Beer

[Ultima Shadow]

So very totally not inspired by that wine thread at all. Not in the least.

Anyhow, do you drink beer? When do you drink beer? What kind of beer? Favourite beer? Favourite brewery? What do you know about beer? Are you perhaps drinking beer in this very moment (I actually am)? Do you get drunk often? Are you the kind of person who likes to enjoy some fine, expensive quality beer while chilling in front of the fireplace or do you drink tons of cheap beer at the bar to get drunk as fast as possible?

Just discuss anything related to beer!


I'm personally incredibly picky about beer. I generally prefere ports and stouts.

My favourite beer? This baby:





Oh, and awesome or terrible drunken stories can go here too.

[Hollycat]

The process of making beer is known as brewing. A dedicated building for the making of beer is called a brewery, though beer can be made in the home and has been for much of its history. A company that makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company. Beer made on a domestic scale for non-commercial reasons is classified as homebrewing regardless of where it is made, though most homebrewed beer is made in the home. Brewing beer is subject to legislation and taxation in developed countries, which from the late 19th century largely restricted brewing to a commercial operation only. However, the UK government relaxed legislation in 1963, followed by Australia in 1972 and the USA in 1979, allowing homebrewing to become a popular hobby.^[33]
The purpose of brewing is to convert the starch source into a sugary liquid called wort and to convert the wort into the alcoholic beverage known as beer in a fermentation process effected by yeast.

Diagram illustrating the process of brewing beer
Hot Water Tank
Mash Tun
Malt
Hops
Copper
Hopback
Add Yeast to
Fermenter
Heat
exchanger
Bottling
Cask or Keg

The first step, where the wort is prepared by mixing the starch source (normally malted barley) with hot water, is known as "mashing". Hot water (known as "liquor" in brewing terms) is mixed with crushed malt or malts (known as "grist") in a mash tun.^[34] The mashing process takes around 1 to 2 hours,^[35] during which the starches are converted to sugars, and then the sweet wort is drained off the grains. The grains are now washed in a process known as "sparging". This washing allows the brewer to gather as much of the fermentable liquid from the grains as possible. The process of filtering the spent grain from the wort and sparge water is called wort separation. The traditional process for wort separation is lautering, in which the grain bed itself serves as the filter medium. Some modern breweries prefer the use of filter frames which allow a more finely ground grist.^[36] Most modern breweries use a continuous sparge, collecting the original wort and the sparge water together. However, it is possible to collect a second or even third wash with the not quite spent grains as separate batches. Each run would produce a weaker wort and thus a weaker beer. This process is known as second (and third) runnings. Brewing with several runnings is called parti gyle brewing.^[37]
The sweet wort collected from sparging is put into a kettle, or "copper", (so called because these vessels were traditionally made from copper)^[38] and boiled, usually for about one hour. During boiling, water in the wort evaporates, but the sugars and other components of the wort remain; this allows more efficient use of the starch sources in the beer. Boiling also destroys any remaining enzymes left over from the mashing stage. Hops are added during boiling as a source of bitterness, flavour and aroma. Hops may be added at more than one point during the boil. The longer the hops are boiled, the more bitterness they contribute, but the less hop flavour and aroma remains in the beer.^[39]
After boiling, the hopped wort is now cooled, ready for the yeast. In some breweries, the hopped wort may pass through a hopback, which is a small vat filled with hops, to add aromatic hop flavouring and to act as a filter; but usually the hopped wort is simply cooled for the fermenter, where the yeast is added. During fermentation, the wort becomes beer in a process which requires a week to months depending on the type of yeast and strength of the beer. In addition to producing alcohol, fine particulate matter suspended in the wort settles during fermentation. Once fermentation is complete, the yeast also settles, leaving the beer clear.^[40]
Fermentation is sometimes carried out in two stages, primary and secondary. Once most of the alcohol has been produced during primary fermentation, the beer is transferred to a new vessel and allowed a period of secondary fermentation. Secondary fermentation is used when the beer requires long storage before packaging or greater clarity.^[41] When the beer has fermented, it ispackaged either into casks for cask ale or kegs, aluminium cans, or bottles for other sorts of beer.^[42]

[Alpha2099]

I don't drink all that often. That gets expensive after a while. I do like Guinness, though. That's probably my favorite. But whenever I go to the store to buy something, I usually look at whatever's on sale. There's almost always some 4-pack of malt beverages on sale for $3.99, and I haven't been disappointed yet.

[Bunny]

I do not drink beer - I think the stuff is vile and will stick with my hard alcohol. However, I do know a lot of people that are currently involved in brewing or have previously been involved with it. One of them was the mind behind a fairly popular beer but is no longer associated with it. A few of my friends are trying to start a brewery up in the area but are having problems with funds and dedication, also the competition in Colorado is pretty fierce.

[Shlup]

I don't like beer at all.

[Sephex]

Hard liquor or the occasional whine for me.

[NorthernChaosGod]

This is my favorite beer, and my favorite brewery.



I generally prefer ales or stouts.

[Pheesh]

I enjoy beer on a hot day or if I've been doing any kind of physical exercise (beer after a gig is the best), but I don't like drinking it to get drunk. It makes me tired and boring, and I just don't like the buzz I get from it. My favourite beer is usually any kind of Pale Ale that's on tap, and if I had to pick I'd say Little Creatures Pale Ale, but it tastes like balls out of a bottle.

[Pant Leg Eater from the Bad World]

I dislike Heineken and Guinness. I like pale ales and the like. I will pretty much drink any thing that isn't super dark and stout though.

My favorite beer... I'm not sure.

Beards though. I like beards.

[Ultima Shadow]

I don't like beer at all.

JUST KEEP DRINKING IT UNTIL YOU LIKE IT, DAMMIT.

I do not drink beer - I think the stuff is vile and will stick with my hard alcohol.

The world's strongest beer is 55%. I'd say that's some pretty hard alcohol. It gets served in a dead squirrel too. It's called "End of Story", and was made by Brewdog during their struggle with a german brewery to make the strongest beer in the world.

It started with Tactical Nuclear Penguin at 32%, which was then countered by a 40% ABV from the german brewery ( don't remember its name, sadly ). Brewdog then made a 41% one called "Sink the Bismark" and then later the "End of Story". I've actually tasted a little all of those, except the "End of Story" since it's... well... insanely expensive.

This is my favorite beer, and my favorite brewery.



I generally prefer ales or stouts.

I actually got one of those in store, but have yet to try it out. I'll be sure to do so soon.

[Jinx]

I think beer is completely nasty.

[NeoTifa]

Beer tastes like pisswater. As I said before, I'll stick to my Vodka and Rum.

[Bunny]

I do not drink beer - I think the stuff is vile and will stick with my hard alcohol.

The world's strongest beer is 55%. I'd say that's some pretty hard alcohol. It gets served in a dead squirrel too. It's called "End of Story", and was made by Brewdog during their struggle with a german brewery to make the strongest beer in the world.

It started with Tactical Nuclear Penguin at 32%, which was then countered by a 40% ABV from the german brewery ( don't remember its name, sadly ). Brewdog then made a 41% one called "Sink the Bismark" and then later the "End of Story". I've actually tasted a little all of those, except the "End of Story" since it's... well... insanely expensive.

If only hard liquor was defined specifically about the amount of alcohol it contained.

[Peegee]

You tell em Bunny.

I drink hard alcohol that is mixed (rum+diet) and shots (of anything that isn't rum. noooo more of that) . I can drink beer but I dislike the taste.

[Clo]

The world's strongest beer is 55%. I'd say that's some pretty hard alcohol. It gets served in a dead squirrel too. It's called "End of Story", and was made by Brewdog during their struggle with a german brewery to make the strongest beer in the world.

It gets served in a DEAD SQUIRREL? No one stopped to pause and mull over this?