Beer is one of the most popular alcoholic beverages in the world. It is a simple drink made from grain, water, yeast and hops. However, brewers can change the ingredients and the process of brewing to make a wide variety of unique styles of beer.
The main ingredient in beer is water, which helps to convert the starch in the grains to sugars that are subsequently fermented by yeast. Other ingredients may be added to the beer, such as hops or other flavors.
Yeast is used to convert the sugar in the grain to alcohol and carbon dioxide during fermentation. Different strains of yeast can affect the flavor of the beer in different ways.
Malted grains or barley are a common source of the sugars in beer, but other grains, such as rice, corn and oats, can also be used to make beer. To ensure the best results, brewers must use fresh and clean water that is free of any scents or odors.
A good quality beer has a low level of alcohol, between 4% to 5% by volume. This is because brewers use longer-roasted malts to retain some of the starch that they would otherwise remove during fermentation, so that less sugar is available for the yeast to use.
The type of yeast used in a beer will influence its color, aroma and taste. This is especially true of the different types of beer: ales, which are brewed with yeast that floats on top of the wort during fermentation, while lagers are brewed with yeast that settles to the bottom of the brew kettle when temperatures are lower.
