Leap Day Shenanigans

Once every four years, we get to experience the world as it exists on February 29th, which is affectionately known as Leap Day. What does this have to do with beer? Absolutely nothing.

Sierra Nevada needs to give their
photographer a raise

It does present an opportunity to do something special that IS beer related. Something unique that is aligned with the spirit of a day that only occurs once every four years. Even if it’s something as simple as trying a beer you’ve never had before. In fact, that’s what I’m going to do to pay proper respect.

The beer I’ve chosen to try for the first time in honor of Leap Day is Sierra Nevada Brewing Company’s Ruthless Rye IPA. According to their website, Ruthless Rye is brewed with rustic grains for refined flavors, combining the peppery spice of rye and the bright citrusy flavors of whole-cone hops to create a complex ale for the tumultuous transition to spring. Ah marketing…

The fact that it is an IPA is what fascinates me. Ordinarily, IPA is brewed with pale barley malts… which carry distinct flavor and body with them. Rye usually isn’t pale, and has a completely different character that isn’t associated with pale ale. I am very excited to experience the hopped up IPA interpretation of a rye ale by the professional hop heads of Chico, California. This is what Leap Day is all about!

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

Beer Superlatives: The Most Alcoholic

In my last blog post, I told you how alcohol in beer works. Now that you have read that post (this is your cue to do exactly that if you haven’t already), the next logical step is to talk about some of the ABV Rock Stars of the beer universe.

Craft meets class

Quick admin note: Given the nature of brewing, and the fact that brewers are always looking to outdo one another, it’s hard to pinpoint what the most alcoholic beer in America is at any given point. I’m not setting out to identify the most alcoholic, but rather celebrate some of the strongest brews that American brewers have created over the years. Also, if you happen upon any of these in the wild, use caution as they pack quite a wallop.

The Winner

Many beer geeks (most of them from the New England region) believe that Sam Adams Millennium (and its 20% ABV) is the highest in America. Multiple sources have indicated that Millennium is actually second to Colossus (21% ABV) from the DuClaw Brewing Company in Maryland. According to DuClaw’s website, Colossus is a “high-gravity hybrid” styled beer and its 21% ABV has been verified by the Sieble Institute. Two other beers are reported to infringe with Millennium’s ownership of the title (which clearly has already been debunked), both of which belong to the Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Milton, Delaware. DFH’s 120 Minute IPA and World Wide Stout are both reported to range between 15-20% - the top of which is tied with Millennium.

Find me... if you dare

Dark as night

Now that I’ve completed my Sam Adams bashing for the day (don’t get me wrong… I actually do like SA), lets highlight some other high-rollers. The Bristol Brewing Company in Colorado Springs, Colorado makes an 18.4% wonder-beer called XXX Warlock Double Imperial Stout. Sam Adams’ Triple Bock weighs in at 18%. Next up is Dogfish Head’s Fort Raspberry Belgian Ale at 15-18% (for some reason, DFH refuses to commit to an ABV in their marketing). Black Magick Bourbon Stout by the Voodoo Brewery in Meadville, Pennsylvania (between Pittsburgh and Erie) is 15.5%. Rounding out the top ten (according to the sources I’ve read) are the Mephistopheles’ Stout (15.1% ABV) and The Beast (14.9% ABV), both of which are crafted with love by the Avery Brewing Company in Boulder, Colorado.

Interestingly enough, in spite of the commonly held belief that the left coast is where the beers are, 7 of the 10 most alcoholic brews in America are brewed in the eastern regions of the country. You west coast brewers better check your rear view.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!!!

Awesomeness by Volume

Alcohol by volume (which is abbreviated as abv, ABV, or alc/vol) is a standard unit of measurement for determining how much alcohol (or ethanol) is contained in an alcoholic beverage. It is expressed as a percentage of total volume and is used worldwide.

In some countries (mostly French speaking ones), alcohol by volume is referred to as degrees Gay-Lussac, which is named after the French chemist Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac.

In beer, ABV levels range between 2% and 12%, and are usually between 4% and 6%. By comparison, malt liquor is 5%+, barley wine (or strong ales) ranges from 8% to 15%, wine ranges from 9% to 16%, vodka ranges from 35% to 50% and rum ranges from 37.5% to 80%.

A standard-issue hydrometer is used to
measure specific gravity in beer

After the sugary wort (or young beer) is boiled, yeast is added, which begins the process of fermentation. During fermentation, the yeast organisms consume the sugars and produce alcohol. Because the density (or specific gravity) of sugar in water is greater than the density of alcohol in water, it is possible to measure (with a hydrometer) the change in density in order to calculate the volume of alcohol in the solution.

The formula to figure out ABV in beer is: ABV = ((1.05 x (Original Specific Gravity (OG) – Final Specific Gravity (FG))) / Final Specific Gravity (FG) / 0.79 x 100, where 1.05 is the number of grams of ethanol produced for every gram of CO₂ produced and .79 is the density of ethanol. An alternative formula that is used by many brewers is: ABV = (OG - FG) x 131.

It’s important to realize that, contrary to popular belief, high specific gravity does not necessarily equal high ABV. The ABV is determined by the difference between the original specific gravity and the final specific gravity.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!!!

The Buffalo Theory

Clifford C. Clavin, Jr.

Some years ago, the beloved situational comedy called “Cheers” allowed us to fall in love with a common-man’s pub in downtown Boston. The principle reason for its success was the easy-to-relate-to characters that hung out and drank their beer at the bar. One of those lovable patrons was the trivia-loving philosopher-mailman Cliff Clavin. One of the many philosophies he espoused was his Buffalo Theory, which goes like this:

Slowest and Weakest huh?

“Well, you see, Norm, it’s like this. A herd of buffalo can only move as fast as the slowest buffalo. And when the herd is hunted, it’s the slowest and weakest ones at the back that are killed first. This natural selection is good for the herd as a whole, because the general speed and health of the whole group keeps improving by the regular killing of the weakest members. In much the same way, the human brain can only operate as fast as the slowest brain cells. Now, as we know, excessive intake of alcohol kills brain cells. But naturally, it attacks the slowest and weakest brain cells first. In this way, regular consumption of beer eliminates the weaker brain cells, making the brain a faster and more efficient machine. And that, Norm, is why you always feel smarter after a few beers.”

Truer words were never uttered in TV Land or in the real world.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers! (Just like the show)

The Actual King of Beer

Ever wonder if beer has a patron saint? The answer is yes, and his name is King Gambrinus.

Gambrinus, whose birthday is April 11, was a legendary king of Flanders, and the unofficial patron saint of beer or beer brewing. He is variously depicted as a European king, as an English knight of the Middle Ages, or even as a plump old man. (for a more in depth retelling of the legend, go to http://www.ewind.com/~sayc/gambrinus.history.html

He looks like a party animal

The origin of the Gambrinus legend (which nobody knows for sure) is most widely believed to be John the Fearless (1371–1419), who some also believe to be the inventor of hopped malt beer. However, other sources report that one of the cup-bearers in the court of Charlemagne (742–814) was also called Gambrinus. In 1543, the German poet Burkart Waldis wrote of Gambrinus, explaining that Gambrinus learned the art of brewing from Isis, the ancient Egyptian goddess of motherhood and fertility.

It is also possible that the original Gambrinus was Duke John I of Brabant (1254-1298), who was called Jan Primus.

Because of Gambrinus' significance, numerous European and North American brewers have appropriated the character for their beer brands. In addition, several notable breweries are named for Gambrinus, including American breweries such as the Gambrinus Company of San Antonio, Texas and the Gambrinus Brewing Co. of Oshkosh, Wisconsin. There was also the now defunct Gambrinus Brewing Co. in Columbus, Ohio.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

Water, starch, hops and yeast

In case you didn’t know, there are only four fundamental ingredients in beer: water, starch, hops and yeast. That’s it. Other ingredients are sometimes used (often as additional flavoring agents), but at the basic level, beer only has four components.

Cool, clear, water

The first and most simple of the four is water. I know you’re thinking that it seems pretty straight forward, but subtle variations in water’s chemical composition play a huge part in determining the final product. Different regions have water with different mineral components; as a result, different regions were originally better suited to making certain types of beer. For example, Dublin has hard water well suited to making stout, such as Guinness; while the Pilsen region in the Czech Republic has soft water well suited to making pale lager, such as Pilsner Urquell. The waters of Burton in England contain gypsum, which benefits making pale ale to such a degree that brewers of pale ales will add gypsum to the local water in a process known as Burtonisation.

Delicious malted barley

The next ingredient is the starch, which provides the fermentable material and is a key determinant of the strength and flavor of the beer. The most common starch source used in beer is malted grain. Grain is malted by soaking it in water (allowing it to begin germination) and then drying the partially germinated grain in a kiln. Malting grain produces enzymes that convert starches in the grain into fermentable sugars. Different roasting times and temperatures are used to produce different colors of malt from the same grain, with darker malts producing darker beers.

Nearly all beer includes barley malt as the majority of the starch due to its fibrous husk, which is important in the sparging stage of brewing (water is washed over the mashed grains to form the wort) and also because it is a rich source of amylase, a digestive enzyme that facilitates starch converting into sugars. Other malted and unmalted grains (including wheat, rice, oats, and rye) may be used. In recent years, a few brewers have produced gluten-free beer made with sorghum instead of barley malt for people that cannot digest gluten-containing grains like wheat, barley, and rye. Big brewers like InBev/AB and Miller Coors use corn as an inexpensive replacement for barley, but needless to say, that is NOT an acceptable practice.

Sweet smelling hops

Flavoring beer is the work of hops. The flower of the hop vine is used as a flavoring and preservative agent in nearly all beer made today.

Hops were used by monastery breweries, such as Corvey in Westphalia, Germany, from 822 AD, though the date normally given for widespread cultivation of hops for use in beer is the thirteenth century. During this time, beer was flavored with other plants and various aromatic herbs, berries, and even ingredients like wormwood, which were combined into a mixture known as gruit and used as hops are used today. Hops remained a fringe flavoring agent until the sixteenth century when taxation of traditional gruit ingredients by the church forced brewers to accept using the bitter flower.

Hops contain several characteristics that brewers desire in beer. They contribute a bitterness (which is measured on the International Bitterness Units scale) that balances the sweetness of the malt. Hops also contribute floral, citrus, and herbal aromas and flavors to beer. Additionally, they have an antibiotic effect that favors the activity of brewer's yeast over less desirable microorganisms, and hops aids in "head retention", or the length of time that a foamy head created by carbonation will last. Finally, the acidity of hops is a preservative, which in the old days was a very big deal, though not as important today.

The little buggers hard at work

The fourth and final ingredient is yeast, a microorganism that is responsible for fermentation in beer. Yeast metabolizes the sugars extracted from grains, which produces alcohol and carbon dioxide, and thereby turns wort into beer. In addition to fermenting the beer, yeast influences the character and flavor. The dominant types of yeast used to make beer are ale yeast and lager yeast (see my blog post on zymurgy for more info). Before the role of yeast in fermentation was understood, fermentation involved wild or airborne yeasts. A few styles such as lambics rely on this method today, but most modern fermentation adds pure yeast cultures.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

Keeping your craft beer crafty: Part 3 – Tasting Tips

OK. Your beer's been properly stored and served. Now, to help it taste its best, follow these easy steps.

Absolutely beautiful

1) Use a clean, clear glass: Brewers carefully blend special malts to create just the right color and appearance in their beer, so choose a glass that is totally clean. Dishwasher detergents and hand-washing soap can leave residue that, although imperceptible to the taster, will ruin a beer's foamy head, causing the crafty brew to look less crafty. I recommend washing your glass thoroughly with hot water alone, or at least rinsing it repeatedly after a standard washing.

2) Your nose knows: I won't be pompous enough to say beer has a "bouquet" like wine, but it clearly has an aroma… one which the brewer has worked diligently to impart. Both malts and hops affect a beer's aroma, with the latter frequently being chosen solely for their aromatic qualities. A beer can smell "malty" - sweet, in a grainy kind of way - or, more specifically, "toasty" or "chocolaty" or even "burnt" (with roasted malts!). Hops can impart floral, spicy, or "citrus" aromas (American varieties are famous for their lemony-grapefruity character). After a while, you can become familiar with the aromas of specific hop types – I recommend picking up a half rack of Sam Adams Latitude 48 Deconstructed to fully appreciate this. Overall, it pays to take time to appreciate a beer's aroma. Leave enough room at the top of your glass so you can gently swirl the brew to release its fragrances. Try this complex sampling procedure: Swirl, Sniff, Swallow... repeat!

Looks like a beer Thanksgiving

3) Don't waste taste buds: Instead of just gulping down a beer, consider how it tastes in your mouth. How it feels on your tongue. It may be sweet at first, then bitter and dry as you swallow. Or perhaps it is mouth-coatingly rich, with flavors that remind you of toffee and "fresh-baked bread." Wheat beers may be refreshingly crisp and clean, while a stout - with all its licorice, coffee, and chocolate notes - only can be described as "complex." The key to all craft-brewed beer is flavor, so always try to think about the way your chosen brew tastes. Your tongue will thank you.

4) Think about the beer's finish: (not just finishing the beer) After each swallow, examine the brew's lasting flavors and qualities. Does a hoppy India Pale Ale linger longer than a clean, soft wheat beer? Does a malty brown ale seem sweeter going down than a dry stout? "Aftertaste" is something to be desired in a good beer. It provides a final impression of the brew's qualities and, possibly, its overall quality.

To be concluded…

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

Masters of Beer Appreciation

The other day, I went to a local restaurant called Brixx and enrolled in their “Masters of Beer Appreciation” or MBA program. Essentially, this is a free to join beer drinking club where you drink all 32 beers on their menu, attend a brewery tour and a casking event… and then you receive your “degree.” Obviously, it’s a marketing ploy designed to get you to drink more beer and return as a customer to the restaurant over and over again.

But if you allow yourself to look past the business side of things, it’s a neat idea. Not everyone is a seasoned veteran of the craft beer scene, and this will encourage those who aren’t and want to be to drink 32 different craft beers. The selection is pretty eclectic too. New Belgian, Rogue, Stone, Sierra Nevada, Sam Adams and Port City are only a small cross section of the galaxy of crafty stars that Brixx has to offer.

Brixx is a chain of restaurants located in Virginia, Tennessee and the Carolinas, but the MBA concept is not uncommon. Several brewpubs across the country have similar “try all the beers” gimmicks. Look for one near you.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

Time To Study

No time to dazzle the readers with beer brilliance today, so instead, here’s a chart. Study it. There will be a test.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

The Fine Line Between Beer and Wine

In spite of its name, Barleywine (or Barley Wine) is actually a beer, though very strong and often intensely flavored with fruit and/or hops. These ales are always above 8% ABV, and in many cases, climb into the 12-15% range. They are heavy, rich, dark in color and generally an assault on the beer lover’s pallet.

A homebrewer's take on
parti-gyle - note that one
is darker than the other

The first beer to be marketed as Barley Wine was Bass No. 1 Ale, around 1870, but the term "barley wine" had been used before in other contexts dating as far back as ancient Greece. In those days, beer was made using a method called parti-gyle brewing. Without going full-on “beer geek,” this basically means that the grains were re-mashed (sometimes three or four times) after the wort was drained away. As you can probably imagine, the wort was much stronger the first time through than it was during subsequent times, and those “first runnings” were prized and reserved for special occasions and special people.

Simply stunning

Today, barleywine production makes use of modern brewing techniques that give them a wide variety of big, complex ales that age like fine red wine. English varieties are quite different from their American counterparts in that the American versions are insanely hopped to make for a more bitter and hop flavored brew, typically using the high alpha oil hops found in the States. The Brits tend to make barleywine that is more rounded and balanced between malt and hops, with slightly lower alcohol content.

Some examples of excellent barleywines include Sierra Nevada’s Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery’s Olde School Barleywine, Avery Brewing Company’s Hog Heaven Barley Wine, Stone Brewing Company’s Old Guardian BELGO Barleywine and Dominion Brewing Company’s Millennium Barleywine. Those are just a few wonderful brews that I’ve had; I’m sure there are more.

Note: As I mentioned above, the ABV on these can be quite high. Tread with caution.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

The Bigger They Are...

There’s an old saying that goes like this: “If you come at the king, you better not miss.” In the beer world, the “king” is the big three (actually the big two – InBev-Anheuser Busch and Miller-Coors). One of the joys of the being in the craft-beer community is found in taking shots at “big beer” – some of us are subtle and some of us are overt and a touch snarky.

The Breckenridge Brewery of Denver, CO is one of the less subtle assailants of the biggins and to that end, they have launched their “Truth in Beervertising” series of viral videos on YouTube. Check out one of my favorites:

Note: Breckenridge has the juice to back these up. They have an excellent catalogue of brews available if you can find them. My personal favorite is their 471 Small Batch Double IPA – a DIPA that combines Pale, Munich, Caramel-30, Carapils and Torrified Wheat malts, with Chinook, Centennial, Simcoe and Fuggles hops. It has a big sweet mouthfeel, followed by a crap-ton (slightly less than a metric ton) of hoppiness. Breckenridge touts that the 471 was designed to separate the men from the boys; I tend to agree.

You can watch the rest of the “Truth in Beervertising” series on YouTube – You won’t be disappointed.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

Down on the Farm

This post is about Belgian beer; farmhouse ales to be specific. For more info on other types of Belgian beer like Abbey Ales, Lambics, Gueuze or Flemish Ales, keep reading my blog… I’ll get to those.

Classic Belgian farmhouse (I didn't paint this)

Generally speaking, farmhouse ales were made with whatever was lying around the farmhouse when the farmer (or his wife) decided to brew. As a result, different fruits often show up, or sometimes none at all. Fermentation was natural and wild as these styles predate the discovery of hybridization of yeast strains. Traditionally, farmhouse ales had lower ABV as they were served to the farm hands on hot summer days to quench their thirst (as water wasn’t safe to drink).

Belgium and Northern France have a long tradition of brewing simple, earthy beers. While sometimes made in small breweries in remote villages or farms, they are often brewed on a larger scale, especially the witbier style. Some of these beers contain unmalted grains.

Witbiers are an ancient type of white ale made from malt, oats and a large proportion of unmalted wheat that gives the beer a cloudy haze. Witbier is wonderfully fruity with bitter orange peel and coriander added to increase bitterness without adding additional hops. ABV in a witbier is usually between 4.8% and 5.2% and is best served in a French “jelly” glass.

Makes you want to swim in Saison... makes me want to swim in Saison

Farmhouse breweries are said to have first produced the saison style from unsold barley after the harvest. Traditionally fermented in open vats in the attics of barns, these ales have a unique flavor produced by the wild yeast present in the Flanders region of Belgium. Saisons are dry, crisp, and complex with an assortment of spiciness and early flavors produced by the unique yeast. A Saison’s ABV usually falls between 4.5% and 8.0% and is best served in a large tulip glass.

Biere de Garde is French for "beer to keep" and was originally brewed by farmers in the spring to consume throughout the summer. These blonde ales were the top-fermenting interpretations of bock beers originating in Northern France. They have a light color and slight malt sweetness. Expect the ABV in a biere de garde to range from 4.5% to 8.0% and it best served in a large tulip glass.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

The Brewper Bowl Results

We’re calling the fight!!!

The game started out slow as both teams were playing very conservatively. Boston led with Harpoon Brewing Company’s IPA, which was nice, but underwhelming. It had a smooth and subtle hop quality to it, but compared with other IPAs, it fell a bit flat.

So New York had a chance to capitalize on Boston lack-luster beginning - out comes Brooklyn Brewing Company’s East India Pale Ale. As I drank this beer, it occurred to me that Brooklyn must’ve stole Harpoon’s recipe (or maybe the other way around) because this IPA tasted just like the one I had just had; mild hoppy notes and a smooth finish, but nothing remarkable to sing about.

Now that each city has had a turn, and perhaps the “feeling out” phase of this match is over, its Boston’s turn again. The Boston Brewery takes the reigns and brings out their Sam Adams Boston Ale. The Boston Ale is made with all the same spices and flavors as their Boston Lager, but the flavors are more complex since it's an ale. Overall, it was a solid effort, and though not dazzling, kept Boston in the driver’s seat.

Sensing a need for a momentum swing, New York countered with Brooklyn Brewing Company’s Winter Ale. It was malty and spicy as a winter warmer should be, and though a touch subtler than I would like, it was certainly good enough to break this stalemate and put New York comfortably ahead heading into the last two beers.

Brewper Bowl I's Most Valuable Brew

For their final beer, Bean Town went for the jugular with Sam Adams Latitude 48 IPA, throwing their policy of “playing it safe” right out the window. And it worked beautifully. The Lat 48 has a dazzling hop bouquet and nearly perfect flavor payload on both the front and back of the tongue. New York challenged them and Boston answered.

Now backed into a corner, New York had one last chance to tip the scales for good. Their response was Brooklyn Brewing Co’s Vienna-style Lager. This is a very malty golden-amber colored lager that is crisp and smooth the way a lager should be. All things considered, it’s delicious… but it wasn’t enough to overcome the solid death blow that Boston delivered with Sam Adams Lat 48.

In the end, Boston defeated New York on the strength of the Boston Brewing Company’s Sam Adams Latitude 48 IPA, making the Lat 48 the most valuable brew (MVB). New York’s Brooklyn Brewing Co turned in a very consistent performance which is something to be proud of. But in the end, good IPAs are hard to beat. The first annual Brewper Bowl was a total success.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

The Brewper Bowl

In case you didn’t know, its Super Bowl weekend. There are a lot of fun “beer-related” things to do on Super Bowl weekend, whether you care about the game or not. And since there can never be enough good ideas in the world, here’s yet another good “beer-related” Super Bowl weekend activity that you can try at home. I call it, “The Brewper Bowl.” It’s a work-in-progress.

The concept is simple. Take three beers from each city in the Super Bowl and pit them against each other in a taste test. Rate them fairly and decide which city’s beers are better and declare them the winner. Too easy.

- Brewper Bowl I -

Anyone else hear the Monday
Night Football theme song?

This year’s Super Bowl is going to pit the New York Giants against the New England Patriots. The first ever Brewper Bowl will feature three crafty beers from New York City, NY versus three crafty beers from Boston, MA. Traditionally, New Yorkers and Bostonians hate each other, so this should be good.

The Match Ups

From New York, the Brooklyn Brewing Co is bringing us their East India Pale Ale, their Lager and their Winter Ale. From Bean Town, we have the Sam Adams Boston Ale, Sam Adams Latitude 48 IPA and Harpoon Brewing Co IPA. A couple things come to mind when looking at this lineup. One, they all sound wonderful. To be honest, there aren’t any real losers in this competition. Two, is Boston pandering by throwing two IPAs into the mix? It’s entirely plausible, as it’s no secret that IPA is my favorite style. We’ll have to see how it pans out.

There are a lot of “to be continued” type themes going on here. Seems like the continuation of this blog post should be something to read… I’m on the edge of my seat over here.

To be continued…

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!

Brewing 101: Zymurgy

Most people know that beer is fermented, and that fermenting is where the alcohol comes from. But what does that mean? In beer brewing, fermentation is the conversion of carbohydrates to alcohols and carbon dioxide using yeasts, bacteria or a combination of the two, under anaerobic conditions. More simply put, fermentation is the chemical conversion of sugars into ethanol. The science of fermentation is known as zymurgy.


It's so simple!

After the wort (young beer) is boiled, it is cooled and aerated, and then yeast is added to it, which begins the fermentation process. It is during this stage that sugars won from the malt are metabolized into alcohol and carbon dioxide, and the product can be called beer for the first time.

There are three main fermentation methods: warm, cool and wild. The first two, warm and cool, refer to the temperature at which the beer is fermented. Wild fermentation refers to the process of allowing wild, uncontrolled and untamed yeast to ferment your beer instead of specific, controlled, collected and deliberate yeast. There are different methods to deliver wild yeast, such as fermenting in a wooden barrel where yeast are already living or fermenting in open containers and allowing the natural wild yeast in the air have at the beer. These processes are more common in Belgium and other parts of Europe than they are in the States.

Wild yeast attacking some delightful beer

There are two types of brewing yeasts that are distinguished by where they ferment beer. The first type forms foam at the top of the wort during fermentation and is called top-fermenting yeast. Top fermenting yeasts generally produce higher alcohol concentrations and in higher temperatures (typically 61 F to 75 F) produce fruitier, sweeter beers.  The other type of yeast, bottom-fermenting, is typically used to produce cool fermented, lager-type beers. These yeasts ferment more sugars, creating a dryer beer, and grow well at low temperatures.

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!