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beer

All about beer and beer making.

Synonyms
lager
ale
stout

Irish beer

When you think of Ireland, one of the first things you might think of is beer. And for many, they think of Guinness, a stout beer that has been brewed in Ireland since 1759.

Wine and beer

Cornell University offers an advanced course titled 'Understanding Wine and Beer'. Topics covered range from the history of viticulture to the microbiology of fermentation to the neurobiology of taste, along with the expected lectures on chemistry, color and tasting methods. Clearly, the two most popular alcoholic drinks have arrived.

Measuring beer

There are more than one concept to take the measure of a beer. Hops influence the bitterness, malts determine the sweetness. Finally, the alcohol content provides one last dimension to the brew.

How to store beer

Unlike wine, the majority of beers are not brewed to age. Beer typically spoils within a few months, a year at most, with rare exceptions. Even specialty brews aren't made to improve over the five, ten or even longer age of some fine wines. There are some specialty brews, though, that can age up to 30 years.

Malt for beer

Sometimes a problem is cleverly turned into an advantage. The world is indeed fortunate that barley is good for little more than making beer. But for that, it is excellently suited.