beer vs wine

So I have not heard too much about how beer is made. Are there any main differences? Like the lees have to be removed still? The grains must be boiled as to make the starches convertable? Some yeast are better at processing starches? And why the alchol limit, ah because the yeast are not able to process the wierd materials at higher alochol levels?

I like how wine is basically self sanitary and beer is not. Like you basically can't get sick on 13% wine right?

Reply to
Matthew Suffidy
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In a very general sense beer is made from grain and hops though fruit and sugars are also used.

The lees are called trub in beer and though I usually rack to a secondary some do not.

The grains are mashed at 150-160f for about an hour to convert the starches. Grains are never boiled because that causes astringency.

The toxicity of the alcohol shuts down the yeast. There will be some residual starches and unfermentable sugars that will stop the yeast as well but if I used the right yeast and techniques it's possible to brew a 20%+ ABV beer. I frequently brew 10-11% beers with beer yeast.

This is true, but I tend to use the same sanitation techniques whether I'm brewing beer, wine, or mead. It's not that much trouble and besides sooner or later lazy people WILL get and infection in their beer/wine.

Drink a gallon of 13% wine and tell us how you feel the next morning. ;)

Reply to
Washu

alt.beer.home-brewing

Reply to
Steve Landis

rec.crafts.brewing is a much more active group

Reply to
Washu

Matthew Suffidy wrote: So I have not heard too much about how beer is made. Are there any main differences? Beer is made from grains- predominately 6 Row barley -Water, hops and yeasts.

Like the lees have to be removed still? The fermention of beer is similar to wine in that the removal of "lees" removes the chance of certain off flavors getting into the beer.

The grains must be boiled as to make the starches convertable? Boiling grains = bad, Malted grains are heated with water to create a mash.

Some yeast are better at processing starches? And why the alchol limit, ah because the yeast are not able to process the wierd materials at higher alochol levels? Beer yeast has a lower alcohol tolerance than wine yeast. But you can ferment up to 20% and possibly higher. Also the high alcohol content of wine is a recent a introduction for wine. Historically few wines were over 9% or 10% ABV. As a side note the Boston Beer Company holds the Guiness World record for the highest alcohol content in a fermented beverage (including wine) with the beer Utopia. It actually takes about 14 years for this beer to mature and is only released once every

2 years in extremely limited quantity.

I like how wine is basically self sanitary and beer is not. Like you basically can't get sick on 13% wine right? Actually no bacteria can survive the fermentation process in beer or wine. Proper sanitation is needed in brewing and vinting to stop wild bacteria and yeasts from infiltrating and changing the flavor of the beverage. And personally a gallon of Carlo-Rossi makes me sick just to look at, and it isnt even 13% ABV.

Try

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for more general info. There are also many books on the subject some more scientific than others.

Reply to
andrew.fraijo

We are making beer this weekend and that group is very active and very helpful. We do pretty much what you do to a tee.

Joe

Reply to
Joe Sallustio

I am sure that there are those who will disagree with me but here are the main differences I have noted in making beer:

1) Beer making is more trouble than Wine making. 2) Wine making is easier but requires more patience. 3) After making a 5 gal. batch of beer, a few friends will always show up (it is a magnet) and it will be gone in a weekend. 4) After making a 5 gal batch of wine, it lasts a while.

Anyway, that is my assessment! ;o)

Ray

Reply to
Ray Calvert

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