Beer

[Racoon]

And in addition, Beer will make you more successful!

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...c&refer=canada
Drinking Alcohol Can Lead to Fatter Pay Checks, Study Says

Sept. 15 (Bloomberg) -- Drinking alcohol can fatten your pay check, according to a Reason Foundation study published in the Journal of Labor Research.

Men who visit a bar at least once a month to drink socially bring home 7 percent more pay than abstainers, and women drinkers earn 14 percent more than non-drinkers, according to the study by economists Bethany Peters and Edward Stringham.

``Social drinking builds social capital,'' Stringham, a professor at San Jose State University, said in a press release. ``Social drinkers are out networking, building relationships, and adding contacts to their BlackBerries that result in bigger paychecks.''

[InfiniteNow]

Beware of spurious relationships...

[Michaelangelica]

Originally Posted by eric l

5° became the standard for lager (e.g. Stella Artois) and stronger beers (like the famous "abbey-beers") got a growning share of the market.

Sanctus's posting states that most medieval monastries had a brewery, but the beer they brewed for their own use was a very weak stuff (I have seen quite a number of recepies). Most of them also brewed strong beers, but they were (and still are in a small number of cases) intended as moneymakers. Indeed the monks ware smart enough not to count exclusively on donations from pilgrims or donations for masses for their material survival.

Monastery beer was probably a lot more nutritious than today. Most likely a meal in itself with lots of B vitamins. (Can you post a recipe?)
It could have also been safer to drink than the water.(?)

As for alcohol content isn't there an upper limit with beer because too high a % would stop fermentation?

[Racoon]

Originally Posted by Michaelangelica

Monastery beer was probably a lot more nutritious than today. Most likely a meal in itself with lots of B vitamins. (Can you post a recipe?)

As for alcohol content isn't there an upper limit with beer because too high a % would stop fermentation?

Thats a very good point Micheal.

And, when I visited a friend in Austria, we partook a beer that was 26%
Thats the highest alcohol percentage I've seen,... and experienced

[Turtle]

Originally Posted by Michaelangelica

Monastery beer was probably a lot more nutritious than today. Most likely a meal in itself with lots of B vitamins. (Can you post a recipe?)
It could have also been safer to drink than the water.(?)

Originally Posted by dailypage.com

Monks in the 17th century fasted during Lent and found their nourishment from a strong, hearty doppelbock they referred to as "liquid bread." Munich monks called this brew Salvator ("Savior" in Latin).

http://www.thedailypage.com/going-ou...EatsNewsID=364

I often refer to bier as liquid bread, but never took the time to find the phrase's origin...'til now. Cheers with beers, sweet salvator.

[HydrogenBond]

By the laws of brewers, beer can only be 3-5% alcohol. Beyond that it is called Ale. One of the things that places the limit on beer is the choice of yeast one uses. If one used sherry yeast one could get the beer up to 20+%. These strains of yeast don't seem to get drunk that easy. To utilize sherry yeast, this one would have to suppliment the barley malt (enzyme digested barley seeds to make natural sugar) with additional sugar, to have enough to make all that extra alcohol. But, in doing so, it would not offically be called beer or ale anymore, but something like sherry malt. Doesn't sound that good but it would sure pack a kick.

[eric l]

Originally Posted by HydrogenBond

By the laws of brewers, beer can only be 3-5% alcohol. Beyond that it is called Ale. One of the things that places the limit on beer is the choice of yeast one uses.

The distinction between "beer" and "ale" is rather specific to the English language. And even in English, it is related to the type of yeast (ale is brewed with "top-fermenting yeast"), it is only indirectly related to alcohol content (top-fermenting yeast allows a higher percentage of alcohol than bottom-fermenting yeast).

The difference between top-fermenting and bottom-fermenting is mainly that top-fermenting yeast rises to to top when the alcohol-level is reached, and bottom fermenting yeast will sink to the bottom. The optimal temperatures are different, too (15 tot 24°C for top-fermenting, 7 to 12°C for bottom-fermenting yeast).

Alcohol levels as high as 21% can only be reached with other yeasts than brewer's yeast (such as the sherry yeast) or by adding destilled alcohol. According to German law, such a drink could not be called beer : the German "Reinheitsgebot" (purity law) forbids other ingredients than water, barley, barley malt and brewer's yeast.

In the Middle Ages (actually even well into the 19th century) beer was a safer drink than water, because the brewing proces starts with boiling the "wort" (liquid obained by filtering the mixture of barley + sometimes other cereals and malt). Addition of hops in a later stage had a antibiotic effect on less desirable microorganisms.

[Michaelangelica]

A small aside

Could this only happen in Canada?
http://www.news1130.com/news/local/a...29_101152_2588
Vancouver has a pumpkin ale, which is described as tasting like pumpkin pie in a glass. If you'd like to learn more, you can always sign up for beer school at www.justhereforthebeer.com.

[Michaelangelica]

Originally Posted by eric l

In the Middle Ages (actually even well into the 19th century) beer was a safer drink than water, because the brewing proces starts with boiling the "wort" (liquid obained by filtering the mixture of barley + sometimes other cereals and malt). Addition of hops in a later stage had a antibiotic effect on less desirable microorganisms.

How many types of brewing yeasts are there? I know one Australian company (Burns Phillip) provides most of the yeast All of one type, I think. (?)
I always thought Sherry was fortified with brandy like Port; so you live and learn. I think the brandy is also used to kill the yeast and stop further fermentation.

Has anyone brewed their own beer or spirits?

On hops; is it the fruit or the flower that is used? I just thought they had funny, flat, leaf-like flowers. I have never seen or heard of hops "fruit" so
This was interesting from Duke's data base on hops
http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/duke/farmacy2.pl
Chemicals in Hops
ALPHA-PINENE Fruit:

Allelochemic; Allergenic; Antiacne; Antibacterial; Antifeedant; Antiflu; Antiinflammatory 500 mg/kg; Antipneumonic; Antiseptic; Antispasmodic; Antistaphylococcic; Antiviral; Cancer-Preventive; Coleoptophile; Expectorant; FLavor FEMA 15-150; Herbicide IC50=30 uM; Insecticide 0.82 uM/fly; Insectifuge 50 ppm; Insectiphile; Irritant; P450-2B1-Inhibitor IC50=0.087 uM; Perfumery; Pesticide; Sedative; Spasmogenic; Tranquilizer; Transdermal

ALPHA-SELINENE Fruit:

Perfumery

ALPHA-TERPINEOL Essential Oil:

ACE-Inhibitor 100 ug/ml (weak activity); Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor 100 ug/ml; Allelopathic; Antiacne; Antibacterial MIC=800-1,600 ug/ml; Anticancer; Anticariogenic; Antiseptic; Cicatrizant ED50=240 ug/g mus; FLavor FEMA 5-40; Insecticide 1.29 uM/fly; Motor-Depressant; Nematicide MLC=1 mg/ml; Perfumery; Pesticide; Sedative; Termiticide IC100=5 mg/g; Transdermal; Vulnerary ED50=240 ug/g mus

ASTRAGALIN Fruit:

ACE-Inhibitor ID50=180 ug/ml rat (24 hr.); Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor IC30=1 uM IC62=10 uM; Antileukemic; Expectorant; Hypotensive; Immunostimulant

BETA-ALANINE Fruit:

Avicide; Neurotoxic to birds

BETA-EUDESMOL Fruit 60 ppm;

Antianoxic ED60=300 orl mus; AntiEBV; Antimutagenic ID50=0.09 uM/ml; Antipeptic; Antisalmonella >0.18 uM/ml; Antitumor-Promoter?; Antiulcer; Calcium-Antagonist 40 uM mus; CNS-Inhibitor; Hepatoprotective; Neurogenic; Pesticide; Sedative

BETA-PINENE Fruit:

Allergenic; Antiinflammatory; Antiseptic; Antispasmodic; Candidicide; FLavor FEMA 15-600; Herbicide; Insectifuge; Irritant; Perfumery; Pesticide; Spasmogenic; Transdermal

BETA-SELINENE Fruit 150 ppm;

Perfumery

CAFFEIC-ACID Plant:

Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor 4 ug/ml (weak activity); Allergenic; Analgesic; Antiadenoviral; Antiaggregant; Antiaging; Antiatherogenic; Antibacterial; Anticancer; Anticarcinogenic; Antidepressant; Antiedemic; Antielastase IC50=86 ug/ml (475 uM) IC50=93 um/l; Antiescherichic; Antiflu; Antigonadotropic; Antihemolytic 25 uM; Antihepatoadenomic 200 ppm diet orl mus; Antihepatotoxic; Antiherpetic 50 ug/ml EC50=>50 ug/ml; Antihistaminic; AntiHIV EC50=200 ug/ml; Antihypercholesterolemic; Antihyperthyroid; Antiinflammatory; AntiLegionella; Antileukemic; Antileukotriene; Antimelanogenic; Antimutagenic; Antinitrosaminic; Antiophidic; Antioxidant 1.3 x Vit. E 1/2 BHA 1/3 quercetin 30 mM 50 uM IC57=30 ppm; Antiperoxidant IC35=200 ug/ml IC50=44 uM IC85=100 ug/ml; Antiproliferant; Antiprostaglandin; Antiradicular 1/3 quercetin 10 uM 30 mM IC50=32-35 uM; Antiseptic; Antispasmodic EC50=3.4-15 uM; Antistaphylococcic; Antistomatitic; Antisunburn; Antithiamin; Antithyroid; Antitumor 200 ppm diet orl mus; Antitumor (Skin); Antitumor-Promoter IC42=10 uM; Antiulcerogenic; Antivaccinia; Antiviral IC50=62.5 ug/ml; Anxiolytic; Calcium-Antagonist IC50=1.2 uM rbt; Cancer-Preventive; Carcinogenic 2% (diet); Chemopreventive; Cholagogue; Choleretic; Clastogenic; CNS-Active; Co-carcinogenic; Collagen-Sparing; COX-2-Inhibitor IC32=100 uM; Cytoprotective; Cytotoxic TC50=200 ug/ml; Diuretic; DNA-Active; DNA-Protective; Fungicide MIC=0.4 mg/ml; Hepatocarcinogenic 400 ppm diet orl mus (in the absence of alcohol); Hepatoprotective; Hepatotropic; Histamine-Inhibitor; Immunostimulant; Insectifuge; Leukotriene-Inhibitor; Lipoxygenase-Inhibitor IC27=5 mM IC50=62-148 uM; Lyase-Inhibitor IC50=94-164 uM; Metal-Chelator; Ornithine-Decarboxylase-Inhibitor; Pesticide; Prooxidant; Prostaglandigenic; Sedative 500 mg; Sunscreen IC50=2.5 mg/l IC91=5 mg/l IC98=25 mg/l; Tumorigenic; Vulnerary; Xanthine-Oxidase-Inhibitor IC50=39.21 uM


CAMPESTEROL Stem:

Antioxidant IC37=10 uM; Hypocholesterolemic

CANNABIDIOL Leaf:

Analgesic; Antibacterial; Anticonvulsant; Antiepileptic; Antihepatometabolic; Antiinflammatory; Antiseptic; Pesticide

[eric l]

Originally Posted by Michaelangelica

How many types of brewing yeasts are there? I know one Australian company (Burns Phillip) provides most of the yeast All of one type, I think. (?)
I always thought Sherry was fortified with brandy like Port; so you live and learn. I think the brandy is also used to kill the yeast and stop further fermentation.

Has anyone brewed their own beer or spirits?

Basicly their are wild yeasts and cultivated yeasts. Wild yeasts are still used in Belgium for some specialty beer types (lambic, and derived products)
Cultivated yeasts are either top-fermenting or bottom-fermenting. Wikipedia gives a brief explanation : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brewer%27s_yeast
The brewing process gives new yeast, the brewer can collect it and use it for a new brew.
Sometimes brewers use wine yeasts for specialty beers. Sherry yeast is an example : sherry is indeed fortified with alcohol (brandy) but with "fino" there is an extra fermentation after this fortification with "flor", which is collected on top. It is this "flor" that is used by some brewers to make high alcohol beer. With port and with "oloroso" type sherry, the fortification is indeed done to a level where further fermentation is imposible.

There are many "real" home brewers in Belgium and the Netherlands, "real" meaning that they do not work with commercialized kits, but do experiment with new formulas. But very few of them have websites with an English version.

I myself have made cider from apples for a couple of seasons. It is actually much easier than brewing beer, but it is season linked. This means that you will have to process your yeast to conserve it for next year, or to buy fresh yeast, or to count on natural (=wild) fermentation and hope for the best.

Because you make beer from cereals, you can start your brewing any time, you do not need to conserve the yeast. But you may need different strains of yeast for different types of beer.