Funny things you've overheard about beer

[Ogri]

Have you got that right though. Distilling would be the evaporating, condensing and collection of the ethanol; not the concentrating of the initial liquor. But I guess if they struggle with your explaination their heads might explode with the actual methodology of distilling

If it were only the ethanol that is evaporated, condensed, collected and the initial liquor has no other influence, where are the flavours in whisky and Brandy from?

 

[cluckk]

If it were only the ethanol that is evaporated, condensed, collected and the initial liquor has no other influence, where are the flavours in whisky and Brandy from?

The attempt is to collect more ethanol than anything, but tons of other compounds get carried in through the process, which imparts flavor. Distilleries try very hard to reduce these, so just enough flavor is imparted. Other flavors are from the wood of the cask or the atmosphere in the cask as the "Angel's share" evaporates through the barrel walls. Barrels are not oxygen barriers so a small amount of air makes its way through the walls into the barrel and this will also effect the flavor over the years of aging.

 

[craigger64]

One of my co-workers used to frequent a restaurant that would serve ANY beer on their menu in a 22 ounce frosted mug. :rockin: He would get Guinness every time. I told him that wasn't the proper way to serve a stout, and he said "most places probably only serve it by the pint because it's so strong"........I told him it only had about .07% more alcohol than Coors Light, and he was downright offended! He refused to believe me. I showed him a comparison chart on the web on my phone, and it was like I told him there was no Santa Claus. I don't get to see him as much these days, but I've heard he's quit drinking. I doubt our discussion had anything to do with it, though.

 

[Ogri]

The attempt is to collect more ethanol than anything, but tons of other compounds get carried in through the process, which imparts flavor. Distilleries try very hard to reduce these, so just enough flavor is imparted. Other flavors are from the wood of the cask or the atmosphere in the cask as the "Angel's share" evaporates through the barrel walls. Barrels are not oxygen barriers so a small amount of air makes its way through the walls into the barrel and this will also effect the flavor over the years of aging.

OK, which means that it's not just ethanol that's gleaned from distillation.There's an apparent flavour difference between single malts, blended malts, cane and Fruit sugar derived distillates that isn't only attributable to the aging environment.

 

[cluckk]

Yes, but the post of mattd2 that you initially responded too was actually trying to correct an earlier error which said distillation was the "concentrating" of the fermented liquor. They are actually two very different processes--concentrating and distilling. In concentrating one is removing water to make what is left stronger. One way of doing this is how I just finished making some Apple Jack. Freeze hard cider and then remove the water which freezes at a much higher temperature than the alcohol and other compounds (the process is called "Jacking"). It concentrates the flavors and alcohol--the final product is everything but the water. In distilling you are not removing water, but the ethanol and in the process some other elements go along with it. The water and most of the flavor producing elements are left behind and discarded. The only difference between a single malt and a blended malt is that a single has only those flavors of a single mash, while a blended brings together several to try to make a consistent profile from several mashes. Cane and fruit sugars are different because they each have differences in flavor caused by the elements that get carried along in the process of distillation. You are being too literal when you think he was saying the effort was to evaporate and condense only the ethanol, as if nothing else was desired but pure ethanol. Ethanol is the focus, while the other elements are happy byproducts of the process.

BTW what is distilled out and how much can be controlled by the temperature in the evaporator. A form of distillation is used for the production of essential oils, the conversion of crude oil to it's products and bio-diesel.

 

[cluckk]

One of my co-workers used to frequent a restaurant that would serve ANY beer on their menu in a 22 ounce frosted mug. :rockin: He would get Guinness every time. I told him that wasn't the proper way to serve a stout, and he said "most places probably only serve it by the pint because it's so strong"........I told him it only had about .07% more alcohol than Coors Light, and he was downright offended! He refused to believe me. I showed him a comparison chart on the web on my phone, and it was like I told him there was no Santa Claus. I don't get to see him as much these days, but I've heard he's quit drinking. I doubt our discussion had anything to do with it, though.

Recently someone asked me to recommend a beer that had lots of flavor but was still very lite. I recommended Guinness and the guy looked at me like I had a third hand growing out of my forehead.

 

[JordanThomas]

Recently someone asked me to recommend a beer that had lots of flavor but was still very lite. I recommended Guinness and the guy looked at me like I had a third hand growing out of my forehead.

Because it has no flavor. I would have looked at you that way, too.

 

[unionrdr]

Also,the distilate can be distilled more times to get the ABV up. The more times it's distilled,the higher proof or at least purity you get. Like vodka for instance. My favorite is called Kutskova from Moscow. It's distilled 5 times & is almost like drinking smooth water. Good stuff,but hard to find.

 

[JordanThomas]

All this distilling talk isn't very funny. That makes me sad.

 

[microbusbrewery]

All this distilling talk isn't very funny. That makes me sad.

True but at least they're not talking economic theories.

Now there's an idea for a new thread..."beer tangents - just how off topic can you get?"

 

[JordanThomas]

Quote:
Can anyone tell me the dimensions of the Westy 12 brick when all the bottles are in it?

Quote:
Originally Posted by kombat
I believe it's 3.

Nailed it!

 

[mattd2]

Quote:
Can anyone tell me the dimensions of the Westy 12 brick when all the bottles are in it?

Quote:
Originally Posted by kombat
I believe it's 3.

Nailed it!

Na, it's 42. Everyone knows it's 42

 

[dkeller12]

My father in law said this upon drinking half a pint of my English Brown Ale and saying he couldn't finish it..."This is the kind of beer you need to drink while eating food". It wasn't that he didn't like it, as he is very honest, but thought the 4.5% ABV was a food needing beer.

 

[Cincy17]

My father in law said this upon drinking half a pint of my English Brown Ale and saying he couldn't finish it..."This is the kind of beer you need to drink while eating food". It wasn't that he didn't like it, as he is very honest, but thought the 4.5% ABV was a food needing beer.

But eating's cheating

 

[TyTanium]

True but at least they're not talking economic theories.

Hey, come on, that econ talk was great! Good conversation starters at Christmas parties

"So, I see the expected value of the marginal benefit from that cookie exceeds the marginal cost, eh?"
I'm really popular at dinner parties.

 

[Thomas007]

The only difference between a single malt and a blended malt is that a single has only those flavors of a single mash, while a blended brings together several to try to make a consistent profile from several mashes.

Actually there are some other differences too (at least for Scotch whisky): single malt whiskies have to be mashed without added enzymes and distilled in a pot still. Pot stills are less efficient than column stills, and so you (apparently) get more flavor from whatever you're distilling. Blended whiskies are allowed to add some proportion of neutral alcohol.

 

[mcspanner]

Many years ago I was a bar and cellarman in a great pub with usually around 6-8 bitters and ales on cask as well as lagers like Stella, Fosters and Carling.

We had had one regular who only supped Stella and was quite belligerent. Anyone who came in while he was stood at the bar and ordered one of our cask ales would receive a " lesson" from him about how Stella was obviously a purer drink because alcohol makes bubbles of CO2 when you brew it so as larger has more bubbles than cask ale the alcohol is more concentrated in the drink.

No amount of reasoned arguments to the contrary would convince this guy that he was wrong. He insisted that because he knew that yeast make alcohol and co2 the more co2 there was meant the more alcohol and the stronger the beer.

 

[cluckk]

Actually there are some other differences too (at least for Scotch whisky): single malt whiskies have to be mashed without added enzymes and distilled in a pot still. Pot stills are less efficient than column stills, and so you (apparently) get more flavor from whatever you're distilling. Blended whiskies are allowed to add some proportion of neutral alcohol.

Ok, let me restate: "A major difference ..."
I'm trying not to get too far off topic. Actually, the fact that the stills used are more flavorful because they are "less efficient" fits perfectly with the point I was trying to make. If they were efficient (i.e. better at their purpose) there would be less of the flavor compounds.

 

[whitehause]

True but at least they're not talking economic theories.

Now there's an idea for a new thread..."beer tangents - just how off topic can you get?"

I see the problem....your left hand turn signal fluid is low.

 

[logan3825]

No amount of reasoned arguments to the contrary would convince this guy that he was wrong. He insisted that because he knew that yeast make alcohol and co2 the more co2 there was meant the more alcohol and the stronger the beer.

Well he was right if all the CO2 stayed in solution, which of course it doesn't. So he was kind of right.

 

[mcspanner]

Well he was right if all the CO2 stayed in solution, which of course it doesn't. So he was kind of right.

Yeah, a little learning is a dangerous thing.

 

[WesleyS]

Just out for dinner with my wife and she overheard a good one from the people behind her.

"Brewing beer at home is sooo illegal! The only place it's legal is Louisiana."

 

[logan3825]

Just out to eat with my wife

I really read that part wrong.

 

[WesleyS]

I really read that part wrong.

Lol, now I had to fix it.

 

[Skeptidelphian]

Not so much funny but a victory. My mother has a friend who I've been slowly turning into a beer snob. She had been putting lime into her SA Winter Lager...because some dumb bartender told her to. Apparently after a holiday party, the report is that she admits it's better without the lime. It's not some cheap ass Corona, it's a good winter drinkin' beer. I'm glad to have won.

 

[dfc]

I really read that part wrong.

I literally laughed out loud.

 

[malweth]

I literally laughed out loud.

Me too... especially since I read the quoted text just as wrongly!!

 

[Leadgolem]

All of these are from today in the course of a 5 minute conversation about what alcohol the new guy at work likes.

"Cerveza isn't beer. It's made differently." He was probably thinking of Corona, so he did have a point. That isn't what he meant though.

"A shot is 2 ounces."

"You make apple wine by cooking spices, white wine, and apple juice together."

He was very insistent on all of these points.

 

[drchris83]

That said, nobody ridicules the purity law more than German home brewers. If it was after the original purity law from the 1500s, you wouldn't be allowed to make Hefeweizen, because it only allows barley, hops and water, and excludes yeast (Hefe) or wheat (Weizen).

This particular law is cited often and usually misunderstood. What it really is is a law to regulate beer prices and taxation. In order to close a possible loophole (i. e. someone wants to charge more on the grounds that they used expensive ingredients), it is stated that only barley malt, hops and water can be used to calculate prices. Needless to say, previously popular spiced beers became unattractive to brewers.

 

[TxBeerGuy]

My favorite is when someone asks me if I drink Budweiser, and I say, "Nope". And they're like, "Why not? It's the King of Beers".