.
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In Germany, Out of pale ale As a person of good beer taste, I have moved to Germany and to my horror I discovered, nobody here considers Indian Pale Ale to be beer. Having looked intensively for Indian Pale Ale for several years now, I only found it in one bar that has it occationally and one "Späti" (Liquor/Tobaco store). Am I missing something? Do Germans have some alternative to Indian Pale Ale or are they a lost nation missing out on imho. one of the best beer types in the world? They have things here like Bock, Doppelbock and other strange things I never heard of. Are any of these similar in taste to Indian Pale Ale? <Q> Generally speaking, Indian Pale Ale is not a type of beer you would typically find in Germany, and, as you hinted at, many Germans do not even know IPA. <S> Furthermore, at least to my knowledge, none of the different styles prevalent in Germany (basically, bock and doppelbock are just beers with higher alcohol content and gravity) <S> is a real alternative to IPA. <S> BUT! <S> over the last few years, there definitely was progress, and some small breweries startet producing IPA (see, for example, Schoppebraeu (Berlin)). <S> In addition, there are some small marketers that have IPA's in their range of products (see, for example, <S> Braufaktum with many points of sale in Germany and, especially, in Berlin). <A> It doesn't help you today, but Stone Brewing Company is opening a brewery in Berlin later this year or early next year. <S> They make plenty of IPAs. <S> http://www.stonebrewing.com/news/140719/ <A> You may find a few microbreweries making IPAs there, but I have no idea how restrict are their distribution. <S> Hans Müller Sommelierbier's Ale-Mania's Crew Republic <S> As an advice: give german styles a chance too. <S> In general, they're much less extreme than american ones, and definitely not hop-forward, but they have their own beauty. <S> They're delicate, balanced and diverse. <S> If you really like beer, explore as much as you can. <S> You're probably going to find something that pleases you. <S> ;) <A> I had the same impression in my first time in Germany, its a nation of good beers, but (maybe thanks to their old purity law), they are very closed on their own styles. <S> I could say the same from Czech Republic. <S> Both nations make the best beers in the world in their main schools, but limited on other genres. <S> And both mostly produce lagers.
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I never tasted a German beer simmilar to an IPA, but at least thanks to EU you can always buy something from England or Belgium Off course, if you're a hophead, your best bet is to wait for Stone to kick-off their production and distribution there.
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Broadening my horizons (Ale recommendations in South West UK) I would like the other beer enthusiasts to suggest some new ales for me to try. I enjoy all Bath Ales and Box Steam Brewery; I'm more a fan of a bitter and less so of pale ales. Can you advise of any brands of a similar or superior quality I might try? (In the South West of the UK). The cheaper end of the scale (Spitfire, speckled hen) doesn't interest me. Many thanks in advance. <Q> Also Abbey Ales are the only ales actually brewed in Bath, not to say that Bath Ales aren't great, but this is real Bath ale! <S> Depending how far SW you go, Exeter Brewery's Avocet Ale is a nice drop that you can have a really good session with. <S> Hope this helps! <A> Have you tried Wickwar Brewery ? <S> If you like darker beers, the Station Porter is one of the best I have ever tasted. <S> It's got a great brewery shop and well worth a visit. <A> If you're really willing to push your own limits, try The Wild 's sour/wild beers. <S> I became aware of them last year completely by accident, in a trip to UK, and loved their Modus Operandi beer. <S> I also had another very light pale sour wich wasn't remarkable compared to the first one, but fairly ok. <S> (I guess it probably should have had more time in the bottle to develop and reach its full potential). <S> Sours beers are not for everyone, and the common first reaction to them is negative. <S> But, if one get over that first shocking experience, go on and try it again, people usually fall in love with it. <S> They are called Wild because they use in their fermentation process, in addition to possible other yeasts, brettanomyces yeast, also known as wild yeast, a different species, found in some kinds of wine and belgians beers (lambics, flanders red), which gives very rustic but complex and delightful aromas to the beer. <S> It doesn't actually makes a beer sour (it actually produces a very small amount of acid only), but "wild" beers usually have other types of what is called bugs (bacteria and other fungi) in it, which does leave a lot of acid to the final beer, making it sour. <S> They also have regular beers (IPA, Saison, Pale Ale), and they're almost always creative and daring on their recipes. <S> I guess, whether you like it or not, all their beers are worth a try, because those guys seem to take brewing very seriously and you can expect nothing less than quality stuff. <S> I wish I was still there to taste all their beers. <S> And a bonus: they're from Evercreech, soutwest. <S> ;) <S> Look it up at their site and see what they've got. <A> Not a great answer since I have no specifics for you. <S> Going out to local bars and stores selling beer and shopping around can find you stuff, but it's expensive. <S> Though if you're lucky someone might be at one of these places to help you. <S> Another avenue might be to use something like beeradvocate.com, ratebeer.com or untappd.com to get recommendations based on how you rate beers you've had but these are only as good as other user's ratings... <S> They may miss a lot of small or new brands and might not necessarily recommend beers you can actually find near you. <A> I am pleased to add a pint that I enjoyed particularly: Firefly Bitter is an excellent 3.7% amber ale produced by Hanlons Brewery in the county of Devon. <S> Further, why not to try those of St. Austell from Cornwall?
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If you're in the South West, then it's definitely worth checking out Otter Brewery (a really good range with a cracking bitter).
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Does Fuller's Golden Pride age well? Has any of you guys ever aged Fuller's Golden Pride? Does it age well? How was your experience with it? To be honest I don't remember the beer so that well, and whether it has a good level of melanoidins and residual sugar worth to age. This beer is quite different from other english barley wines, known to age well, so if someone has ever done it, I would appreciate some advice. Thanks. <Q> I have not aged one yet (they only arrived in my country a month ago!), but I am sure it should age well. <S> Due to the higher ABV it should develop some fruity aromas and flavours, maybe even go into the sherry-like arena. <S> Certain beers age amazingly well in the beginning, but then go sideways after year 5, others you can leave for ages! <A> Answering myself. <S> I didn't remember the beer very well as of the time I posted the question, and now I've had it again. <S> I turns out this beer is actually an english barleywine, even mentioned by BJCP style-guide as an example of the style. <S> And, as so, it's (very) well-suited for aging, considering its high ABV, melanoidins and beta acids levels (english hops are high in beta acids, which age well, in opposition to popular most popular american hops). <S> I'll get some bottles for my cellar. <A> The above picture is actually from my aged beer that I cracked open tonight. <S> I purchased this particular beer from Lakenheath, England in September 2014. <S> It has little carbonation, as do most English Ales.
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The beer is very much well-aged and has hints of sherry within. If you do age them, age them properly (cold/cool and in the dark) and try one every year.
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What beer is ok to drink not-cold or room temperature (for camping) As in title, I'm going camping with some buddies soon and we're planning on bringing far more beer than we have space for in a cooler. What kinds of beer are palatable to drink (or good even) when at room temperature or even slightly warm? <Q> Somewhat related: <S> What temperature should I serve my beer? <S> In short, beers don't need to be served as cold as many are led to believe, and darker beers tend to be meant to serve warmer (as warm as 55°F). <S> You certainly don't want to drink warm Coors, so maybe bring along some stouts. <S> In case there isn't a stream around to do what @user23614 suggests, bring some newspapers. <S> Wet a sheet of newspaper and wrap the bottle with a single layer. <S> Leave the bottle somewhere the breeze can blow on it, until most of the water evaporates. <S> This is probably a common camping trick, but I first saw Moroccans in the Sahara Desert do this to chill a bottle of wine. <A> Short answer: <S> no beer that has color-changing mountains on the side should be served warm, otherwise you'll taste it. <S> Long answer: <S> First, ales are traditional served warmer than pilseners, so start your selection there. <S> Second consideration is sweet/bitter balance. <S> Sweetness generally becomes stronger with warmer beer. <S> At the same time, styles that are meant to be sweet are usually served at/close to room temp: barleywines, or anything imperial/double/doppel/strong. <S> Bonus: you won't have to carry as much. <S> Third: can you get it in a can? <S> Cleaning up that campsite will be so much easier the next morning... <A> My first temptation is to say none. <S> However there are two mitigation strategies to this dilemma. <S> The first is mulled beer, you need a light IPA, a saucepan, cinnamon and star anise. <S> Put the beer in the pan, add the spices and heat. <S> The second strategy, and one I've used, is camp near a stream. <S> Store the beer in the stream in a net bag or similar. <S> Any beer works in this situation and it will cool the beer to a drinking temperature. <A> At room temperature the flavour of the beer starts to intensify, some people would say it gets more bitter. <S> I tried something that worked: there are beers like Kingfisher Light that have pretty good carbonation content. <S> So even at room temperature you get a good time. <S> You can try any other beer that has strong carbonation and little mild in flavour. <A> A friend of mine used to be barman in an old pub in Dublin. <S> He said the old boys would get him to microwave the cold Guinness up to room temperature. <S> Additionally, non draught Guinness such as the old export strength stuff wadcdrunk at room temperature <A> Always have. <S> I ask my local bar tender to pull a bucket 1/2 hour before I come in and keep it out. <S> (I call ahead and tip well) but always drink the bucket. <S> If not, give the beers away <S> so he doesn't re chill them and ruin them. <S> Is this strange? <A> Beer is best to be drank at the temperature of 10C, but there are no real testing done on beer at room temp. <S> You must do it yourself. <S> It is pretty hard job to do LOL.
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I like all light beers at room temperature. Something with a bit of sour would probably hold up well when warm.
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Beers that are popular but hyper-localized I grew up near Baltimore, Maryland (USA), and spent a few years living in the city. One very popular beer in Baltimore is National Bohemian ("Natty Boh" in local parlance). You can see the beer's one-eyed mascot, Mr. Boh, all over the city. Apparently more than half a million cases of Natty Boh are sold in the city of Baltimore each year, which seems pretty high for a city with population 620,000. One thing that I've found very odd is that outside of the small state of Maryland, you really can't find the beer at all, and 90% of the beer's sales are within the city of Baltimore . Thus, while the beer is reasonably popular, the interest is hyper-localized to a single city. Are there other examples of beers that have high sales volume but are hyper-localized, or are Baltimore and Natty Boh unique in this respect? Is there some sort of economic or marketing phenomenon behind hyper-localized popularity of a high-volume beer? <Q> The kings beer sold in the goan state of India. <S> Super popular, but only available within the state. <S> Granted, it's a state vs a city but its a really small state. <A> You will have to ask the brewery if they even try to advertise or ship their product anywhere outside of Maryland. <S> If the brewery is limiting it's availability (for whatever reason) <S> then that would be your answer. <A> Great Lakes Brewing Company located in Cleveland, OH has a lot of great beers! <S> To be honest I don't leave the state too often, but I believe it's an Ohio thing. <S> Like I said, I don't leave my bubble very often, so I can't tell you how hyper-localized these are. <A> Most of the long running local brands have been acquired by the conglomerates and continue to operate and distribute in a limited range, as there is little to no financial motive to further the distribution of these brands. <A> Same here in Germany, in the 70s and 80s <S> all the local breweries were bought by bigger companies or closed down. <S> But than more and more small breweries got founded with delicious beers, hand crafted and very small amounts and miost of them (locally) very popular. <S> Others such as Rothaus in black forrest simply reached their capacity because they decided not to expand. <S> Rothuas only has 7 natural water sources and therefore cannot produce any more beer based on those.
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There is also another popular brewing company in Akron, Ohio called Thirsty Dog Brewing Company, which also makes a lot of great beers!
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How to tap beer without CO2, like the germans do? I know how to tap beer from a keg with CO2. The CO2 provides the pressure and you will get the beer. But how can germans tap their beer without using CO2? <Q> I've never seen any evidence that Germans use anything but CO2, so if you have a source that'd be cool. <S> That said, for getting beer out of the cask/keg/barrel you generally have 3 options: Pressurized gas. <S> As mentioned by the other answer this is most commonly CO2 since CO2 is produced by yeast, so if you sealed the container while yeast were still processing sugars and producing CO2, they would pressurize the container. <S> BUT there's also "beer gas" which is a mix of Nitrogen and CO2, think Guinness or Boddingtons. <S> This came into use to emulate the soft carbonation of cask/real ale/kellerbier, which leads to: Siphoning. <S> A hand pump, or beer engine, uses a siphon to "pull" the beer out of the cask and up to the tap. <S> The physics needs atmospheric pressure to be maintained inside the cask, so it's usually open to the air at the top. <S> This required a fast turnaround on casks to prevent the beer from spoiling, which is one of the reasons cask/"real" ale fell out favor. <S> Kegs simply kept longer and were more economical. <S> I think CAMRA still isn't a fan of them, but some bars use "breathers" which basically add very low pressures of CO2 to replace the volume lost by the beer, but not enough to pressurize the cask. <S> This just lets the beer last longer in the cask. <S> Gravity pouring. <S> This tends to happen most often at festivals or if a bar has a "guest cask". <S> A spout is installed in the side and beer pours out. <S> All the caveats about air spoilage from cask ale still exist here. <S> So if the bartender pulls a handle and leaves it there until the glass is full of beer, that's a pressurized gas system. <S> If the bartender has to keep pulling the handle to fill the glass and the beer has that cool "cascading" look, it was pulled by siphoning. <S> If the cask is on the bar and the bartender just opens a spigot... <S> that's a gravity pour. <S> I don't know that there are any other options...maybe an open barrel and ladling the beer out like soup? <A> There is one new "sneaky" technique, where the beer is in a bag inside the keg. <S> To create pressure, air is pumped into the area between the bag and the keg. <A> There are two usual ways to extract beer from a barrel. <S> By gravity, one places a tap a short way up from the base and you allow air into the top. <S> When you open the tap beer comes out. <S> Generally you want to drink the beer quickly in this situation as it will go off. <S> This method is commonly seen in beer exhibitions. <S> The other method is to use an overpressure of gas to push beer out. <S> The gas can be CO2, Nitrogen or air. <S> The pressure is usually generated by some form of pump. <S> For Real Ale the handpump is the device of choice forcing air onto the beer and powered by human. <S> In some places in Scotland the handpump is replaced by a water powered pump because Scots are engineers. <S> When the real ale resurrection happened in the 70s barmaids were actually warned to swap hands used to pull the pump lest they increase the muscles on one side and became lopsided as it were. <A> All beer has CO2 in it, whether or not its added artificially, even nitro pours. <S> Not sure if you mean a gravity based pull system, or maybe a nitro tap line? <S> Nitro beers use a gas mix of mostly nitrogen to some parts CO2 to give the beer a richer, creamier body and head. <A> To prevent air spoilage, create and connect an all-wood gooseneck intake pipe with a volume of 5 or 6 pints. <S> The air sitting in the 2.5-3 liter wood pipe would be fairly free of bacteria.
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Some brewers, especially home brewers, will pressurize their kegs through natural carbonation but most just push CO2 from a canister.
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What is the traditional vocabulary to describe the characteristics of beer? I know there are certain words experts use when they talk about wine. Categories of taste, colour etc. This is of course a matter of creativity and subjectivity, like describing a beer as “chocolaty” or “nutty” despite there being no chocolate or nuts in it. But is there an established vocabulary in beer-tasting? Where could I find a list of words, and a description of these properties? For beer, what are the magic words so abundantly found in wine culture? <Q> I found this pretty amazing infographic at popsci. <S> Most of them seem pretty clear, but for context reading some of the BJCP Style Descriptions might help you out. <S> But really, describe it however it tastes to you even if the word isn't commonly used in beer tasting. <S> There are some hop varieties that, to me, smell and taste like raw green onions rubbed on feet <S> so I just say that. <A> Visually you might describe the color of the brew (amber, golden, inky black, hazy, clear), the color and retention of the head, how the beer poured. <S> Aroma might be described by smell of hops (floral, citrusy, resiny, piney, etc.), or malts (caramel, toffee, smoke, chocolate, etc), or other aromas present (molasses, booze, soy sauce, oak). <S> Describing taste opens up even more potential terminology, but don't be shy to use whatever terms or comparisons best describe the flavor for you. <S> Think of tasting beer as an evolution of flavor in your mouth: describe how it hits your tongue; how the flavor builds, morphs, and leaves; and the aftertaste. <S> You might use any word you would to describe the flavors of food and more to describe beer (Sweet, salty, sour, tangy, raisins, dough, bread, bacon, spicy, herbal, etc). <S> Finally, for mouthfeel, you're looking at words describing the texture and consistency; so ones like smooth, rich, chalky, gritty, effervescent, thick, syrupy, etc., are very useful when appropriate. <A> There was a lexicon written, but it does not seem that it ever made it to the public. <S> Trained tasters have fairly similar tastes, as that is what makes them so important. <S> Thus they will know the difference between roasty, coffee, dark chocolate, cocoa, white chocolate, coffee with milk, latte. <S> The beer descriptors (I think) are a lot more down to earth. <S> (To quote CBR) If beer had a wine vocabulary, we would say simcoe is feline, as opposed to cat piss! :p <S> Listen to podcasts like Dr Homebrew, Brewing With Style and Craft Beer Radio. <S> They rate the beers, providing amazing insight to the vocabulary of a beer judge as well as the judging process.
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You judge a beer based on visual, aroma, taste, mouthfeel; and descriptive terms generally fall into these categories.
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Why do France and Italy have so much lower beer consumption than their neighbors? Consider the map of per capita beer consumption by county from Wikipedia : Zooming in on Europe, something that jumps out is that France and Italy consume much less beer than their neighbors: What has caused these two countries to be pretty much surrounded by other countries with higher beer consumption? I would imagine to some degree this is caused by replacing beer consumption with wine consumption, but what led to these regional differences in alcohol preferences? <Q> You are correct that in countries like France and Italy, beer consumption is replaced by much higher wine consumption. <S> Why? <S> Because they can. <S> It's a cultural difference that has been developed and ingrained over many centuries, back to when trade was more limited and more difficult, and Northern Europe was colder than it is today. <S> For much of that time, the climate in Southern Europe was ideal for growing grapes and producing wine, while it was simply too cold further north. <A> It is curious to note that much to the chagrin of the Lowlanders some of the earliest beer history dates from the Roman empire. <S> These types of beers did not use hops. <S> The hop beers dated from 8th century and was first developed in Germany. <S> It was not long before <S> the new technology in brewing spread to Neighboring Belgium and <S> a little while there after it jumped the channel to the British island. <S> It is was evident from a early stage in the history of brewing that these hops where only made in a handful of places in the old world and the beer culture centered around these places. <S> The Goldbach Valley in western Bohemia, near the town of Saaz, and the Mittelfrüh subregion of the Hallertau being the most famous. <S> That being said northern Italy is busy with a nice beer renascence <A> In the case of France it is more or less how is says in the accepted answer. <S> In the case of Italy they consume in general little alcohol for European standards: List of countries by alcohol consumption per capita (Wikipedia) <S> This can also be observed when there (which I am a lot). <S> Cafes are popular which do in general also serve alcohol, but in the evening it usually remains at one drink often an Aperitif (Aperol Spritz for example) or a single beer or a glass of wine. <A> In the beginning most in Western Europe drank beer,the Romans however started converting to wine. <S> It wasn't long before the idea spread that wine was somehow more sophisticated, contrary to beer, which was only drunk by Barbarians. <S> After Caesars conquest of Gaul. <S> The Gauls were quickly romanized. <S> It is clear that the romanized parts drink less beer and more wine, and the Germanic area produces more beer (+ the Belgian region which were there was a lot of germanic immigration). <S> The reason Spain produces a lot of beer is probably because the relative dryness and infertile grounds make it not ideal to grow wine (largest area of wineyards, only third in production). <A> As noted in Xander's ♦ answer , it is a cultural reason as to why both France and Italy have such a lower beer consumption than their neighbors?The answer <S> would be all too simple to say it is because they can. <S> The top wine producing countries are Italy, France followed by Spain. <S> The reason why Spain produces less wine and beer may be due to its' drier climate. <S> Spain produces about 5 billion bottles of wine annually and is actually home to the largest number of vineyards of any European country. <S> However, its vineyards are more spread out and produce smaller yields than vineyards in France or Italy due to the drier soil common in many wine-growing regions of Spain. <S> Although more than 400 varieties of grapes are grown in Spain, just 20 of those account for nearly 90% of all Spanish wine production. <S> - The 4 Countries that Produce the Most Wine Why Italy and France produces less beer and <S> yet more wine may be due to the influence of its' Catholic heritage. <S> Both France and Italy have strong roots with Catholicism and the Holy See. <S> We must keep in mind that for Catholics wine is absolutely necessary for their liturgy. <S> In fact the Vatican is at the top of the list of wine drinking nations. <S> Vatican City is at the very top of the wine-drinking league with an average resident consuming an impressive 54.26 liters a year. <S> Although it may seem surprising that the Holy See grabs top spot, it does have a uniform and unusual demographic. <S> Its residents are older and tend to eat together in large groups while the consumption of Communion wine is standard practice for a large proportion of them. <S> Andorra, another small European nation, is in second place with 46.26 liters consumed per capita. <S> France places fifth, with residents drinking 42.5 liters of wine each year. <S> The World's Biggest Wine Drinkers <S> Wine Consumed Per Person in 2012 <A> Sorry, the top answer here is kind on the right track but not 100%. <S> It all has to do with the CLIMATE of these countries. <S> Generally, in the northern hemisphere, you cannot make quality wine above the 50th parallel. <S> It simply starts to get too cold to grow grapes that get ripe enough for wine. <S> OTOH, you can grow barley just about anywhere. <S> So, why did they choose wine over beer then? <S> Whereas, wine can be stored a long time and transported long distances (we are of course talking about ancient history). <S> So, given a choice, our ancestors usually choose wine. <S> Here is a map to show where grapes can be grown <S> and it explains why historically it was grown where it was.
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The other reason why wine is the preferred drink where you can grow grapes is that beer goes bad quickly and does not transport easily. So, Southern Europe produced and drank wine, Northern Europe produced and drank beer, thus creating regional preferences that persist even to this day. Not only is it a cultural thing, it may have an historical cultural reason. Italy was once the home of the Papal States (8th century - 1870) and France was home the papacy during the Western Schism .
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Was beer conceived to be a bitter drink? In all the years of my life (except when I was a minor), I've never tasted beer that's not bitter. So was beer conceived to be a bitter drink? What factors in the bitter taste of beer? <Q> So I'm going to assume you mean historically... <S> The Wikipedia page has a ton of good info but basically, beer was originally a very sweet beverage due to the wild yeast and under modified malt that was used in the brewing process. <S> To combat the sweetness, brewers would use Gruit which is an herb mixture to bitter the beer. <S> Hops were also used as a bittering agent , but not to the same extent as gruit. <S> In 1842, the first Pilsner was brewed, a style which showcases hops and is very pale in color which was revolutionary at the time. <S> This style took Europe by storm and the migrating Germans to the US brought this taste for hoppy pilsners with them to the US. <S> There were many competing styles that were popular in the US up until Prohibition. <S> After prohibition, the breweries that were still in business chose to produce the beers that appeal to the widest consumer base, I.E. Pilsner drinkers. <S> This is the raison d'etre for the very large breweries. <S> As for the bitterness in beer, the most common factor is Hops . <S> Hops contain different acids ( Alpha, Beta, Myrcente, etc) that bitter beer in different ways. <S> The type, quantity and usage of hops in the brewing process can affect the bitterness of beer. <S> That being said, some styles don't use a lot of hops if at all. <S> Scottish/Irish ales, for instance, don't have much hop flavor due to the lack of availability of hops in the region . <S> Other styles originate from locations <S> that have never seen hops . <S> Hope this helps. <S> Never be afraid to try new things. <A> Some beers, like the Belgian Strong Ales, tend to be malty & sweet, with just enough bitterness to but the sweetness. <S> Beers become sweeter with age, as the hops (and the bitterness) drop out, leaving only the malty sweetness. <S> Gruit (beers made without hops) use different herbs to give bitterness to the beer. <A> It is rather hard to say what should be in beer making as much of beer making is just a exercise in the personals taste of the brewer <S> but yes a certain level of bitterness is required to counter act the sugars that need to be present for fermentation.
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Beer is not always bitter, but the bitterness (usually from the hops) is there to counter the sweetness of the malt.
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Beer with honey, beer with cinnamon A while ago on a visit to Tallinn I visited the medieval-style restaurant Olde Hansa . There they had two very good kinds of beer: one with honey and one with cinnamon. Do such beers exist elsewhere, in particular, in bottled versions? <Q> There are several beers with honey, some of them are quite famous. <S> For example the ones I know are from Belgium and France: <S> "Barbãr" and "Barbãr Bok" from the Levebvre brewery "Bière des ours" from the brewery "La Binchoise" "Bière de miel biologique" from the Dupont brewery "Véliocasse" from the brewery "La bière du Vexin" <S> The easiest to find are probably the ones from the Levebvre brewery. <S> I don't know any beer with cinnamon <S> but I'm quite sure that it exists. <A> Do such beers exist elsewhere, in particular, in bottled versions? <S> Yes. <S> American craft brewers use honey and cinnamon quite a bit, though not necessarily at the same time. <S> Here are a few that might be available to you, but as is the case with a perishable product, your mileage may vary. <S> Honey Dogfish Head Midas Touch is brewed with honey, barley malt, white muscat grapes and saffron. <S> Sam Adams Honey Porter uses Scottish Heather Honey. <S> Brooklyn Brewery Local 2 uses NY State Raw Wildflower Honey. <S> Here are a few more that utilize the sweet stuff for extra flavor. <S> Cinnamon <S> Dundee Festive Ale is brewed with nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon and orange peel. <S> Cigar City's Hunahpu's Imperial Stout brewed with Cacao nibs, ancho and pasilla chiles, cinnamon, and vanilla beans. <S> Sweetwater Festive <S> Ale has "a taint of cinnamon and mace". <S> Who could forget Terrapin's Cinnamon Roll's Wake-n-Bake ? <S> Though I believe it is retired now. <A> I have tried Fullers (of London) <S> Organic Honey Dew which is lightly flavoured with honey - its a golden ale with a light flavour. <S> Very refreshing. <S> There is another honey beer by a company called Hiver <S> but I've yet to track down a bottle and even I won't make a trip to London for a beer. <S> I've never seen a beer with cinnamon brewed in <S> but I have had mulled ales with cinnamon added <S> so the flavours are compatible <S> , I'm sure someone has done it. <A> Using Ratebeer <S> I could find 5 beers in Germany that have the word honey in their name. <S> Start searching there, or just visit craft breweries. <S> Cinnamon beers would be more common in winter, again, from craft breweries and imports.
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There are LOADS of beers with honey and or cinnamon! I believe it's available generally throughout the UK and is imported to the US.
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Are we born to either like or hate beer? I know some people like beer so much while some other resist do drink, is it determined by DNA? Can the situation be changed? <Q> As a child I tasted the pale mass-produced lager that my father drank <S> and I did not like it. <S> But children (usually) prefer sweet over bitter. <S> As we grow older, our taste change and we learn to enjoy a more varied amount of flavours, including bitterness, and we then start to enjoy beer more. <S> Another thing to take into consideration <S> : There are MANY different types of beers! <S> A person might love sour beers, but hate IPAs. <S> Or prefer Bocks over fruit beers. <S> It is a personal thing, but it means that, even though you do not like one style of beer, it does not mean that you will hate all beers! <S> As a brewer once said: "If you have have not found a beer you love, keep drinking more beer" <S> For reference: Explosm. <S> http://explosm.net/comics/52 <A> I will put forth my own experience. <S> I disliked beer when I was young. <S> It was not until I tasted ale imported from England that I liked it and sought it out. <S> I loved Samuel Smith's, Old Peculiar, Bass Ale, and others. <S> I expanded from there and sought out other beers and ales that were not your ordinary North American Lagers and found many I liked. <S> I quickly discovered homebrewing while perusing a used bookstore. <S> This was way before it was popular here and way before 'Craft Brewing' was a term that people knew. <S> I started to make my own. <S> Now I really like beer. <S> However I still don't really like most of the big-brand beers. <S> And I don't drink beer as a thirst quencher. <S> But if someone offers me a beer - I am no snob and say yes. <S> As far as DNA or genetically based dislikes. <S> I don't think there is a 'beer' gene. <S> There may, however be genes that make people dislike, or at least avoid certain tastes or aromas, or perceive these in different ways. <S> These could then translate to dislikes of beer. <S> However, there are so many types of beers that this is probably very unlikely. <S> It would at least it's unlikely that beer would be the only thing that would be affected by this inheritance. <S> I think a dislike of beer can be overcome. <S> Many people have notions of beer that are not really true. <S> A friend said she hated dark beer because it was too bitter. <S> I explained that this was not really true (that all dark beer is very bitter). <S> So, I brought over some examples that were not bitter, but chocolaty, sweet, roasty, etc. <S> She now loves dark beers (most are actually not very bitter). <S> But at least, in my opinion, most of these dislikes are learned. <A> No, absolutely not. <S> Where this conception comes from is that almost everyone who has their first beer drinks some of the worst beer out there, usually in their teens because they're surrounded by masses of other people who also don't know anything about alcohol. <S> So their first impression of beer is either a Heineken, Budweiser, Canadian, Guinness, etc, and <S> that's what they decide beer is like . <S> People who want to get drunk continue drinking it and eventually acclimatize to it, and people who really don't like generics end up switching to sweeter alternatives. <S> The thing about beer though is that there is a huge variation in flavours and styles . <S> To try a Budweiser and then say "I don't like beer" is really saying "I don't like Budweiser". <S> It's an opinion that arises out of the ignorance of what's available to the consumer. <S> And so I'd argue that if almost anyone wanted to make an honest attempt to find a beer they liked, they would eventually find something under the enormous 'beer' label that they enjoyed. <S> I've just convinced way too many people who thought they didn't like beer to start drinking it to believe it's at all hereditary. <S> Psychological? <S> Maybe. <S> Genetic? <S> No.
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Beer is a taste preference, and therefor the chances exist that you may "learn" to like beer. With some people it is really difficult to overcome these dislikes however.
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Dumping small amount of cigarette ashes into the beers By dumping a small amount of cigarette ash into a beer, I have heard people say it helps give the beer an extra "kick"... Is there any truth to this? Or, is it just a myth?... <Q> <A> I would suggest the extra kick would be due to the fact that as you smoke the cigarette, you are taking in nicotine, which does enhance the effect of alcohol. <S> So the effect is not coming from the ash, but the cigarette you smoke to get the ash. <A> I heard this from someone in 1993 and his explanation was it changes the boiling point (which still didn't explain how it made the beer stronger). <A> I have heard this as well, having grown-up around a couple cigarette-smoking, obnoxious drunks. <S> Frankly, this is something that is simply just said. <S> It's "Drunk Talk"... <S> Imagine witnessing someone become a bit inebriated. <S> And during the course of a conversation that also involves a beer and a smoke, a cigarette ash falls into the beer. <S> Then you hear the obligatory explanation... <S> "That gives it an extra kick," <S> "That puts hair on your chest," or "That's protection against black magic. <S> " <S> etc etc <S> It's something the person says to make light of, and seem less stupid about, the accident that just happened. <S> By making the action seem as though it was deliberate and not due to the loss of attention and/or motor function that goes along with being intoxicated, the person attempts to cushion the unsavory fact that they now have to drink a beer containing cigarette ash (because we all know that a little cigarette ash is no reason to waste beer.) <S> The added 'kick' only being carcinogens and a more disgusting flavor... <S> Or arguably, a novelty by which to potentially have a laugh and extend drunken conversation.
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Adding any particulate to a beer will reduce the carbonation due to more nucleation sites and the flavor may change from the tobacco ash, but the only way to increase the alcohol content of a beer in your glass is to add alcohol.
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Mixing vodka with beer? Is it safe to mix small quantity of vodka with beer. Any there any dare devils who had tried cocktails on their beer? <Q> In (Soviet) Russia it is called Yorsch ("yorsh" means ruffe , a small fish remarkable for its hard and sharp spines). <S> There is a variations of it – "From brown bear to the polar and back". <S> You take a glass of beer, drink a little, fill it up with vodka, drink again, fill up again and keep drinking and filling until the mixture is colorless. <S> After that you keep on drinking but start to fill it up with beer. <S> It is said that many have seen The White Polar Bear but only few have managed to see The Brown again. <A> Mixing vodka (alcohol mixed with water) to beer (alcohol mixed with water plus some flavouring and other compounds) is perfectly safe. <S> Beer cocktails also exist but have varying degrees of pleasantness. <S> The "black velvet", stout and sparkling wine (Black Velvet -beer cocktail) <S> I have tried and can confirm that it is not too bad as beer cocktails go. <S> I make no assertions as to the quality of the hangover after beer cocktails. <A> It is most definitely okay, but can lead to much higher alcohol content compared to what one might expect. <S> There is actually a commonly made mix in college that I and others had made using a bottle of vodka a couple cans of beer and lemonade concentrate. <S> Was quite good, but dangerous in high quantity. <S> I know of others who would put an ounce or so of flavored vodka or rum in their beers as well. <A> Beer cocktails, where spirits are added to beer, were a sort of Fad here in the US a couple years ago. <S> Maybe they still are (I'm sort of isolated where I live in that respect). <S> Your question of safe is a bit perplexing. <S> The only unsafe part might be if you give a charged up beer to someone who isn't used to much alcohol and bad consequences <S> result... <S> But otherwise it's not unsafe. <S> I've done it <S> (added vodka to beer) and it doesn't taste that great to me. <S> But with some other additions you can make a pretty great cocktail. <S> From The Huffington Post: Beer Cocktails. <A> Yip, all good. <S> As a student we called it "Power [Drink]", where [Drink] is the name of the original drink. :p <S> Anything that is safe <S> to eat/drink can be added to a beer. <S> Whether it will taste good is subjective. <S> Beer and lemonade (shandy) is well known. <S> Beer and fruit juice (radler) is getting popular. <S> There are LOADS of recipes on the web. <A> The Urban Dictionary defines this mix as a Vodkabeer . <S> Vodkabeer <S> A delicious mixed drink comprised of beer (usually of the lowest quality) and vodka (always from a plastic handle). <S> The vodka is poured directly into the beer can after several sips have been taken. <S> The vodka and beer enhance each other's flavors and the result is a drink much greater than the sum of its parts. <S> In some circles a vodkabeer is also known as a skelly . <S> The drink is believed to originate in the Worcester, MA area, mainly at Holy Cross and WPI. <S> As Altbier is not Old Beer notes in his excellent answer <S> the Russians call this particular mix a Yorch . <S> Yorsh <S> An alcoholic-drink of Russian origin, where an ample amount of vodka is added to beer. <S> Vodka, being largely flavourless, does not greatly alter the taste of beer but does increase the alcohol content significantly. <S> Here is an example of a Yorsh , but then who measures vodka: <S> Ingredients ◾ <S> 2 oz (60 ml) <S> Vodka <S> 9 <S> oz (270 ml) <S> Beer Directions Fill a beer mug or stein 3/4 full with beer <S> Add the vodka <S> Serve <S> Here is one vodkabeer for summer hot summer days: Beer of the Tropics Ingredients: 1 <S> oz. <S> Van Gogh Cool <S> Peach Vodka <S> 1 <S> oz. <S> Van Gogh <S> Coconut Vodka <S> 1 <S> 1/2 oz. <S> Pineapple juice <S> Top <S> with IPA style beer <S> Preparation: Build ingredients directly into highball glass with ice. <S> When pouring beer, pour slowly. <S> Garnish with a lime wheel. <S> Note: Not responsible any hangovers or any nasty aftertastes!!!!! <S> Enjoy your vodka-beer cocktails everyone. <A> Of course you can add vodka to beer! <S> As long as you're mindful of how much you're drinking and how long it takes to process, you should be fine. <S> The harder part is actually devising a cocktail you'd want to drink. <S> With the popularity of craft beer, a new culture of beer cocktails is growing. <S> Do a quick Google search, and you'll come up with tons of great recipes, old and new. <S> While the craft beer world has traditionally been sceptical about mixing things with beer, there are endless possibilities to elevate and excite, and some are coming around to this. <S> My old beer manager would make a Blanche De Chamblay and vanilla vodka drink that was delicious. <S> Rauchbier and other smoked styles work amazingly well in a bloody Mary. <S> If the mood strikes you, experiment! <A> In this answer to a more recent question on this network, I show that vodka can be used to make a cocktail with beer and, in particular, with Guinness: <S> cocktail number 7, there called Suicide Sunday is made with 2/3 Guinness draught and 1/3 vodka.
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Mixing vodka with beer is a great mix and has a definite following and is absolutely safe when drinking responsibly. No need to be a daredevil to do it.
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What is the result of boiling beer? Recently, I had seen a video where a Coke was boiled, and end result was tar like substance. I am just curious to know if anyone has tried boiling beer, and what is the result? <Q> Well, I never tried such an heresy, but theoretically you will end up with some kind of syrup (or broth, I really don't know the most appropriate word in english for it), thick, and more or less sweet depending on the beer you use. <S> Some beers have more residual sugars than other ones. <S> Alcohol will be the first to evaporate, then water, which is basically the majority of beers composition, in volume, leaving behind sugars and proteins, basically. <S> Those last compounds can be modified or merged, as well, I can't say. <S> Then, depending on the beer's malt bill (pale, crystal, caramelized, roasted, smoked, etc), you might get different flavors related to it. <S> I don't know what would happen to hop compounds when boiled for a long time, but you'll probably still get some bitterness from them. <S> You know what, you question got me curious about how it would taste at the end. = <S> P <A> Beer reductions can make very good sauces. <S> For more flavor you go with darker beers , but you apparently want to shy away from using hoppy beers because the bitterness can become rather harsh. <S> Just punch in something like "beer reduction" into your favorite search engine. <A> Beer will evaporate down when boiled. <S> During this it will become thicker. <S> The alcohol will evaporate the quickest, then the water. <S> Caramelization (Maillard reaction) will occur. <S> The bitterness will NOT evaporate, making the bitterness more concentrated.
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However; boiling wort is "required" to make beer and excessive boiling is used in some styles to give it extra flavours and colours or to make the resulting beer stronger.
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Do beer blends exist? I asked a bartender what she was drinking near the end of her shift. She said a blend. Of Bear Republic's Racer 5 IPA and North Coast's Le Merle (a Belgian Saison). I tried it and it was great. I already liked Le Merle except it had a bit too much of the Belgian kick, and I never liked Racer 5 at all, but together somehow the attributes I didn't like canceled out or masked one another. At the risk of heresy, I wonder if mixing beers is or was ever a (semi-)official thing anywhere. I've heard wine blends mostly exist as a product of leftover grapes, so their justification doesn't apply to beer. Still, if the taste is great, why not have beer blends? With the distinct taste variations of hops alone, I wouldn't be surprised if great combinations could be found. So, to put succinctly: Are beer blends being served anywhere? <Q> There are beer blends served in England and Scotland although it tends to be the older drinkers. <S> Mild and Bitter is one where a half pint of bitter is mixed with a half of mild. <S> Brown and Bitter is half of bitter with a brown ale such as Mann's. <S> A common Scottish blend is the Black and Tan which is Guinness and IPA/Heavy - this can also be made a Sweet Black and Tan by using sweet stout and IPA. <S> Before Fullers shut Gales of Horndean down they produced a bottled Christmas ale which was a mix of their HSB premium bitter and their 555 mild with spice. <A> According to Graham Wheeler's article on the history of porter (which I cannot currently locate), London-style porter was originally a mixed-on-demand blend of mild and sour brown ales. <S> "Butt porter" was a later version, blended at the brewery so it could be shipped in a single keg ("butt.") <S> EDIT: <S> Found it! <S> The article was reposted in parts to the Homebrew Digest mailing list in 1996 & 1997 by Rob Moline. <S> Part 1 Part 2 <S> Part 3 <S> Part 4 <S> Part 5 <S> Part 6 <S> Part 7 <S> Part 8 <S> Hope that's of interest. <S> Cheers! <A> Some breweries do release blends from time to time. <S> I recently picked up a bottle of Siren Cotteridge Wines 20th Anniversary , which is a blend of a few different beers. <A> Sam Adams has released special blends of beers as has Firestone Walker. <S> I am sure other breweries have done special blends too. <S> And lets not forget Mississippi Mud. <A> When I mention barrel aged beers, I'm not just referring to the recent barrel aged styles which have been created by the american craft beer scene, but also to more traditional ones like the Belgian ones: lambic, flanders red and oud bruin. <S> Blending is crucial to beverages aged on barrels (even whisky or wine), because you never get a regular result from them. <S> It depends heavily on the barrel itself (remember, it's wood, a biological element), the storage conditions of each of them (temperature, for example, which varies depending on the position of it in the warehouse) and some other random factors. <S> So, the only way to achieve a consistent and reproducible product is blending, trying to fuse all those different characteristics in the right proportion, giving you an expected final product. <S> In this process, is even common having to dump some barrels, which will not make it on the final proportion (maybe, let's say, you have too many very sour barrels, and you don't want your beer to be so that sour). <S> Additionally, another common practice is to blend aged beer with the young (not aged) version of it. <S> Beers like Rodenbach, for example, are like this (Rodenbach Grand Cru has 2/3 of aged beer with 1/3 of fresh beer). <S> Dogfish's Burton Barton is a blend of wood-aged and fresh IPA, as well. <S> So, blending beer is not exactly a new thing. <S> I understand that your question was about blending different styles of beers, which is still less common, probably because the brewers will try to do that from the beginning, with the ingredients, but is not an heresy. <S> We should try doing this more often, I dare to say. <A> Evil Twin Yin & Yang is one popular blend. <S> They are brewed and sold separately as Evil Twin Yin and Evil Twin Yang . <S> There is also the blend that is bottled and sold, Evil Twin Yin & Yang, which is 1/3 stout (Yin) and 2/3 double IPA (Yang). <A> I have been to two places that had beer blend (or beer "cocktail") <S> menus: <S> Cafe Belge (now defunct I think), a small restaurant chain in Kent, UK, and a pub in Montreal. <S> The former had hundreds of Belgian beers and one blend of note was Blackforest Gateau, a mix of a chocolate beer and either Mort Subite cherry or Lindeman's Cherry Kriek. <S> The latter place served their own microbrews, with a dash of something non-alcoholic. <S> Mine was their regular ale (an IPA or golden ale)with whisky and maple syrup. <S> A suitable mix to remind me of Canada. <A> Slightly OT but <S> my Dad used to drink what he called a "Poor mans black velvet". <S> Half Guiness, Half cider
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In addition to blending different beers (like, blending an stout with an IPA, getting something like a black IPA), it's important to mention that almost all barrel aged beers are blends, because of the very nature of barrel aging. I've also been to bars that have both the Yin and Yang on tap, and blend them for you in house.
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Is beer healthy if drunk in moderation? Beer is obviously not healthy if it is drunk to much, however, one of my friends argue a little beer in moderation can provide certain health benefits. Like it can lower risk of stroke and heart diseases. Is this true or is it just baloney people say to get someone else to drink a little bit?Are these claims true? <Q> According to this research paper published in BMJ they concluded the following: Results from observational studies, where alcohol consumption can be linked directly to an individual's risk of coronary heart disease, provide strong evidence that all alcoholic drinks are linked with lower risk. <S> Thus, a substantial portion of the benefit is from alcohol rather than other components of each type of drink. <S> This argues that health benefits are alcohol related and not specifically beer related. <S> This is, again, during moderate consumption. <A> It's also been noted that there beer has a number of ingredients that are generally believed or known to be healthy, including vitamins, fiber, silicon, and others. <S> So, while I wouldn't base a diet on it, moderate consumption of beer is at least anecdotally a reasonably healthy habit in which to imbibe. <A> Beer is a good way to prevent kidney stones (have to be sure that the person is not susceptible for uric acid stone, because in that case it's not recommended).Also reduces risk of cardiovascular diseases, strengthens bones, plus good for your insomnia. <S> One beer a day is generally good for your health.just a few quick results : <S> https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/beverage/health-benefits-of-beer.html http://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/healthy-drinks/7-healthy-reasons-be-drinking-beer <A> While a doctor probably won't ever state that drinking beer is "healthy," doctors do provide advice on what "moderation" is. <S> Women who consume eight or more drinks per week are considered excessive drinkers. <S> And for men, excess is defined as 15 or more drinks a week. <S> (A drink is defined as just 5 ounces of wine, 12 ounces of beer or 1.5 ounces of spirits.) <S> Moderation is around 1-2 drinks per week or per 2 weeks. <S> All of this varies of course per individual's weight, current health, etc.
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There's very little hard research on the healthful benefits of beer, though there is some observational research on both beer and (as Jens mentioned in his answer ) on the benefits of moderate levels of alcohol in general.
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What are the ingredients in beer that cause people to feel ill almost immediately? Beer isn't for everyone. That's fair enough. However there are some people that get physically ill from it almost immediately. Are there specific ingredients in beer that can cause this? Or is it dependent on the consumer? If the ingredients cause this, is there a way to nullify/reduce the effects? <Q> (Assuming you are referring to "plain" beers, not beers with weird ingredients) <S> The only allergen that is present in normal beers is malt that contains gluten. <S> Gluten intolerant people can therefor react to beer very aggressively. <S> Next, I would guess the alcohol. <S> Some people have violent reactions to any form of alcohol. <S> Then, maybe the bitterness or just the flavour. <S> The people may be sensitive to bitterness, or just really do not like the taste of (that) beer. <S> I have had beers that taste like baby vomit. <S> It is VERY hard to not gag when you taste that! <S> You have to determine why the person reacts that way. <S> If it is the malt, then get them a gluten free beer, if it is alcohol, then try an alcohol free beer, or just a cold drink, if it is the bitterness, then get a beer that is less bitter, if it is the flavour, then get a beer with a different flavour (fruit beer or a different style of beer that has other prominent flavours). <A> In general, beer only has 4 ingredients: grain, hops, yeast and water. <S> Of those 4 ingredients, 3 can cause issues with somebody who is sensitive (everything but water). <S> It's also possible that hops might be an issue for somebody sensitive. <S> I have a friend who is allergic to hops. <S> There are also folks who are sensitive to yeast. <S> Both ale yeast and baker's yeast are Saccharomyces cerevisiae, so if somebody has trouble with yeast raised bread, they'll have trouble with beer too. <S> A yeast sensitivity can be mitigated by filtering the beer, but not all of it is captured. <S> All that said, <S> I thought that I was going to get sick before I tried a certain maple bacon doughnut beer and surprisingly, I really enjoyed it. <A> There is a condition caused by alcohol, called an "alcohol flush reaction". <S> Some people (often from Asia) have a condition, not related to allergies, that makes them lack a certain enzyme that lets their bodies process alcohol properly. <S> The condition apparently causes rapid intoxication and nausea after drinking only small amounts of alcohol, and I believe the reason for the sufferings are an overproduction of the same waste chemicals that causes the really bad hangovers (aldehydes). <S> Anyhow, I wouldn't blame them for being abstinent. <A> There are a few common allergens in beer- hops are a fairly common allergen, and gluten intolerances or celiac's disease can cause physical illness. <S> Yeast is also a common allergen. <S> Also, some people lack the ability to properly process alcohol- <S> this often manifests by a single beer being enough to cause illness and vomiting.
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As Tom said, if a person has Celiac's Disease, they're going to be sensitive to the gluten that that is in barley and wheat, which is why some breweries are offering an alternative (usually made with sorghum).
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Which beer or beers are associated with Lent? Are there any varieties of beer that some people associate with the liturgical season of Lent? If so, why? <Q> Bock style beers are regularly produced for festivals such as Christmas and Lent. <S> The specific kind of bock for Lent is Lentenbock. <S> The only one I've tried in the UK is Oates Lenten Bock. <S> It was a traditional Bock style, dark, sweet and strong and it was OK. <S> I wasn't enamoured of it enough to repeat tasting it. <A> Found this little tidbit the other day: Ten Weird Wonderful foods for Lent . <S> Rauchbier, or “smoke beer,” is made using malts that have been dried over fire—-thus gaining the smoky taste of cured meats like ham and bacon. <S> There is, of course, an official blessing for beer (“Bless, O Lord, this creature beer . . . ”) <S> which one may safely assume is more efficacious in the original Latin: ” <S> Benedic, Domine, creaturam istam cerevisiae, <S> quam ex adipe frumenti producere dignatus <S> es: ut <S> sit remedium salutare humano generi, et praesta per invocationem nominis tui sancti; ut, quicumque ex ea biberint, sanitatem corpus et animae tutelam percipiant. <S> Per Christum Dominum nostrum. <S> Amen. <S> ” <A> There was a brewer that went on a beer only diet several years ago. <S> Here is the CNN article <S> It was an interesting read and provides some backstory on why heavier beers are sometimes associated with Lent.
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At one time all beers malts were produced over fire, but in medieval Bavaria beers of this type came to be associated with Lent when the rich, smoky tones of meat were dearly missed.
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Which band beers exist in your country? Does your country have any band or music based special crafted beers?In Finland I can get Mötorhead, Kiss, Iron Maiden and Finnish bands like Amorphis and soon Diablo's Corium Black titled beer. I was wondering that if I could get information that different countries have band or music related beers I could order some online for educational purposes. <Q> In Brazil, we have a few. <S> But, in general, they're not an original beer, really created by some musician, but more a marketing thing. <S> They only contract a micro brewery to develop a recipe for then, or even use a previously existent beer and re-brand it with their names. <S> Examples are: Raimundos, Sepultura (which is a brazilian hardcore band well-known around the world) and Paralamas do Sucesso, bands which have a beer with their names produced by Bamberg Brewery, a microbrewery of São Paulo state dedicated exclusively to german styles. <S> The former 2 being merely a re-brand of Bamberg's flagship beers. <S> Nowadays they produce in association with Invicta brewery, and I guess they have some contribution for them in the products development, although, of all those "rock band beers", they seem to be the most genuine/authentic initiative. <S> The way I see this thing on the craft beer scene is: people trying to take advantage of this trending market and make money out of it. <S> It's a pure marketing thing. <S> It's like you being a famous person and associating your name with some product, whatever it is, just because you know people will buy it only because of your image/name, and not because of what is really inside of it. <S> Particularly, I think this is pure opportunism. <A> If you want a look at a large variety of the band beers available this is a great site where you can buy them: Icon Beverages . <A> In Russia we have ARIA (АРИЯ) <S> heavy metal band branded beer, made by Faxe. <S> Marketing way of Faxe. <S> As presentation of this event the band played a concert right at the Faxe brewery. <A> In South Africa (where I am from) the band FokofPolisiekar had two beers. <S> In other countries: Queen has a Bohemian Pilsner. <S> Loosely related: Playboy also has their own beer. <S> Not a band, I know. <A> In Denver CO, Trve Brewing collaborates with a variety of metal bands for some if their beers. <S> There's also Black Sky and Black Shirt Brewing. <S> Then there's the E40 malt liquor, but I forget who brews it. <A> In Texas, Real Ale brewed Iron Swan Ale for The Sword. <S> They followed that up with another Sword branded beer, Ghost Eye. <A> Hell, yes ! <S> (source: acdc-beverage.com ) <S> I have never drunk it though :) <S> Update. <S> German rock band <S> " Die toten Hosen " ("The dead pants", means "deadly boring") has recently presented its own beer brewed in collaboration with a local brewery - "Hosen Hell" (don't be confused with "hell", it's German for "pale lager beer", so the skull is from the band's logo not from hell. <S> See also note below) <S> In Russia, there is "Leningrad band" beer named after Russian " Leningrad " band. <S> Note: <S> Same applies to " Fucking Hell ". <S> Fucking is a village in Austria, Hell is pale beer. <S> But the name is obviously an intended pun.
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Velhas Virgens is a rock band from São Paulo which have their own brand too, and more than one beer, and I think someone inside the band homebrew.
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Do kosher beers exist? Does anyone know if kosher beers exist? To be kosher, the beer would have to totally (100%) brewed by Jewish hands? Such wines do exist! <Q> Indeed there are kosher beers <S> All unflavored beer with no additives are considered to be kosher, even without certification. <S> Some of the most popular kosher beer companies include: <S> Many breweries are coming out with specialty brews that have additives; don't assume that all varieties are acceptable - check the label. <S> Coors <S> Saranac <S> all products <S> Pete's Brewing all products <S> Brooklyn Brewery <S> all products <S> These beers are generally available where ever beer is sold. <S> Read more: Kosher Beer (Orthodox Jews) <S> The following beers from Samuel Adams, The Boston BeerCompany, are Star-K kosher/pareve, even without the Star-K onthe label. <S> Black Lager Boston Ale Boston Lager Brown Ale Cherry Wheat <S> Cranberry Lambic <S> Cream Stout <S> Double Bock <S> Hefeweizen <S> Holiday Porter <S> Light October fest Old Fezziwig <S> Pale Ale Spring Ale <S> Summer <S> Ale White Ale Winter Lage <A> As another answer indicates, many beers are considered Kosher without being certified as such. <S> The primary brewer that I'm aware of that makes Kosher beers that are certified is He'Brew ("The Chosen Beer" - cute). <S> They make a variety of beers and I believe that all of them are certified Kosher by the KSA. <S> http://www.shmaltzbrewing.com/HEBREW/home.html <S> EDIT: <S> After some more research, it's a little hard to confirm whether all their beers are truly kosher. <S> The wikipedia article says that they are, and there are a couple different news articles about them claiming that they are, but the KSA page has no products listed for the company. <S> It does seem like some of the promotional materials for the beers have the KSA label, like the one for Chanukah beer . <S> But many of them are harder to tell. <S> I have been under the impression that all their beers were Kosher, but it might be worth asking the company for more information. <A> I know that it has been a while since the question was posted, but . . . <S> If you look on the Chicago Rabbinical Council's website , they have a 25-page "liquor list", which contains about 10 pages of kosher beers. <A> RateBeer has recently instituted tags for beers to note particular characteristics about the beer, so that may be a place to start. <S> They currently have 13 beers listed under the "kosher" tag . <A> If it's made from water, barely, hops and yeast it generally considered Kosher. <S> Based on the kashrut, most beers produced by typical methods don’t violate dietary law. <S> In other words, beer is generically kosher; none of the raw ingredients and additives used to brew regular beer present kashrut concerns. <S> The rules change, however, when atypical ingredients, additives, and flavorings — fruit, fruit syrups, spices, and so on — are added. <S> In these cases, the beer requires certification. <S> Likewise, if beers with higher alcohol content require fermentation with yeasts other than typical beer yeast, the beers require certification. <S> Choosing a Kosher Beer
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All beer is considered Kosher if there are not any special additives.
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What makes IPAS stronger than "regular" beers I've only tried IPAS once, but when I can regularly drink 6 beers without feeling any type of alcohol in my system, it only took one and a half pints for me to feel the alcohol kicking in when drinking the IPA. I just know what it stands for but I have 0 knowledge about them, are they beers? how are they much stronger than regular beers? <Q> Answer to the easiest part of the question: <S> Yes, IPAs (India Pale Ales) are beers. <S> Unfortunately, there isn't a clear and concise answer to the rest of you question. <S> Let's assume, for the sake of argument, that by "regular beer", you mean Budweiser. <S> Budweiser sits at 5% ABV. <S> IPAs are often in the 5-7% ABV range, so let's call an "average" IPA 6%. <S> You will feel the alcohol substantially more quickly in the 6% IPA than in the 5% Budweiser. <S> Lifehacker has a nice article that explains this phenomenon well, but it boils down to the rate at which your body can process alcohol. <S> Suppose that 1% ABV corresponded to 1 "alcohol unit. <S> " If, for example, your body could process 4.5 alcohol units/hour, after 6 pints of a 5% ABV beer (1/hr), you'd have 3 alcohol units left in your body [(5.0-4.5)*6]. <S> However, you'd reach the same mark after only 2 beers (1/hr) of a 6% ABV beer [(6-4.5)*2]. <S> TL;DR Version: It probably has to do with the beer's ABV <S> you were drinking. <S> Side note: There is a lot of variability in strength within any given style. <S> If you like IPAs, you should check out Session IPAs - <S> They are IPAs designed to be lower in ABV than the average IPA, so you can drink more of them in a drinking "session." <S> For a list of the top Session IPAs and more information on the style, check out Ratebeer's Session IPA page . <A> An IPA style beer has an ABV from 6% on the low end to 10% on the high end, although the higher alcohol ones are labeled as Double IPA of Imperial. <S> That is probably more substantial than "regular" beer, however that is defined. <S> Another thing to consider is the body of an IPA. <S> It will tend to be more malty and thicker than say a Budweiser and that will also affect how you feel. <A> For a variety of reasons, IPA's are generally brewed with higher specific gravities, resulting in a higher (on average) alcohol content by volume. <S> wikipedia <A> Without getting too technical, just as others have stated the alcohol content will vary from a traditional run of the mill beer like Budweiser vs something craft like an ipa. <S> For example I can down 4-5 modelos Negra without feeling took buzzed but this year I tried pumpkinator and it only too 2 <S> to get me buzzed <S> the ABV is 10% for the pumpkinator vs 5.4% for the modelo
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The ipa tends to run a little higher in alcohol by volume than Budweiser or similar brands.
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Different Beer with Different food I was wondering if there are certain combinations of beer and food go perfect together in my own experience I have found that Negra Modelo goes really well with Mexican food do you guys know of any other really good combinations ? <Q> Beer and food pairings have an entire subculture, not unlike wine. <S> On both Ratebeer and Beer Advocate , there are entire forums dedicated to beer and food pairing. <S> Honestly, there are an infinite number of combinations. <S> Not because the pale lagers themselves are all that amazing (personally, I'm not a fan of them), but they present a neutral palate, which allows them to pair well with most dishes. <S> IPAs complement the spice and help cut the heat of the spicy food. <S> And the dark roastiness of the imperial stouts really complements the sweetness of dessert. <S> The infographic below is from craftbeer.com and contains their recommendations on food and beer pairing. <S> I tend to like what it suggests. <A> For a good spicy curry I like significantly hop-forward beer, like a big IPA. <A> Modelo is a nice beer to use to make a Chavela/Michelada. <S> Doesn't leave a nasty after taste. <S> At times I love to enjoy a nice cold modelo with some tajin.
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Personally, two of my favorite pairings are hoppy IPAs with spicy food, and imperial stouts with desserts (especially if they are chocolate-based). One thing I've heard is that a lot of chefs really like pale lagers.
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What are reasons to not sell alcohol free beer to minors? In The Netherlands, the law also prevents selling alcohol free beer to minors. What can be reasons for this? Is alcohol free beer also addictive, and does it therefore attract minors to much to alcoholic beer? Or does alcohol free beer contain a substance that is also harmful to the (young) brain? <Q> It often contains around about 0,5%. <S> A beer can be called alcohol-free from 1%. <S> To specifically respond to your situation I could not find any source saying that the Netherlands have an age restriction on alcohol-free beer. <S> On the contrary the following sources indicate the opposite. <S> Sources (Dutch of course): <S> Ik ben 17 jaar, mag ik alcoholvrij bier kopen? <S> Mogen jongeren onder de 16 alcoholvrij bier kopen? <A> It is also often seen as a gateway if you let kids buy bottles of lets <S> say <S> Becks Blue <S> so it really comes down to not enough research on how a younger body can processes it <S> and it is really hard to get that research done as we don't really want to be giving alcohol to kids <A> Alcohol free actually means alcohol free. <S> Non-alcoholic beers (aka: NA beers, near beers etc) contain .5% or even less than .05%. <S> Every "Alcohol Free" beer I have ever seen have actually been 0.0% and will also state "Nontaxable under section 5051 IRC". <S> They are not brewed to ferment, they are essentially seltzers made with most ingredients used to make beer. " <S> Alcohol Free" means 100% alcohol free. <S> Non-Alcoholic means it contains less than .05% or up to .5%. <S> Many people don't know the actual difference but the use of the word "beer" in alcoholic free beer is simply for marketing and is no different from being in ginger beer and root beer and birch beer.
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Alcohol free beer is not non-alcoholic, it does still contain some alcohol. it gets them in to drinking at a young age and as a younger body is still not fully developed it can lead to health issues or dependency on alcohol from an early age
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What are the factors that determine how long whisky is aged? Whisk[e]y varieties often have significant differences in how long they are aged. While there are always exceptions, Bourbon is often aged for 5-10 years. Scotch, on the other hand, is more commonly aged for 10-20 years. Why is this? <Q> Aging or 'Finishing' is an extension of the maturation process, when the spirit is subsequently filled into empty casks that previously held otherwines or spirits for a further relatively short period at the end of maturation. <S> The selection of casks can affect the character of the final whisky. <S> Outside of the United States, the most common practice is to reuse casks that previously contained American whiskey, as US law requires several types of distilled spirits to be aged in new oak casks. <S> To ensure continuity of supply of used oak casks <S> some Scottish distilling groups own oak forests in the US and rent the new barrels to bourbon producers for first fill use. <S> Bourbon casks impart a characteristic vanilla flavour to the whisky. <S> so really the longer you age the whiskey <S> the more of the flavor you are going to capture form the cask <A> First, we have to understand why we age whiskey in the first place. <S> From there, there are several factors that determine how long a typical aging period might be. <S> If the wood in the barrels is new, or has been previously used. <S> Bourbon, which is typically aged as few as 4 years is aged in casks of new wood, meaning there are more compounds in the wood to be extracted, and they can be extracted more quickly. <S> Scotch, on the other hand, which is often aged from 10-25 years, is aged in previously used barrels, so it takes longer to extract the desired level of flavoring compounds. <S> How much flavor you want the wood to add to the finished product. <S> A Rye, aged for 10 years, is going to have a lot more oak than you would want in say, an Anejo Tequila, which will often be aged for just a year or two. <S> The type of wood can have an impact as well. <S> Most whiskeys are aged in American or French oak, but if other woods are used, a tighter grain, or different wood chemistry can mean that you need more time in the barrel to the get the flavors that you want. <A> A true Scotch whisky has to be aged at least 5 years to qualify as whisky. <S> Beyond that, the factors that change over time are: colour <S> nose <S> flavour <S> The whisky takes on these from the wood, and from the previous contents. <S> So for a really well rounded whisky, especially for a full bodies peaty, smoky whisky, that age is essential. <S> That said, there are some amazing young whiskies, and some older whiskies that aren't as nice, so this comes down to taste, <S> In fact there is a current furore in the industry about No Age Statement whiskies, as various blends are being sold off young, potentially putting the longer term whiskies in jeopardy as volumes will be necessarily reduced in the long term, becuase of a drive for shorter term profits... <S> The alcohol content decreases as the Angel's Share leaves the cask over the years.
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It's primarily to extract compounds from the wood of the barrels (and any previous contents) so that they can add flavor and complexity to the final product.
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How to know which tequila should be for drinks and which one meant to be drank on its own A while ago I was told that I should choose my tequilas carefully since ones are meant to be drank on their own(not chased, not mixed) and others (supposedly cause they're lower quality) can and should be mixed. So now that the scope of the site has been changed I feel like I can now ask this here. So what are the characteristics I should look for in a tequila(other than price) to learn how to differentiate a good-for-drinks tequila from a drink-it-on-its-own one? <Q> Tequila has come a long way from when it was 1st manufactured, back in the day the traditional way to drink tequila was in a shot glass because it actually did taste like you were drinking paint stripper! <S> ... <S> this is not the case anymore, now some tequila is drank from wide mouth cups and sipped like wine or a really nice bourbon. <S> Contrary to popular belief tequila doest always give you the craziest hang over, at least not the newer tequilas <S> since they are better quality, that is, if you are drinking real tequila. <S> Real tequila is made from the agave plant and depending on the region grown in Mexico ( south, north) will have a slight different taste. <S> Sometimes you may find tequilas that say mixto or mixed, stay away from these types since they are not pure tequila and should not be drank without mixing it in a cocktail or mix drink. <S> This mixto tequila will not taste as good and will give you a crappy headache the next day. <S> There are different types of aging process for tequilas. <S> There is the silver, gold or aged and extra aged, all have distinct flavors and undertones. <S> Here is a good link with some tequila information and history also for tasting. <S> So if the bottle says mixed or mixto <S> then it's for mixing and should not be drank alone unless you want to feel like a truck hit you the next day. <S> Any other kind of real tequila should be ok, it all depends on taste and preference. <S> Just remember that the first swig you take is suppose to burn , lol enjoy! <S> This is just my opinion , but on a personal note, patron is over hyped and you can find wayBetter quality tequilas at a better price. <S> I personally like casamigos the brand by George clooney <S> it's actually pretty good, also Don <S> Julio and Herradura are good. <A> Generally, the longer it's barrel aged, the more drinkable it is. <S> Anejo tequila is aged longest (I believe at least a year, but keep me honest). <S> Reposado is aged a bit less (6 months or so), and Blanco is generally not aged for any significant time. <S> You can usually see it in the color of the tequila as well, (though many cheap tequilas are pretty amber in color, but certainly not aged very long or well, so this isn't a great measure of how good it is). <S> Blancos, as their name suggests, tend to be clear in color, Anejos can have a very deep, nearly brown color. <S> Reposados start to show some of the characteristics of a good tequila (pepper, etc), and Anejos can be downright complex. <S> I suggest that you don't drink Blancos straight. <S> Reposados can be good sipped and are great mixed, and are a good price point. <S> Most Anejos would be wasted as a mixed drink, and should be sipped. <A> A general rule when it comes to liquor is that if it's a cheap, generic version of it's type then it's probably better mixed into a cocktail. <S> This is because the cocktail masks the poor quality of the liquor, but you still get the kick of the alcohol. <S> On the other hand, if it's a high quality version of the liquor then the reason you should buy that liquor is for its own merits. <S> For instance, I'd never buy a 100 dollar bottle of Scotch and mix it with ginger-ale, would be a big waste of money. <S> That said, alcohol is subjective so if you like drinking a cheap tequila straight <S> that's your prerogative. <S> In general, which you mix and which you drink straight is a matter of your own taste and research on what's a 'good' tequila. <A> For drinking go with 100% agave. <S> For drinking most people prefer gold. <S> For margaritas mid to low end tequila seems to be just fine (I can't tell the difference). <S> I think fresh squeezed lime does more for a margarita than expensive tequila. <S> Most people prefer silver in margaritas. <S> I went to a party once and the guy was serving Patron and a margaritas mix <S> - I was like dude time to skip the mix. <S> The big names are good but they also charge a premium.
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For the most part more expensive tequila is better.
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Is Guinness really different in Ireland, compared to what's sold in the US? I've never liked the taste of Guinness, on tap or from the can. But I have heard that it's much better tasting in Ireland, and the export one is completely different. Is there any truth to this, and if so, what are the differences? <Q> Guinness can taste slightly different and have a different head based on where it's coming from. <S> A big factor in this is how long the beer you're getting has been in the keg. <S> People in Ireland drink Guinness a lot more than in the states, so kegs are replaced more frequently i.e. fresher beer. <S> This is why if you go to a bar in Ireland and not a lot of people are drinking Guinness, you shouldn't get one. <S> Another possible reason you've heard <S> this is that most people visit Dublin when they're in Ireland and have a pint at the Guinness store house. <S> They ensure all the beer there is top of the line and it really is much better there than any other place I've had it. <A> There are a few questions here, so let me address them individually: Guinness Draft, the "standard" Guinness is not always brewed in Ireland, so that may be one reason for a different taste in Ireland than in US. <S> Guinness has a few beers, one of their biggest beers is a Foreign Extra Stout. <S> This is brewed in various counties. <S> This is a higher ABV, roastier beer. <S> I think it has double the ABV of a "standard" Guinness. <S> One other important fact is emotions. <S> If I am sitting in the Guinness Brewery, looking out over Dublin, drinking a fresh, perfectly poured Guinness, I am in a very happy place. <S> This happiness will affect my overall experience of the beer. <S> If you take that same keg, keep it cool and fly it overnight to the US and taste it there, it will still be good, but it will not be as good, because you are missing the experience. <S> This said, the beer can also be just as good, because you remember the feeling of drinking that beer in Dublin. <S> Here are links to the various Guinness Breweries and the beers that are brewed there. <S> http://www.ratebeer.com/brewers/st-jamess-gate-diageo/13/ <S> http://www.ratebeer.com/brewers/guinness-cameroon/13088/ <S> http://www.ratebeer.com/brewers/guinness-nigeria/3194/ http://www.ratebeer.com/brewers/guinness-ghana/5070/ <A> In foreign countries, a particular brand of beer is often produced under a licence to a local brewer. <S> The accuracy with which these local brewers reproduce the original beer varies greatly. <S> For example, Australians noticed a change in the local Guinness when the local licensee changed from CUB to Lion recently: http://www.news.com.au/national/south-australia/lion-brews-the-first-guinness-in-south-australia-in-40-years/story-fndo4dzn-1226508692750
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As gannolly commented, the age of the beer also affects the taste, as well as the cleanliness of the beerline (if the beer is on tap).
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How to know which wine goes with which type of food I'm planning on having some friends over next week, and since I really enjoy grilling I plan to make some good steaks for them. They like wines, I personally would just drink a cold beer considering the heat of the grilling and that we reach high temperatures this time of the year. And well the issue is that I know nothing about wines and how to combine them with different meals. But for the sake of not having a too broad question, I'd like to know which wine could go best with a steak and why. <Q> From Classic American Steak and Wine Pairings. <S> Best Wines to Drink with Steak Cabernet Sauvignon <S> "The king of red wines, Cabernet Sauvignon is often the number one choice for steak and wine pairings. <S> Beef steak has lots of strong flavor from the meat itself and from smoke, marinade, sauce, or pepper, so it calls for choosing a wine that is also full-bodied. <S> Cabernet Sauvignon’s robust fruit tastes and powerful flavors can stand up to most any steak. <S> The tannins in Cabernet Sauvignon (coming mainly from the red skin of the grape) and relatively high alcohol levels also help cut through the fat of the steak, making the wine taste smoother and less bitter… and the steak more flavorful." <S> California Zinfandel "Zinfandel has moderate tannins and high acidity, making it a fitting match with steaks that contain relatively good amounts of fat. <S> Rib Eye, T-Bone or Porterhouse steaks are ideal partners for Zinfandel. <S> A little less refined than Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel has a characteristically bold grapey spiciness and thick richness on the pallet." <S> Malbec <S> "Malbec is an up and coming red wine that is definitely steak friendly. <S> In fact, Malbec is the number one consumed red wine in Argentina where it’s considered the ideal wine to pair with beef. <S> Malbec is a versatile, rich and food-friendly red wine that may break with tradition but won’t break the bank. <S> Check out Malbec wines from Argentina or Chile. <S> You won’t be disappointed." <S> Other Good Red Wine Pairings with Steak <S> Merlot, Syrah (Shiraz from Australia), Sangiovese, Chianti and Pinot Noir are also good choices and will produce softer red wine and steak pairings, which you may prefer depending on the steak, the doneness you prefer and whatever else you are serving. <S> " <S> Rosés, Blush Wine and Sparkling Wines "Not to be forgotten, a crisp chilled Rosé wine or a bubbly Sparkling Wine (especially brut or rosé) is almost always an enjoyable pairing with steak and other grilled fare. <S> Just be sure to chill them in the refrigerator or on ice for several hours before serving. <S> In fact, we recommend also chilling your red wines to avoid any “hot wine” influence on the taste of the steaks." <A> I kind of like a Zinfandel but any darker red. <S> Just google "wine pairing with grilled steak". <S> The Best Wine Pairings for Grilled Steak <A> I am always looking to pair the best wine with my meal <S> and I have a book "What to Drink with What you Eat". <S> It pairs wine with food - and a separate section -food with wine. <S> That is a list of every imaginable dish and pairs a wine with it. <S> The it lists all varieties of wine and then pairs a dish with it. <S> I have never looked for a paring when either the dish or the wine wasn't listed. <S> Example: <S> Fried Chicken - KFC -Pinot Noir. <S> Popeye's -Sherry Over 10 pages of different cheeses with individual wine pairings. <S> It also lists other beverages like Tea, Beer , Coctails etc
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"The classic wine choices to pair with grilled steaks are big, bold red wines, especially California Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec.
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Examples of high value Scotches I've been testing out different Scotches for the last few years and usually find a pretty strong correlation between price point and quality. When I pay more the Scotch almost always offers a better drinking experience up to a point. That said, recently I bought an Aberlour 12 at about 65 cdn and found it to be very similar in character to a Dalmore 12 which I bought for a much higher price a few months ago. For that reason I'm characterizing the Aberlour as a high value Scotch. It's priced reasonably and is a bit better of a Scotch than it's price point would suggest. So I wonder what examples of Scotches people would recommend that are superior than their price point would suggest. <Q> It depends if you like the smokier/peatier whiskies such as Talisker, or prefer the smoother whiskies. <S> I find the former generally overpriced but that's me. <S> A good example of the latter is Auchentoshan 12 year old. <S> Easy drinking (is that a bad thing?), with no overpowering flavour but flavoursome all around and smooth bite (an oxymoron?) <S> at the end. <S> I saw this for $65 on a Canadian website <S> so I believe it fits into your Aberlour category. <A> I'll start by saying that what I'm suggesting isn't technically a scotch recommendation, but it is a good tip for whisky, rye, and similar spirits. <S> One of the more underrated genres of whiskey is "Bottled in Bond" type whiskey, bourbon, and rye. <S> I've found that many of these spirits provide excellent value for the money. <S> For example: Old Forester <S> Heaven Hill <S> Very Old Barton <S> Rittenhouse Rye <S> You can read more about what Bottled in Bond means, and its history, at Wikipedia's Bottled In Bond page . <A> <A> I drink my Scotch neat -- <S> too peaty/ <S> smokey <S> and I gotta use an ice cube. <S> Johnnie Walker Black is my go-to (~$74/1.75L at Costco in WA state). <S> Picked up some Kirkland Signature 16-year Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky this evening ( <S> ~$62/750mL in WA state) <S> and it is very nice. <S> :) <S> The Balvenie Doublewood is probably my favorite, but it ain't cheap -- and they don't have it at Costco. :P <A> Balvenie Doublewood is CHEAP and harsh, unless you get the 17 year but still harsh. <S> If you want a REAL Single Malt Scotch that is not many 100's or 1000's of dollars try the Balvenie 21 Year Portwood. <S> It is NOT harsh <S> , it is 96 proof, smoothest stuff I have ever had!!! <S> It is a lot more than the Doublewood though, about $150 for 750ml <S> but if you can at least try it once!!! <S> I wanna try the 25 year <S> but it's too much $ even for me <S> and I am a Single Malt Scotch connoisseur! <S> It costs around $500 I believe. <S> Or hell go for the 40 year at $4000 per 750ml! <S> They even made a very limited few bottles of 50 year aged but they cost around $63,000 per 750ml! <A> Not a very fair question. <S> Not all scotches are equal in flavor profile so comparing Lagavulin to glenlivet at any price is meaningless! <S> Also, taste is personal. <S> I cannot convince some folks that Lagavulin is worth drinking but to me it is man's greatest creation! <S> That said I was very disappointed in balvenie tun 1509 (don't recall the batch). <S> For the price it was very 1-dimensional. <S> At a similar price point I'd say Highland Park 30 yr was exquisite. <S> On the affordable end Auchentoshan 12 was so bad I poured some down the sink. <S> But again, that is a matter of personal taste. <S> An example of cost, age, and quality correlating is Glenlivet 12 -- <S> > <S> 18 yr. <S> The taste is almost identical but the 18yr is much smoother and a little more complex. <S> An example of NO correlation at all is Glenfiddich 12 --> 15 --> 18. <S> The reason they do not correlate is that the flavors are unrelated. <S> 12yr is fruity (apples, pears, etc), 15 is like honey mead, 18 tastes like smoked oak. <S> I love the 18yr at ~90 <S> $ USD, compared to the 12 at 40$ USD <S> but I would not say the 12 yr is "worse". <S> They don't compare.
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Glenmorangie is a 10-year highland single-malt scotch that outperforms its price point (currently $36 at Total Wine), in my opinion.
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Why are some beers warm and some cold? While out at my local I always like to try new beers, and as I was going through a few different beers and I noticed that almost all of them all had varying temperatures. Some where ice cold whilst some were warmer I understand that this is on purpose but I'm not sure why? So why is it that some beers are served Cold and why are some served Warm? <Q> I don't think anyone would deliberately or professionally serve warm beer, if by warm you mean something close to body temperature. <S> Generally speaking, cask ale (as opposed to pressurised keg beer) is served, in the UK at least, and according to CAMRA's website, at cellar temperature: 12-14 C (54-57 F), whereas lager and keg beer is usually served much colder. <S> So much for the purist. <S> My preference is always for cask ale to be served cool, but not cold, so that the flavours can be properly appreciated. <S> Good quality lager should be served colder, and I prefer Czech pilsners at around 6-8 C - about the same temperature as you'd want white wine to be. <S> But on a burning hot day in the African sunshine (where I'm from), there is nothing as refreshing as an ice-cold (and <S> I mean ice -cold) <S> ordinary mass-market lager, straight out of the bottle. <S> You can't distinguish tastes as readily at those temperatures. <S> Refreshment is the key there: you don't really care about taste in those circumstances (if you did you'd be drinking something else). <A> Why is it that some beers are served Cold and why are some served Warm? <S> At what temperature should a beer be served can be answered by the following statement: <S> Most beers have an ideal serving temperature. <S> There’s a chart below outlining which styles are served at what temperature, but as a general rule the temperature at which to serve a beer is correlated to the strength of the beer. <S> As beers go up in alcohol, they are generally drunk at a warmer temperature. <S> This is because stronger beers often are sipped slowly, and enjoyed for their complexity of flavor and aroma while weaker beers are often consumed for refreshment. <S> For no style is this more apparent than American macro lagers, which are generally drunk so cold that you can’t taste them. <S> As they warm up, they don’t taste very good. <S> - <S> The Craft Beer Temple. <S> Very Cold: 35-40 degrees <S> •American Adjunct Lagers (“Macros”) <S> •Malt <S> Liquors •Light or low alcohol beers <S> Cold: 40-45 degrees •Pilsner <S> •Light-bodied lagers <S> •Kolsch <S> •Belgian Wit •Hefeweizen •Berliner weisse •American Wheat <S> Cool: 45-50 degrees <S> •American Pale Ales •Medium-bodied lagers •India Pale Ale (IPA) <S> •Porters <S> •Alt <S> •Irish Stouts <S> •Sweet Stout Cellar Temp: 50-55 degrees <S> •Sour <S> Ales <S> •Lambic/Gueuze •English Bitter •Strong Ales <S> •Baltic Porters Blockquote•Bocks <S> •Scotch <S> Ales <S> •Belgian Ales <S> •Trappist <S> Ales <S> Warm: 55-60 degrees <S> •Imperial Stouts <S> •Belgian Quads <S> •Belgian Strong Ales <S> •Barley Wines <S> •Old <S> Ales •Dopplebock •Eisbock <A> I don't know if you know what sake is sake is traditional wine that served hot <S> I have experience cold and hot it a lot taster when it hot try some go to a Japanese store <S> ask them u want to try hot sake
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There’s a reason those big brewers want people to drink their beers at tongue-numbing temperatures.
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How can I make a home distillation set up, safely? This is more of a hypothetical question! Disclaimer: I have no intention of doing home distillation in any form whatsoever. In most countries home distillation of any alcohol products is illegal. It is only legal in New Zealand. Some European countries turn a blind eye to it, but elsewhere it is illegal, with punishment ranging from fines to imprisonment or floggings. Australians - You can possess a still of <5L capacity, but not produce spirits from it. [In Bulgaria,] you can take your fermented fruits to a special facility and distill them without paying any tax if you are registered as home producer. Registration is free. The only limitation is that you can distill up to 1000l of fermented fruits and of course you need to pay for the time you are using the still (it can take about 200 litres at a time). - Home Distillation of Alcohol. That said, how can one make a homemade still for making spirits at home safely? <Q> For small-batch home distillation, hypothetically, a large (24 qt.) <S> stainless steel stockpot makes an economical and effective pot still for 5 gal. <S> batches. <S> You will need a large stainless salad bowl of equal diameter, which when inverted makes an ideal lid. <S> A hole in the top center of the inverted salad bowl for installation of a threaded boss , for attachment of copper tubing which will be coiled in a bucket of ice water to serve as a condenser . <S> The seal between pot and lid is best done with a split length of silicone tubing, using bread dough to patch and seal leaks during the boil <S> (you don't want leaks, it wastes product and could be dangerous). <S> The lid gets clamped on during the boil with squeexe clamps, c-clamps, locking pliers, etc. <S> A small hole in the lid for insertion of a thermometer, also sealed with bread dough, allows close monitoring of overhead vapor temperature. <S> The overhead temperature indicates the composition of the vapor thus the composition of the condensate/distillate as well. <S> Of course, this is for distillation of water (which is legal to do at home) but do it outside on a camping stove and keep a fire extinguisher handy nonetheless. <A> Speaking of safety: don't forget about methanol : <S> A simple (but effective) rule of thumb for this is to throw away the first 50 mL you collect (per 20 L mash used) for a reflux still. <S> If using a potstill, make it more like 100-200 <S> mL. Do this, and you have removed all the hazardous foreshots, including the methanol. <A> I've heard of stills in the NW United States that use steam as a heat source instead of some sort of open flame. <S> I'm not sure of the logistics, the creation of the steam might be in another room for example and pumped into the room with the still. <A> Don't do it in your home. <S> Set it up <S> 40+ feet from you home in the open or covered shed with open walls. <S> I have a BS in chemical engineering but an alcohol still is pretty basic. <S> Creating the mash is the harder part. <S> There are many kits on the Internet. <S> Don't get in a hurry and heat it too fast. <A> The Illegality issue is rooted in the sale of illegal substances AND/OR not paying Taxes on substances used. <S> The BIG issue for anyone is Fire and Explosion. <S> These problems kill or maim people and destroy property. <S> However, edification is useful:These two Google Search Links should be a good start to orient your understanding of the distillation of solvents. <S> Drinking alcohol is ethanol. <S> Ethanol is a Solvent in the realm of chemistry. <S> (1) <S> Laboratory Solvent Distillation <S> https://www.google.com/search?q=Laboratory+Solvent+Distillation <S> (2) {since i don't have 10 reputation points i can not hyperlink the second Search for you... <S> so you will be forced to do it yourself:} "Laboratory Solvent Tower Distillation" <A> Building a Good Distillation Tower . <S> . . <S> the down and dirty way: Glass column . <S> . . <S> fill with glass beads. <S> Exit point == <S> > condensation coil. <S> Why? <S> The glass beads cause vapors to condense while being boiled off (lighter vapor rises higher up the column). <S> And thus different alcohols are separated from each other without having to have a Super Tall tower. <S> A column of vapor has increasingly higher temperature(s) toward the top, lower temperature(s) toward the bottom. <S> Lighter (less dense) molecules heat up first and rise to the top [e.g. Methanol (ethyl alcohol); that make you go <S> blind].Lighter alcohols come off first (rise to the exit point), to then condense traveling through a chilled condensation tube. <S> After all the lighter methyl alcohol is gone (thrown away, or stored separately as a cleaner solvent), the temperature jumps up to the next more complex, more dense, alcohol. <S> That specific temperature is exact. <S> With a thermometer tip (or sensor) placed within the exit point you know when a temperature change occurs. <S> THIS is how you know you are starting to take off ETHANOL, the drinking alcohol. <S> The next alcohol to come off (after methanol) would be ETHANOL . <S> . . <S> that is safe to drink. <S> Just as Matt Fitzgerald said above: “A simple (but effective) rule of thumb for this is to throw away the first 50 mL you collect (per 20 L mash used) for a reflux still. <S> If using a potstill, make it more like 100-200 <S> mL. Do this, and you have removed all the hazardous foreshots, including the methanol.” <S> Fusel oil alcohols (Google)
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The biggest risk during distillation is boiling over the pot and having flammable liquid run into an open flame.
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Is it safe to consume alcohol while eating raw oysters? Is it okay to eat raw oysters and drink alcohol at the same time? I have heard different stories as to whether it is truly a good idea to do this. Some people say that it is not bad, others say that the alcohol can be dangerous with the bacterium (Vibrio vulnificus) contained in shellfish, while some people have told me that the alcohol can actually kill the bacterium contained in shellfish. Is it safe to drink alcohol and eat raw oysters? If it is okay what drinks go well with oysters? <Q> I do this about once a month and can confirm that it's more than safe, it's delicious. <S> In fact during the 19th century half of London lived on porter and oysters! <S> I'd recommend oyster stouts, London porters or champagne with them. <S> Stouts and porters are particularly traditional in London <A> You are confusing the issue with alcohol and raw oysters. <S> Alcoholism can lead to liver damage which can predispose folks towards a dangerous Vibrio infection. <S> Alcohol itself has no affect on Vibrio. <S> The low alcohol content in beer won't sterilize anything anyway (it is the boiling wort part of the MAKING of beer that made beer a "healthy" option in the olden days :) <S> Vibrio vulnificus Health Education Kit Fact Sheet <A> If you enjoy wine, melon de bourgogne (aka Muscadet) or a chablis are a classic pairing for oysters. <S> I also enjoy champagne or a Spanish txakoli with oysters.
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So folks with liver damage (including alcohol abusers) should avoid raw oysters due to the risk of vibrio.
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I have a crate of out of date beer/bitter by 6 months, tastes watery, can I resurrect it in some way? I found a case of Scottish beer / bitter that I had forgotten about, it is out of date by 7 months, which normally would not stop me but it tastes watery. My question is can I re-ferment it or add something to resurrect it? <Q> I seriously doubt it. <S> You could perhaps add something to give it taste, but then, is it still beer? <S> Refermenting (could be done by adding sugar) will give carbon dioxide and alcohol, but not more taste. <A> Could pour it into something like this and infuse it with more hops or adjuncts. <A> If it's not a beer with a high alcohol percentage (say <S> 7%+) I'd just throw it out, life's too short to drink stale beer. <S> Otherwise you can test several bottles. <S> You might get lucky with a few, not every bottle in the same case ages at the same rate, certainly if it's one with fermentation on the bottle. <S> tip : <S> If you hear a hiss when opening the bottle, it's safe to taste. <S> I never trust a bottle that's silent when opening as it almost guarantees that it's gone bad.
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What happens over time is that chemicals giving the taste decays, and you cannot magically make them appear.
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What is so special about corona beer? I have heard a lot about corona in terms of its taste and being the great alcoholic beverage !! It is worth the hype or just a fad ? <Q> There are a few main things contributing to this 'hype'. <S> Firstly is the addition of the lime. <S> It adds the citric acidity that pairs well with the light beer and gives it a unique zing that you don't find in other easily available beers. <S> It may not have rich notes that some love, or special characteristics, but what it gains is wide appeal and a product that you can't really hate, even if you don't absolutely love it. <S> It is a very refreshing beer to drink when compared to a heavier lager or IPA. <S> Finally, is the marketing / ambiance it embodies. <S> This is very likely a smaller contributing factor, but often one recalls having a nice corona on the beach as they relaxed, or correlate the beer to that image in their head, so it has that mental factor as well. <S> It comes down to the fact that reviews and 'class' aside, you should be drinking the beers you enjoy, and for many non-connoisseurs Corona fits that bill very well. <A> Corona used to be a cheap Mexican Beer available in the US. <S> When its popularity fell a little bit, the company's marketing wing decided to provide provocative ads and increase the price. <S> Americans bought that (the marketing) and Corona now is a "desired" beer in the US. <S> That's my take based entirely on personal observation and this: http://www.aef.com/pdf/effie/corona_2006.pdf <S> Corona is not the first to use this marketing approach, gold schnapps did the same thing and were somewhat successful, though they didn't have the windfall that Corona had. <S> Remember Gold Schnapps? <S> It used to be a cheap schnapps, with enticing and interesting "gold" flakes drifting slowly through the drink. <S> The new Gold Schnapps is more expensive and the companies accentuate the "gold" flakes... <S> I haven't looked, but I'll bet this marketing also worked. <A> I wouldn't even call it a fad, it's a cheap drink that's light and not too alcoholic. <S> I think more than anything, Americans are attracted to it's Mexican/fiesta advertising and they just feel like it makes a moment more festive. <S> Disclaimer: Not a Corona fan. <A> My two cents - Corona is an accessible beer (both geographically and taste-wise). <S> You can get it anywhere, and it doesn't contain any of the strong flavors that come with liberal use of hops, malt or yeast (such as found in the IPA, stout, or Belgian varieties). <S> Lagers are generally easy-drinking, and when paired with a great marketing campaign and a little wedge of lime, makes for a beer that almost anyone can drink 3 or 4 of. <A> My greatest like of Corona is the fact that it's a light bear and that it pairs very well with lime. <S> This way in the summer when it's how, it is a very refreshing beer and easy to drink. <S> Also this is the way it's marketed, a "summer party" beer <S> so it fits its role well.
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Secondly, its a light beer that is easy and pleasurable to drink.
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Does anyone here still use bitters as medicine? Which ones do you use and for what ailments? Bitters are known to have medicinal qualities. I've never used them beyond making killer cocktails... But, I've noticed that orange bitters, in particular, will imbue me with an added vigor or gusto, at times. I've heard certain bitters can be consumed for stomach and headaches but, I've never been able to replicate the affect. What added physiological or psychological sensations have any of you noticed when consuming bitters? Which bitters have you consumed for what particular ailment(s)? <Q> I usually use either Jägdbitters (a Jägermeister-like bitters sold at Aldi) or my family's version of Bärenjäger (which I prepare at home - nope, it's not bitters, but it was also used historicaly for the same purpose), <S> mostly when I feel a cold coming up due to catching rain. <S> and I don't get the actual cold afterwards. <S> It always works we me too, better than pharmacy bought stuff. <A> When I tended bar, I had several regulars who would drink club soda with a couple splashes of bitters to calm an upset stomach. <S> But it never did anything for me personally. <S> I don't know if it's purely a psychological effect or a your-mileage-may-vary situation. <A> I use it when my thorat is hurting. <S> But I also like it just by the taste of it. <S> My favorite one is called "Hopfenbitter" example <A> I have episodes of heartburn, usually from eating beef or potatoes <S> and I find it very soothing to drink a splash of bitters in club soda. <S> I make homemade bitters with ginger, grapefruit, gentian root, and several spices that seem to be the most effective. <S> Bitter herbal liqueurs are popular in Europe for before or after a meal to stimulate the appetite or aid digestion. <S> Gentian root is one of the most common bitter agents. <S> While I don't know of any clinical studies, gentian root has been used in herbal medicine for centuries to treat digestive issues. <S> It makes sense from an evolutionary perspective because bitter compounds are mostly found in plants and are often more or less poisonous. <S> If the body produces more digestive enzymes in response to bitter flavors, the extra enzymes can neutralize the poison or extract more nutrition from the plant material. <S> It's certainly not totally effective, salivary enzymes won't save you from hemlock poisoning, but it could reduce the ill effects of mild poisons. <A> Angostura bitters and club soda is a regular drink in my house. <S> I find that it calms my stomach and just generally makes me feel better. <S> I like to use a heavy dose of bitters--usually like 8-10 dashes--per 8 oz of soda. <S> Fernet is also a real godsend for digestive ailments, but be warned that it's very, very bitter. <A> When I have a nasty cough or a cold I drink Jägermeister to soothe the sore throat and to keep me from coughing every five seconds. <S> I find it cools my throat and makes it less itchy. <S> This works really well for me, a lot better than actual cough medicine. <A> Commonly known amongst bartenders, a remedy for curing the hiccups is to eat a lemon wedge doused with bitters . <S> (In case anyone is wondering... don't eat the rind. <S> Bleh.) <S> Traditionally Angostura bitters are used, although it's possible that Angostura's use is due to availability, for a long time it was the only type of bitters most bars carried. <S> A caveat though, the lemon trick is only recognized for curing hiccups induced by drinking alcohol. <S> I say it's still worth a try, no matter the cause of the hiccups. <S> If the flavor sounds unappealing you can put granulated sugar on the lemon in addition to the bitters. <S> Sugar has a hidden benefit too, it's a known hiccup remedy when taken by itself... and not just the ethanol induced ones. <A> Ramazzotti , an Italian herbal/bitter liquor. <S> I drink a shot glass full of it when ever I have a stomach ailment. <S> Works like a charm. <S> And tastes great on ice and some like it with a touch of lemon in it as well. <A> For me, the best remedy for a particular type of stomach pain is bitters----horrid tasting Underbergs, delicious Jaegermeister, or intermediate Fee Bros Cardamom. <S> Visiting Hungary, I have now discovered Unicum. <S> I believe they all work by triggering the release of acetylcholine, which causes release of gastric acid, increased peristalsis (propelling movement of stomach and intestines), bile secretion and possibly direct effects on intestinal lining cells. <S> Really a godsend sometimes, especially when traveling since they are so widely available abroad. <A> It really does the trick.
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I use gentian bitters (made from violets, such as Fee Brothers Aromatic Bitters, Peychaud's Bitters or Angostura) with soda water for stomach ailments. Jägermeister gives a soothing feel to the throat if taken when you're already with the cought, but if taken as a preventive, it makes me feel like a warm blanket was dropped over my shoulders
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Which beverages are least likely to give one a hangover? What induces hangover on a drink-to-drink basis? Guinness, absinthe, and ouzo have never given me a hangover even after those rare nights of extreme consumption... Now, I do usually consume absinthe in the traditional way (with equal parts water) but, I've been truly amazed to wake up with no hangover after doing the, again extreme, things that I've done to my body with the stuff previously. On the other hand, even when it's of excellent quality I experience hangover-like symptoms after drinking white and sparkling wines, and when I drink vodka. Are some alcoholic beverages known to be least likely to cause hangovers? If so, what characteristics of the drinks affect this? <Q> Two things have to be considered : <S> The first, as Lying Dog said, is impurities. <S> In fact, if they give taste, they also give you hangover <S> The second, much more important is the fact that alcohol is diuretic. <S> Once drunk, the alcohol is converted into several substances (in several steps) by your liver. <S> The problem is once the last substances cannot be converted into anything useful, it will be ejected from your body. <S> How ? <S> By urinating. <S> But urinating requires water. <S> The problem is that if you do not drink water as much as needed, your body will take it from where it can, including from your brain. <S> Now think about a sponge left without water inside and you'll have a good idea of what your brain looks like after a night, inducing hangover the next morning. <S> To answer your question , yes, Vodka is the most efficient alcohol to avoid hangover. <S> But you can also avoid it by drink enough water while drinking alcohol (typically, if I'm at a party where I drink a lot of alcohol, I drink a pint of water after 2 or 3 beers) <A> I used to work with a group of Russians. <S> They introduced me to Wodka and told me that Wodka will never give you a hangover if you stick to Wodka only - and don't drink any other alcoholic beverages shortly before, in between or after. <S> The reasoning was that hangovers feel like they do not so much because of the alcohol, but because of impurities. <S> I found this to be true, provided the Wodka is of reasonable quality (Stolichnaya seemed to work well in this respect) and enough water is taken to avoid dehydration. <A> I have voted to close, as this is entirely opinion based. <S> The only hangover I have ever had was from my stag do - and it was caused by drinking everything all at once. <S> I can happily drink any spirits, beers, cocktails or wines with no ill effects the next day - but I have 2 friends who get bad hangovers from Vodka. <S> There is no single answer. <A> I can drink you a bottle of 80 degrees Stroh but have nothing from it the next day,because I follow 2 rules: 1. <S> Drink a lot of water when drinking heavy(NOT Coca-Cola or other stuff,just WATER) <S> 2. <S> Never combine hard drinks like Vodka with Absinthe <A> My own personal experience is that organic wine, red, white or sparkling is an alcoholic beverage which does not give you a headache. <S> Seems that pesticides and additives in regular non-organic wine is the reason for headaches the next day.
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Good Wodka consists of extremely little impurities (a large part of it is just alcohol and water) and thus apparently is less likely to cause a hangover.
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How can I find my favorite wine? How do I find my favorite wine? Obviously if I go drinking every bottle I can get my hands on I'd find one but I can't. Also, I already know the general feel of the wine I'd like; i.e. dry, sweet, etc. My question is, what are the things I should think about when trying to find my favorite wine? <Q> 1) Take a wine-tasting course. <S> You will learn how different foods affect the flavour of wines. <S> It really does make a difference (you will be astonished). <S> You will also (hopefully) learn how to analyse wines (without being pretentious) and make useful notes. <S> 2) Travel. <S> Travel as much as you can and drink the local wines. <S> If you find something that you really like and can afford to buy some, do so. <S> You will never find your "favourite wine" by working your way systematically through your local wine shop. <S> 3) Remember that wines change. <S> One of the best wines that I ever tasted was a certain 1996 Amarone (Recioto della Valpolicella), and I was fortunate enough to be able to buy a case of it. <S> However, once it was gone, it was gone. <S> Later vintages (from the same producer) were not nearly as good. <S> 4) Time passes. <S> The wines that you love will be associated with treasured memories and inevitably belong to the past. <S> You can never step into the same river twice. <S> Such is the beauty of wine (and life). <A> For me, the most important thing to select the wine <S> I like/dislike is grape variety . <S> You'll have to do some research and try some different grapes in order to know what you like and dislike. <S> Country and region can also have an influence. <S> You'll also need to do some research for this. <S> For myself, I don't really like Bordeaux and Italian wines. <S> So you'll have som tasting to do. <S> Try to write down what you liked and what you didn't like <S> and it'll become clear what you're favourite style might be. <A> it took me several months to sample different types of different regions. <S> I am Italian, and here we assure you that there are many varieties of wines. <S> I did courses, I just chose what I liked best. <S> in my case my favorite wine is Amarone! <S> we are not made equal, <S> then a wine that you can enjoy, for others maybe not enthuse. <S> I apologize for the translation from Italian to English, they are not very good! <S> I hope to been helpful.
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I think you have to be able to find the wine that best matches your tastes.
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Is Jagermeister healthy for you? I always heard that Jagermeister is very healthy for you and is a great digestive ,is all this true?Would a shot of Jagermeister make me more healthier or would the alcohol just be damaging me in time? This is my first question on this site so sorry if I didn't formulated it quite well. <Q> I'm no expert <S> but I’ll give it a shot: Jägermeister and other herbal liqueurs do contain herbal essences that probably have some effect on your body. <S> But not in any medicinal quality, otherwise it couldn't be sold as food in the EU by law. <S> There are strict rules (e.g. Directive 2001/83/EC ). <S> In general the usefulness of digestifs for the digestion is heavily discussed (there are opinions that the alcohol takes away any positive effect the herbs might have). <S> But I don't have any reliable sources at hand. <S> And the alcohol is unhealthy, no doubt. <S> So from a medicinal point of view: stay away from digestifs and stop eating too much so you won't need any digestion-helper. <S> From a recreational or culinary point of view: If you enjoy the taste, a digestif is a great closure of a good meal and the psychological effect of "believing it helps" works sometimes. <S> And i personally like the taste and drink it recreationally and <S> not just as digestif. <A> Apparently alcohol is not unhealthy if you limit yourself to a drink a day. <S> Life expectancy increases with moderate alcohol consumption however if you go far beyond that life expectancy decreases. <S> I rarely have more than two to three drinks a month however in light of this information <S> I'm thinking of increasing my consumption. <S> Whether the 50-plus Herbs in Jagermeister make it healthier or <S> not I think it's a good place to start. <A> Small amount of alcohol can reduce stress, cause relaxation, small improvement in circulatory system and provide psychological benefits. <S> All these herbs ins,de may have some additional benefits although not medically proven yet.
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ıf it makes you feel good, tastes good, and causes no harm (if you do not over drink), then it is good for you.
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Why do people brew their own beer? I am living in Germany and know at least 2 people that do it. But why would you take the risk if you could just buy very good beer at your local stores? <Q> Hobby <S> Some people do it as a pleasurable hobby. <S> You might also ask why someone would build furniture if they could buy it, or why they play a musical instrument if they can just listen to the radio. <S> Personal Taste <S> You may like a particular style of beer that isn't popular. <S> And, especially in Germany, you may want to make a style of beer that you can't buy in the store - one that has other flavor ingredients, so it doesn't comply with the beer purity laws. <A> Hello from the homebrew community. <S> There are many reasons to brew yourself, and the first reason is because you can. <S> This question is the same as "why bake your own bread?", "why grow your own food?", "why start your own business?" <S> Because you can! <S> There is something primal and fundamentally connected to nature about brewing, and being able to harness a fungus to produce alcohol. <S> Not only this, but something spectacularly human about being able to produce something by yourself, and brewing beer and wine is surprisingly easy. <S> Consider that you then get to drink something you made and the satisfaction of being self-reliant in this respect. <S> The satisfaction of self-improvement and being able to share your creations with others can't be put into words. <S> You most certainly can buy beer, but you absolutely can't buy the beer I make. <S> Also, mine costs a fraction of the price that you pay others to make for you. <S> I hope I have answered your question. <S> Most of all, just like any trade, whether it be a carpenter, a butcher, or a chef.... <S> we get to enjoy the fruits of our labour of love. <A> I always feel like a mad scientist when I'm boiling up the wort on the stove adding ingredients, especially when adding the hops. <S> Its quite amazing to watch the yeast consuming the sugars and making the alcohol, yes you can see it! <S> Homebrew is healthy for you. <S> It is a living beverage. <S> All the yeast, enzymes and vitamins are all there for you just like nature intended. <S> Large commercial brewers filter most of this out and some even have to add back in the carbonation. <S> Homebrew is not dangerous, the worst that will happen is bacteria will spoil the beer's taste. <S> There is no documented case of contaminated beer that has killed anyone. <S> The theory is since the yeast micro-organism already 'lives' in the beer they create an environment that is not favorable to other micro-organisms. <S> Finally if you are not old enough to buy alcohol, usually you can buy the ingredients and make it yourself. <S> The brew shop I frequent is very close to a large college campus. <S> Coincidence? <S> I think not. <A> It's exactly as with food. <S> By cooking* at home, my wife and I can always get the food <S> ** <S> that we want, exactly the way we want it. <S> There is a chance of us screwing up and ending up with bad food <S> **, but with practice that doesn't happen very often. <S> There is some food <S> ** <S> that we are not well equipped or trained to make, but that we happily buy from professionals. <S> And it's cheaper to do your own cooking* than to buy everything ready-made, if you discount the cost of labour and appliances. <S> If you want to exclusively have food <S> ** <S> that someone else makes, that's your choice, and modern society can provide. <S> But I think cooking* at home really is rather sensible. <S> *brewing <S> **beer <A> You ask a great question. <S> I think a great reason to do it is to learn. <S> I like the answer 'Personal Taste' above. <S> If you already know what you like you can make it. <S> You might even like your own recipe.
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But, if you're just playing around brewing you can come up with tastes you never thought of. We brew because we can, because yeast is freely available to all, and because it improves our skills and human capital. Because its a lot of fun!
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What to do against hangovers? Occasionally, I catch myself having a beer or two too much. Which of course can cause hangovers. I was wondering what one can do to prevent this? Or what can be done if it's already too late. <Q> Drinking less is the obvious solution. <S> But you can also reduce the causes: <S> One cause for a hangover are the metabolic products of the fusel alcohols (unwanted alcohols) in your drinks. <S> First your body metabolizes the ethanol and then the fusel alcohols. <S> That's why drinking alcohol helps against a hangover as if gives the body some more ethanol to work on and thus reduces the toxins of the fusel alcohols. <S> That's why a Bloody Mary is a well known hangover cure. <S> So try reducing the amount of fusel alcohols you consume by choosing high quality drinks that have less of them. <S> Another cause is dehydration and lack of electrolytes. <S> So start hydrating yourself before, while <S> and after you consume alcohol. <S> And to keep the water in your body, make sure, you add enough electrolytes to bind the water. <S> In russia and other slavic countrys there is a culture of eating salty (electrolytes and increasing thirst), sour (helps making you thirsty) and <S> fatty (proteins and delays alcohol absorbtion) <S> food along with drinking. <S> In a way it's like having a hangover breakfast while drinking. <S> All of this can be done when you wake up with a hangover: drinking some alcohol as "hair of the dog" (this will reduce the symtoms but increase the time you feel them but won't fix anything!), eating a rich breakfast, drinking lots of water (tea, juice, ...) and maybe pop a blood-thinner like ASS (Aspirin). <A> One time in the past an old friend of mine suggested something cleverly simple: <S> Drink lots of water before going to bed and you won't have as much of a hangover. <S> Really, it is that simple. <S> It works for me since then. <S> To have an even smaller hangover, drink in between three drinks, one glass of water (here in Germany you can get tap water for free in pubs). <S> The effect is really impressive. <S> I already experimented with spirits and beer and sometimes a mixed beer like "Radler" in between can help, too. <S> Try it out and tell me if it works for you too. <A> Vitamin C is good too, and lots of it - Berocca is amazing for hangovers. <S> If it's a bad hangover, the best way is to drink loads of water, like 4 liters. <S> Will soon go away after that! <S> Bloody mary is the best way but that's a dangerous road to go down! <A> Hangover is the manifestation of poisoning by the intermediate product of alcohol decomposition : aldehydes. <S> Asian people as well as some blue eyed blond people have harder time decomposing those in harmless molecules. <S> Aldehydes have also a link to the taste of the beverages as they contain some. <S> Producing the molecule that breaks down aldehydes require lots of water, but most alcoholic beverages are diuretics, meaning that drinking more water will make aldehyde deshydrogenase production a bit higher. <S> So drink water and have a balanced diet to lessen the effects of hangovers. <S> Also, smoking reduce the speed of action of aldehyde deshydrogenase since the reaction required oxygen. <S> Macgregor S., Lind P. A., Bucholz K. K., Hansell N. K., Madden P. A. F., Richter M. M., Montgomery G. W., Martin N. G., Heath A. C., Whitfield J. B. (2008.) <S> "Associations of ADH and ALDH2 gene variation with self report alcohol reactions, consumption and dependence: an integrated analysis", Human Molecular Genetics, 18(3):580-93. <S> Xiao Q, Weiner H, Crabb DW (Nov 1996). <S> "The mutation in the mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH2) gene responsible for alcohol-induced flushing increases turnover of the enzyme tetramers in a dominant fashion". <S> The Journal of Clinical Investigation. <S> 98 (9): 2027–32. <A> No sugar in your mixed drinks. <S> Diet everything or water. <S> I drink vodka and diet tonics and haven't had a hangover in ages. <S> If you get a hangover from beer <S> then I recommend trying higher quality beers <A> It basically counts on "how bad" your hangover is. <S> But these are the things I usually do. <S> Drink a glass of cold coke. <S> Pure black coffee - If you can't drink it black, try to just add sugar to it. <S> Milk/Tea with milk. <S> Some people don't suggest any Milk based/Cream based drink - but what can I say, these work for me. <S> Give it a try though.
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Isotonic sport drinks do it for me, hangovers have a lot to do with dehydration - it's a good way to rehydrate :)
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What alcohol would go good with tea? I drink tea. I had a thought about putting something into it. What good alcohol can I think about putting into the tea? <Q> Irish whiskey is one I like to do with tea. <S> In fact I like to make an Irish coffee by substituting the coffee with a strong black tea. <S> Try it! <S> I am rather fond of it. <A> Gunfire is a classic British rum and black tea cocktail, with a German equivalent in the Jagertee . <S> Two European great powers can't be wrong - go with the rum! <A> Wild Turkey American Honey is excellent with most kinds of tea including black, green, and orange pekoe. <S> Throw in a squeeze of lemon for an delicious, easy to make, and modern twist on the Hot Toddy. <S> Wild Turkey American Honey <S> Another alcohol that pairs <S> well with tea is tea flavored vodka. <S> There are lots of different brands of this such as Firefly and Jeremiah Weed, and typically in bars they are paired with iced tea, they work equally well with hot tea. <S> Finally, Fireball or other Cinnamon Whiskeys go well with Tea also, but they can often overpower less potent teas. <A> Once I helped out as bartender, a girl asked for green vodka with green tea. <A> My father sometimes adds Rum to it. <S> Preferably German Strohrum (straw rum). <A> If you like the floral taste of earl grey tea, you might enjoy adding a splash of St. Germain elderflower liqueur and a lemon twist to black tea. <S> I'm currently sipping a hot toddy made with lemon & ginger herbal tea, honey, and a local whiskey. <S> It's very soothing on a sore throat. <A> Tea and beer can be a great combination. <S> I have a blog post here about some tea beers that I made in cooperation with a local brewery. <S> The combination of cinnamon orange spice tea with a hefeweizen worked especially well, as hefes are often served with a slice of citrus. <S> I took a class a few years back on pairing tea with whiskey (or whisky). <S> They were focused on serving the whiskey and tea separately rather than blending them, but blending can work nicely. <S> I'm a fan of smokey malty Scotch — mostly the Islays — and it blends nicely with a powerful black tea. <S> If you really dig the smoke flavor, blend an Islay Scotch with a lapsang souchong or Russian Caravan tea. <S> If you like citrus flavors in your tea, try using a splash of Triple Sec or Cointreau. <S> Enjoy! <A> In Northern Germany they handle it in the following way. <S> First they take rock candy and put it into a glass. <S> It can be brown or white rock candy. <S> The glass is filled up with brown rum which has a Vol% between 38 and 40 of alcohol. <S> It is possible to mix and use it immediately, but most people just put it aside for a while. <S> After some time the fluid of rum becomes glutinous and the surface of the rock candy becomes soft. <S> When this mixture is in that status they put some spoons of it into the cup and fill it up with black tea. <S> Could be from Ceylon or comparable. <S> When filling up with the hot tea the rock candy crashes internally and when mixing up the tea with it all <S> it becomes a wonderful experience especially in wintertime. <A> Hot mint tea goes great with rum. <S> This is a beverage that is drunk usually in the cold season and you can find it at the chalets near the skiing spots (as rum keeps you warm).In Romania if it's winter <S> and you get to one of this chalets and ask for "a tea" it is possible that you will automatically get an alcoholic tea without any notice. <A> I'll add some Japanese suggestions to this list. <S> Cold oolong tea with shochu (usually barley) is a very common mix. <S> Also, jasmine tea with awamori is an Okinawan favorite. <S> Both are light, easy to drink and refreshing. <S> If there's a Japanese market near you, you can probably get both the liquor and tea there. <S> I've also seen interesting green tea-infused cocktails, like martinis, mojitos and highballs, though I haven't had a chance to try those yet. <A> I absolutely love brandy in tea. <S> Hot black tea with brandy, cream, and sugar! <S> Nom, nom, nom!
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The very refreshing Rosa Mae cocktail combines black tea, gin, honey and lime. Almost any kind of rum will do it.
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How can I improve the flavor of a cheap bottle of sparkling wine? How can I improve on a cheap bottle of bubbly wine? I thought of a few ideas myself but instead of wasting it I thought I'd ask. BTW, by improving I mean make it taste better. <Q> Make a kir royale with it. <S> Then gently add the sparkling wine. <S> Often, cheap sparkling wine is not very palatable because it is bitter: the strong fruit flavors of the liqueur will mask this. <A> Try half sparkling wine and half oude gueuze or oude <S> kriek = match made in heaven. <A> Why, a Buck's Fiz, of course! <S> Two parts chilled Champagne (recommend a NV from a non- <S> Grandes <S> Marques <S> Champagne house) or bubbly (chilled white sparkling wine that isn't from the Champagne region) to one part freshly squeezed orange juice from oranges stored in a fridge. <S> This is a British idea, one that is traditionally served mid-morning or even as a chaser to a good cooked breakfast with top-notch ingredients! <S> A Christmas morning indulgence or as a libation to kick off the day on any other celebratory occasion. <S> What's not to enjoy about that, then? <S> (Wikipedia) <A> I agree that making kyr royale is a good solution. <S> Also putting some fresh and perfumed herbs in it will help. <S> Try Lemon Balm or others that you like. <S> Put the wine in a carafe together with some bundles of leaves, leave it in the fridge for 30 min.
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Add a small amount of a strong, fruity liqueur to the bottom of the glass, such as creme de cassis or framboise (Chambord is one brand name).
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Wine fermentation in steel tank When fermenting wine in a steel tank, should one put on the lid or should one leave it open? Now as I understand, if it's open to oxygen, the yeast will multiply much faster and so the fermentation could kick on really fast. But can the yeasts still multiply if the lid is on (with a pumped up silicon tube but I left 20 cm or so air between the must and the lid)? <Q> Your biggest worry with an open fermentor is contamination. <S> If you've added potassium or sodium metabisulfide to the wine <S> must, you should be safe against most wine spoiling bacteria. <S> However, it is advisable to cover the fermentation vessel. <S> See this post about open fermentation. <A> I was a professional wine maker for a few years. <S> We always used open top fermenters on our red wines when they were fermenting on the skins, we just threw sheets or blankets over them to keep the bugs out. <S> Of course we are talking about tons of grapes at a time. <S> White wines you could do this too, but I would only as long as there is active fermentation and enough CO2 to keep the oxygen out. <S> But for white wines we had a closed lid with way for the CO2 to escape easily. <S> Sulfites will be blown out with an active fermentation so they are pretty useless while fermenting, but they need to be added as soon as fermentation is done. <S> As long as there is active fermentation, it is very hard to oxidize your wine as most of the oxygen will be consumed by the yeast. <A> I always cover with a tea towel and tie it round the rim with string, still allows it to breathe and fights off nearly all air borne infections. <S> Happy brewing!
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You are right about the fact fermentation will be faster with the lid open, be wary of the fact it can happen to fast - if its bubbling a lot then you would be better to decrease the heat that the pan is sitting on, be that a heat mat or a floor.
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What alcohol beverage goes well with a certain type of smoking? Some beverages go well with different foods. White wine with fish, red wine with ... Is there such a thing as beverage and smokes combinations that suit the taste buds? For example, beer with certain types of cigarettes or cigars; what kind of difference would there be and how would I aim to please? The specific smokes I had in mind are the different cigarettes, cigars. The most simple combination that came to my mind is coffee and a cigarette. But I'm interested in alcoholic beverages and smokes. <Q> Smoke and drink like a pirate. <S> Rum and cigars both hail from the Caribbean, <S> so it’s <S> no coincidence that they work well with one another. <S> Match the spiced and sweet molasses undertones of this full-bodied dark spirit with creamy cigar, like a flavorfully nutty and cocoa-infused Casa Magna . <S> Yes, we know there are clear rums as well <S> but, in all honesty, most combinations with this spirit will be subpar. <S> - Best Cigar Pairings with Beer & Alcohol Drinks <S> For those into E-Cigarettes here is a suggestion: A British e-cigarette manufacturer has a new option for those who enjoy a smoke with their favorite alcoholic beverage. <S> London Fox recently rolled out two new e-cigarettes, the Silver and the Refresh, meant to be paired with beers, cocktails or wine. <S> - <S> This E-Cigarette Offers Suggested Drink Pairings . <S> Here is some pairings for Marijuana, for those interested and where it is legal to smoke: How To Pair Beer And Marijuana: A Match Made In Hazy Heaven . <A> A good cigar pairs well with a neat snifter of whiskey or aged bourbon. <S> Tobacco is a naturally occurring plant, and whiskey is a byproduct of naturally occurring plants as well. <S> What you’ll find is that each complements and enhances the flavors of the other. <S> The flavors of the cigar will take on new, invigorated life, and the whiskey will offer you great flavors that would otherwise be too subtle without the discerning presence of the cigar. <S> Beverages to Pair With Your Favorite Cigars <A> Keep in mind that smoking diminishes one's ability to taste(I'm not sure about Vaping). <S> I haven't found any literature that explains if just only one cigarette will change your sense of taste, but anecdotally I believe it will have an effect. <S> Smokers' bitter taste buds may be on the fritz <S> This a large reason that smoking and drinking often go together. <S> Alcohol tastes less potent to smokers. <S> As an obvious result, more potent liquors like moonshine or absinthe will go do down a little easier for smokers. <S> In my mind, the most classic pairing of smoke and alcohol is cognac or regular brandy and a cigar. <S> Often people dip their cigars into brandy before drinking. <S> Generally, this is considered a faux pas and unnecessary given modern humidors. <S> The origin of this tradition was to add moisture to the cigar. <S> The dipping can take from the nature flavor of the cigar. <S> However, I recommend it for particularly cheap or unpalatable cigars, or if you don't like them at all but are smoking one anyway. <S> Be careful though, it can be a little like putting ketchup on Filet Mignon. <S> You can sip them and enhance the flavors of the cigar. <S> My preference is Grand Mariner(made from cognac and bitter orange), and a cigar, although I am not cigar aficionado <S> so I don't have a specific cigar to recommend. <S> The Grand Mariner flavor rests on the tongue after drinking and creates a very rich mouth feel, particularly in combination with smoke. <S> Vaping seems prime for pairing with alcohol. <S> Given the myriad flavors available, I think match flavors would be good. <S> Consider the vape juice flavor as an ingredient in your cocktail. <S> Jack and Coke? <S> Try vanilla vape juice and it will be reminiscent of Vanilla Coke. <S> Try Cake Vape and Gingerale and Vodka to create the impression of Cream Soda. <A> There are lots of articles and blogs regarding tobacco and beverage pairing. <S> These usually focus on cigars and pipe tobacco. <S> In general, pair tobacco to alcohol in the same way one would pair food and alcohol. <S> Fruity food pairings = fruity tobacco pairings, etc. <S> In theory, mentholated tobacco would go with any minty food/alcohol pairings (no experience with this one.) <S> Due to the mass-production of (and chemical additives in) <S> most cigarettes, they are generally not considered. <S> However, organic and artisan cigarettes can also achieve a nice pairing with some beverages. <S> Personally, I enjoy a full-flavored, organic tobacco Natural American Spirit with a Guinness, when I can. <S> With Marijuana, these turned up in a quick search... <S> Marijuana and wine pairings. <S> Interview regarding Beer and hash pairing.
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Nonetheless, The flavor of cognac/ brandy compliments cigar smoking quite nicely.
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