What is beer...?

[Beer Snob]

In another thread there was the question of hop substitution. I just bought the Palmer book, How to Brew: Ingredients, Methods, Recipes, and Equipment for Brewing Beer at Home. He defines beer as; A fermented alcoholic beverage brewed from malt and flavored with hops. This is as it appears in the dictionary as well.

Is this definition too specific... that being it must be flavored with hops...?

What does make beer... well.. beer?

 

[BlightyBrewer]

Water, Barley, Hops, and Yeast....and patience.

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

according to the Reinheitsgebot (the German Beer Putiry Law). just water, malt, hops, and yeast (which was added later to the purity law).

 

[Toilet Rocker]

Beer is happiness.

Beer was brewed with other flavorings prior to the discovery of hops, so it would seem like that definition is the generally understood 21st century definition. A more accurate one would not be as bold as to specifically cite hops.

 

[Walker]

according to the Reinheitsgebot (the German Beer Putiry Law). just water, malt, hops, and yeast (which was added later to the purity law).

but who says the Germans are the authority? They didn't invent the stuff. Plus, they pride themselves on their hefe's, which technically aren't even beers under their own law because of the use of wheat.

Personally, I'd say it has to have some sort of grain, water, and yeast.

Barley only? Not necessary. Wheat will work. So will Rye or millet.

Hops? They are a spice when it comes right down to it and not a requirement in my book.

-walker

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

but who says the Germans are the authority? They didn't invent the stuff. Plus, they pride themselves on their hefe's, which technically aren't even beers under their own law because of the use of wheat.

Personally, I'd say it has to have some sort of grain, water, and yeast.

Barley only? Not necessary. Wheat will work. So will Rye or millet.

Hops? They are a spice when it comes right down to it and not a requirement in my book.

-walker

they're not, but they were the 1st to come up w/ any kind of "standard" for brewing, and food for that matter. and German brewer's can bre non-Reinheitsgebot brews for export and consuption in Germany since they joined the European Economic Community, they just can't call it "beer". and i meant barley, not malt in the previous post wheat can be a malt.

in the dark ages, people used juniper berry's, lavender, rosemary, etc. for spicing of the brew prior to the arrival of hops. hops where just more effective at prolonging shelf-life of the brew, so it could travel farther, hence the popularity of IPA's.

 

[Beer Snob]

Beer is happiness.

Beer was brewed with other flavorings prior to the discovery of hops, so it would seem like that definition is the generally understood 21st century definition. A more accurate one would not be as bold as to specifically cite hops.

Yeah this is right... hops was discovered pretty late in the game actually....

 

[david_42]

Basically any grain-based fermented beverage is a beer (in the USA). As far as the purity laws go, they would exclude almost all winter warmers, Hop Rod Rye, oatmeal stouts, etc. I suspect most craft ales would not pass the purity test. I was working a fest last summer & some loser was trying to impress his GF by asking me if any of the ales at my station were "Four ingredient beers." I asked him, "What four ingerdients?" He looked baffled & his GF was smirking.