Beer isn't just about hops!
Behind every sip of beer lies a series of chemical and biological reactions in which enzymes, sugars, and microorganisms transform simple grains into complex beverages. Pop the cap off your bottle or open your can, sit back, and follow along.
“What is the main ingredient in beer? ” When asked this question, nine out of ten people answer, “Hops! ” And that’s… wrong! While the flower of this plant is certainly essential to beer, it’s actually the ingredient used in the smallest quantity.
The Four Musketeers
Beer is based on four fundamentals: water, grains (mainly barley), hops, and yeast. In France, regulations require that beer be made from starchy raw materials, namely grains containing starch. Malted barley is the traditional choice, but the law permits wheat, rye, oats, corn, or rice.
Malt: Much More Than Just a Grain
At the heart of every beer lies malt. To produce it, barley grains (or those of another grain) are germinated, then dried in an oven to halt germination. This process activates enzymes present in the grain, which will convert the starch into fermentable sugars during brewing. Depending on the duration and temperature of the drying process (or “kilning”), different malt profiles are obtained. Pale malts (pilsner or pale ale), dried at low temperatures, form the basis of brews and provide the sugars needed for fermentation. Caramel and crystal malts are dried in an oven at a higher temperature, caramelizing the sugars in the grain. They add sweet notes, body, and an amber color. Roasted malts (chocolate, coffee, black malt) are dried at very high temperatures. They give stouts and porters their black color, along with aromas of coffee, bitter chocolate, or licorice. Smoked malts are dried with wood smoke. They give certain beers (notably Rauchbier) a distinctly smoky flavor profile. Unmalted grains are also used: oat flakes to add body and a velvety texture, raw wheat for the lightness and characteristic cloudiness of wheat beers, and corn or rice to lighten the structure.
