Sean
Hops
Hops are perhaps the best-known ingredient in beer, providing flavor and aroma in a variety of differing degrees. The plant itself is a flowering vine (latin name: Humulus lupulus). In addition to bitterness, hops provide stability, citrus notes, zest, and spice to a brew.
Malt
There are many grains that can be used in beer — wheat, oats, rye, barley, and more. Malt, or malted barley, however, is generally the most-used grain in the fermentation process. Malting is the process where partial germination is used to convert starch from barley seeds into natural sugars. A rich variety of flavors and colors can be yielded from the malts chosen in the brewing process. Malts are also used for whisky making.
Germination
Germination is the process that seeds undergo when they first sprout into plants. In the malting process, barley seeds are allowed to partially germinate so that their resources and starch reserves are made available. During the early stage of germination, enzymes are created which convert the starch from the seeds into sugar. At this point in the malting process, germination is halted and the sugars are used for fermentation. If germination were to continue, plants would grow from the seeds and they would consume the sugar as energy for growth.
Fermentation
Fermentation is the process by which alcohol is developed from the ingredients in a brew. It is the same process that produces wine and spirits, with sugar being converted by living organisms (e.g., yeast, enzymes, etc.) into ethyl alcohol through their digestion process.
Full-bodied alcohol
A beer’s full-bodiedness is its weight and thickness in the mouth. The texture of a beer while drinking can be light, heavy, or anywhere in between, with fuller-bodied referring to richer, more complex flavor profiles.
