Craft Brewers About Beer Information

Better beer is all about choices. And today, you have more choices than ever before with our local craft breweries offering many of these astounding distinct beer styles. From "Abbey to Wit" Arizona Guild members truly brew something for everyone, with beers to match any occasion and any food. Stop in today and experience the flavors of Arizona.

The Inside Story

Beer is brewed using hops, grain, yeast and water. Although those same four basic ingredients are used to make all beers, better beer is made using better ingredients: more whole hops, all-grain barley malts, unique yeast strains and of course, fresh pure water. The varieties and quantities of each ingredient determine the color, flavor, aroma and overall character of the beer brewing brewed.

Hops

Hops provide beer with both flavor and aroma, as well as acting as a natural preservative. Hops grow on climbing vines, producing tiny cone-shaped flowers. There are more than 100 hop varieties grown throughout the world. Some varieties are used mainly to add a hoppy "bitter" flavor to beer, while others impart a delicate almost floral aroma. Brewers may use different hops at different stages of the brewing process to give a beer a particular flavor and aroma. Fans of hoppy beers, such as India Pale Ales, are known affectionately as "hop heads." (Sorry, there really is no such thing as the 'heart of the hop.')

Malt

Malt is the major ingredient in beer, influencing color, body, flavor and strength. Malt is actually the term used for grain (usually barley) that has gone through the malting process. The heat used to dry the malted grain has an enormous effect on the flavor, final aroma and color of the malt, and the eventual taste and character of the beer. And of course more than one malt can be blended to produce a single style of beer. As a general rule, the darker the malt the darker the beer and the more malt used in the brewing, the more flavorful and higher in alcohol content is the beer.

Water

Since each glass or bottle of beer is made up of about 90 to 95% water, it does have an effect on the final taste. Although your local water supply is safe for drinking, most craft brewers view tap water as only the beginning in brewing better beer. Water is typically treated to obtain a certain taste or quality level and to maintain consistency.

Yeast

Yeast is the catalyst that produces the alcohol contained in beer, as well as its natural carbonation. The yeast converts the sugars from the malt into carbon dioxide and alcohol. Different yeasts ferment sugars in different ways, producing unique flavors and defining whether a brew is classified as a lager or an ale. A bottom-fermenting yeast strain called Saccharomyces Carlsbergensis produces crisp, smooth lagers at cool termperatures. Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, a top-fermenting yeast strain, makes fruity, refreshing ales at warmer temperatures. While there are thousands of different types of yeasts, keeping the strain pure and clean is key to a consistent final product.

Art and Science

As much an art as a science, brewing is the fundamental, yet not-so-simple practice of changing water and grain into beer. At its most basic, the process consists of the mixture of grain and water; yeast is introduced to initiate fermentation and hops are added for flavor and aroma. Here's a look at the brewing process:

At this point, craft breweries will carbonate the beer before bottling and/or kegging the final product (11). It is then distributed for your enjoyment. Brewpubs will often serve the finished beer on premise right out of the serving tank, at the peak of freshness and flavor.

Malted barley is crushed in a roller mill (1) resulting in a grist. (An optional grist case (2) can store the milled barley.)

The grist is then mixed with hot water, called liquor (3) in the mash tun (4). This process results in a mash.

Wort, a sweet, fermentable liquid, is then run off the mash through the screened plates to the kettle (5). While the wort is running off, the grain is sprayed with more hot water, a process called sparging.

After sparging, the wort is brought to a boil and hops are added to provide bitterness, flavor and aroma. Following the boil, the hot wort travels through a heat exchanger (6) to reduce the temperature from around 212 degrees F to 68 degrees F for fermentation.

A refrigerated cold liquor tank (7) may be used to help cool the beer as it goes through the heat exchanger.

Before the fermentation process begins, yeast is added to the cold wort in the fermentation or unitank (8). Temperatures hover near 54 degrees F causing the yeast to settle out. Beer flavors mature at this stage, called secondary fermentation, during the 7 to 14 days of storage. Additional hops may be added to give beer more aroma at this stage.

Finally, a filter (9) may be used to further remove the yeast and clarify the beer. The finished beer is then stored in a bright beer tank, or serving tank (10).

At this point, craft breweries will carbonate the beer before bottling and/or kegging the final product (11). It is then distributed for your enjoyment. Brewpubs will often serve the finished beer on premise right out of the serving tank, at the peak of freshness and flavor.