Will this theory help you enjoy new beers?

Unless you’re brand new to beer (nothing wrong with that though) you know that hops are measured on a scale of bitterness. IBUs, International Bitterness Units, measure the bitter alpha acids from hops that are isomerized and dissolved during the boil.

Some beers, like Hefeweizens, have IBUs of 10-15 while Double IPAs will go to 80+ IBUs.

Randy Mosher’s Tasting Beer: An Insider’s Guide to the World’s Greatest Drink has a great graph in chapter four that shows the relationship of IBUs to Original Gravity (think the amount of alcohol in a beer. Yes, it’s more complicated than that but now’s not the time.). What I noticed that was generally the hoppier the beer, the more Original Gravity, OG, is has. Mosher describes why a lot better than I am able to.

So looking at the chart I came to this hypothesis: if you enjoy a certain beer, wouldn’t you enjoy a beer with a similar hoppiness-to-OG?

I challenge you to try this experiment. Ladies Hefeweizen lovers – try a Doppelbock. Pale Ale fans (like myself) – try a Maibock. And IPA buffs – try an Irish Dry Stout.

Short Notes: Tasting Beer Chapter Three

Brewing and the Vocabulary of Beer Flavor

As my studying to become a beer expert continues, here are the main points I took from Chapter Three of Randy Mosher’s Tasting Beer: An Insider’s Guide to the World’s Greatest Drink.

Chapter Three – Brewing and the Vocabulary of Beer Flavor

• The difference between wine and beer is that wine mostly depends on nature to do the work while beer rests on man to assemble and nurture it
• The ions in water effect brewing
• Harder water is wanted for pale ales and softer water for pilsners
• Enzymes in barley make brewing possible because they reduce the energy needed in the chemical reaction
• Protein is a major difference between two-row and six-row barley
• Most beers that aren’t Bud, Miller or Coors are brewed with two-row barley

Short Notes: Tasting Beer Chapter Two

Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher

Here are the main points I took from Chapter Two of Randy Mosher’s Tasting Beer: An Insider’s Guide to the World’s Greatest Drink.

Chapter Two – Sensory Evaluation

• Your tongue is covered in small bumps called papillae where taste buds are embedded
• Humans can taste six basic flavors – sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami and fat
• Try to associate the aroma of a beer with memories
• Diacetyl, a by-product of fermentation, can make beer taste buttery
• DMS is a sulfur compound in pale beer that can cause off-flavors of corn
• The matrix effect is when flavors play off each other to create new flavors
• Masking is when one chemical hides the flavor of another, i.e. carbonation masking hops
• Protentiation is when one chemical enhances the flavor of another

Give this book a read if you enjoyed the points above. There’s a lot I did not include. Be on the lookout for chapter three coming soon!

Have you read any good beer books recently?

Short Notes: Tasting Beer Chapter One

Definitely not my hand

Here are the main points I took from Chapter One of Randy Mosher’s Tasting Beer: An Insider’s Guide to the World’s Greatest Drink.

Chapter One – The Story of Beer

• Beer was essential for survival because it was a cheap source of drinkable water
• Nomadic people in the Middle East started growing barley about 10000 BCE
• Beer was well established by 3000 BCE
• Sumerians and Egyptians really enjoyed beer
• Around 1000 CE hopped beers were founded in Germany
• Hopped beers caught on because they allowed beers to stay fresher longer
• By 1600 all English beers had some level of hops
• Popularity of porters and pale ales grew in Britain
• Pilsners were invented in Germany in 1842
• Belgian beers use a lot of spices and herbs because they weren’t bound to purity laws like German beers
• Beer wasn’t that successful in North America after the Europeans started to settle because the climate couldn’t easily grow ingredients
• Spirits became very popular in the United States
• Prohibition and the soda industry hurt the beer industry in the US
• Michael Jackson publish the World Beer Guide in 1977
• Homebrewing began to pick up popularity and the craft beer revolution had started to gain momentum by the early 1990s

Give this book a read and support the author. There’s a lot I left out. Be on the lookout for chapter two coming soon!

Are there any good beer books you’ve read recently?

Lesson One: Cleansing the Palate

Homework

Beer Advocate says there are five categories to reviewing a beer: appearance, smell, taste, mouthfeel and overall. I believe each one represents a certain percentage of satisfaction towards the overall pleasure you get from drinking a beer. Of these, taste is the most important.

My problem is that I don’t know how to properly taste a beer.

My solution is to learn from the best. From what I’ve heard Randy Mosher’s Tasting Beer: An Insider’s Guide to the World’s Greatest Drink is where to start. This book dives deeper than just how to taste beer but into where the taste comes from and beyond.

After I receive the book in 3-5 days I’ll come up with a short book report for you. Homework has been given. Class is in session.