With craft beer gaining popularity throughout the United States, people are beginning to wonder what exactly is in their beer. People love a good description of the beer they’re about to imbibe, like telling them which citrus notes to look out for. However, not a lot of people pay attention to the staple items of what creates beer, and it’s pretty interesting.
Beer consists of four main ingredients: water, malt, yeast, and hops. Many people are aware of what the first three are, but hops are a fairly untouched subject. It can actually be really useful to understand the different types of hops as the way hops are integrated into your beer can totally change the taste.
For example, some like a really bitter beer, while others prefer to appreciate the flavor and aroma. To achieve the different levels of bitterness it all depends on when you add the hops to the boiling water as well as the types of hops you use. The same goes for how long you brew the hops in the water–the longer you keep the hops in the water, the more bitter the beer will turn out. So, by understanding the types of hops and how they are used in a particular beer, you can gain a fairly good understanding of what it will taste like before you even try it.
There is a lot more that goes into brewing beer than you’d think, especially when it comes to craft beer. It really is an art to get the taste and aroma just right!