Beer For Dummies

Become fluent in the universal language of beer Beer For Dummies is your companion as you explore the wide world of the third most-consumed beverage globally. Learn to recognize the characteristics of ales, lagers, and other beer styles. Perfect beer-and-food pairings. And embark on the ultimate beer tour, Dummies-style! Whether you're a beer novice or a brewery regular, there’s always something new to learn. We’ll help you pick the right beer for any occasion, understand why beers taste the way they do, and give you a handy reference to their strengths and ideal serving temperatures. This updated edition takes you a journey around the world of new beers―hazy-juicy in the U.S., Italian grape ale, Brazilian Catarina sour. You’ll also get up to date on the latest beer review apps and how the internet is shaping and reshaping beerdom. Cheers! Make an informed choice when selecting a beer and pairing with food Learn the fascinating process of brewing the different types of beer Discover world beer culture and new beer innovations Heighten your enjoyment of the subtleties of craft beer This book is an excellent resource for aiding your understanding, purchasing, drinking, and enjoyment of beer. Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Introduction About This Book Foolish Assumptions Icons Used in This Book Beyond the Book Where to Go from Here Part 1 Getting a Taste of Beer Chapter 1 Drink Up! Beginning with Beer Basics Introducing Beer’s Building Blocks Surveying Different Styles of Beer Ales versus lagers Hybrid and specialty beers Shopping for and Savoring Beer Buying beer Serving and tasting beer Dining with beer Cooking with beer Taking a Tour of Beers around the Globe North and South America Europe, Africa, Asia, and beyond Brewing Your Own Beer Chapter 2 From the Sublime to the Ridiculous: Beer Ingredients Barley: Cereal for Beer, Not for Breakfast Hops: Flowers for Flavor and Aroma Getting to know top hops Hopping for bitterness, aroma, and more Yeast: A Fungus Is Among Us Water: A Big Influence on Beer Wing of Bat, Eye of Newt: Adjuncts You May Love or Hate Chapter 3 A Little Brew Magic: Understanding How Beer Is Made Kettles, Tuns, and Tanks: Brewing Equipment Ale Alchemy: The Brewing Process Malting Milling Mashing Boiling Fermenting Aging Packaging Cleaning Part 2 Taking a Look at Beer Styles — Old, New, and Revived, Too Chapter 4 Getting to Know the Mother Beer Categories: Ales, Lagers, and More Two Big Branches on the Beer Family Tree: Distinguishing Ales and Lagers Yeast determines the classification You can taste the difference, sometimes Old-School Beer: Understanding Ales The “New” Beer on the Block: Getting Familiar with Lagers All Mixed Up: Taking Note of Hybrid Beers Warm fermentations with lager yeast Cold fermentations with ale yeast Everything but the Kitchen Sink: Looking at Specialty Beers The Anatomy of Beer Styles: Examining the Traits of Different Beers Defining beer styles with three simple parameters Using a few tasting terms Crafting great beers Style Is Everything: Listing Common Beer Styles Ales Lagers Hybrid beers Specialty beers New(er) World Beer Styles Chapter 5 Investigating “Real” Ale Understanding What Makes Ale “Real” Starting the Real Ale Journey in Casks A barrel of fun: Checking out the parts of a cask Sizing up the situation: Pins, firkins, kilderkins, and beyond Refining and Conditioning Real Ale Let’s make this perfectly clear: Clarifying with finings From the spile file: Letting real ale breathe Dispensing Real Ale Pulling real ale through a beer engine The workings of a beer engine The “proper” pour from a beer engine Using a tap for gravity dispense CAMRA: Campaign for Real Ale Chapter 6 Exploring Barrel-Aged and Wood-Aged Beer Differentiating Between “Barrel-Aged” and “Wood-Aged” Figuring Out Which Wood Is Best Choosing new or used barrels Opting for oak Creating new beer flavors with old barrel flavors Picking your poison: Bourbon barrels and beyond Choosing an old barrel flavor in the type of beer wanted Marking Some Milestones in the Aging Process Checking the beer’s oxidation Deciding whether to let the beer sour Blending beers from two or more barrels Time is of the (oaky) essence Festival of Barrel-Aged Beers Chapter 7 Acid Trips: In Search of Sour Beer Acidic Doesn’t Always Mean Sour Simple Sours vs. Complex Sours The “Bugs” in Sour Beer Beer Souring Processes Pre-fermentation Simple sour mashing Simple kettle souring Fermentation Post-fermentation The risks required Chapter 8 Checking Out Organic, Gluten-Free, and Kosher Beer Natural Selection: Organic Beer In the beginning: The rise of organic beer Sorting through organic beer certifications Why go organic? Help the environment — drink a beer! Organic movement: A list of organic beers Some Hope for People with Celiac Disease: Gluten-Free Beer The gluten-free gang: Grains and starches used in gluten-free beer Free of gluten but full of flavor: A list of gluten-free beers Following the Law: Kosher Beer Following the Calendar Figuring out what qualifies as kosher Everything’s kosher: A list of kosher beers Chapter 9 Is Beer Going to Pot? Hemp Beer, CBD Beer, and THC Beer Hemp Beers Is hemp legal? Can hemp beers get you high? Hemp beer brands CBD Beers Can CBD beers get you high? Is CBD legal? CBD beer brands THC Beers Is THC legal? THC beer brands Part 3 Buying and Enjoying Beer Chapter 10 The Better Way to Buy Beer Cans, Bottles, Growlers, and Kegs: Deciding on Your Container of Choice Doing the cancan Opting for bottles Going for growlers Kicking it with kegs Keg sizes The parts of a keg Guidelines for using a keg Purchase or Perish: Looking for the Freshest Beer Knowing that time isn’t on your side Aging beer like fine wine — but only in a few special cases Staying away from beer left out of the cold Avoiding the light Checking out the store scene before buying Did You Get Burnt? Checking Your Beer at Home Popping your top Battling the oxidation blues Not So Smoothie Chapter 11 Looking at Label Lunacy and Marketing Mayhem Understanding Labeling Laws Label must-haves The weak, the strong, and the unintelligible: Alcohol content Know-nothing labels: Additives and preservatives The Reinheitsgebot: The German beer purity law Beer Advertising and Marketing Touting nonessential details Invading craft brew territory with stealth micros from megabrewers “Guinness Is Good for You”: Nutritional Content Cholesterol and fat free Drink beer, live longer Chapter 12 Serving Beer Choosing a Glass with Class The glass lineup: Basic types of glassware Matching glass style to beer style Surveying specific types of glasses To the next level: Sport drinking tools Let’s get practical: Determining the glasses you really need Pouring It On Knowing the right serving temperature before you pour Deciding whether to tilt or not to tilt Neatness Counts: Cleaning and Storing Glassware Understanding “beer clean” Checking for beer clean Getting your glasses beer clean Putting everything away Chapter 13 Making Your Buds Wiser: Tasting and Evaluating Beer Evaluating Beer 1-2-3 (Actually, 1-2-3-4-5) Smell: The Nose Knows Look: You Can’t Judge a Bock by Its Color Every color in the rainbrew On a clear day A head in the hand Taste: Nuts and Bolts, Malt and Hops Marvelous malt taste Heavenly hops taste Fabulous fermentation Aftertaste: Let it linger Touch: Mouthfeel and Body Reflect: Is the Whole Beer Greater than the Sum of Its Parts? Put Your Tongue to the Test: Recording Your Beer Ratings Chapter 14 Dining with Beer What a Pair! Making a Match with Beer and Food Guessing at general guidelines Substituting beer for wine Choosing beers for different cuisines Cutting, contrasting, and complementing different flavors Paring down your pairing list Timing Is Everything: Serving Beer for Different Occasions Selecting beers for before and after dinner Aperitifs After-dinner drinks Nightcaps Serving beer according to the season Chapter 15 Cooking with Beer Using Beer as an Ingredient in Any Dish Knowing when you can (and can’t) use beer in a recipe Choosing the right beer for a recipe Checking Out Great Recipes Featuring Beer as an Ingredient Part 4 Exploring Beer Around the World and at Home Chapter 16 Who Really Owns Which Brands? The A-B Seize You Bet Your Heinie Holding On Legacy, Schmegacy Samdog Adamsfish Head Beer as a Religious Experience Chapter 17 Sampling Beer in North America Looking to Beer’s Past in the United States Respecting the elders: Tracing back great U.S. brewing traditions Moving on up: The boom in U.S. brewing during the 20th century Teaching an old dog new tricks: The rise of small craft brewers Renaissance or revolution? U.S. brewing today and tomorrow Howdy, Neighbors! Checking Out the Beer Scene in Canada and Mexico Oh, Canada Down Mexico way Major beer brands in Mexico Craft beers in Mexico Going Where the Beer Is Brewery taprooms Beer bars Serve yourself taprooms Bottle shops Brewpubs Celebrating at North American Beer Festivals Discovering beer festival do’s and don’ts The do’s The don’ts Looking at notable beer festivals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico Exploring North American Beer Museums Chapter 18 Trying Beer Around the World Building Your Own Beer Adventure Exploring Beer in Germany Discovering regional tastes: The north, west, and east Heading south to Bavaria Tapping German shrines, festivals, and museums Shrines Festivals Museums Looking at Beer in the United Kingdom Biting the bitters in England and Wales Holding strong with Scotland Exploring shrines, festivals, and museums in the United Kingdom Getting a Taste of Ireland Brewing Guinness for the nation Going beyond traditional Dry Stout Checking in to Irish breweries and pubs Sipping Beer in Belgium Trekking for secular brews Marketing Trappist beers and Abbeys Finding the best Belgian shrines, festivals, and museums Shrines Festivals Museums Checking Out Beer in the Czech Republic Visiting the birthplace of Pilsner Trying other Czech beers Exploring historical Czech beer establishments Finding Noteworthy Beers in Other Corners of the World Australia and New Zealand Asia Africa South America Chapter 19 Embarking on Beer Travel and Tours Keeping a Few Beer-Trekking Tips in Mind before You Leave Home Working Beer into Your Vacation Adventures All together now: Going with tour groups Traveling around Europe It’s not always what you know, it’s who you know Sailing away Malty meandering: Unplanned beer adventures Hop Pillows for Everyone! Lodging Near and in Breweries Beer, bed, and breakfast Steep ‘n’ sleep, mash ‘n’ crash: Spending the night at a brewery Good night, hold on tight, don’t let the bed spins keep you up all night Taking a Look at Brewery Tours Touring breweries on your own Trying group bus tours Pedaling your way to pilsners and porters: Bike tours Bike and brew companies around the world Chapter 20 Brewing Beer at Home Getting Started with Homebrewing Supply shopping Pots, buckets, brushes, and such Airlock Bottle brush Bottle capper Bottle washer Bottles Bottling bucket Bottling tube Brew spoon Brew pot Flexible plastic hose Primary fermentation vessel Rubber stopper Triple-scale hydrometer Brew ingredients Extract kit (malt extract and yeast) Hops Yeast Sugar Water Crowns Department of Sanitation: Keeping Clean During the Brewing Process The importance of sterilizing and sanitizing Soaps for suds General cleaning practices Following Step-by-Step Homebrewing Instructions Ready, set, brew! Fabulous fermentation Bottle it up! Keeping records Stepping Your Brewing Up a Notch New toys: Equipment upgrades Specialty grains A few steeping pointers Types of specialty grains Secondary fermentation and the art of siphoning Chapter 21 Beer in the Digital World Rating Beer in Online Forums BeerAdvocate RateBeer Untappd Beer Blogs and Podcasts: Read and Listen Beer in Social Media Miscellaneous Beer Apps Part 5 The Part of Tens Chapter 22 Ten Ways to Grow Your Appreciation of Beer Drink Beer with a Purpose Maintain a Beer Blog Write a Great Book about Beer Become Beer Educated and Beer Certified Brew Beer at Home Become a Certified Beer Judge Collect Beer-Related Stuff Associate with Others Who Share Your Passion for Beer Go Pro — Brewer, That Is Chapter 23 The Ten Best Beer Cities in the World (And a Few Extras) Munich, Germany Bamberg, Germany Brussels, Belgium Prague, Czech Republic London, England Toronto, Ontario, Canada Portland, Oregon, United States Seattle, Washington, United States Denver, Colorado, United States Asheville, North Carolina, United States Chicago, Illinois, United States San Diego, California, United States Chapter 24 The Ten Best Beer Festivals in the World Great American Beer Festival, Denver, Colorado, United States Great Taste of the Midwest, Madison, Wisconsin, United States Oregon Brewers Festival, Portland, Oregon, United States SAVOR, Washington, D.C., United States Festival of Barrel Aged Beers (FoBAB), Chicago, United States Mondial de la Bière, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany Great British Beer Festival, London, England Zythos Bier Festival, Belgium Poperinge Hop and Beer Festival, Poperinge, Belgium Oktoberfest, Blumenau, Brazil Africa Brew, Alternating Cities, South Africa Chapter 25 The Ten Most Important Beer Competitions in the World Great American Beer Festival World Beer Cup Aro Rojo, Competencia Internacional de Cerveza European Beer Star Champion Beer of Britain Brussels Beer Challenge Concurso Brasileiro de Cervejas (Brazilian Beer Competition) Copa Cervezas de América African Beer Cup KIBA (Korean International Beer Awards) Australian International Beer Awards World Beer Awards Part 6 Appendixes Appendix A A Quick Guide to Beer Styles and Stats A Sampling of Beer Styles Gravity and Alcohol Content of Various Beer Styles Ales Lagers Hybrid beers and specialty beers Appendix B A Short History of Beer (For the True Beer Nut) Beer at the Dawn of Civilization and throughout World History Beer History in the United States Colonial times through the 1800s The Volstead Act Post-Prohibition blues The can comes around The effects of World War II Gravy train: Improved shipping methods Boob tube: The impact of television Lords of the ring (of foam): Brewery mergers and acquisitions Consumer preferences The Contemporary Beer Renaissance in the United States The Market Saturation That Never Happened Index EULA "Beer For Dummies is your companion as you explore the wide world of the third most-consumed beverage globally. Learn to recognize the characteristics of ales, lagers, and other beer styles. Perfect beer-and-food pairings. And embark on the ultimate beer tour, Dummies-style! Whether you're a beer novice or a brewery regular, there?s always something new to learn. We?ll help you pick the right beer for any occasion, understand why beers taste the way they do, and give you a handy reference to their strengths and ideal serving temperatures. This updated edition takes you a journey around the world of new beers?hazy-juicy in the U.S., Italian grape ale, Brazilian Catarina sour. You?ll also get up to date on the latest beer review apps and how the internet is shaping and reshaping beerdom. Cheers!"--Amazon