Beer School

There’s a lot of “hop talk” that gets thrown around when discussing beer. So, what’s the difference between dried hops and a dry hopped beer? And, are fresh hops and wet hops just two different names that mean the same? Dry Hopping & Dried Hops A common misconception is that dry hopping involves harvesting and drying hops, but dry hopping actually refers to a brewing process where additional hops are added during fermentation to enhance flavours and aromas of a beer. Dried hops, on the other hand, are hops that have been harvested and dried. After clearing the fields, hops …

A lager is a light, crisp and refreshing beer. It’s fairly easy to taste the difference between a lager and ale, but what sets these two apart from a brewing perspective? The defining difference between lagers and ales is based on yeast strains, as well as length and temperature of fermentation. An ale uses a top fermenting strain of yeast called Saccharomyes cerviase and is produced at warm temperatures ranging between 18c and 23c. In a top fermenting beer, ale yeasts rise to the surface and produces beer high in esters, or fruity aromas. Lagers, on the other hand, use …

A contentious topic of conversation in the beer world is whether IBU ratings need to be accessible to the beer consumer. Many beer drinkers use the IBU scale as a reference tool, so they can judge the relative bitterness of a beer. On the other hand, most brewers argue against publishing IBUs, as they are often based on rough calculations and tell little about how bitter a beer will actually taste. An IBU or International Bitterness Unit is a gauge of a beer’s bitterness and is measured in parts per million of isohumulone (bitter alpha acids). The scale starts at …

Originating in Wallonia, Belgium, the saison is an elusive beer with a diverse history. Instead of pertaining to a specific flavour or brewing technique, a saison describes a loosely related family of beer. Historically, saisons are thought to date back to the start of agriculture when beer was brewed during colder months for consumption during the harvest season. They were rarely distributed outside of the immediate region and as a result, recipes varied greatly. Seasonal workers or les saisonniers were hired by farms to work as labourers over the busy summer months. Spending their days in the fields, farmhands needed …

Prior to technological advancements in the mid-nineteenth century, all beer was to some degree, sour. Poor sanitation and naturally occurring yeasts and bacteria were to blame for infecting beer, giving it an undesirable sour quality. The advent of pasteurization and refrigeration really changed the beer game, allowing for clean, crisp beers to take the main stage. Although it’s a time-honoured tradition in Belgium, the demand for sour beer is a relatively new concept in North America. In craft brewing today, sours are generally made through a process called mixed-fermentation. As opposed to single-culture fermentation, where a single strain of yeast …

In the mid 2000s, brewers became obsessed with making the most bitter and palate crushing IPAs possible. This style of American IPA, or West Coast IPA, is a hoppy beer that primarily showcases hop flavours and bitterness. The East Coast IPA was created in part to offer a softly bitter, more palatable alternative to its West Coast contemporary. Born in Vermont, the New England IPA began as a series of ongoing experiments between John Kimmich and Greg Noonan in the mid 90s. In 2003, Kimmich opened the Alchemist Pub and created Heady Topper, considered by most to be the original …

In North America, craft beer is ubiquitous and local distillers are also carving out their niche in the craft spirits world. As consumers, we want to support local craft products, but why? What does it mean to be a craft brewery or craft distillery? Microbrewers make beer in single batches to ensure that each recipe is achieving the most desirable characteristics of that one beer. By contrast, macrobrewers almost always make a high gravity beer where alcohol content is elevated (closer to that of wine) and then is cut with water until desired alcohol level is reached. A high alcohol …

Trappist and Abbey Ales are an elusive group when it comes to classification, as neither term denotes a single style. In general, categorization is based on amount of malt and relative strength – Single, Dubbel, Tripel and Quadruple where the Single is has the lowest ABV (below 6%) and the Quadruple has the highest (8-12%). Trappist v Abbey Ales The real distinction between Trappist and Abbey ales came about in 1962, as a result of a ruling where Biere Trappiste or Trappistenbier became a legal appellation. In accordance with the rules, a Trappist beer must be brewed by monks, or …

So, I’m chatting to the brewer at The Old Harbour brew pub (sadly, now closed) in San Juan PR. You could easily tell he was the brewer; he was the only one wearing Wellington boots, along with shorts and jazzy shirt. “Ah, Señor, I see you ‘ave our Cervezia Kofresi. Waddayou think of our stout?” he asks, with a proud, expectant smile. I sip again, then hesitate before I answer. His smile drops a little. “Wandering towards a porter, I’d say?” His head starts to lower a little, “Si”, he says looking slightly embarrassed. “- but it is hard to …