RAW MATERIALS OF BEER

There are four essential ingredients for beer. These are barley malt, hops, water and yeast. These raw materials contribute differently to the taste of beer.

Barley Malt

The basic grain used in beer production is barley. After the barley is harvested, it is germinated and roasted to turn into malt. Barley malt is the name given to the roasted form of barley after germination. The starch in malt provides the formation of alcohol in beer, so the amount of malt in beer determines the alcohol level of the beer by volume. In addition, malt gives the beer a full and full taste. The level of roasting of malt is the feature that determines the color of the beer. Beer produced with over-roasted malt is brown and black. Beer produced with medium-roasted malt has an orange, amber or red color. Beer produced with under-roasted malt is light yellow or golden yellow.

Serbetcioglu

Hops, which resembles ivy, is a plant with cones. This plant, which has different species, adds a certain bitterness and aroma to the beer. The amount used, the type used and the time used in the production process determine the bitterness level of the beer. In addition to bitterness, it adds aromas such as citrus, flowers, grass, resin and pine to the beer.

Yeast

Yeast is an invisible single-celled microorganism and is an important raw material that breaks down maltose in barley malt and converts it into alcohol. There are two types of yeast used in beer production, Ale and Lager yeast. Beers produced with Ale yeast have a more fruity aroma, while beers produced with Lager yeast are generally less aromatic, more refreshing and easier to drink.

Water

Beer is mostly made up of water. For this reason, breweries are usually built near a quality water source. The mineral content of the water, its pH level, and its hardness also contribute to the taste of the beer.

40 Thousand Types of Beer

Beer experts have determined that there are 40,000 varieties of beer today, originating from 140 different types.

40 THOUSAND TYPES OF BEER

The history of beer, which is produced in many different types in different parts of the world and enjoyed by everyone, dates back to very old times. The discovery of wild barley in Mesopotamia in 10,000 BC, when humanity was still hunter-gatherers, is considered the beginning of beer history. A nutritious drink was produced by grinding barley between two stones and mixing it with water, and the remaining liquid was fermented by chance and turned into beer by itself. This drink, which is a kind of beer, began to be consumed daily because it was so popular.

The Sumerians, Hittites and Babylonians began to consume beer frequently. Even the first written law, the Code of Hammurabi, included provisions regarding beer, and the Babylonians produced 20 types of beer with different aromas such as resin and clove.

Over time, it came to Ancient Egypt a little, and from there to Europe in the Middle Ages. The popularity of disease-free beer increased due to the spread of epidemic diseases such as typhoid and cholera caused by the dirty water of the growing and crowded cities in Europe. During the same period, monks began mass production in monasteries and beer became the daily drink of the people. After the industrial revolution and with the development of technology, beer took its current form.

Thanks to Louis Pasteur's work on yeast, beer gained shelf life with pasteurization. In the 1980s, craft beer producers who produced different beers on a small scale emerged against the dominance of large beer producers in the market. Today, thanks to these craft producers, beer diversity continues to increase.

Beer culture has also developed greatly, like wine and whiskey cultures. Beer experts have determined that there are 40,000 varieties of beer today, originating from 140 types.