Volume 2: The Fermentables
Part 1: The Usual Suspects
Welcome back fellow beer-heads, last time we investigated the basics making beer, this time we'll wrap our minds around fermentables. Fermentables are the ingredients which contribute sugars to the wort which the yeast convert to alcohol and carbon dioxide in the resulting beer.
Beer cannot be made without malt, and malt cannot be made without grains. Barley is most closely associated with beer, and for good reason, it is really the ideal grain to deal with in wort production and is a relatively hardy plant. Yet, in the history of brewing, barley has not always been the most plentiful grain to be had.
These 'alternative grains' belong to a class of beer additives known as adjuncts. In the brewing sense, adjuncts are any source of fermentables which is not some type of malted barley.
Adjuncts will get a bad name from misinterpretations of the Reinheitsgebot and fluffy advertising, yet they each are endlessly interesting and flavorful, yet sometimes a pain to brew with. The Reinheitsgebot states that beer should consist of barley, hops and water. In this case beer refers to lager beer, and was issued before yeast function was understood. If this law had been as comprehensive as some find it to mean then the notably German styles such as Hefeweizen, Dunkel Weizen, Weizenbock, Roggenbier, Weissbier, or any other variation on the Weizen class of beers would not exist. Well, if adjuncts aren't all bad then perhaps its time to allow me to introduce some of them.
Rye is my personal favorite adjunct, in both malted and flaked form rye adds that spicy tang we all know from rye bread. Rye is real pain to brew with, unfortunately. It has higher protein contents, glucan levels, and is husk less, it makes for what can become a very sticky mash without some additional filter medium. In the finished beer, rye adds body, head retention, an 'oily slick' mouthfeel and in many instances some form of haze. I find this grain fits in extremely well with APAs, AIPAs and Altbiers. However, I'm yet to find a style where I don't like rye, and with good reason.
Wheat is a widely known adjunct, particularly among curious folk like us, as American Wheat Ales are common crossover beers. White wheat malt, the most common brewing wheat, lends creamy mouthfeel, protein haze and citrus-like wheat character with the bonus of plenty of diastatic enzymes to convert its own starches. Still not the ideal grain to brew with, wheat does have its advantages, some brewers claim to have used wheat for as much as 60% of the grain, with barley making up the rest. If the brewer wishes to create a clear wheat beer, then a protein rest in the mash is mandatory in order to denature enough proteins to reduce haze and sometimes aid in filtration. White wheat is often used malted or flaked, while soft red wheat is used unmalted in more complicated mash schedules for Belgian Witbiers and Lambic style beers. Wheat is a popular grain not only in production of authentic German-style wheat beers and lighter American Ales as it finds its way into many beers in small quantities as aid in head retention and mouthfeel, such as Kolsch. I find wheat to be a great addition to these traditional styles as well as American Amber Ales and particularly American India Pale Ales.
Oats are a grain not uncommon to brewing. Mostly known for their use in Oatmeal Stouts, they are also found in Porters and Brown Ales with relative frequency. Oats can lead to a sticky mash, and behave not surprisingly, like oatmeal. Oats can be found malted but are more commonly used in their flaked form, as they are readily available at any market and can be simply added to the mash. Steel cut and raw oats must be cooked through in a cereal mash before they can be brewed with. Lending a mild, oatmeal like flavor, they contributed significant levels of protein and are excellent for smoothing out the body of beer. I like using flaked oats for their ease of use and versatility. Flaked oats can even be toasted in the oven well before brewing to add some extra, unique, flavor. I just recently ordered some malted oats and plan to brew with them soon. It is my understanding that the malting process reduces the nitrogen and protein levels in oats and makes them more manageable in the mash.
Corn gets a bad reputation in the brewing world, as it is a major constituent in the mass produced lagers from a certain large brewery in Wisconsin. Yet even this humble grain can add something to your beer. Essential for making the Classic American Pilsner or CAP, corn adds a lightness of body, and, well, corn flavor that is part of the style. Chicha, an old Mexican beer style is made from mostly malted corn. Chicha's flavor has been described as similar to corn whiskey.
As prevalent as corn in American light lagers is rice. The effect of rice with a brew is similar to corn, but with less redeeming qualities. It lightens the beer's body, adding alcohol with nearly no flavor, and well, doesn't do much else.
Aside from these common adjuncts a new class of beers is being brewed to cater to the sufferers of Celiac Disease. The victims are unable to process gluten and cannot have rye, wheat or barley. Corn and oats are fair game, as are normal and wild rice, but some brewers are experimenting with malted quinoa and buckwheat.
When any of these grains are to be used raw, that is unprocessed or insufficiently processed they must undergo special treatment before they can be useful in wort production. The grains must be cooked before mashing in order to prepare the starches within them for conversion to fermentable sugars, a process also known as gelatinization. This can be done by pre-cooking the grains or engaging in a cereal mash which is a very similar process.
Grains are not the only source for brewing sugar, or even starches, so we'll investigate those in Volume 2, Part 2
