An introduction to beer [1 ed.]

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An introduction to beer An accompaniment to the

WSET® Level 1 Award in Beer



WSET 39–45 Bermondsey Street, London SE1 3XF [email protected] wsetglobal.com © Wine & Spirit Education Trust 2024 Issue 1, 2024 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior permission in writing from the publishers. Not for Use/Sale in the Chinese Mainland Cover photograph Rido/Adobe Stock Photographic credits Beer style photographs produced by Behrman Media Diagrams and illustrations Diagrams and illustrations produced by CalowCreative Production credits Design by Paul Barrett Acknowledgements For the development of learning materials, special thanks are due to Mirella Amato Doemens Biersommelier and Master Cicerone®, Sara Hobday DipWSET and Nicholas King DipWSET. WSET gratefully acknowledge the support of the Institute of Brewing & Distilling and in particular the advice of Stuart Howe in the production of this learning material. Particular thanks also go to Amy Button DipWSET, Jaycee Chan DipWSET, Tom Cherry DipWSET, Joyce Chou, Manuel Corpas Vendrell, Tim Hanni MW, John Hart DipWSET, Caitlin Henshall, Shana Jansen, Christopher Martin DipWSET, Antony Moss DipWSET MW 酒サムライ(Sake Samurai), Almudena Perez Gonzalez, Alex Pyett DipWSET, Bethan Rees, Jonny Tyson DipWSET Advanced Cicerone®, Malcolm Venter, Natalya Watson BACA Beer Sommelier and Advanced Cicerone®, and all those who took part in pilot courses.



Contents

Introduction 5 1

What is Beer?

6

2

How is Beer Made?

8

3

Malt and Other Sources of Sugar

11

4

Hops and Other Flavourings

15

5 Yeast

17

6

An Introduction to Tasting Beer

19

7

Styles of Beer

23

8

Storage and Service of Beer

36

9

Beer and Food

40

4

Introduction

Introduction

Welcome to the WSET® Level 1 Award in Beer. In this course you will get to know the key steps of the brewing process and learn how beer’s main ingredients—malt, water, hops and yeast—are used to create such a diverse range of aromas and flavours in beer. You will learn about different beer styles, what makes them unique and how to taste and describe them. The course will also guide you through some key elements of beer service and storage, and principles that will inspire you when you are pairing beer and food. We hope that you enjoy the course, and, in the future, you experience the benefits that your new knowledge and understanding bring. Cheers! WSET

5

What is Beer?

1 What is Beer? Beer is a diverse category. There are many different styles of beer, from clear, gold pilsners to opaque, black stouts. Nevertheless, beers share some common features: they are fermented alcoholic beverages typically made using malt (malted grains), water and yeast, and flavoured with hops.

How do you make alcohol? In order to make alcohol, you need to begin with a sugary liquid. Yeast is added to this sugary liquid. The yeast consumes the sugar and turns it into alcohol. At the same time, the yeast produces the gas carbon dioxide (CO2) and aromas. This process is known as fermentation. sugar

+

yeast

alcohol

dissolved in water

+

carbon dioxide

aromas

In alcoholic drinks, the level of alcohol is often measured as alcohol by volume (or abv for short); for example, 5% abv means that five per cent of the liquid is alcohol. Beer can range in alcohol level, so it can be helpful to think about alcohol in beer using the following scale: • • • •

low: 4% abv and below medium: 4.1–5.9% abv high: 6–9% abv very high: above 9% abv

The main ingredients of beer Four main ingredients are used to make beer: malt, water, hops and yeast.

Malt (malted grains) Malt is short for malted grains, meaning grains that have gone through a process called malting, which we will cover in more detail later. Malt ultimately provides a brewer with the sugar that the yeast turns into alcohol. It also provides most of a beer’s colour and can give beer a range of aromas.

How does malt provide sugars? Malt provides the sugars that brewers require in order to create alcohol. Yet, when the malt is delivered to the brewery, it does not contain sugars, instead the grains are full of a substance called starch. Starch is made up of sugar molecules that are bonded together into long chains. This is an efficient way for some plants to store energy. However, when the sugar molecules are bound into starch, they cannot be consumed by yeast. As a consequence, catalysts (substances that speed up reactions) called enzymes are needed to unlock these bonds and break up the starch into shorter-chained sugar molecules that the yeast can consume. This process is called starch conversion.

6

What is Beer?

Starch conversion Fortunately, as well as being the source of starch, malt is the source of the enzymes that brewers need to convert the starch into sugar. This is why malt is so important in brewing. During the brewing process, when the milled (crushed) malt is mixed with hot water, the enzymes from the malt convert the starch into sugar. This sugar dissolves to form a sugary liquid. Later in the process the sugars in the liquid can be turned into alcohol by the yeast.

starch from the malt

enzymes from the malt

sugars

Water In terms of volume, water is the main ingredient in beer. It provides the liquid environment in which yeast can consume sugars and turn them into alcohol. Brewers use a lot of water, so they need a plentiful and reliable supply.

Hops Hops, or more precisely hop cones, are the part of the hop plant that brewers use. They were initially used in brewing primarily for their antibacterial properties, helping to preserve the beer. Today, hops are more prized for the bitterness and aromas they bring to beer.

Yeast Yeast is a tiny microorganism. It creates the alcohol and carbonation found in beer and can also give a beer some of its aromas.

7

How is Beer Made?

2 How is Beer Made? Here we look at six key stages in the production of beer: milling, mashing, wort boiling, fermentation, carbonation and packaging.

Milling First the brewer mills (crushes) a batch of the whole malted grains. The milled grains are referred to as grist. Once the grist has been made, it is moved immediately onto the next stage in the process: mashing.

Mashing Mashing starts when the grist is mixed with hot water, creating a mixture called the mash. During mashing, the enzymes from the malt convert the starch that is present into sugars, which dissolve to form a sugary liquid. At this stage the sugary liquid is still mixed with solid, undissolved particles of grain (primarily husks) and is known as mash. At the end of mashing, this sugary liquid is separated from the undissolved solids and is called wort. The leftover solids are referred to as spent grains. A mill in a brewery

A close up of grist (milled grains)

Credit: Neil Robinson

Credit: Jude Black/Shutterstock.com

8

How is Beer Made?

Wort boiling The wort is then boiled. Boiling kills microorganisms in the wort, preventing spoilage and helping ensure beer is safe to drink. The boil is when the main hop additions take place. After boiling the wort is rapidly cooled to a temperature suitable for fermentation.

Fermentation The cooled wort is transferred to a vessel where yeast is added. During fermentation, the yeast consumes sugars and creates alcohol, carbon dioxide and aromas. A brewery kettle

Fermentation vessels in a brewery

Credit: Neil Robinson

Credit: Matthew Curtis

Carbonation When beers are carbonated, carbon dioxide gas dissolves in the beer under pressure. The carbon dioxide bubbles rise up through the liquid in the glass and we feel them in our mouths when tasting beer. These bubbles also contribute to the foam that forms on top of the beer as it is poured. Yeast naturally produces carbon dioxide gas during fermentation. To top up the carbonation level that occurs during fermentation, carbon dioxide that has been purchased or recovered from earlier fermentations can be injected into the beer. It is also possible to carbonate beer by carrying out a further fermentation after packaging in a sealed bottle. This is known as bottle-conditioning. After bottle-conditioning a sediment of yeast settles at the bottom of the bottle.

Packaging Once the finished beer has been produced, it needs to be packaged so that it can be sold and distributed. Beer is packaged in a number of different containers. The most widely used examples are cans, bottles and kegs.

9

How is Beer Made?

grains grist

water

mash Milling and mashing The grains are milled into grist. This is then mixed with hot water to form mash. The enzymes from the malt convert the starch that is present into sugars, which dissolve to form a sugary liquid. The sugary liquid is separated from the solids and is known as wort.

spent grains

wort

hops Wort boiling Boiling kills microorganisms in the wort and is the time when hops are added. After boiling the wort is rapidly cooled to a temperature suitable for fermentation.

cooling

yeast

Fermentation During fermentation, the yeast consumes sugars and creates alcohol, carbon dioxide and aromas.

Carbonation To top up the carbonation level that occurs during fermentation, carbon dioxide that has been purchased or recovered from earlier fermentations can be injected into the beer. In some cases, carbonation takes place in the package.

Packaging Beer is packaged in a number of different containers. The most widely used examples are cans, bottles and kegs. cans, bottles, kegs

10

Malt and Other Sources of Sugar

3 Malt and Other Sources of Sugar Malted grains provide the brewer with the sugars that are needed to create alcohol. They also add colour and aromas to a beer. There are many types of malt, all of which have different colours and aromas. Other sources of sugar are sometimes used in combination with malt.

What are grains? Grains are produced by a number of different cereal plants. For brewers, barley is the most important grain, but others, such as wheat, maize (corn), oats, rye, rice and sorghum are also used. A grain is made up of an embryo (baby plant) with a store of energy inside a protective casing called the husk. In the spring, when it is warm and wet enough, the embryo starts to grow. It uses the store of energy to grow until it has its own leaves and can photosynthesise (produce energy from light). The food in the grain is stored as starch, which is an efficient way of storing sugars. However, the embryo cannot feed on starch so it must first convert the starch into sugars. Therefore, as the embryo grows, it controls the release of enzymes that carry out the starch conversion into sugar. This basic summary of the life cycle of a grain helps to explain why malting is such a vital preliminary step to brewing. A barley plant grows from a single grain

11

Malt and Other Sources of Sugar

husk protective case

embryo grows into new plant

endosperm store of energy

Malting Malting is the process that turns grain into malt, releasing the enzymes that are required to convert starch to sugar. Any grain can be malted, but the grain that is malted more often than any other is barley. There are three key steps to malting: steeping, germination and kilning.

Steeping and germination The grains are steeped (submerged) in water. Once the grains have absorbed enough water, the embryos begin to grow. This growth of the embryo is called germination. Inside the grains, enzymes are being produced.

Kilning After the enzymes have been produced, the growth of the grain needs to be stopped. If the grains were allowed to continue to grow, the starch would be used up by the developing embryo. Therefore, the germination is stopped by heating and drying the grains using warm air in a kiln, a process called kilning. The dried malted grains—containing starch and enzymes—can be stored ready for the brewer to use. Kilning also produces colour and aromas in the malt.

Barley grains steeping Credit: Matthew Curtis

Barley grains germinating Credit: Matthew Curtis

12

Barley grains in a kiln Credit: Matthew Curtis

Malt and Other Sources of Sugar

Types of malt Not all malt is the same. Different colours and aromas can be created by varying the temperature used and the length of time the grains are heated during kilning. Some malt is also roasted.

Base malts Base malts make up the majority of the malt that a brewer uses. In comparison with other malts, base malts are heated to the lowest temperatures in the kiln. This minimises damage to the enzymes, so they can be used to convert starch into sugars later on at the brewery during the mashing step of the brewing process. During kilning, some aromas and colours are created. Base malts can give beer aromas such as water cracker, bread dough, bread crumb and light honey. If used on their own, base malts give beer a straw or gold colour.

Speciality malts Speciality malts are used to give aromas and colour to the final beer. They are most often used in small amounts in combination with base malts. Speciality malts can be made by increasing the temperature or length of time the malt spends in the kiln (compared to base malts) or by roasting malt at even higher temperatures. The higher temperatures damage or completely destroy the enzymes in these malts. Speciality malts can give a wide range of aromas such as digestive biscuit/graham cracker, bread crust, toasted bread, toasted nut, caramel, dried fruits, candy floss (cotton candy), coffee and chocolate. They can give a beer an amber, copper, brown or even black colour.

Pilsner malt, an example of a base malt

Credit: AlexeiLogvinovich/ Shutterstock.com

Munich malt, an example of a highly kilned malt

Black malt, an example of a dark roasted malt Credit: Crisp malt

Credit: Crisp Malt

13

Caramel malt

Credit: Crisp malt

Malt and Other Sources of Sugar

Other sources of sugar Sometimes other grains or other sources of sugar are also used, in combination with malt. Other grains, sugars or syrups can be used to provide sugars for fermentation and can also affect the final beer’s texture and aromas. Some grains, such as rice or maize (corn), as well as most sugars and syrups, tend to give a lighter aroma intensity and body. Some grains can impact the texture or appearance; for example, wheat can give a smooth, creamy texture to the final beer and contribute to haziness.

The grain bill The grain bill is a recipe listing the types and amounts of malts and grains used to make a beer. This may be as simple as just one type of malt, but most recipes call for either a mixture of malts or a mixture of malts and unmalted grains. Typically, a base malt makes up the majority of the grain bill, bringing starch as well as high levels of enzymes to convert the starch into sugars during the mashing process. Small amounts of speciality malts are used to achieve the desired colour, aromas and complexity.

14

Hops and Other Flavourings

4 Hops and Other Flavourings Hops add bitterness and aromas to a beer and are a natural preservative. There are hundreds of varieties of hops, each with their own characteristics. Beer is usually flavoured with hops. Some beers are made with other flavourings.

What are hops? Hops are climbing plants. Each spring the plant sends up new shoots from the ground. Over the course of the year, bines, which grow from the shoots, produce hop cones, which are the part of the plant that brewers want to use. In the autumn the bines are cut off close to the ground and the hop cones are collected. Hop plants growing up trellises in a hop farm

Hop cones growing on a hop plant

Credit: Matthew Curtis

Credit: Matthew Curtis

Once the hop cones have been collected, they are dried so that they can be stored for a long period with little to no risk of rotting. These dried hop cones can be used by brewers, but that is relatively rare. It is far more common for brewers to use hop pellets, which are made by milling the dried cones and pressing them into more space-efficient pellets. Hops are packaged and refrigerated in order to retain their bitterness and aroma.

15

Hops and Other Flavourings

Hop cones contain the compounds that can add bitterness and aroma to a beer.

Hop varieties There are hundreds of different varieties of hop, and they all have slightly different aromas, aroma intensity and levels of bitterness. Each variety has a specific climate in which it grows best. As a result, well-established hop-growing countries have become associated with different hop characteristics. We will cover some of the well-established hop-growing regions; however, note that hops are also grown in other parts of the world. New varieties of hops become available every year and therefore every hopgrowing country is able to produce a diverse array of hop aromas.

Traditional German, Czech or British hops These hops are noted for their subtle spicy, floral, herbal, earthy or fruity aromas.

American, New Zealand or Australian hops These hops tend to have intense citrus fruit, stone fruit, tropical fruit or pine notes.

Using hops Hops are added to the wort during the boil in order to extract their bitterness and aroma. The timing of the hop addition determines what kind of contribution the hops make. If hops are being used primarily for their bitterness, then they are added towards the beginning of the boil, as they need heat and time for their bitterness to be extracted. On the other hand, hops used primarily for their aroma are added near the end of the boil, because aromas can easily escape into the air if the hops are boiled for too long. It is also possible to add hops at later stages of the brewing process, during or after fermentation, when the temperature is lower. This provides aroma. This process is called ‘dry hopping’. Brewers can choose to use a single hop variety or a blend of varieties, depending on the bitterness and aromas they want to achieve in the final beer. Some hop varieties tend to be used for bitterness, some for aroma and others can be used for both.

Other flavourings Hops are the most widely used flavouring ingredient added to beer, but brewers are not limited to them. Before the widespread use of hops, herbs and spices were used to add aroma or bitterness to beer. Some brewers continue to add herbs and spices. Fruits such as cherries and raspberries, and other flavourings, such as citrus peel and coriander seed, have long been used in certain traditional Belgian beer styles. Brewers are not limited to what was used in the past and, in most countries, there are no limits on what brewers can use to flavour their beers as long as it is edible and practical to use. If brewers want to add more unusual flavourings to their beers, common ingredients include pumpkin, honey, chilli and coffee.

16

Yeast

5 Yeast The primary role of yeast in brewing is to create alcohol. However, yeast can also have a significant effect on a beer’s aroma.

What is yeast? The yeast that brewers use is a microorganism that has the ability to create alcohol when it consumes sugar. At the same time as yeast creates alcohol, it produces aromas and carbon dioxide. Yeast on the surface of a fermentation Credit: Hamik/Shutterstock.com

Types of yeast There are two main species of yeast that are used in brewing. These two species are commonly referred to as ale yeast and lager yeast. These species behave differently and, as a result, they are responsible for one of the principal divisions that is found in beer styles: ales and lagers. As well as these two species of yeast, other types of yeast and even bacteria can be used to make some styles of beer.

Ale yeast Ale yeast ferments quickly and at relatively warm temperatures. It can also produce a wide range of fruity and spicy aromas. There are many different strains of ale yeast and each strain creates its own signature set of aromas. As a result, individual yeast strains can be chosen to create particular styles of beer. Beers made with ale yeast are called ales.

17

Yeast

Lager yeast Lager yeast typically ferments more slowly and at a cooler temperature than ale yeast. Compared with ale yeast, there are fewer strains of lager yeast. Lager yeast strains generally do not contribute as much aroma to the final beer. Beers made with lager yeast are called lagers.

Types of yeast Ale yeast

Lager yeast

Fermentation speed

Quicker

Slower

Fermentation temperature

Warmer

Cooler

Aromas

Range of fruity and spicy aromas possible

Less aroma

Type of beer

Ale

Lager

Other types of yeast and bacteria Brettanomyces (or Brett for short) is another type of yeast, which is sometimes used by brewers to contribute a range of complex aromas to beer including fruity aromas, such as ripe pineapple and peach, and farmyard, leather, hay and earth aromas. Bacteria can also be used in beer production. An example is the use of lactic acid bacteria—also used in the production of yoghurt and kimchi—which can give acidity (sourness) to beer.

Approaches to fermentation Yeast exists all around us in the air and on surfaces and it is possible to use these ambient yeast strains for fermentation. However, nearly all beers are made with cultured yeast strains, which have been selected and grown in a lab.

Fermentation with cultured yeast and/or bacteria The fermentation for most beers starts when a single strain of cultured ale or lager yeast is added to the wort. However, brewers sometimes choose to use other types of cultured yeast (such as Brettanomyces) or cultured bacteria (such as lactic acid bacteria) as well.

Spontaneous fermentation Nearly all brewers add cultured yeast, but some beers are made using a different approach called spontaneous fermentation. In these cases, brewers do not add any cultured yeast or bacteria at any time and instead rely on the ambient yeast that live in and around their brewery. This approach typically results in many different types of yeast and bacteria growing in the wort.

18

An Introduction to Tasting Beer

6 An Introduction to Tasting Beer In order to get the most out of tasting a beer, you need to take a consistent approach with every sample. If you take this approach, you will be able to write tasting notes that accurately describe a beer, which you can refer back to in the future.

Preparing for a tasting Before you start tasting, you should make sure that: • there are no distracting smells or noises; • you have good lighting and a white background to help you assess the appearance of the beer; • you have a clean glass that has a wide bowl that narrows towards the top (this type of glass helps to concentrate the aromas, making it easier to assess the nose); • you have a clean palate that has no lingering flavours, such as garlic, toothpaste or coffee.

WSET Level 1 Systematic Approach to Tasting Beer® The WSET Level 1 Systematic Approach to Tasting Beer® (SAT) will help you to take a consistent approach with every sample, and your educator will show you how to use it. Appearance Clarity

clear – hazy – opaque

Colour

straw – gold – amber – copper – brown – black

Other observations

e.g. foam

Nose Aroma characteristics  

e.g. aromas from malt and grain, hops, yeast, other

Other observations

e.g. intensity

Palate Aroma characteristics  

e.g. aromas from malt and grain, hops, yeast, other

Other observations

e.g. intensity, carbonation, body, alcohol, bitterness, sweetness, acidity

19

An Introduction to Tasting Beer

WSET Level 1 Beer-Lexicon Supporting the WSET Level 1 Systematic Approach to Tasting Beer® Aromas from malt and grain  Bread  

bread dough, water cracker, bread crumb, bread crust, digestive biscuit/ graham cracker, toasted bread, burnt bread

Sweet/confectionery 

honey, caramel, candy floss (cotton candy), black treacle (molasses)

Dried fruit 

raisin, prune, date, dried fig

Nut/bean 

toasted nut, chocolate, coffee, cocoa

Aromas from hops  Floral

rose, geranium, lavender, jasmine, elderflower, blossom, chamomile

Berry

strawberry, raspberry, redcurrant, blackcurrant, gooseberry, blueberry

Pome fruit

apple, pear

Citrus fruit

grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange, mandarin, bergamot

Stone fruit

peach, apricot, nectarine, cherry, plum

Tropical fruit

lychee, mango, melon, passion fruit, pineapple, papaya, guava, coconut

Herbaceous

grass, blackcurrant leaf, lemongrass, hay

Herbal

mint, dill, sage, thyme, fennel, basil, black tea, green tea

Other

pine, spice, earth, forest floor, onion, garlic, cedar, peppercorn

Aromas from yeast Fruit 

apple, pear, lemon, orange, grapefruit, strawberry, grape, apricot, cherry, peach, banana, pineapple, fig, dried fruit

Spice 

clove, nutmeg, white peppercorn, black peppercorn, aniseed

Farmyard 

hay, horse blanket, leather, earth, damp wool

Other 

bubblegum, fruit candy, nail varnish, liquorice

20

An Introduction to Tasting Beer

About the SAT The SAT separates tasting into three key parts: appearance, nose and palate.

Appearance ‘Appearance’ is how the beer looks. To assess the clarity of the beer, hold the glass up to the light and look through the liquid; to assess the colour of the beer it is helpful to hold the glass up against a white background. We can also make a note of other observations such as the size of the foam (or head) on top of the beer when it is poured and how long this lasts.

Straw

Gold

Amber

Copper

Brown

Black

Nose ‘Nose’ is how the beer smells. To assess the nose, first hold the glass by the stem beneath your nose and take a sniff. Then insert your nose into the glass and take another sniff. You may notice some aromas. Then swirl the liquid to release more aromas into the glass. Insert your nose into the glass and take a few short sniffs. You can also repeat this process with a longer sniff.

Palate ‘Palate’ is how the beer tastes. To assess the palate, take a sip of beer and move the liquid around your mouth before swallowing or spitting. Often, aromas on the palate are the same as aromas detected on the nose. In this book when we refer to aromas, we mean both those detected on the nose and on the palate. You may also note the carbonation, body, alcohol, bitterness, sweetness or acidity of the beer in your mouth.

Alcohol and Health When consumed in moderation, alcohol is not regarded as being harmful to your health. However, alcohol can significantly affect the behaviour of anyone who consumes too much (often in very socially unacceptable and dangerous ways). For some people, it can be highly addictive and, when consumed to excess, it can have a negative effect on both short- and long-term health. Official guidelines are issued by many governments and public health bodies to recommend levels of alcohol consumption that are considered to be ‘low risk’. These vary from country to country and can be found on local governmental or public health websites.

21

Tasting Notes

Tasting Notes

Beer name: Appearance Nose

Palate

Beer name: Appearance Nose

Palate

Beer name: Appearance Nose

Palate

22

Styles of Beer

7 Styles of Beer Styles are what we use to differentiate beers based on their flavour profile. A beer style is essentially a set of characteristics —achieved with a particular combination of ingredients and brewing techniques—linked to a name.

Malt-driven styles The most popular beer in the world today is an easy-drinking pale-coloured lager, and versions of this are made all around the world. Typically, to create these styles brewers use exclusively base malts (lightly kilned, malted barley). Both lagers and ales can be made exclusively with base malts to give beer a straw or gold colour and aromas such as bread crumb, bread dough or water cracker. In some cases, brewers use some sugar or syrup, or include more neutrally flavoured grains, such as rice, in the grain bill. This gives lighter aroma intensity and lighter body compared to beers made with 100 per cent malt. Using small amounts of speciality malts in combination with base malts can give a wide range of aromas including digestive biscuit/graham cracker, bread crust, toasted bread, toasted nut, caramel, dried fruits, candy floss (cotton candy), coffee and chocolate. Speciality malts can also contribute amber, copper, brown or even black colour.

Brewed with base malts only American or international pale lager These lagers are straw or gold in colour with light aroma intensity. They have malt aromas such as bread dough and water cracker, and sometimes subtle hop aroma. They tend to have low or medium bitterness, medium alcohol and high carbonation.

23

Styles of Beer

Munich helles Helles or hell is a German word meaning bright, light or pale. Munich helles is usually gold in colour with malt aromas of bread crumb or water cracker, and subtle spicy, herbal or floral notes from hops. This lager style typically has low to medium bitterness and medium alcohol.

Blonde ale This easy-drinking ale style is straw to gold in colour with subtle bread crumb aromas from malt. It has low to medium alcohol and medium bitterness. It may also have some subtle fruity flavours from ale yeast strains and subtle hop aromas. This style is sometimes labelled ‘golden ale’.

Brewed with some speciality malts Munich dunkel Dunkel is German for dark. Munich dunkel is copper to brown in colour with malt aromas of toasted bread, bread crust, toasted nut and sometimes caramel or chocolate. It also sometimes features subtle spicy, herbal or floral aromas from hops. This lager style has low to medium bitterness and medium alcohol.

24

Styles of Beer

Brown ale Brown ale is amber to brown in colour with aromas such as toasted nut, toasted bread and sometimes chocolate or caramel notes. This ale style sometimes has fruity yeast-derived aromas. Some versions have subtle fruity, earthy or herbal hop aromas, while others may have more intense notes of citrus, stone or tropical fruit or pine. Both bitterness and alcohol levels can range from low to high.

Porter or stout Porters and stouts can be grouped as two closely related families of ales. They have a brown or black colour, with malt aromas such as coffee or chocolate, and sometimes caramel. Some versions have subtle fruity, earthy or herbal hop aromas, while others may have more intense notes of citrus, stone or tropical fruit or pine. Fruity yeast aromas are also sometimes apparent. Bitterness can be low to high and alcohol can range from low to very high. Very high-alcohol versions of these beers, which have pronounced roasted malt aromas, often include the word ‘imperial’ in their name.

Barley wine Barley wine (or barleywine) is often amber in colour, but it can range from gold to brown, with intense malt aromas ranging from toasted bread, caramel or digestive biscuit/graham cracker to dried fruits. It sometimes has fruity yeast-derived aromas. This ale style is typically full-bodied with notable sweetness and high or very high levels of alcohol. Hop aromas can vary from subtle earthy, floral, fruity aromas to more prominent aromas of pine or citrus, stone and tropical fruit, and bitterness can range from low to high. Barley wines are often suitable for ageing.

25

Tasting Notes

Tasting Notes

Beer name: Appearance

Nose

Palate

Beer name: Appearance

Nose

Palate

26

Styles of Beer

Hop-driven styles Hops can bring two key attributes to beer: bitterness and aromas. Some hop-driven styles have medium or pronounced bitterness with a restrained hop aroma. This can be achieved by adding most of the hops towards the start of wort boiling, and fewer at the end of the boil. Using traditional British, Czech or German hops can provide a more restrained hop aroma, giving the beer a subtle spicy, floral, herbal, earthy or fruity character. Some other hop-driven styles have both high levels of bitterness and pronounced hop aromas. This is achieved by adding hops early in the boil for bitterness, later in the boil for flavour and dry hopping for aroma. In this case, American, New Zealand or Australian hops can be used to give intense citrus fruit, stone fruit, tropical fruit or pine notes. These intensely hop-driven beers have evolved into a number of variants; for example, they can vary in alcohol level and colour. A relatively new development has seen these beers being made with more focus on the intense hop aromas than on the bitterness from hops. Note that many of the malt-driven styles listed in the previous section are now being made with a much more pronounced hop character.

Brewed with traditional Czech, German or British hops Traditional Czech or German pilsner Traditional Czech or German pilsners are straw to gold in colour with aromas from malt such as bread dough, light honey or bread crumb, and subtle spicy, floral or herbal hop aromas. They have medium to high bitterness and medium alcohol.

Bitter Bitter is the term used for a style of hop-driven ale originally from England. Bitter is amber to copper in colour, with aromas of toasted bread, bread crust, digestive biscuit/graham cracker or caramel. Bitter tends to show subtle fruity, earthy or herbal hop aromas and sometimes has fruity notes from yeast. It has medium to high bitterness. Alcohol levels can range from low to high.

27

Styles of Beer

Brewed with American, Australian or New Zealand hops American pale ale This style is gold to amber in colour. It has hop aromas ranging from citrus fruit, stone fruit and tropical fruit to notes of pine, and subtle malt aromas such as bread crumb or sometimes toasted bread or digestive biscuit/graham cracker. It sometimes has subtle fruity notes from ale yeast. It has medium to high bitterness and medium alcohol. This style is sometimes labelled ‘APA’.

American IPA American IPA (India pale ale) can be thought of as a stronger version of an American pale ale with even more bitterness and hop aroma. It is gold to amber in colour. High levels of bitterness and hop aromas such as pine, resin or citrus, tropical and stone fruit define the style. American IPA may also have subtle malt aromas such as bread crumb or sometimes toasted bread, digestive biscuit/graham cracker or caramel. Sometimes American IPA has subtle fruity notes from ale yeast. This style is typically medium to high in alcohol.

Hazy IPA Hazy IPA is straw to gold in colour and distinctly hazy. It has subtle water cracker or bread crumb aromas from malt, hop aromas such as stone fruit, tropical fruit and citrus fruit, and sometimes fruity notes from yeast. It is typically less bitter than American IPAs with low to medium bitterness and has medium to high levels of alcohol. This style may also be labelled New England IPA.

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Tasting Notes

Tasting Notes

Beer name: Appearance

Nose

Palate

Beer name: Appearance

Nose

Palate

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Styles of Beer

Yeast-driven styles In this section we have grouped styles where aromas produced by yeast are the signature characteristic of the style. As lagers do not typically have many aromas from yeast, this section only includes ales. The main types of yeast aromas are fruity and spicy. Depending on the strain of ale yeast chosen by the brewer, they can promote the production of certain aromas in the beer. These can include a wide range of fruity aromas such as tropical fruit, pome fruit or citrus fruit and in some cases spicy aromas such as clove or peppercorn. These aromas are found in different combinations in a diverse range of beer styles.

Yeast-driven ales Weissbier Weissbier is typically straw to gold in colour and cloudy/hazy. Fruity (banana) and spicy (clove) yeastderived aromas balance with bread crumb aromas from the wheat that is used. This style has low bitterness and medium alcohol. It typically has high carbonation. Weissbier is also known as hefeweizen.

Weiss and Weizen Weiss is German for white and Weizen means wheat. Both words are used to name wheat beers in Germany.

Dubbel Dubbel is copper to brown in colour. It has fruity aromas such as apple, plum and prune as well as spicy clove or peppercorn notes. These yeast-derived aromas are balanced with notes of toasted bread, caramel or dried fruit from malt or caramelised sugars and sometimes subtle floral or spicy hop aromas. Dubbel has high alcohol and medium bitterness. It generally has sediment from bottle-conditioning and is highly carbonated.

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Styles of Beer

Tripel Tripel is gold in colour with prominent fruity aromas, such as orange or banana, as well as spicy aromas, such as peppercorn or clove from yeast, and subtle malt aromas of light honey or bread crumb. It typically has high or very high alcohol, even higher than a dubbel, and medium bitterness. Like dubbel, tripel generally has sediment from bottleconditioning and is highly carbonated.

Saison Saison is most commonly gold to amber in colour. It has fruity and spicy aromas from yeast such as orange, peach or apple, as well as a peppercorn note. It has malt aromas such as bread crumb, toasted bread or digestive biscuit/graham cracker and spicy, floral, fruity or earthy notes from hops. It can also be slightly sour. Saison often has sediment from bottle-conditioning and is highly carbonated. Bitterness for this style is typically medium and alcohol levels can range from low to high.

Witbier Witbier is hazy and straw to gold in colour. This style has subtle fruity and spicy yeast aromas, which are often complemented by citrus and floral notes coming from the use of coriander seed and orange peel as flavourings. It also has subtle aromas such as bread crumb or light honey from wheat and sometimes subtle spicy or herbal notes from hops. It typically has low bitterness and medium alcohol. This style is sometimes labelled with the French term blanche, meaning ‘white’.

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Tasting Notes

Tasting Notes

Beer name: Appearance

Nose

Palate

Beer name: Appearance

Nose

Palate

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Styles of beer

Sour styles The beer styles covered in this section get a distinct sour character from bacteria, such as lactic acid bacteria, that are active during fermentation and maturation. Lactic acid bacteria contribute acidity to the final beer. In some cases these styles can also be influenced by Brettanomyces, a type of yeast that can add complex aromas to beer, including farmyard, hay, ripe pineapple and leather aromas.

Berliner weisse Berliner weisse is straw-coloured and hazy. It has subtle aromas of bread dough from wheat and malt as well as subtle fruity notes from fermentation. The beer is moderately sour. It has light body, low alcohol and has low or no perceptible bitterness. It is sometimes served with syrups (raspberry or woodruff, a herb with a slightly bitter taste and aroma reminiscent of sweet hay). This style is typically made using cultured yeast and bacteria.

Geuze (gueuze) Geuze is gold in colour and has complex aromas, such as farmyard (earth and hay) and fruity aromas such as grapefruit, orange, apple, apricot or rhubarb, along with subtle bread crumb notes. It is sour with low or no bitterness and medium to high alcohol. It generally has sediment from bottle-conditioning and is highly carbonated. This style is made using spontaneous fermentation and is influenced by a range of ambient yeast and bacteria including Brettanomyces as well as lactic acid bacteria.

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Tasting Notes

Tasting Notes

Beer name: Appearance

Nose

Palate

Beer name: Appearance

Nose

Palate

34

Styles of beer

Styles summary Malt-driven styles Brewed with base malts only

Brewed with some speciality malts

Common features

• Straw or gold colour • Malt aromas – water cracker, bread dough, bread crumb or light honey

• Colour range from amber to black • Malt aromas – range from digestive biscuit/graham cracker, bread crust, toasted bread, toasted nut, coffee, chocolate or caramel, dried fruits or candy floss (cotton candy)

Styles

Lager

• American or international pale lager • Munich helles

•

Munich dunkel

Ale

• Blonde ale

• • •

Brown ale Porter and stout Barley wine

Brewed with traditional German, Czech or British hops

Brewed with American, Australian or New Zealand hops

Common features

• Hop aromas – subtle spicy, floral, herbal, earthy or fruity

• Hop aromas – intense tropical fruit, stone fruit, citrus fruit or pine

Styles

Lager

• Traditional Czech or German pilsner

Ale

•

Hop-driven styles

Bitter

• American pale ale • American IPA • Hazy IPA

Yeast-driven styles Common features

• Fruity and/or spicy aromas produced by yeast are their signature characteristic

Styles

• • • • •

Ale

Weissbier Dubbel Tripel Saison Witbier

Sour styles Common features Styles

• Distinct sour character from bacteria, such as lactic acid bacteria

Made using cultured yeast and bacteria

• Berliner weisse

Made using spontaneous fermentation

• Geuze (gueuze)

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Storage and Service of Beer

8 Storage and Service of Beer A lot of work goes into creating a beer for people to enjoy. Careful storage and service of beer help to ensure that the beer in the glass is as the brewer intended.

Storing beer Beer begins to change as soon as it is brewed and can be easily damaged if it is exposed to oxygen, heat or light. The following points should be followed when storing beer.

Drink beer fresh Although some beers benefit from ageing, in most cases beers are at their best when fresh. Over time, hop aromas and bitterness fade, and the beer can take on off-aromas such as paper or wet cardboard notes. When purchasing packaged beer, it is helpful to check if there is a ‘bottled on’ or ‘best before/use by’ date on the package.

Keep beer cool Even for short-term storage, beer should be kept cool and ideally refrigerated. If left at room temperature, beer loses its freshness and becomes stale more quickly. Exposure to warm temperatures can rapidly degrade a beer.

Protect beer from light Beer should be protected from daylight and artificial light, which can cause undesirable aromas to develop, known as ‘light strike’. Cans and kegs are opaque, protecting the beer inside them. Brown bottles prevent almost all damaging light from reaching the beer. Green or colourless glass bottles offer little or no protection at all and, if used, should be stored in sealed boxes. Green and colourless glass bottles offer little protection from light strike, while brown glass bottles prevent almost all damaging light from reaching the beer. Credit: Andrii Melnykov/Shutterstock.com

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Storage and Service of Beer

Keep beer sealed Beer should be kept sealed to protect it from oxygen, and to preserve its aromas and carbonation. Once opened, beer packaged in bottles or cans should be consumed immediately. Kegged beer is packaged with carbon dioxide gas, which protects the beer from oxygen and means that keg beer can stay fresh for longer.

Common beer faults Bad storage or maintenance can result in undesirable aromas and flavours in beer. Some common faults to look for are:

Staling Staling happens to most beers over time and is accelerated by exposure to heat and oxygen. Hop aromas and bitterness fade, and the beer can take on off-flavours such as paper or wet cardboard notes.

Light strike (skunking) Light strike is caused by exposure of hop compounds to light and gives an undesirable skunky, scorched hair or cat urine aroma.

Bacterial infection Bacterial infection is commonly caused by bacterial growth in poorly maintained beer lines (hoses that connect kegs to taps), which can give beer a combination of undesirable flavours such as vinegar and rancid butter notes.

Serving beer Glassware There is a wide array of glassware available, and personal preference, tradition and culture are all important considerations when choosing what glass to serve a beer in. In addition, there are a few general features that can be considered when choosing a tasting glass: having a rounded bowl can help swirling; inward-sloping walls capture aromas at the top of the glass; narrow glasses can help head retention (foam stand). Regardless of the shape, size or brand of glassware, it is essential that the glass used for serving beer is clean. It should be odourless and free of any residues, such as detergent or dishwasher salts, or dirt left from unclean glass-polishing cloths. If after the beer is poured you notice bubbles clinging to the side of the glass, this is a sign that the glass is not completely clean.

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Storage and Service of Beer

Keg beer Pouring keg beer • Hold the glass in one hand and hold below the tap (faucet) at a 45° angle. The tap should not come into contact with the beer or the glass. Avoid touching the upper part of the glass with your hand. • Open the tap fully and pour the beer down the side of the glass until the glass is around 70 per cent full. • Move the glass into an upright position and continue to pour the beer directly into the centre of the glass to form a foam. • When you have filled the glass to the correct volume, turn off the tap.

Bottled beer Opening a bottle sealed with a crown cap • Steady the bottle with one hand. With the other hand, use the bottle opener to remove the crown cap in one single motion.

Pouring bottled beer Some beers are bottle-conditioned, which means they have a layer of yeast sediment at the bottom of the bottle. Typically, these beers are poured carefully to avoid disturbing the sediment, keeping the liquid clear. It is ultimately the consumer’s choice whether or not they would like to have the yeast sediment in their beer. If serving a bottle-conditioned beer, after pouring leave the bottle on the table. If they wish, the consumer can swirl the remaining beer and sediment together and add them into their beer. • In one hand, hold the glass at a 45° angle. Avoid touching the upper part of the glass with your hand. • With the other hand, gently pour the beer down the side of the glass. • When the glass is around 50–70 per cent full, return the glass to an upright position and continue to pour the beer into the centre of the liquid, creating foam. • For beer that does not contain a sediment, keep pouring until all the contents of the bottle are in the glass. • For beer that has a yeast sediment, pour the beer carefully, keeping it in the pouring position until the sediment is visible near the neck of the bottle. At this point, stop pouring to prevent the sediment from going into the glass. • To avoid any sediment getting into the glass, a small amount of beer will always be left in the bottle. Note that in the case of weissbier and witbier, which are naturally cloudy/hazy, a sediment can settle in the bottle or can. It is common to reincorporate this sediment by gently rolling the bottle or can before opening, and then pouring the entire contents into the glass.

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Storage and Service of Beer

Pouring beer that has not been bottle conditioned (beer without sediment)

Pouring bottle-conditioned beer (beer with sediment)

Service temperature Personal preference is one of the most important considerations when it comes to service temperature. However, we can apply some general rules to suggest the best service temperature for different styles of beer. Beer characteristics

Beer style examples

Suggested service temperature

Styles with light to medium aroma, low to medium alcohol

American or international lager Traditional Czech or German pilsner Weissbier

Well chilled 3–7°C (37–45°F)

Styles with medium to pronounced aroma, medium to high alcohol

Porter American pale ale American IPA

Chilled 7–12°C (45–54°F)

Styles with complex and pronounced aroma, high to very high alcohol

Barley wine Dubbel

Lightly chilled 12–15°C (54–59°F)

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Beer and Food

9 Beer and Food Beer is a wonderful partner to food. With so many different styles of beer as well as cuisines, it is important and enjoyable to experiment when pairing beer and food. This chapter aims to facilitate that experimentation by outlining some of the main ways in which food and beer interact with each other.

Preferences and sensitivities It is important to remember that people have different sensitivities to various tastes and aroma components. What seems like a perfect pairing to one person may seem ordinary or even unsuccessful to another. Pairings should therefore take into account the preferences and/or sensitivities of the individual.

Primary interactions Food that is consumed with any beverage influences the way that beverage tastes. The degree of interaction between the food and the beer is dependent on the sensitivity of the individual and the level of the interactive elements. Consider these interactions not as ’rules’ but rather as principles of perception that can be used to guide people to the beers and experiences they will enjoy most. The following table outlines common beverage primary interactions. Impact on perception of beer Element in food

Sweetness

Acidity

Bitterness

Sweetness

Decreased

Increased

Increased

Umami

Decreased

Increased

Increased

Acidity

Increased

Decreased

Decreased

Salt

Increased

Decreased

Decreased

• Chilli heat in food increases perception of alcohol in beer. • Bitterness in food increases perception of bitterness in beer.

Application As illustrated in the primary interactions table, some beer components can be amplified when paired with certain foods. Although beers are generally very food-friendly, different styles have varying levels of the components that can make food and beverage pairing challenging (or interesting). Here are some styles that tend to be more highly interactive with food: • Styles with high bitterness, such as American IPA can seem even more bitter when paired with sweetness, umami or bitterness in food. • Styles with high acidity, such as geuze can seem even more acidic when paired with sweetness or umami in food. • Styles with high or very high alcohol, such as barley wine and tripel, can notably increase the burning sensation of chilli heat.

40

Beer and Food

Other Considerations While primary interactions are key to successful food pairings, in the case of beer, there are other considerations to explore that can strengthen beer and food pairings.

Intensity To bring out the best in beer and food pairings, an important point to consider is the flavour intensities of both the dish and the beer. If they are not matched, one is likely to overpower the other.

Aromas Beers have a wide range of different aromas and flavours reminiscent of foods like bread, honey, chocolate and coffee from malt, fruit, tea and herbs from hops, and fruits and spices from yeast. When thinking about aromas and flavours, start by looking for similar or complementary aromas and flavours in the beer and food. Finding flavour harmonies creates a familiar connection between the beer and the food and can lead to wonderful interactions.

Beer and food pairing exercise In this exercise, your educator will use food samples and a selection of beers to demonstrate how different components can impact beer and food pairings. In the grid below, record your impressions of each beer and food interaction. Food sample 1

Food sample 2

Food sample 3

Beer 1

Beer 2

Beer 3

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Food sample 4

Notes

Notes

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About WSET

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