The choice of raw materials for brewing is an important topic. Brewing uses the most different ingredients- yeast, barley, hops, etc. For originality, recipes can be added various cereals, spices, herbs, artificial ingredients and even citrus fruits.
In the article:
Composition of real beer
Beer is one of the most popular drinks on earth. This hop product is represented by several dozen species, about 200 varieties. Just like several centuries ago, the foamy drink is brewed from such constant ingredients as hops, malt, yeast and water. Whatever the type of intoxicating drink, no matter what additional components are added, these ingredients are necessarily used in production.
They are what give beer its hoppy aroma, freshness, rich taste and pleasant aftertaste. These constituent elements of the drink perform the following functions during production:
Beer malt
Caramel, barley, wheat malt
This raw material is grain processed in a special way. Most often, barley or wheat is used to produce malt. Barley undergoes careful selection, after which it is processed, ground and germinates.
Thus, malt is obtained - a component that contributes to the appearance of a certain aroma and taste in the future drink. The type of malt that will be produced from this raw material depends on how the malt is processed. To produce dark varieties, it is necessary to first roast the barley malt well.
Hops for wheat beer
Only the cones of this climbing plant are used in production. Thanks to hops, a certain degree of astringency appears, a hint of bitterness in the taste, and a rich aroma. This ingredient also affects the intensity of the shade, the durability of the foam head and the transparency of the drink.
Hops, thanks to their antiseptic properties, help the drink not to oxidize and be more suitable long time. This component can be used in granules or ground form. Many brewers prefer to use plant extract.
Water
Don't underestimate the importance of this ingredient for brewing. According to manufacturers, the quality of water plays an important role in the formation of taste.
Due to the presence of chlorine, manganese and other elements in water final result may deteriorate significantly. For this reason, most breweries install special automatic systems that purify water from impurities and regulate its composition. For the drink to be tasty, the water must be clean and soft.
Brewer's yeast
Despite the fact that some varieties do not use yeast, real beer must contain yeast. The quality of wort fermentation depends on this component. What yeast is needed for wheat beer?
Depending on the variety being brewed, top- or bottom-fermenting yeast may be used. Most manufacturers prefer dry brewer's yeast. In production, yeast is responsible for separating sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
Classification by raw materials
Beer is classified according to several characteristics - color, production technology, wort density, fermentation method. They are also distinguished by the raw materials used in production. So, the following types are distinguished:
- Wheat. It is prepared on the basis of wheat malt, which makes up at least 50 percent of the mass of raw materials for brewing.
- Barley. The brewing process involves malt produced exclusively from barley.
- Combined. It is also called hybrid. Several types of grains are used in the preparation of malt. This can be wheat, rice, barley and others.
In addition to the listed types, beer is produced from varieties of corn, rye, rice and other grains.
Beneficial properties of barley beer
Barley beer is not only tasty, but also a healthy, refreshing drink. Thanks to natural ingredients, barley is rich in various microelements and vitamins.
Malt for this variety stimulates protein metabolism, has positive influence on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and nervous system.
Barley restores the gastric mucosa, prevents the development of many diseases, and enriches the body with vitamins. This variety has a beneficial effect on blood vessels.
It is important to understand that intoxicating drinks are considered healthy only if consumed in moderation.
Features of wheat beer
Wheat varieties are considered the optimal solution for quenching thirst in summer. Especially when it comes to dark wheat beer. This product is considered one of the most refreshing among all intoxicating drinks.
Wheat is characterized by the presence of abundant lush foam, a strong aroma with citrus impurities. This drink is made from wheat malt.
For cooking wheat, two types of raw materials can be used: malted wheat and unmalted wheat. To add flavor to the drink, add various additives, such as citrus fruits, herbs, spices and others.
The technological process of cooking wheat differs from the preparation of other varieties. This beer does not undergo a filtration process, thanks to which it is possible to preserve its specific aroma and taste. Wheat hops must be of high quality, which will guarantee the transparency and richness of the color of the future drink.
Unusual Ingredients in Brewing
Sometimes you might be surprised to hear what beer is made from these days. In addition to traditional components, it may include many different additives.
Smoked malt
One of the non-traditional types is rauchbier. This smoky beer is made from smoked malt, which is specially aged over burning peat before use.
White beer is one of the most popular varieties. Prepared on the basis of sprouted wheat grains. This drink has a characteristic wheat aroma, a sweetish aftertaste and a pleasant delicate color, which is achieved thanks to the grain.
Fruit beer is not considered as widespread as many other varieties of this intoxicating drink, but it has a huge number of fans. Fruit varieties belong to a species called. This type of drink differs from others in that it can take part in the fermentation process. cherry pits, black currants, peaches, raspberries and other berries and fruits.
Pumpkin beer
Pumpkin beer is considered a delicious autumn drink. This intoxicating drink contains pumpkin pulp, as well as ginger, cinnamon and other spices to achieve an incomparable aroma.
Green beer is rightfully considered one of the most... useful varieties intoxicating drinks. To achieve a green color, a variety of components are added to it. So, in China it is produced on the basis of bamboo leaves. In Germany, this variety is brewed using lime juice. Of course, some manufacturers achieve green color using ordinary coloring matter, which turns their product into an ordinary green beer. Natural green has an extraordinary aroma and a number of beneficial properties.
About white and green varieties foamy drink read more in the article about.
Beer is also prepared using honey, chili pepper, lemon zest, vanilla and other ingredients.
Having the right components makes a difference important role in brewing. When choosing ingredients, you should pay attention to the following nuances:
- When choosing hops, you need to pay attention to its color. It should be yellowish-green. The plant should not have any foreign odors.
- When choosing malt, it is important to consider the type of beer that will be prepared from it. Malt can be wheat, sour, stewed and others. The higher the grains sprout before cooking, the better the quality of malt. It is necessary that the grains undergo sufficient processing before going into production.
- Yeast for wheat beer must be of high quality, since the fermentation process depends on it. You can use liquid or dry product. Experienced brewers claim that using liquid yeast produces a more “live”, aromatic beer.
It is not so important what is included in the beer. The main thing is that the ingredients are of high quality, the production technology is correct, and the brewer approaches the process with soul. Then the beer will be rich and aromatic.
Beer is enough ancient drink, which is loved and drunk in all countries of the world. Brewing was developed back in Ancient Egypt and during the time of Ramses II. In Germany, beer is national drink, England, the Czech Republic and France have been familiar with this drink since ancient times. Belgium is famous for its fruit beers, brewed from strawberries and cherries.
According to tradition, during holidays in Rus', beer was considered an integral part of the festivities and therefore it was always prepared in advance and in advance. large quantities. Homemade malt was used to brew beer, and hops were replaced with a variety of spices and herbs. Homemade beer made from barley was considered the most popular.
Beer recipes to help you make beer at home
Here are a few tried and tested recipes for brewing beer. The ingredients needed for brewing are absolutely natural and do not contain any chemicals. This beer will perfectly quench your thirst and will not leave behind a headache or discomfort.
To make brewing easier, it is of course better to use ready-made malt and a mini-brewery, which is very compact and easy to operate. But if this is not possible, malt can be quickly prepared at home. First you need to decide what kind of beer you want to brew: wheat, barley or oat. The grain should be placed on a tray and filled with water. After a couple of days it should germinate, and then you will need to dry it well and then crush it. After this, the malt is ready for use.
Homemade Beer Recipe
Ingredients:
ready malt - half a bucket
water - 2 buckets
hops - 6 glasses
teaspoon salt
dry yeast - 100 g
sugar syrup (jam) - 300 gr
Pour malt into two buckets of cold water, mix well and leave to brew until morning. In the morning, add salt and boil for 2 hours. Next, add hops and continue cooking for another half hour. Remove from heat, cool until warm, add brewer's yeast, add sugar syrup, mix everything thoroughly and leave until evening. In the evening we pour the semi-finished beer into bottles, and they will only need to be closed the next day. In just two days, the beer will be ready. If you prefer stronger beer, let it sit for a few more days.
Old Russian beer recipe
Ingredients:
water - 10 l
dry yeast - 50 g
hops - 25 gr
How to make old Russian beer
It is necessary to dilute honey in water, add hops and boil for one hour. After this, strain the infusion, cool, add yeast and leave for 5-6 days. After the specified time, the container with the drink must be closed and placed in the cellar for further preparation. After a couple of days, pour the finished beer into bottles, close tightly and store in a cool, dark place.
Barley Beer Recipe
Ingredients:
water - 10 l
barley malt - 2.5 l
salt - tablespoon
hops - 6 glasses
yeast - 50 gr
molasses - 1 cup
How to make barley beer
In a little warm water Pour in barley malt, stir and leave to brew for about 10 hours. After the malt has brewed, add salt and cook over low heat for 2 hours. Add hops and continue cooking for another 20 minutes. Afterwards, filter and cool. Add yeast and molasses, mix everything and place in a warm place for a day. Now beer can be bottled, but only without closing them for 24 hours. After 24 hours, close the beer and put it in a cool place.
Rye beer recipe
Ingredients:
dry hops - half a glass
rye malt- 1.3 kg
sugar - 300 gr
water - 10 l
How to make rye beer
Add a mixture of hops, rye malt, granulated sugar to 2 liters of water and cook for half an hour. Then cool it all, pour in the remaining water, mix well and place in a dark place for four days to ferment. If desired, the beer can be colored with burnt sugar.
Wheat-rye beer recipe
Ingredients:
dry Rye bread- 1.2 kg
rye malt - 800 gr
wheat malt - 800 gr
yeast - 10 g
dry hops - 1 kg
baking soda - tablespoon
water - 10 l
How to make wheat-rye beer
Mix rye malt, wheat malt, rye bread, yeast (previously diluted in water) and hops scalded with boiling water. Mix this whole mixture well and leave in a warm place for about 5 hours. After this, pour in boiled water, close the lid tightly and leave for another day. Drain the infusion, add soda and leave for an hour. Strain everything, bottle it and close it. Keep in a cool place.
Clove flavored beer recipe
Ingredients:
dry sieve bread - 1.5 kg
rye malt - 700 gr
clove seeds - 10 pcs.
dry hops - 500 gr
yeast - 10 g
water - 10 l
How to make clove-flavored beer at home
Mix sieve bread, rye malt, cloves, scalded hops and diluted yeast and place in a warm, dark place for a day. Then add water, stir and leave to ferment for another two days. Next, we filter the beer, pour it into bottles, which we immediately cork and put in a cold place for 10 days.
Another interesting beer recipe
Ingredients:
hops - 100 gr
flour - one glass
sugar - 3 cups
molasses - 2 cups
yeast - 50 gr
water - 10 l
How to make beer at home
The hops must be thoroughly ground with flour and sugar. After this, add water and leave for 2-3 hours in a warm place. Next, strain, add molasses and yeast diluted in water. Place the beer in a warm place. When the drink stops fermenting, pour it into bottles, cap it and put it in a cool place.
To make beer tastier, you need to drink it chilled, but at the same time not very cold, since when it is overcooled, its taste and aroma are lost. You can drink beer from any container, but not from metal. It is better to take chips, salted nuts or crayfish with light beer. Salads made from meat, fish or smoked foods are more suitable for dark ones.
Beer is a drink that has long been loved in our country. Today on the market you can find great amount manufacturers and an abundance of different varieties of this drink. But you must admit, homemade beer is much tastier and superior to factory beer. Firstly, it is probably known that homemade beer does not contain preservatives or dyes, and secondly, such beer is not subjected to heat treatment, and all of it beneficial features saved. In the Baltic and Nordic countries, cooking homemade beer It is as popular and traditional as preparing compote for our mothers and grandmothers. Why do we have it in Russia? home brewing not so developed? All this is just because this process seems very complex to us, requiring special equipment, ingredients and knowledge. But in reality this is not so. Let's figure out what is needed to brew beer at home?
Classic barley beer recipe
- After cooking you will receive 30 liters of beer
- Beer brewing time: 3-4 weeks
Classic homemade beer requires only water, malt, hops, brewer's yeast and sugar.
Equipment (for 22-24 liters of beer) will require a saucepan or wort kettle with a volume of 30 liters and a fermentation container. To control the temperature it is better to use Digital Thermometer VT-1. As you can see, there are not a lot of ingredients and equipment. Now in order:
Ingredients
Before you start brewing beer, all equipment must be washed and dried. Beer is very reactive to bacteria, so if you use unprepared equipment, you risk “contaminating” the beer.
Brewing beer
Pour 25 liters of water into a saucepan and heat to 80 degrees. Then add the malt in a gauze bag. We keep the temperature at 65-72 degrees for an hour and a half, constantly turning the stove on and off. At this temperature, “saccharification” occurs, that is, sugar comes out of the malt and the wort becomes sweetish. After 1.5 hours, increase the temperature to 80 degrees and hold it for 5 minutes. Then we take out our bag of malt and rinse it with 7 liters of water to wash away all the sugar remaining in the malt.
Next, according to the recipe, bring our wort to a boil and add 20 g. hops We constantly skim off the resulting foam. Boil for 30 minutes and add another 20 grams. hops Then boil intensively for another 50 minutes and add the last 20 grams. hops Then boil for another 10 minutes and remove the pan from the stove.
We move on to the important stage - cooling the resulting wort. This step is very important because the wort must be cooled 20 minutes before room temperature. This must be done quickly because there is a risk of bacteria getting into the beer, which can lead to spoilage.
Place the container with the wort in a cold bath or use special device– . A chiller is a tube bent in a spiral through which cold water. You can make such a tube yourself, or you can purchase it from us.
After cooling, pour the wort into a fermentation container and add. Read the instructions very carefully. Simply sprinkle the yeast over the surface and mix. Now we transfer the beer to a dark place and leave it to ferment. Fermentation will begin in 3-5 hours. Readiness can be determined by the absence of bubbles in the water seal (about 3 weeks).
After the wort has fermented, we bottle it. Bottles for this also need to be thoroughly disinfected. This is usually done with a solution of iodine or chlorine in very small quantities.
Before pouring beer into each bottle, add sugar. For 1 liter of beer approximately 8 grams. or a teaspoon. This is necessary for carbonation of the beer, that is, for the beer to gain a degree and have a foamy head. Pour the beer in such a way that there is a little room for “breathing”. Let our beer mature in bottles for 3-4 weeks and enjoy our signature homemade beer!
Now about the costs:
- Pilsner barley malt – 100 rub/kg
- Hops Traditional – 170 RUR/pack
- Brewer's yeast s-33 – 190 rub/pack
- 32 liters of water – approximately 300 rubles at the rate of 9r/l
- It turns out that 1 liter of homemade beer will cost about 50 rubles.
Happy homebrewing!
The main components of beer are known even to those who have never prepared this drink. These are water, hops, malt and yeast.
Malt for beer can be prepared from a variety of cereals:
- wheat;
- corn;
- oats.
But in practice it is most often used barley. Barley beer has excellent taste qualities and can be stored for quite a long time, because barley grains contain a lot of starch, which has filtering properties. Thanks to this, harmful bacteria do not penetrate into the drink.
To the eye of an inexperienced winemaker, all varieties seem the same. It would seem, what difference does it make what to take to make foam? It turns out there are some tricks here.
All barley is divided into groups:
- winter varieties;
- spring varieties.
The first ones are sown in September. The time for sowing spring crops is the spring months, March-April. Varieties of this cereal are distinguished by the location of the grains. Barley can be:
- single-row;
- two-row;
- six-row.
Two-row varieties of spring barley are considered the best. They have been cultivated for decades, trying to pass on the most important properties for alcohol production to each next generation, which is why today experienced brewers prefer two-row spring barley to everyone else.
Choosing the best one for brewing beer
So, you have acquired two-row barley. How to make sure it is suitable for home brewing? This is determined by a number of characteristic features:
- Color. It ranges from light yellow to bright yellow. In this case, the coloring should be uniform. If the grains are greenish, it means the barley is unripe. It will not provide enough starch.
- Smell. The aroma of good barley is fresh, with hints of straw. To feel it more clearly, take the grain and rub it in your palms.
- Form. The grain should have an oval shape and be evenly rounded. If the grains are long in appearance, then the quality of the malt from such raw materials will be poor.
- Humidity. The norm for this indicator is 10-15 percent. If the grain “does not reach” these numbers, it means it is overdried. Dry grain may simply not sprout when we germinate it for malt. Wet raw materials are subject to rotting processes and mold easily.
- Protein content. If the protein content is more than 12%, then processing into malt is difficult.
The last 2 indicators cannot be determined at home, so you can only rely on information from the supplier. The first three are easy to check yourself.
Good grain must have high extractivity. This concept hides the total content of substances that pass into the future wort during the processing of ground grains with malt enzymes.
Excellent extract content - from 78 to 82% on a dry matter basis.
How to germinate barley?
In order to become a suitable raw material for beer production, grain must go through the malting stage. What is malt? It's simple - This sprouted grain.
Malt production at home is divided into the following stages:
- Soak. Pour the selected barley into a container and fill it with water so that it covers the grain by about 5 cm.
- Removing floating grains. Some of the grains turn out to be empty - such raw materials are not suitable for germination, since, in general, there is nothing to germinate there. These grains float to the surface. You need to carefully drain the water along with them, because they will be ballast that has no practical value.
- Disinfection. Not everyone subjects future malt to such processing, but experts recommend not excluding it. Disinfection with iodine or a weak solution of potassium permanganate reduces the risk of infection by pathogens.
- Refill the grain with water, cover with cotton cloth. It germinates in 6-7 days.
This malt must be used within three days, otherwise it will lose everything. required properties. To preserve the malt longer, it is dried. Sometimes malt is dried naturally, sometimes with the help of a fan heater.
You can dry the malt in the oven. If you are going to make light beer, keep the malt in the oven at 80ºC for 3-4 hours. If it is dark, you need to raise the temperature to 105ºС and hold the sprouted grain for 3-4 hours.
Barley beer with breadcrumbs
Now you have it in your hands - cooked with my own hands malt. Let's use it - brew beer. You will need:
- crackers (preferably black bread);
- malt;
- water (4 l);
- hop.
Mix malt and crackers, pour hot water(the temperature should almost reach boiling). Leave in a warm place for an hour and a half, then strain.
Next, we’ll heat our mixture and add hops to it, and cook the mixture for 15 minutes. Cool until the wort reaches room temperature. All that remains is to add sugar and yeast and put the future drink in a cool place. When three days have passed, bottle the beer and put it in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.
Homemade recipe
In order to make beer, we need 5 kg of barley malt. Dissolve it in 20 liters of water and forget about the future beer for a day. Then drain the liquid into another container and add a tablespoon of salt.
Then you need to bring the malt to a boil and boil for 2 hours, add 6 cups of hops and keep on the stove for another 20 minutes. The wort needs to be strained.
Further steps: add yeast (50 g) and sugar (150 g), mix everything. Let it sit for 12 hours. The last stage is to pour the almost finished beer into bottles and let it sit for 2 hours. That's it, now you can start tasting.
Homemade barley beer is a good alternative to store-bought beer. If you follow the production technology, it will be in no way inferior to its store-bought “brother” in quality. If you have experience, please share with us.
Useful videos
Cooking from barley malt in the home kitchen:
A very detailed video showing all the stages of barley beer production:
When preparing barley for beer, the grains should be sprouted.
First you need to wash them, and then put them in a jar or pan and fill them with water. Leave the soaked grains in a warm place for two to three days - to prevent the barley from molding, the water should be changed daily.
The grains will swell in the water, after which it will need to be drained and the barley transferred to any flat dish - a tray or baking sheet. The grains will germinate on about the third day - they will also need to be loosened periodically to prevent them from molding. According to this recipe, barley beer is prepared with the addition of bread crumbs. Therefore, by the time the grains sprout, prepare a piece of gray bread and cut it small pieces. Place the barley in the oven and dry it. Also dry the crackers, although you can use ready-made ones.
Grind the malt using a meat grinder - the sprouts that appear on the grains should be removed.
Homemade barley beer is one of the most popular drinks that is not difficult to make with your own hands, and you can verify this by using one of these recipes.
Recipe for barley beer with breadcrumbs
Mix the malt with breadcrumbs, put the mixture in a jar or enamel pan and fill with 4 liters hot water- almost boiling water. Leave the malt mixture in a warm place for 1-1.5 hours. Strain the infusion through cheesecloth or a fine strainer, pour it into a saucepan and heat. When the liquid boils, add hop cones and cook for 15 minutes.
The resulting barley beer wort should be cooled to room temperature, strained and poured into a convenient container for fermentation. Add sugar and yeast to the wort, stir with a wooden spoon and leave in a cool place. Fermentation of the drink should take place at a temperature no higher than 17-18 degrees.
After 3 days, pour the finished beer into bottles, you can use ordinary half-liter jars, close tightly with lids and leave in the refrigerator for 15 days. Aromatic beer is best drunk chilled from small glasses until the foam settles.
Homemade barley beer recipe
Barley beer can be prepared at home in another way. To do this you will need to take: 10 kg of barley grains or 6 kg of barley malt, 55 liters of water, 50 grams of hops and 50 grams of yeast. Brewer's yeast can be replaced with regular yeast for making drinks.
This homemade barley beer recipe is very simple and even beginner brewers will love it.
Malt should be prepared from the grains; for this, the grains are washed, soaked in water and allowed to germinate. If you want a fragrant spicy drink, you can add a little ready-made kvass malt.
Grind the sprouted grains not very finely, pour warm water- you will need 20 liters. Place the malt and water mixture on the stove and cook over medium heat for 1 hour. When the malt turns into a mushy mass, add the remaining water and continue cooking for another 15-20 minutes.
Grind the hops in a meat grinder and add to the wort. This homemade barley beer recipe uses hop pellets. Dissolve it in warm wort, bring to a boil and remove from heat. Leave the mixture to cool slowly for 1-2 hours, the temperature of the wort should not exceed 30 degrees.
From yeast and small quantity water to prepare the starter. Leave it in a warm place until fermentation begins, then gradually pour it into the cooled wort.
Cover the container with the wort plastic film or close nylon cover and leave in a warm place to ferment. When the drink has fermented, it will need to be carefully removed from the sediment and poured into large barrels or pans for re-fermentation.
It continues for 2-3 days until the strong foam stops. After this, strain the drink again through several layers of gauze, pour into jars or bottles, close with lids and refrigerate.
For ripening, you can use the bottom shelf in the refrigerator or the cellar - optimal temperature for this procedure no higher than 10 degrees.
In 2 weeks you will be able to try homemade beer. If you like live beer, the drink does not need to be left to mature after the second straining. However, such beer will not be stored for long, so it should not be made in large quantities.
