Lecture 20 Alcoholic Beverages Beer, Distilled Beverages

Reading: Textbook, Chapter 14

In this lecture we will continue our discussion of alcoholic beverages and the plants associated with their production by considering beer, as well as distilled beverages.

Beer, Ale, Sake

Beers made from fermented grains Lager beers bottom-fermenting yeasts Ales, bitters - top-fermenting yeasts Sake: rice wine made from rice, Aspergillus fungus liberates sugar higher concentration of alcohol (18%) Chicha: starts with chewed kernels of corn Pulque: uses sap of Agave (compare to tequila, below)

By definition, the starting material for beers is grain - this distinguishes these beverages from wines. The most commonly consumed beers in our country are based on barley. A problem in producing any beer is to convert the starches in the grain into sugars that can be metabolized by yeasts. In sake, this process utilizes another fungus and produces a more potent beverage. The traditional beer of native american groups in Mexico starts with corn to which saliva - with its enzymes that break down starch into sugar - is added by chewing.

History of Beer
Ca 6000 yrs ago? Sumerians used much of their grain to make beer Early brewing linked to bread making - Barley breads made from sprouted grain dough was logical place for fermentation to occur - Source of microbes not controlled not always Saccharomyces, so batches could vary greatly Relatively Recent Standardization of methods to produce beer of consistently uniform quality NOTE: beers made the traditional way can be highly nutritious liquid bread have significant proteins, vitamins

Beer has been consumed for as long as written records have been kept.

Beer Ingredients
1. Barley Malt Barley preferred because contains large amounts of enzymes that convert starches to sugars Malting: causing the grain to sprout, then drying it grain is washed 8-10 hrs absorbs water grain sits in water ca 40 hrs water is drained; grain sits controlled room 6 days production of amylases, enzymes that break down starch; other processes reduce cloudiness germination process stopped by heating

The process of malting involves a process that liberates the starch-converting enzymes that are naturally present in the barley grain. It also adds flavor compounds that are produced by the heating process.

Beer Ingredients
2. Hops Humulus lupulus (Cannabaceae) Dioecious vine female flowering structures utilized - provides flavor associated with beer - adds enzymes coagulate proteins, reduce cloudiness appears to have antibacterial activity

NOTE: other plants have been used to flavor beers

Although beers can be flavored in a variety of ways, the use of hops became standard at a time when preservation of the brew was an important consideration.

Beer Ingredients
3. Adjuncts Unmalted grains barley, rice, wheat; corn syrup; potatoes contain starches that can be converted to sugar (economic consideration less expensive than malted barley) Light-flavored beer, preferred in U.S. Beer produced this way will also have fewer proteins 4. Yeast Saccharomyces uuvuram (lager beers); S. cerevisiae (ale) 5. Water pH, mineral content affect taste

Beer Brewing Basic Steps

1. Malting Liberate enzymes (diastatic power) 2. Mashing Enzymes convert starch sugar 3. Drain liquid = wort 4. Add hops (flavoring) 5. Fermentation green beer 6. Aging (lagering) 7. Pasteurization/filtering 8. Re-addition of carbon dioxide 9. Bottling

Distillation
Water boils at 100 C (212 F) Ethanol boils at 78.5 C (173.3 F) Mixture is heated; ethanol gas is driven off at lower temperature; gathered in condenser note, various devices added to minimize water vapor from escaping

Note: owning a still is illegal in the U.S. and Canada!

Distilled Alcoholic Beverages Whiskeys

Whiskey: made from malted barley, or malted barley + other grain - proof = twice concentration of alcohol (90 proof = 45% alcohol) Scotch: made from barley malt; aged in charred casks Bourbon: from Bourbon Co., Kentucky 51+% corn Tennessee sour mash: similar to bourbon; filtered through charcoal Rye: 51% rye grain Straight whiskey: <80 proof; aged 2+ years in new charred barrels

Other Distilled Beverages

Gin, Vodka distilled to high percentage of alcohol Gin: flavored with juniper berries (fleshy cones) Vodka: malt, grains, potatoes (variously mixed) Rum: distilled from molasses or sugar cane juice Tequila, Mescal: Mexico, produced from Agave

Wood Products - Charcoal

Goal: create low temperature combustion to drive off water and volatile - basically distillation of carbon Product: enriched carbon burns at high temperature Byproduct: nitrogen and sulfur oxides = pollution

Production of charcoal is a special aspect of wood technology.

Charcoal Production

Charcoal production is important to a number of other products, such as spirits, and it is also practiced intensively in tropical regions where it can represent a severe environmental threat.