Is not a luxury, but a strategic drink. The famous American composer and singer of the 20th century, Frank Vincent Zappa, spoke about the role of beer in the state economy in the following words: “To be considered a Real Country, you need to have a national beer brand and a national airline. It's not bad to have a football team and some atomic weapons, but beer is condition # 1. ".

Today we will try to understand the details of the beer classification. But before analyzing the varieties, you need to understand the basics of beer production technology.

Beer production technology

Counterfeit beer at cost will be much more expensive than real beer, therefore, when buying beer, you can be sure with a high degree of probability that you have the original in front of you.

Beer production is divided into stages, each of which is important in order for the drink to be tasty and of high quality.

In the first stage, the malt is prepared. For this, the barley grains are germinated, dried and cleaned of sprouts. The malt is crushed and diluted with water. This is how the wort is mashing. The starch is broken down into maltose and soluble dextrins. Due to the release of maltose, the wort becomes sweetish.

At the next stage, the mash, which is a mixture of crushed grain, is thoroughly filtered. The wort is separated from the insoluble barley residues, referred to as "grain".

After filtration, the wort is boiled. Hops and other ingredients of the recipe are added to the solution. Future beer is brewed for one to two hours in order to evaporate unwanted aromas and protein components to coagulate and precipitate.

To prevent the beer from being cloudy, the wort is placed in a hydrocyclone. Clarification occurs under the action of centrifugal force. All insoluble barley and hop residues are finally separated from the liquid, and after half an hour of settling, the wort is freed from solid particles.

At the next technological stage, the wort is pumped into a fermentation tank for cooling and aeration. Aeration refers to the saturation of oxygen necessary for yeast growth.

The most important production moment in the manufacture of beer is fermentation, when brewer's yeast is added to the resulting solution. This process is extended in time and lasts for several weeks at low temperatures. To clean the beer from the dzhzay residues, it is filtered again. Industrial filtration destroys the beer microflora, preventing it from souring.

Sometimes beer is pasteurized. When heated to 80 ° C, the shelf life of beer increases, but its taste deteriorates.

It seems that the brewers have invented a special language for themselves to communicate. Some terms have to be specially translated as from a foreign language: coaster- cardboard support for a mug, Varya- beer vat with a volume of 110 buckets, tank- a container for fermentation and storage of beer, kegs- containers for transporting beer, necklace- bottle neck label, crown cap- metal cover with corrugated edge.

Suede Pants and Straro Bohemian Quirks

Previously, brewers did not even have thermometers, let alone more sophisticated measuring instruments, and the craftsmen had to rely only on their own sensitive receptors. Today, with full automation and robotization of production, the brewer does not forget to taste his product, because the taste and aroma cannot be measured.

Many years ago, to confirm the qualifications of a brewer, you had to pass exams every three years. The subjects went through a taste test of twelve degrees of bitterness, sweetness, and salinity. To pass the test of smell, it was necessary to determine not only the nature of the scent, but also its intensity.

The quality of the beer has always been monitored with great care. One of the original ways to test its quality was the folk method, when three important officials came to the brewery in reindeer suede pants and sat on an oak bench, on which they poured a mug of beer. An hour later, the guests got up. If the bench stuck to the pants and lifted with them, the beer was considered good quality. If the bench fell with a crash at the feet of the city governors, then the brewer paid a fine for the poor quality of his goods.

According to the customs of Old Prague, beer was drunk in two ways - "in half" and "in order".

In the first case, one person drank half a glass of beer, and the second drank the rest of it. The second mug was started by the one who in the first case drank to the bottom. The drinkers changed all the time, but none of them drained the whole mug in one gulp. In the second case, several people were thrown off for one volume of drinking beer. To establish the order of drinking, dice were thrown.

Drinking beer was turned into an attraction, into a mini-performance, into a fun show. Visitors to the pub competed in the amount of drink and at the same time stood in the most bizarre poses. They got up on chairs, climbed on tables, lay down on the floor. They drank through the leg, through the arm, holding the mug above their head, placing it on the elbow.

In ancient times, the nail test was popular among the Czech beer traditions. After the whole jug had been drunk, the last drop was poured onto the nail and licked. Quite a strange way of checking what has already disappeared in the throats and stomachs ...

If a guest of an inn intended to drink beer "with an ax", this did not imply the beginning of a bloody drama, as it might seem when this formidable weapon was mentioned. The expression "to drink with an ax" meant the need to make a notch on the wooden surface for the one who asked to pour him a beer on credit.

Beer classification

Beer classification is based on different parameters.

By color beer is divided into light and dark. Dark beer differs from light beer in terms of malt roasting. Semi-dark beer is made by mixing roasted and unroasted malt. The color palette of beer is wide enough. In addition to light and dark, you can define options for shades of amber, brown and even black beer.

Filtration principle beer is divided into live, filtered and pasteurized.

Live beer is healthy. The taste of freshly brewed beer is unmistakable. It can be distinguished by a slightly hazy yeast sediment. Live beer, with all its advantages, has a serious drawback in the form of a short shelf life. Draft live beer loses its attractiveness within two hours after production, and bottled live beer is stored for no more than a week.

Filtered beer is free of yeast particles. It has a beautiful transparent color. It can be stored for more than a month, but its taste changes, and the benefits of such beer are much less.

The longest shelf life of pasteurized beer. It does not change its consumer qualities for several months. The filtered beer is heated to kill all microorganisms. Its taste changes. At its core, this is no longer beer, but a different drink. There is no need to talk about the beneficial properties of such beer.

By type of yeast beer is usually divided into two groups - lagers and ales. Lager (LAGER) is fermented with the yeast Saccaromyces carlsbergensis, and the yeast Saccaromyces cerevisiae is used for the production of ale (ALE).

In 90% of beer production, the bottom-fermentation technology is used, when the beer is matured in the cold from 6 to 9 ° C. This requires special bottom-fermented brewer's yeast and professional refrigeration equipment. Lager is a bright representative of bottom-fermented beer, when the fermentation process itself lasts about two weeks.

Eles are fermented using top fermentation at a shorter time and at a higher temperature (15-20 ° C), they are stronger than lagers and often have a fruity flavor.

The classification of ales and lagers for beer drinkers is of particular interest. It provides unlimited possibilities for every taste.

• Porter is a strong dark ale with a distinct intoxicating flavor.
• Stout is a fairly dark ale made from regular and roasted malt with a hoppy flavor. The darker varieties are called Extra Stout.
• Bitter is a light ale with a special hoppy aftertaste and a bitter aftertaste made from light peeled barley.
• Lambic is a Belgian wheat ale made with wild yeast.
• Barley wine is an English barley ale with a high alcohol content, reddish color with a copper tint.
• Altbier - German dark ale from roasted malt, prepared according to old technology.
• American ale is an American ale made from local aromatic hops.
• Trappist ale is a Trappist ale named after the eponymous order of brewing monks. These include Dutch beer De Schaapslooi and Belgian beer brands Chimay, Orval, Rochefort, Westmalle and Westvleteren.

Lager is a bottom-fermented beer. This word brings together a number of varieties in which the fermentation process takes place at low temperatures. Today, most of the world's beer is produced using this technology.

In the article:

Beer lager - general information

The word "lager" itself is translated from German as "storage", "warehouse", how this characterizes the drink itself, it will be clear below. The lager is very popular in many countries, this is due to several factors:

• in contrast, this drink has a softer and more delicate taste;
• the lager can be stored for a long time, while the taste does not deteriorate at all;
• The potion can be transported over long distances due to its unpretentious storage conditions (hence the name).

The fermentation of the wort according to the production technology of the described potion can be divided into 2 stages:

1. The main fermentation is carried out at a temperature that should not be lower than +5 degrees, but not higher than +10 degrees, the process lasts from 10 days to two weeks.
2. The so-called post-fermentation or post-fermentation - occurs at a temperature not lower than +2.5 degrees and not higher than +5 degrees, the process lasts at least three weeks. An interesting fact: the longer this stage lasts, the tastier the drink will be. An excellent lager matures for at least 4 months.

History of lager beer

The drink is originally from Germany. In ancient times, brewing was mainly practiced here in monasteries. To make a hearty, invigorating drink, the monks needed the available components - malt, water and hops. The brothers were even allowed to use the potion during fasting as "liquid bread."

Impressive reserves of foam were stored in the cool cellars of monasteries, as well as in ice caves in the mountains, as in a warm room, brewer's yeast will float, and in a cool room, it will settle at the bottom. And when in the 15th century a method of brewing beer at a low temperature was discovered, it was produced by bottom fermentation. By the way, in the Middle Ages, when it was not possible to artificially lower the temperature to the required level, bottom-fermented drinks could be prepared only in the cold season.

If the drink was fermented for only a couple of weeks and was immediately consumed, then it was called Schenkbier, that is, a tavern. While the wort, which has matured and fermented for a long time, produces a noble drink called Lagerbier, that is, beer from storage.

The drink was also distinguished by such quality as the possibility of transportation while maintaining the ideal taste. Thanks to this property, the lager carried out its triumphant march through European countries. It was prepared not only in the principalities of Germany, but also in Belgium, Austria, France, and the Czech Republic. Now the drink is poured into plastic, metal and even wooden kegs or barrels.

By the way, the foam stored in kegs is called draft beer. Draft beers can be light or dark, strong or light.

Lager beer varieties

There are several groups of lager, which are divided depending on the production technology:

• dark;
• light;
• European amber;
• pilsner;
• ice cold beer.

Let's take a closer look at each of these types.

Dark

All foam, called lager, until the 19th century had a dark shade. This is due to the fact that during drying, the malt was slightly roasted, and sometimes even burnt. The classic is Münchner Dunkel, a dark beer from Munich. Many years ago, the preparation of this foam was even regulated by law.

Münchner Dunkel

According to this law, only malt, hops and water were used to make the potion. Dunkel can be either filtered or unfiltered, and its color can be different: from old copper to dark with a ruby ​​tint. The fortress ranges from 4.5 to 6 degrees. This type is the most fragrant, has the smell of bread and has a slight chocolate or caramel flavor. This beer is even slightly sweet. Among brewers, the most valuable is the ability to avoid a burnt and pronounced caramel taste in the aroma or taste of such a variety.

There is also a dark lager from the United States, to which such unusual ingredients for beer are added, such as rice or corn, so it is somewhat sweeter than the German one.

Schwarzbier is a black beer with a strength of 3.5 to 4.5 turns, this is another kind of dark lager. The drink fully justifies its name, it really has a black or dark brown color with pomegranate reflections. To prepare it, the malt is thoroughly roasted, while it is necessary to ensure that the grains do not burn in any way.

Since 1678, Rauchbier, a smoked beer, has been produced in Bamberg (northern Bavaria). To prepare it, the grains of malt are pre-smoked, and in order to neutralize the bitterness in the wort, according to the technology, it is necessary to add wheat, so the beer will have a sweet and sour taste. In Germany, the local population believes that this drink goes well with spicy cheeses and smoked sausages. The most popular in Germany are Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier and Kaiserdom Rauchbier.

Light

Münchner Helles

This foam was first prepared by Gabriel Zedlmayr. It happened at the famous Spaten brewery in Munich at the end of the 19th century. It is distinguished from dark by a sweeter taste and richer bitterness. Münchner Helles, Munich light, has a pleasant golden hue, and its strength ranges from 4.5 to 5 turns ... Spaten Premium Lager is a classic example of this lager.

Spaten Premium Lager

Dortmund Export is a version of a light lager from Germany, the drink is slightly stronger, from 5.2 to 6 turns, has a bright golden color, and the bitterness of hops is clearly felt in the taste. The Germans call him Dort.

In the States, 3 types of light lager are brewed:

• light;
• standard;
• premium.

Corn is also added to this drink, the color of the foam is light golden, and the strength is -4.1 to 6 turns.

European amber

Anton Draeger, an Austrian brewer in the second half of the 19th century, set himself the goal of making the perfect lager. The potion was rich amber in color, the malt flavor was perfectly balanced, and the strength was moderate, ranging from 4.5 to 5.7% rpm. It is a pity that today you will not find this kind in Austria, however, it is brewed in Mexico. This was facilitated by the emigration of Austrians at the end of the 19th century.

Pilsner

The whole world, except the Czech Republic, considers Pilsener a lager. For Czechs, this variety is the whole property of their people. Bavarian brewer Josef Groll has created a recipe for a unique potion especially for the Pilsen brewery. It took him three years. To create such a drink, nature created all the necessary conditions: the water in the spring near the city turned out to be extremely tasty and soft, and excellent hops grew in the vicinity of the town of atec.

In 1842, the brewer presented the results of his labor - a light foamy with a strength of 4 to 5 turns. The potion quickly gained popularity due to its main distinguishing feature: the hoppy flavor prevailed over the malt flavor.

In Germany, the successful recipe was copied and at the moment approximately 70 percent of the foam produced by the Germans is devoted to the pilsner. By the way, in Germany he was nicknamed Pils. Bavarian Pils are sweeter than Czech ones, and in northern Germany they have a bitter taste.

For people with diabetes, athletes and supporters of a healthy lifestyle, a special dietary Pilsner is produced. It is distinguished by its low strength (0.5 to 2 turns) and low carbohydrate content.

Beer Bock

The time to brew a new lager comes when Oktoberfest ends. The Bock variety is brewed just in mid-October. This happens in the foothills of the Alps. Bock beer is a strong, bottom-fermented beer with a strength of 7.5 turns, easily recognizable by the unusual label on which a goat is depicted, it can be both dark and light. There is also Doppelbock - it is a double side, strength from 7.5 to 13 rpm.

Icy

If you take a matured lager and cool it sharply, the water will crystallize. Removing these crystals results in a soft drink with a pleasant taste. However, it will contain a high percentage of alcohol. This is how Eisbock, the ice boar in Germany, is made. But in Canada, lager is frozen and then filtered, thus making Ice Beer.

How to use lager correctly

The drink has a rather complex taste. Due to the fact that different areas of our language are responsible for the perception of different tastes, in order to fully enjoy the potion, you need to drink slowly. Drink the beer chilled, not frozen. For example, it is recommended to drink pilsner and light varieties chilled to a temperature of +6 to +9 degrees, and dark ones - up to +10 degrees, in March - up to +12 degrees. By the way, it's a great idea to pre-chill the glass in the freezer.

As for the appetizer, the dark lager goes well with meat, while the light lager goes well with seafood, pasta, basil and tomatoes. March is served with sausages or fried trout, while Belgian lagers are served with game.

If you are tasting several varieties, rank them in ascending order of strength. Start with the weaker ones. Drink in moderation and enjoy the noble taste of the "warehouse" drink.

Beer is most often made from malt(that is, germinated grains - it is in the germinated state that they contain sufficient sugars for fermentation). It is dried or fried, crushed, combined with water, boiled, cooled, after which brewer's yeast is added. Under their influence begins fermentation, that is, the conversion of sugar into alcohol.

Alone yeast prefer the coolness of 5-14 ° C and gradually sink to the bottom of the vat during fermentation. This type of fermentation is called grassroots, and beer created using this technology - lager (lager)... Yeast of another type "likes it hot" and gathers on the surface at a temperature of 15-20 ° C. They are responsible for riding fermentation. The result is a stronger and sweeter beer - ale (ale).

In Belgian Brabant they do lambic (lambic)- special beer spontaneous fermentation... It is prepared without yeast at all: beer wort is placed in wooden barrels from wine - Burgundy, port or sherry - and it ferments under the influence of microorganisms remaining on the walls and coming from the air.

Style beer largely depends on grains, which is used for malting (germination). Basically, this is, of course, barley, but beer is also made from other cereals - oats, corn, rye, rice, wheat, spelled. For example, wheat is used to prepare German and Belgian wheat beer top fermentation ( weissbier, or weizen, and belgian wheat beer) - and in the aforementioned lambics the wort is a mixture of barley malt (60-70%) and non-germinated wheat (30-40%). By the way, using unsprouted grains- not uncommon in brewing: for example, British dark ale stout (stout) made from roasted barley without preliminary malting.

Beer color most often depends on temperature drying or roasting malt(malt can turn out light, amber, brown-chocolate and even black, almost charred). For example, Czech lager pilsner (pilsener) and british ale bitter (bitter) made with pale barley malt, and British ale porter (porter)- from brown.

The flavor of specific types of beer is influenced by the variety hops: used as old varieties - Zhatetsky, Gallertausky, Tetnangsky, Byuvransky, - and selection. The methods of processing hop cones play an important role. For example, for the preparation of lambic, hops are aged for at least three years, which somewhat muffles its aroma and bitterness.

Some types of beer add different additional ingredients(from ginger to apple juice). Especially famous are the fruity versions of the Belgian lambics: scream (kriek) obtained as a result of joint fermentation of malt and dark cherries, frambosen/framboise (frambozen / franboise)- malt and raspberries.

In addition to "everyday" varieties of beer, which can be stored for 3-6 months, and it is better to use it as early as possible, there are collectible ones - they definitely need a period of maturation and competent storage. During the aging period, the beer "develops", is filled with many flavor nuances. Very few are suitable for exposure beer styles are generally quite strong and low in hops. These styles include English ale “ barley wine» (barley wine), imperial stout (imperial stout), Belgian strong ale (belgian strong ale), lambic, english old ale (old ale) and some others. Beer should be placed in dark brown bottles, tightly closed with a wooden stopper or metal crown cork. Typically these varieties are labeled with the phrase “bottle conditioned”.

Finally, there are beer styles with "Protected Designation of Origin". Light cologne ale (kölsch) can only be brewed in Cologne, and trappist ale (trappist)- exclusively at seven monastery breweries: six Belgian and one Dutch.

On the picture:

1. Bitter- English ale. Its pleasant bitterness is achieved due to the complete absence of sugar.

2. Porter is a top-fermented British dark beer with a roasted malt aroma.

3. Weissbier / Weizen- German wheat beer. The pungent, clove-flavored ale is easy to drink and is designed primarily to quench summer thirst.

4. Burleigh Vine- "barley wine". This is what the British call a rather strong and sweet beer with a high hop content. It can be stored for several years.

5. Scream- Belgian cherry lambic, which is obtained as a result of joint fermentation of malt and dried dark cherries.

6. Pilsner- a light lager, originally from the Czech Republic, owes its specific hop aroma and bitter taste atec hop.

7. Merzen- amber lager, the main character of the Munich holiday "

“It's a strange question, beer is beer, how else can it be different? In fact, they made up their minds ... Lager is an ordinary light beer, and ale is also an ordinary dark one, ”- this is how an inexperienced lover of a foamy drink thinks. However, color saturation is only an external sign, sometimes misleading.

Lager ( Lager ) and ale ( Ale ) - two large groups, which include all sorts of modern beer. It is safe to say that whatever the discerning customer chooses, there will be ale or lager in his mug.

There are several so-called hybrid styles around the world that combine the characteristics of both lager and ale, but upon closer examination they can be clearly distinguished by the yeast used for fermentation.

Yeast is the main difference between the two huge beer classes. The ale yeast flocculates (flakes) at the top of the fermentation tank. They have such a character, due to which fermentation is called top fermentation. Ale yeasts prefer a mild temperature of 15-22 degrees Celsius. In contrast, aggressive "lager" yeast is active already at 8-13 degrees, while they are collected in the lower part of the fermentation tank (bottom fermentation).

Active lager yeast eats whatever it finds during fermentation. As a result, the lager contains less residual sweetness and depth-defining substances than ale.

Different yeast is the main criterion, but not the only one, that influences the difference between ale and lager. Each species requires a different brewing method.

After fermentation, the young beer is not yet ready to demonstrate all its benefits. The ale is kept for several weeks. The aging process takes place at a temperature of 4-13 degrees Celsius. The lager is kept a little longer, about a month, but in "Spartan" conditions - at a temperature close to the freezing point of water 0-7 degrees.

What, in the end, turns out? A “cold” and efficient lager fermentation process produces a very different result than a “warm” and complex ale brewing process. The differences between the two can be compared to some extent with the differences between white and red wines.

Lager is generally a clean, refreshing beer with a typical light aroma and flavor. It is certainly served chilled, and the lager goes well with a huge number of dishes.

Ale has a much more complex flavor and aroma. Very often it is served at room temperature, which allows you to reveal all the advantages to the fullest. Naturally, it is impossible to “match” the complex taste of ale to any food, therefore pairing for this type of beer is as complicated and interesting as “pairing” wine.

Clear? Take your time with an answer. By and large, all of the above are characteristic, but to a large extent "theoretical" differences.

There are many styles of both lager and ale. The taste and appearance of the drink is greatly influenced by the skill of the brewers. All of the features make it difficult to tell the difference between ale and lager, given the tendency of some manufacturers to be overly “modest” in labeling.

How can you tell ale from a lager in practice? Try, try and try again ...

And still few people know how these types of beer are prepared, from which glasses it is correct to drink them. Today we will shed light on the darkness of this ignorance.

The word “el” comes to us from the Indo-European language. The strength of some varieties of such beer reaches a considerable 12% (but there are also ales with a turnover of only 3%). The first mention of the name "el" dates back to the 5th-6th centuries AD. So ale is an order of magnitude older than lager.

Immediately after the appearance, ale immediately became not just popular, but the No. 1 beer product. Causes:

• the ale did not spoil quickly and could be stored for an incredibly long time;
• did not need special storage conditions, had excellent taste and the ability to quickly quench thirst.

Fun fact: there were times when ales was drunk more often than water. It was a pure and tested product, which cannot be said about ordinary water of those times.

Ale is prepared by top fermentation at a relatively high temperature of 17-24 ° C. The lighter yeast used for ale loves warmth and is more comfortable at high temperatures.

But the main feature of this fermentation is the intense release of various ether compounds, due to which the ale has a brighter and more intense aroma. Throw in some of the aromatic and bitter hop varieties. This is how the pronounced, easily recognizable and slightly sweetish taste of real ale is formed, with a special aftertaste.

The main thing about ale is that it is much more varied than lager, which is why craft breweries love it so much. This is a beer in which a brewer can show his skills 100%. There are several main styles of ale brewing, English and American, and each has its own rules and, of course, its own flavor characteristics.

Ale varieties

70% of all beers on the planet are ales. The most popular and advanced varieties:

• pale ale, which includes such famous varieties as American pale, amber ale;
• bitter;
• Belgian ale (lambic);
• German ale;
• porter;
• stout;
• strong ale, etc.

Today one of the most advanced ale producing countries is the United States. The most popular types of ales in the States are:

• American pale ale;
• American amber ale;
• American brown ale;
• Indian pale ale (one of the most sought-after craft beers in the United States).

American Pale Ale it has a spicy taste and is light in color compared to other ales.

American amber ale. It is also called red ale. This variety has a light caramel flavor; it is denser, darker, deeper and more balanced in terms of bitterness and malt flavor.

American brown ale. The name itself already hints that the beer has a brown color. Main distinguishing feature: caramel flavor with notes of chocolate and nuts, smoothing out hop bitterness. It is worth noting that all North American ales have a perceptible pleasant bitterness in the aftertaste.

Indian pale ale. Another type of ale that has a strong hop boost. Due to this, this beer has a rich aroma and pleasant bitterness. But above all, Indian pale ale is distinguished by “fruity-citrus-coniferous” notes of taste. That is, such a beer is rich in aromas:

Thanks to this technology, lager has become one of the most “tenacious” types of beer - it can be stored for up to two years without losing its taste. By the way, about the taste: it is quite mild and has a lot of “shades” (depending on the type of lager).

Lager varieties

Thanks to modern developed technologies, there are lager varieties for every taste and color. They are divided among themselves according to the following classifications:

1. light;
2. dark;
3. semi-dark.

By groups:

1. European;
2. German;
3. American;
4. pilsner, etc.

Each of the mentioned varieties has a different strength (from 3.5% to 6%). There is even an unfiltered lager. In Ukraine, a wide range of semi-dark (Robert Doms Vidensky) and dark (Robert Doms Munchensky) lagers are presented. And if you go for a run through the local brewery pubs, then you can find an order of magnitude more.