INGREDIENTS Malt - Hops - Water - the Process
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Barley is the major malted grain selected for use in brewing because of high levels of starch, low levels of protein and active enzymes after malting. Components include carbohydrates, nitrogen compounds and lipids. Starch is the major carbohydrate (a 1,4 polymer of glucose). Limited amounts of simple sugars are already present in malt as a result of malting reactions. 10% of the grain may be cell wall materials such as cellulose, pentosans and b glucans. 20% of these are soluble and may be extracted into the wort and precipitate later when temperatures are lower. Nitrogen compounds. Malt nitrogen compounds include proteins, enzymes and nucleic acids. |
Hops are the dried flower cones of the female hop plant. As well as providing distinctive flavours and bitterness, hops also act as ant-bacterial agents preventing the growth of spoilage organisms.
Hop
components The most important brewing components of hops are grouped into oils, resins and tannins. Most of the valuable components are produced by the lupulin glands in the cones.
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Lipids Up to 3% of malt may be lipid some of which is digested during malting. 66% is present as neutral fats (triglycerides) and 25% as phospholipids. Unsaturated fatty acids present in neutral fats are important for yeast membrane synthesis and may also contribute to staling flavours when beer is oxidised. |
RESINS These are produced and stored in the lupulin glands and are split into hard and soft resins - the soft resins are important as they contain a and b acids. These provide bitterness. Hops are added to the boiling wort to add bitterness and aroma |
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OILS. This fraction is a very complex mixture of hydrocarbons. Many components are esters and others are, or may become Ketones. Over 200 compounds have been identified. Myrcene (a hydrocarbon) and humulene (a complex ring structure) are the most important, and contribute to flavour. Others are also important, geraniol and linaloon which contribute to floral characteristics. |
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Water is a key ingredient as it makes up 95% of the finished product! The important considerations are the levels and type of salts in the water as when salts dissociate into their ions they are made available to interact with other components. In brewing, ions have three basic effects 1 ph balance 2 enzyme activation and 3 inhibition and taste. Fyne Ales use water from a natural highland supply which is regularly analysed. The water is very "soft" |
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We know that it contributes to the quality of our ales |
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