Jason Bolte asked:




Making your own beer at home can be a very enjoyable and rewarding hobby for any beer lover. When you get started brewing you will get a huge sense of pride and accomplishment when you get to enjoy and share the fruits of your labor. This will be in the form of a great tasting Lager, Ale, or Wheat beer that will be enjoyed by, not only yourself but your fellow beer loving friends.

If you’ve ever had the opportunity to tour a brewery you’ll get to see the huge equipment and the polished storage tanks that these large scales facilities use to make beer. Having seen this you may wonder how one could actually brew their own cheap beer at home and also be able to afford the beer brewing equipment needed to do this. Having said that, there’s a large, growing brewing subculture that is based entirely on being able to brew good tasting, and affordable beer at home. Not to mention this hobby is legal, fun, and this subculture has a great sense of community when it comes to helping each other out.

It’s true that the start-up costs may be pretty daunting. The price of the pots, fermenters and other specialized equipment can run into several hundred dollars. It’s risky to drop that kind of money into a brand-new hobby before you even know if you will enjoy brewing beer, whether the beer you make will be drinkable or if you will stick with it. Not to mention during a time when we need most of of the money we take in just to get by, that is a risk that may be holding you back from getting into the hobby of home brewing.

Of course one possible answer is to get your first exposure and education in making your own beer with somebody Else’s equipment. Once you start digging around home brewing web sites and places where the equipment and supplies to make beer are sold in town, you can find out about clubs and societies that are full of people who have taken the plunge and are making beer all the time right at home like you want to do.

These people not only love home brewing, they are promoters and advocate for their hobby and with very little prompting, you can enjoy some Saturdays in their shop or kitchen learning how to make beer with someone that already knows how. This kind of experience is invaluable because you learn what to look for in equipment and what is essential and what is elective. You can go through the brewing process and learn a lot about how to brew actual beer that is drinkable and what pitfalls to avert. Meanwhile, you may not have spent any more money than to buy your new acquaintance lunch or to bring the pretzels for the sampling party when the beer is finished.

But then when you are ready to make your own beer at home, your knowledge of what you really need will pay off big time. You still don’t have to ante up top dollar for the equipment to get up and running. Many people get got going with making beer and for some reason, their hobby ends suddenly. The effect is that there is a used home brewing equipment market out there. You can find reduced prices on brewing equipment in new or in slightly used condition on eBay or Craigslist. But don’t forget to consider the local resources such as your local home brewer clubs that may have bulletin boards with postings from people who want to get rid of their equipment. Pawn shops in the area are another possible resource for you to utilize.

One way to save on your initial investment for the beer brewing equipment or a beer brewing kit is to actually go in on the beer brewing equipment or brewing kit with a friend. That way you split the cost and learn the basics of brewing together. One of you can brew the first batch of beer and when the beer is bottled the other person can take the equipment and make the second batch of cheap beer. The beer you make can be split between you, that way you will each get about a case and a half of each beer batch of 5 gallons. This way you’ll have a better assortment of beer on hand than if you drank the entire beer batch yourself.

Good luck and if you decide to get started, have fun making your own beer at home.

Mary Jone Elimanco asked:




Lots of people enjoy the relaxing social ambiance offered by a deck sports bar. Being situated outdoors, guests don’t have to tiptoe around and worry about causing any damage to your things. When you throw a beer-drinking party indoors, there’s always the challenge to keep everyone from sloshing beers into your carpet or from knocking over the displays off your table. With the free space you’ve got in your deck, the party you are throwing at home can go on without so much fuss at all.

Your deck sports bar area may be a wonderful hang out place for your family and friends. You can put benches or comfy chairs around it. You can conveniently place a grill on one side so you can dish out some hot food on the side. But if you wish to add some character into it, then you should consider putting in a beer pong table into the area.

A beer pong table can be a wonderful addition to your deck sports bar. Providing a space for this equipment is a must to bring more fun and excitement to your every party. It’s understandable that parties thrown on your deck will have free-flowing beer for everyone. So, instead of just having everyone sitting idly in their chairs and just holding their beers, you can get them going excited and thrilled by creating friendly competitions of beer pong against each other. With everyone enthused into winning, all of you can watch a spectacle of fun, laughter and vigorous cheers.

A beer pong table is something you can purchase from any retail stores associated with bar decors or party essentials. If you have no idea where you can purchase it in your nearby commercial spaces, then it would be just wise to simply make a purchase online. There are plenty of online stores selling this product and it’s convenient to do it this way because the device can be delivered straight into your home.

Units of these can be bought on a standard length of 8 ft with widths varying depending on how many people you wish to play at the same time. The materials they are made of vary from plastic to wood and metal. You can have a fixed full-length model, or for portability, you can always opt for the folding variety. The table-tops are often given beautiful graphic designs such as sports team logos, beer logos or sexy models. They can also have special niches in them to hold the cups in place. Some units would have interesting accessories like beer openers or LED lighting unto them. Whatever you end up purchasing, having this thing in your deck sports bar area is sure to liven up your every party.

Mary Jone Elimanco asked:




For a true blue beer-enthusiast, the best way to enjoy a chilled beer is with a home kegerator. This is one appliance that is very easy to install and maintain. It is also very cost-effective and ultimately the best way to taste and drink good quality cold beers at home.

A kegerator or draft beer dispenser basically includes a refrigeration system, a pressure tank, and a tap. The refrigeration system is responsible for storing a keg or several kegs at one time. A keg looks like an aluminum tank or barrel that contains the beer. In addition, the refrigerator also chills the stored beer inside the keg and prevents it from spoilage. A chilled keg can store draft beers for a very long time hence keeping the taste at top quality.

For those who enjoy making home-made draft ales, kegerator will make the experience much more enjoyable, easy, and comfortable. To be able to store and drink your favorite beverage in very good quality and taste anytime you like can certainly make your day worthwhile.

For events, parties, and large or small gatherings, a kegerator will also make dispensing beers much faster. There’s no need for ice, since whatever comes out of the kegerator tap is already chilled and ready to be served. Whenever appropriate, kegerators can certainly turn the party to a much exciting and enjoyable night to remember.

When choosing for the right kegerator, you also have to consider several things. Some units are more expensive than the others mainly because of the additional features it can have. If you are in a budget, you can also choose to make your own version of kegerator using a building kit. If you have the skills in constructing appliances, it shouldn’t be too hard to build a kegerator. Just make sure that you know how to install them. A pressurized tank can possibly turn bad if you don’t know what harm they can do in case of malfunction. Whether you are purchasing or building a kegerator, make sure that all tanks are equipped with regulators to monitor their levels.

A draft beer dispenser is a great appliance and a must-have for establishment who are especially dedicated to serve the best quality draft beers. Chilled and stored to perfection, kegerators are certainly the best way to experience top quality beverage at home and even at restaurants. You can never go wrong with this humble and affordable unit.

Dustin Canestorp asked:




When most people think of beer history, Germany is pretty close to the top of the list. That’s natural. After all, it’s hard to find a country with a richer beer heritage than Germany. The nation has claimed preeminence in brewing and beer purity for centuries. In fact, the nation has become pretty much synonymous with flavorful beer styles (unlike America, where watery beer has long dominated).

However, things are changing for Germany and they might not be able to lay claim to the “king of beer” crown for much longer. In fact, if current trends continue, they might just have to look to other nations to help bolster sales of their brews – those that have traditionally been enjoyed by drinkers within their own borders. What’s going on in Germany?

Less Beer Drinking

The single most disturbing trend for German brewers is the fact that Germans are drinking less beer every year. In a country where beer was once prescribed for nursing mothers, that’s certainly a dramatic shift. 2002 saw an average consumption of 122 liters per person. By 2010, that number had dropped to just 102 liters per person. 2011 shows signs of being even lower. That has German brewers worried and considering making some moves that are definitely out of character for the conservative nation.

What’s behind the dramatic shift in drinking? Germany’s aging population is one of the reasons. There are fewer and fewer young people in Germany, and older Germans favor drinking something different – coffee and tea have developed an enormous following there. The reduction in beer consumption seems to come directly from the reduction in working hours for the nation as a whole.

Shifting drinking habits have played a major role as well. More and more people are opting for nonalcoholic drinks on the whole (less wine and liquor, as well as less beer). Lifestyle changes are also shaping the German beer industry – fewer people head to the bar after work for a beer with friends. More people are heading home to have coffee, tea or water with their families.

Finally, Germany might also be suffering from a “too many options” syndrome. For instance, there are almost 1,400 breweries operating in the country, and consumers can choose from more than 5,000 different types of beer. That makes it hard for any one brand to gain an edge over another one.

What’s Germany Doing About It?

The declining situation for German brewers begs the question, “what’s being done about it?” The answer to that question might just surprise you. In fact, it looks as though many German brewers are considering the unthinkable – exporting their brews to America. For those Americans who enjoy German beers, the lack of quality options on the American market has been significant. German brewers were loath to export across the Atlantic mostly because American drinkers have usually preferred beer with little taste and body. However, with the growth the craft beer movement, that’s changing and doing so rather quickly. The average American drinker today is far more likely to take a chance on an imported German brew than what would have been possible even a few years ago.

What Do Americans Say?

What do American drinkers have to say about the potential German invasion? Actually, there’s a lot of anticipation from drinkers and brewers alike. Craft brewers welcome the enrichment, history and culture that German brews represent. Most beers from Germany are brewed according to standards laid down in the 1500s – the oldest of their kind still being used in the world. That certainly represents an enormous amount of history, as well as dedication to quality, flavor and purity.

While American craft brewers might not adhere strictly to German brewing traditions, they do recognize that the country’s beers are a far cry from what Americans had access to prior to the rise of craft brews. In fact, there has never been a more welcoming environment for Germany’s brews than what can be found today in the US. More and more drinkers are demanding innovation, a fresh approach to brewing and inventiveness. Craft brewers in the US can provide this, but there’s plenty of room for other companies and German brewers interested in exporting their products might just find that it’s an incredibly lucrative venture.

Will It Happen?

You might think that in order to avoid financial stagnation and eventual ruin, German brewers would be eager to get their brews into the hands of American drinkers. While some certainly are, there are more that view the situation with quite a bit of skepticism. It’s difficult to find a country with more conservative views than Germany and in the world of brewing more so than any other area.

While it might make economic sense to export their products to the US and other nations, quite a few brewers are leery of taking that plunge, simply for the shift away from tradition that it represents.

The Bottom Line

So, what’s the bottom line here? Will the US see an influx of new German brews to add even more selection to options available for US drinkers? Maybe, maybe not – only time will tell. Much of that question hinges on whether or not brewers are able to make an impact on the current trends within their own nation. There’s a lot of sense to selling their brews at home. Export costs are only one factor in the equation. Still, chances are good that as the economic troubles Europe faces continue to worsen, more brewers will show an interest in getting their beer across the ocean to the hands of drinkers interested in seeing what German brewing tradition can really produce.

In the meantime, there’s no shortage of innovative, inventive options for those with a taste for adventure. American craft brewers have developed a global reputation for creating unique, interesting brews and there’s never been a better time than now to get out there and see what’s on offer.

Poto Cervesia,
Dustin Canestorp

Navodita Maurice asked:




Beer, hearing the term mind directly strikes the scene of a beer pub where people are holding mugs filled with beer and the foam is coming out of the glasses. Beer is not a new term since time immemorial, world’s most widely consumed and probably the oldest of all alcoholic beverages. Beer is the third most popular drink after tea and coffee. Beer is prepared by brewing and fermentation of starches which are derived from the cereal grains particularly malted barley but wheat, corn and rice are also used. Generally beer is flavoured by the addition of hops which adds a bitter taste to beer and also acts as a preservative. Apart from hops some herbs and fruits are also used for flavouring the beer. Literature from the olden times suggests that there was a Code of Hammurabi which was concerned with the laws of regulating beer and beer parlours and the Hymn to Ninkasi was a prayer to Mesopotamian goddess of beer serving both the functions of prayer as well as remembering the recipe of beer preparation. Presently, brewing industry is a multinational business providing employment to thousands of individuals in the form of small pubs to large regional breweries.

There are two categories of beer. First is the pale lager and the other regionally distinct ales which share further different varieties like pale ale, stout and brown ale. The alcohol content of beer is around 4% to 6% alcohol by volume (abv) which may be sometimes less than 1% abv to 20% in rare cases. Beer forms a part of culture of beer drinking nations and is also found to be associated with the festivals as well as with games. Beer is one of the oldest known beverages prepared since 9000 BC and has its record in the history of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. The chemical evidence of beer belongs to circa 3500-3100 BC from the site of Godin Tepe in the Zagros Mountains of western Iran. In China around 7000 BC beer was prepared from rice by malting. Any substance containing carbohydrate like the sugars and the starch usually undergoes fermentation and this laid down the foundation of beer production throughout the world. The production of beer and bread had generally resulted in the development of human civilization as well as technology but this fact is argued strongly by various scientists.

Beer was spread through Europe by the Germanic and Celtic tribes around 3000 BC back and at that time people don’t call it beer. Beer produced before the Industrial revolution was on domestic scale but today beer production is a global business and according to a report of 2006 around 133 billion liters of beer is sold every year which costs billions of dollars. The process of making beer is termed as brewing. A edifice dedicated strictly for making beer is called as brewery although beer can be prepared in homes also as known from the ancient literature. A company producing beer is called as a beer company. Beer produced on domestic scale is termed as home brewing regardless of the fact how it is prepared. Beer production is strongly under the rules and regulations of the government of the country and the producers have to deposit the taxes and fulfill the necessary documents in order to run a brewery successfully.

The main purpose of brewing is to convert starch into sugary liquid called wort and later on this wort is converted into alcoholic beverage called beer which is fermented by the action of yeast. The first step in making beer is mashing where the starch source (malted barley) is mixed with hot water in a mash tun. Mashing process is complete is 1-2 hours and during this time period the starch gets converted into sugars and becomes sweet in taste. This sweet liquid now called wort is drained off form the grains. Now the grains are washed and this step is called sparging. Sparging helps the brewer to obtain as much as fermentable liquid from the grains as possible. The process of filtering spent grain from the wort and sparged water is designated as wort separation. The traditional process of wort separation is called as lautering where the grain itself acts as filter medium. Modern breweries use filter frames for this step. The sparge obtained from second and third run contains weaker wort and thus weaker beer. Brewing with several runnings is called as patrigyle brewing.

The sweet wort obtained from the sparged water is now kept in the kettle and boiled for 1 hour. Boiling evaporates the water of the wort but the sugars and other components remain as such and this allows efficient use of starch sources in beer. Boiling also inactivates the enzymes left after the mashing process. Hops are now added as source of flavor, bitterness and aroma. Hops may be added more than one time during boiling. If the hops are boiled for a longer time then the bitterness of beer increases and the flavor and the aroma content of beer declines. After boiling the hopped wort is allowed to cool and is now ready for yeast action. During fermentation the hopped wort becomes beer and this step may take a week to months depending upon the type of yeast and the strength of beer. When fermentation is over the yeast settles leaving the clear beer. In some cases fermentation is carried out in two steps, primary and secondary. Once beer is produced through primary fermentation it is transferred to a new vessel and is allowed to undergo secondary fermentation for certain period. Secondary fermentation is generally used when beer requires long term storage before packaging or greater clarity. When beer has fermented it is transferred into casks for cask ale or in aluminium cans or kegs or bottles depending upon the varieties.

The key ingredients of beer are water, a starch source like the malted barley and brewer’s yeast which is responsible for fermentation and flavouring agents like the hops. Apart from malted barley other sources of starch may be used like the corn or rice and then the term adjunct is used as they serve as a lower cost substitute for barely. Other inferior sources of starch include sorghum, millet, cassava root in Africa, potato in Brazil and agave in Mexico and other nations. Grain bill is the total amount of starch source in the beer making process. The major composition of beer comes from water. Water of different regions has different mineral components so the beer prepared from different regions shares unusual taste and variety. Water in Dublin is hard so it is best suited for the production of stout, Pilzen has soft water so famous for the production of pale lager. Water from Burton is rich in gypsum so is suitable for the production of pale ale. Sometimes the brewers add gypsum to the local water for the production of pale ale and this process is termed as Burtonisation.

The starch source in beer is the key source which provides the material to be fermented and is responsible for the strength and flavor of beer. Most common starch source used for beer preparation is the malted grain. Gran is generally malted by soaking it in water and is then allowed to start germination and finally the half germinated grain is allowed to dry in a kiln. Malting process produces enzymes which are responsible for the conversion of starch into fermentable sugars. Different colours of malts are prepared from the same grain by allowing the grain to roast at different times and temperatures. Dark malts produce dark beers. Majority of beers have malted barley as starch source as its fibrous husk is not only important in the sparging process but also contains amylase, a digestive enzyme which converts starch into fermentable sugars. In the recent years brewers have produced gluten-free beer from the malted sorghum especially for those individuals who are unable to digest gluten-rich beer derived from malted barley, corn and rice.

The foremost components of flavouring of beer are the hops which are derived from the hop vine. Hops are actually the flowers of hop vine which act as flavouring agents as well as preservative. Apart from hops certain herbs and berries are also used as flavouring agents. Hops add a bitter taste as well as balance the sweetness of the malt. Bitterness of beer is measured on International Bitterness Units Scale. Hops add floral, citrus and herbal aromas and flavours to beer. Hops have an antibiotic effect and allow the use of lesser number of micro-organisms and have a preservative action. The micro-organism responsible for the fermentation of beer is the yeast. Yeast converts the sugars obtained from malted grains into alcohols and carbon dioxide and therefore turns wort into beer. It also imparts character and flavor to beer. The dominant strains of yeast used in fermentation are the ale yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisae) and the lager yeast (Saccharomyces uvarum) which produce ale and lager beers respectively. Some brewers also add clarifying agents to beer as they precipitate out of the beer along with the protein solids and are found in traces only in the finished product. These agents make beer fine and clean instead of the cloudy touch as that obtained from wheat in the olden times. Commonly used clarifying agents are isinglass obtained the swim bladders of fishes, Irish moss from seaweed.

There are many varieties of beer found all over the world but the basic concepts of their preparation are always shared among different nations. The traditional European brewing regions like Germany, Belgium, and United Kingdom have local varieties of beer. Brewers from Canada, USA and Australia are so much inspired by the European style of beer preparation that they have developed their own different indigenous varieties of beer. Apart from the different varieties beer can be classified into two major types depending upon the temperature of brewing which affects yeast activity during fermentation. Beers may be lagers brewed at high temperature and regionally available ales brewed at low temperatures. Ales may be further divided into pale ale, brown or dark ale and stout. Beers are basically classified on the basis of yeast action used in fermentation. Beers which require fast acting warm fermentation leaving behind residual sugars are classified as ales while beers utilizing slow acting cold fermentation where the yeast removes most of the sugars are lagers. Steam beer, Alt and some modern British Golden Summer Beers use elements of both ale and lager beers for their preparation.

Limbic is a variety of beer that is prepared in Belgium by using wild yeast rather than the cultivated one. Many of the varieties of yeast used for making lambic are not the strains of S.cerevisae so they impart different flavours and aroma to beer. Strains of yeast like Brettanomyces bruxellensis and Brettanomyces lambicus are used for making lambics. Lactobacillus is basically responsible for the sour taste of lambics where it produces acids. Stout and porter are dark beers prepared by using roasted malt or roasted barley and brewed by slow fermenting yeast. There are other varieties also like the Baltic porter, imperial stout and dry stout. The term Porter was used for the first time in 1721 to describe a dark coloured beer popular in the streets and river porters of London. This beer was later on got famous by the tag stout. The history of stout and porter got intertwined later on.

Another variety is wheat which is significantly obtained by the use of wheat but it also contains certain proportion of malted barley also. They are usually top fermented and the flavour of wheat beers vary considerably according to the style in which they are brewed. Ales are prepared by warm fermentation by using brewer’s yeast that clumps and rises to the surface so they are called as top fermenting beers and also require higher temperatures and get fermented more quickly in comparison to lagers. The suitable temperature for carrying out fermentation of ales is 15-24°C. in this temperature range yeast produces suitable esters and flavours along with aroma products resulting in a beer with fruity touch like that of apple, pineapple, banana, plum and others. Hops were introduced into England in the 15th century and after the addition of hops in brewing the term beer was used. The term Real Ale was coined by Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) in 1973 for the beer brewed by using traditional ingredients and secondary fermentation without use of carbon dioxide.

The cool fermenting beers of European origin are termed as lagers. The pale lagers are the most popularly consumed beers all over the globe. The word lager has got its origin from a German word lagern which means to store because the brewers used to store the beers in cool cellars and caves during the hot summer months and they observed that fermentation process continued in the stored beers and this resulted in better quality of beers. The yeast used for fermentation of lagers is very much active at lower temperatures and it carries out primary fermentation at the temperature range of 7-12°C and then a long secondary fermentation at 0-4°C. After the secondary fermentation is over lagers become clear. Cooler temperature also inhibits unusual production of esters and other byproducts resulting in production of a tasty lager beer. The modern method of lager production was put forward by Gabriel Sedlmayr the Younger, who clarified the dark brown lager at Spaten Brewery in Bavaria, and Anton Dreher brewed an amber-red coloured lager in Vienna in 1840-1841. With the improvement of yeast strains modern lagers get ready within a very short time period say from 1-3 weeks.

Malt is responsible for the particular colouration of beer. The common colour of beers is pale amber which is basically produced by the use of pale malts. Pale lagers and pale ales are prepared from the malt dried with coke. Coke was used for the first time in 1642 for roasting the malt but this step was prohibited in 1703 but the term pale ale came into existence. In terms of sale and volume the majority of the beers are based on the pale lagers brewed in 1842 in the town of Pilsen in the present-day Czech Republic. The pale lager consumed in the present scenario is very light in colour passed through carbonation with alcoholic strength of around 5% only. Pilsner Urquell, Bitburger, and Heineken are the common brands of pale lager beers and Budweiser, Coors, and Miller are common American brands of pale lager beer. Dark beers are generally brewed from pale malt or lager base malt along with certain proportion of dark malt to achieve a desired colour. Caramel, roasted unmalted barley are also used for achieving a dsired shade of beer.

The alcoholic strength of beer ranges from less than 3% by volume (abv) to around 14% (abv) although this strength can be further increased up to 20 % (abv) by use of champagne yeast and 60% (abv) by freeze distillation process. The alcohol content of beer varies with style and practice. Alcohol in beers comes from the sugars that metabolized during the fermentation process. The quantity of fermentable sugars in wort and the strain of yeast used for the fermentation of wort are responsible for the alcoholic content in the finally obtained beer. Sometimes fermentable sugars and enzymes are also added for increasing alcoholic strength of beer. Alcohol is produced as a byproduct of yeast fermentation and is toxic to the yeast. Low temperature and too little fermentation decrease the activity of yeast and so as the alcoholic content of final beer. The alcoholic content of beers has increase in the last few years of 20th century and a Dutch brewery has produced the strongest beer with alcoholic content of 60% (abv).

The brewing industry is a multinational business in the modern world and it works in collaboration with regional as well as national breweries. Microbrewery is a modern brewery that produces a limited amount of beer every year around 15,000 barrels. A brewpub is a microbrewery serving beer along with some edible materials also. Draught beer from a pressurized keg is the most frequent method of dispensing beers in the bars. A metal keg is generally used which is first filled with beer and then pressurized by using carbon dioxide. Nitrogen is also used sometimes for sealing beer kegs. Cask ales are unconditioned and unpasteurized beers. When a cask arrives in a pub it is kept horizontally in a frame called stillage which is designed to hold it at 90° and then allowed to cool at the cellar temperature before being tapped and vented.

Beers are basically cleared off from the yeasts before they undergo packaging in bottles and cans. Bottle conditioned beers however retain some yeast that is left unfiltered so beers should be poured slowly. Many beers are typically sold in cans all over the world. People drink directly either from cans or by pouring into the glass. Cans protect beer from coming in contact with light and there is little of no risk of leakage. Plastic bottles are also used for packaging beers. Temperature of beer strongly influences the drinker’s experience. Warmer temperature reveals flavour of beer and cool beers are more refreshing. Most drinkers prefer to consume pale lagers chilled while imperial stouts are generally preferred at room temperature.

The beer writer Michael Jackson has proposed a five level scale for serving beer. He has suggested following types like chilled for light beers, chilled for wheat beers, lightly chilled for dark lagers, cellar temperature for British ale, stout and room temperature for strong dark ales. The consumption of chilled beer began in 1870s and spread to all parts of the globe where pale lager was preferred on high scale. Chilling the beer adds a refreshing taste to it but chilling below 15.5°C reduces the taste and at 10°C awareness and taste both decline. Beers served at room temperature have a wonderful flavour. Cask Marque is a non-profit beer producing organization which has set a temperature range of 12°-14°C for serving the cask ales. Beers are served either in cans, mugs, glasses etc. The glassware used for drinking beer may influence the character and style of an individual. Many breweries offer branded glasswares for serving beer. Beer is poured in a style in the drinking glasses and opening of beer container releases carbon dioxide as it is opened.

Many social activities have been found to be associated with drinking like playing cards, pub games etc. Beer is most popularly consumed all over the world in a high proportion in comparison to the wine which the second most popularly consumed beverage. The main active key component of beer is alcohol so also affects human health. Moderate consumption of beer reduces the risk of cardiac arrest and cognitive decline. Long term effects of alcohol increase the risk of liver damage. The brewer’s yeast used for the fermentation of beer is a rich source of nutrients like magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, biotin and vitamin B and therefore, beer is sometimes called as liquid bread. According to a study conducted by Japanese scientists in 2005 low alcohol beers have strong anti-cancer properties. Non-alcoholic beers reduce the risk of cardiovascular disorders. But over consumption of anything is injurious so beers must be consumed in a limit.

From the process of preparation till packaging and up to marketing the brewers put so much effort and this effort is the key of the success of breweries all over the world. One must enjoy beer at least once in his or her lifetime.

Janet Martin asked:




Want to look good on your first date? Give your partner a couple of beers and your wrinkles and other skin imperfections will magically disappear!

That’s the advice of researchers in Scotland who found that the “beer goggles” effect may have a scientific basis. In that case, beauty is indeed in the eye of the beer holder.

The “beer goggles” effect refers to the infamous phenomenon wherein members of the opposite sex appear to be more attractive when more beer is consumed. At first, scientists thought this was simply the result of too much alcohol that distorts one’s perception of reality. However, researchers found the precise manner in which beer affects the brain.

At the International Congress on Behavioral Medicine in Finland, Professor Barry Jones from Glasgow University’s psychology department and his fellow academic Ben Jones from St. Andrews University said alcohol stimulates the nucleus accumbens, the part of the brain that judges facial attractiveness. Men and women who consumed moderate amounts of alcohol often found the faces of the opposite sex 25 percent more attractive than their sober counterparts.

“Everyone’s heard of the beer goggles effect but we wanted to measure once and for all whether a moderate amount of alcohol increases the judgment of facial attractiveness,” Barry Jones said.

In their study, the Joneses recruited 80 students from Glasgow University. Half of the students had drunk up to four units of alcohol, equivalent to a maximum of two pints of lager or two-and-a-half glasses of wine. The rest remained sober.

The two groups were later asked to rate the color photos of 120 male and female students aged 18 to 26 from St. Andrews University. The tipsy group found the people in the photos more attractive than the ones who didn’t drink.

“The effect can reportedly be traced to the nucleus accumbens. When you’re looking at another human being, the nucleus accumbens is the area of the brain that decides how attractive that human being’s face is. If you look at, say, George Clooney or Angelina Jolie, this area of your brain probably experiences increased neural firing. In other words, it’s stimulated,” explained Julia Layton in HowStuffWorks.com.

“As it turns out, alcohol, all by itself, stimulates the nucleus accumbens. So when you’ve had a few drinks and you look at a face you may have judged as unattractive when you were sober, your brain, under the influence of alcohol, tells you that this face is in fact somewhat attractive. And the increase in perceived attractiveness seems to be directly proportional to the amount of alcohol consumed,” she added.

Researchers at England’s Manchester University said alcohol is not the only factor involved in the “beer goggles” effect. They said the perception of beauty can also be influenced by the brightness of the area, the quality of the drunken person’s eyesight, the amount of smoke in the air, and the distance of the person being observed.

However, keeping your partner drunk all the time to look beautiful and hide your wrinkles may not be a practical idea, considering that too much alcohol is bad for the health. To diminish fine lines and wrinkles and keep your skin soft, smooth, and healthy, try Dermaxin. This nourishing cream is a cost effective alternative to expensive and risky injections. Go to http://www.dermaxin.com for details.

Dallas Hammons asked:




In America, beer has a very simple connotation with regards to its meaning and concept. Popular beer in America is light, easy to drink, and relatively tasteless. That is because American’s don’t want to waste their time appreciating and evaluating beer down to its flavor, aroma, and characteristics. It is a shame because beer, as honorable as it is inebriating, is an art form that has developed over centuries into a highly regarded and respected culture. So what does beer have to do with journalism?

The invention of blogging has restaurants, bars, pubs, breweries, and indeed any proprietary business, wanting well written reviews about their establishment and/or product. When considering a popular and yet highly competitive industry such as beer, reviews can make or break a brewing business. My most recent hobby has taken me across the world (from bottle to bottle) trying different beers from different regions. Each beer has a unique characteristic that separates itself from the rest, and the breweries that make these beers need their audience to know about it. So, professional blogging comes in very handy for those who wish to expand their notoriety.

That is where someone like me comes in. My goal is to create enough online traffic with my blog in order to get established breweries to offer me a chance to review their product. This is a brilliant concept in that it offers young or novice writers like myself a chance to exercise their writing skills, professionally! For someone like me who takes the service, restaurant, and brewery industries seriously, this is a dream come true.

Reviewing beers is a fun activity that really anyone can do with or without a trained pallet. For instance, I attended a 2 hour beer class at Total Wine & More in Brea, California that featured different styles of beer from across the world; Belgians, Ales, Strong Ales, Stouts, Dark Ales, India Pale Ales, Red Ales, and yes, even a surprise ‘Sour Beer’ at the end. the class was $15 to attend, but well worth it. With food and water provided, I was to taste a total of 14 beers! The samples were small so as to not get too inebriated for the drive home. The instructor kept a good vibe while everyone kept a good buzz. The information presented revolved around the different characteristics of the beer as well as its origin. For example:
Saison Rue: Saison/Farmhouse Ale Brewery: “The Bruery”, Placentia, Ca. Hazy golden-orange Aromas; fruit, spiced herbs Flavor; Malty sweet, toasty, herbs Medium-Bodied. Dry Finish ABV: 8.5%; suggested serving temp – 55-57F

Rating beers in competition is not an informal practice. There are beer festivals and competitions throughout the world that draw audiences and die hard competitors, who take the competition very seriously. Each year, professional and nonprofessional brewers compete for blue ribbons, gold medals, recognition and glory. the rating system takes into account four characteristics of the beer. They are: appearance, aroma, taste, and mouth feel. The characteristics of beers are not limited to the descriptive words used below:
Appearance: Color, Clarity, and Head are the determining factors for the appearance. descriptive colors may include Pale Straw, Gold, Amber, Red, Honey, Caramel, Brown, Root Beer, or Black. the beer may be cloudy, or hazy, or clear enough to read a newspaper through it. Head refers to how much head retention there is after the pour (Fun Fact: Wheat beers tend to have longer head retention than most beers). Aroma: This is one of the most fun aspects of tasting beer. The aromas of a beer come from the malts, hops, and yeast that are used for its creation. Malts can make a beer smell sweet, nutty, herbal, chocolaty, toasty, or smokey. The Hops can make a beer smell perfumy, flowery, leafy, grassy, earthy, or spicy.The yeast can give off smells that are clean, estery, fruity, or sour/tart. Overall the aroma can be strong and inviting, powerful and alluring, just noticeable, or non-existent. Taste: The malts, hops, and yeast can render similar results to the tongue as to the nose, and so to save time in writing this passage, I will say that the above descriptions of the characteristics of smells can be applied to taste. Of course most agree that this would be the favorite category of tasting beers. Although, contrary to popular belief, when it comes to the senses the nose is interconnected with the mouth in that without the ability to smell, taste would become nearly obsolete. For instance when you have a cold, or a stuffy nose, food becomes more difficult to taste. Mouth Feel: This concept is a bit more tricky to for beginners. Aside from how the beer tastes, this description refers to how the beer sits in the mouth. Is the beer crispy, smooth, creamy, viscous, prickly, tingly, warming, or even hot. More intricate ideas revolve around the balance of the beer, how heavy it is, and how long it lasts on the palate. Overall Impression: This is where the judges might say a few last remarks about the overall character of the beer.

There is a universal scoring sheet that many of the competitions use for scoring beers. It is under the “Beer Judge Certification Program”. Much like a sign up sheet, this form has all of the brewers information as well as sections to score the beer.

Michael Russell asked:




If you ask John Michael Montgomery what goes good with beer, he’ll tell you the following:

It goes good with beer and the Friday night atmosphere. Of this cross-town bar where the cars all get steered to. And it goes hand-and-hand with my crazy buddies and this three-piece band, An’ the pretty girls and the games we play and the smoke and mirrors: Yeah, troubles come, but they go good with beer.

Well, this probably isn’t what you expected to find when looking for something that went well with beer, but the truth is, a lot of things go good with beer and not just food.

Yes, of course there are the foods that we love to eat that go good with beer. You’ve got your classic beer and pizza combo. Can anything even come close to the taste of an ice cold beer and a hot slice of pizza? For that matter, even a cold slice of pizza and beer is pretty good. For some guys, that’s pure heaven.

Then there’s peanuts and beer. That’s why they sometimes call them beer nuts. You can walk into your corner bar, especially if it’s one of them home town doggie places, if you know what I mean and just ask the bartender for some beer and nuts. He’ll know just what you want. Or, if you’re too lazy to leave the house, just have a jar of those Planters nuts laying around, open up a nice cold brew and have yourself a picnic. For some guys, that’s all they need.

But beer is not just about what you eat with it. Beer can be used as a very useful tool for picking up women. A typical scenario is you’re at a bar, you order your drink and there’s a cute gal sitting two stools over. You turn to her and in your most macho voice you say to her, “Can I buy you a beer?” Now if you were a real sophisticated guy you’d probably ask her if she wanted a drink. But offering her a beer is so much more manly and raw-at-home-boyish.

Then of course there is the beer as used for a prop when playing pool. You’re standing there with your pool cue in your hands while you’re buddy is running the table on you and the last thing you want to do is look like a loser of a dork, so you kind of lean on your cue stick, cock your body to one side, pick up that nice cold long-neck bottle (has to be long-neck) and take a nice, slow, long guzzle. You’ll look so cool, people will think you’re winning.

And finally, beer is just great for sitting in front of the TV and watching your favorite episode of NYPD Blue. Has to be a manly type of program. None of that girl stuff. While you’re doing this, you lean back, spread your arms across the back of the couch and let out a good loud…Well, you get the picture.

Beer. It goes well with just about anything.

Daniel John Cooper asked:




For many of us beer is only beer if it is made from four ingredients, the finest malt barley, choicest hops, pure spring water and specially selected yeast. However, for beer loving suffers of Coeliac disease it is the use of barley malt that makes the consumption of beer problematic.

Many of us have heard of Coeliac disease or at least recognise gluten intolerance but what actually is Coeliac disease, how does it affect the people that suffer from it and what has the brewing industry done to help beer loving sufferers of the disease enjoy their favourite tipple?

Coeliac disease is not a food allergy but rather an auto-immune disease where the bodies own immune system produces antibodies which then attack its own tissue. The symptoms of the disease can range from mild to severe and include things such as bloating, diarrhoea, nausea, tiredness, anaemia, abdominal discomfort and mouth ulcers. More serious long term health effects can manifest themselves if the disease remains undiagnosed and therefore untreated until later life as Coeliac sufferers are more at risk of osteoporosis and gut cancer.

The component of the diet that is responsible for Coeliac disease is gliadin, a gluten protein, found in wheat, barley, rye and oats. The body’s immune system reacts to the gluten protein producing antibodies which attack the small finger like projections known as villi that line the small intestine and play a vital role in digestion. When damaged the villi are unable to absorb food properly leading to many of the symptoms associated with the disease such as diarrhoea.

Coeliac UK the charity for sufferers of Coeliac disease estimates that in the UK there are around 125,000 medically diagnosed sufferers. However, recent studies show that 1 in 100 people have coeliacs disease which means that there are almost another 500,000 people who suffer from the disease but are as yet undiagnosed.

Unfortunately there is no cure for Coeliac disease. However, by adhering to a strict gluten free diet it is possible to control the disease. There is some debate over the gluten level that is acceptable to Coeliac sufferers and around the world there are different standards for what can be termed gluten free. For example in Australia only products with no detectable gluten can be classed as gluten free. But in the UK a food product can be considered gluten free if, when analysed, it contains less than 20 parts per million (ppm) of gluten. This disagreement in standards means that in some countries a product labelled gluten free would actually contravene labelling or food standards legislation in other countries. With this confusion it is understandable that for many sufferers unless the beer is totally gluten free and therefore free from barley malt there is no assurance that it is safe for them to consume.

This leads us to the point of the article – beer.

Barley being a major constituent of beer and also one of the cereals that contains gluten presents a problem for Coeliac sufferers. Interestingly some Coeliac sufferers have found, by experimentation, that they can tolerate certain beers even though they are produced from malted barley. Some brewers also claim that beers made from grains such as sorghum, rice and maize with a small proportion of barley malt are safe to drink. The belief is that by using smaller quantities of barley malt the concentration of gluten introduced into the beer is reduced. Furthermore during the brewing process it is widely believed that the gluten protein is broken down into its constituent amino acids thus rendering it harmless. However there is some concern and evidence to suggest that this claim may be inaccurate. The fear is that although protein is broken down into amino acids during brewing, this process is incomplete and peptide fragments of gluten may remain in the beer which may be problematic for Coeliac sufferers. Thus for many sufferers beer is strictly relegated to the list of food and drink to avoid.

Are brewers doing anything to address this problem? Well fortunately for beer loving Coeliac sufferers yes they are. However, although the brewing of a totally gluten free beer is achievable it comes with its own unique set of technical difficulties. Obviously all the ingredients must be gluten free, which means all malt, starch, sugar or syrup used in the brewery must be derived from a gluten free source. Yeast which is typically propagated on wort, derived from gluten containing barley malt, must be grown on a gluten free nutrient media. Finally perhaps the most essential difficulty to remedy is to find a suitable source of fermentable carbohydrate which also provides the same or similar flavour characteristics of barley malt.

Fortunately there are many common substitutions for gluten-rich grains, which are used in the wider food industry, and include buckwheat, sorghum; rice, maize, millet, and soybean. Brewers have experimented with a number of these as replacements for barley malt with mixed results.

Rice and maize are already common ingredients employed by brewers in the production of beer and so make ideal ingredients in a gluten free beer. However, when using both of these grains, where a malted cereal is not present the brewer has to employ enzymes, typically derived from fungi, to convert the starch into fermentable sugars. Remember barley naturally synthesizes a range of enzymes when it is malted and it is these enzymes which, during mashing, convert starch into simple sugars that can be fermented by yeast. Without a cereal, such as barley, that has been malted, that crucial process would not occur without the assistance of fungal enzymes added by the brewer. Beer is a wholesome and natural product and brewers like to be able to brew their beer without using additives such as enzymes. So gluten free brewers have experimented with trying to malt Sorghum and Buckwheat.

Of the two grains Sorghum has perhaps received the lion’s share of attention due to its use in the production of what we would recognise as beer, often referred to as clear beer, as well as the traditional cloudy beer that is unique to Africa. It is true to say that clear beers brewed in Africa are mainly brewed using barley malt. However, in certain African countries such as Nigeria during the 90′s legislation, introduced to encourage the use of local grains rather than imported barley malt, forced brewers to adapt their brewing techniques so that they could make beer totally from Sorghum. As part of this adaptation process a lot of research was conducted on whether it was possible to malt sorghum. It was found that with a few technical tweaks to the malting process sorghum could be malted for brewing purposes. Following the relaxation of the legislation banning imports of malted barley the incentive to malt sorghum disappeared. Brewers could use un-malted sorghum in their beers as long as a proportion of barley malt was present to provide those crucial enzymes. Therefore large scale commercial malting of sorghum never developed. However, at least one gluten free brewer is malting sorghum for use in their range of gluten free beers.

Buckwheat is not strictly a cereal but because it can be processed in the same way as cereals is often referred to as a pseudo cereal. Buckwheat grains look like small beechnuts and are milled to separate the edible portion from their husks or hulls. The edible portion, often referred to as groats, can be roasted and used as a grain product and as such attempts have been made to malt Buckwheat to improve its potential as a grain for brewing. But as in the case for Sorghum, commercial scale malting of buckwheat has not really developed.

Malted or not, Sorghum, Buckwheat, rice and maize all provide the brewer with a selection of suitable gluten free grains that can be used to brew beer. It is through the clever use of individual cereals, such as sorghum, or a combination of different cereals, that brewers have managed to, if not completely, at least go a long way towards producing a match for the flavour characteristics in beer that are usually derived from barley malt. Furthermore with innovative application of traditional brewing techniques a number of companies are able to brew a range of beers for Coeliac sufferers that look, smell and certainly taste like beer brewed from barley malt. All good news for any beer lovers who suffer from Coeliac disease.