Beer Knowledge – For the Love of Beer

Beer Knowledge – For the Love of Beer

Contents
Section 1 - History of beer ................................................................................................................................................ 1

Section 2 – The Brewing Process ...................................................................................................................................... 4

Section 3 – Beer Styles .................................................................................................................................................... 14

Section 4 - Beer Tasting & Food Matching ...................................................................................................................... 19

Section 5 – Serving & Selling Beer .................................................................................................................................. 22

Section 6 - Cider .............................................................................................................................................................. 25

Section 1 - History of beer

What is beer? - Simply put, beer is fermented; hop flavoured malt sugared, liquid. It is the staple product of nearly
every pub, club, restaurant, hotel and many hospitality and tourism outlets.

Beer is very versatile and comes in a variety of packs; cans, bottles and kegs. It is loved by people all over the world
and this world wide affection has created some interesting styles that resonate within all countries around the
world.

At the end of this course, you will have an understanding of the following key areas:

 The history of Beer;

 The brewing process;
 The different styles of beer;
 Beer Tasting & food matching;
 Food matching tips; and
 Serving and Selling beer;

The first section looks at the History of Beer. At the end of this section, you should have an understanding of:

 Where and when beer originated; and

 History of beer in Australia.

The aim this course is to inspire you to look at beer in a new light. Beer has history, passion, style and of course the ability to relax you
from the ups and downs of life.

Please press "Next" to get started.

In the Beginning – Egyptian Times

‘Without question, the greatest invention in the history of mankind is beer. Oh, I grant you that the wheel was also a
fine invention, but the wheel does not go nearly as well with pizza.’ DAVE BARRY

The art of brewing is as old as civilization. Between 10,000 and 15,000 years ago, some humans discontinued their
nomadic hunting and gathering and settled down to farm. Grain was the first domesticated crop that started the
farming process.

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Through hieroglyphics, cuneiform characters and written accounts, historians have traced the roots of brewing back
to ancient African, Egyptian and Sumerian tribes. The oldest proven records of brewing are about 6,000 years old
and refer to the Sumerians. Sumeria lay between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers including Southern Mesopotamia
and the ancient cities of Babylon and Ur. It is said that the Sumerians discovered the fermentation process by
chance. A seal around 4,000 years old is a Sumerian "Hymn to Ninkasi", the goddess of brewing. This "hymn" is also a
recipe for making beer.

No one knows today exactly how this occurred, but it could be that a piece of bread or grain became wet and a short
time later, it began to ferment and an inebriating pulp resulted. These early accounts, with pictograms of what is
recognizably barley, show bread being baked then crumbled into water to make a mash, which is then made into a
drink that is recorded as having made people feel "exhilarated, wonderful and blissful!" It could be that baked bread
was a convenient method of storing and transporting a resource for making beer. The Sumerians were able to repeat
this process and are assumed to be he first civilized culture to brew beer. They had discovered a "divine drink" which
certainly was a gift from the gods.

In the beginning- The Greeks and the Romans

After Egypt was succeeded by the Greeks and Romans, beer continued to be brewed. Plinius reported of the
popularity of beer in the Mediterranean area before wine took hold. In Rome, wine became ambrosia from the god
Bacchus. Beer was only brewed in the outer areas of the Roman Empire where wine was difficult to obtain. For the
Romans beer was considered a barbarian drink.

As the cultivation of barley spread north and west, brewing went with it. As time passed, the production of beer
came under the watchful eye of the Roman Church. Christian abbeys, as centers of agriculture, knowledge and
science, refined the methods of brewing. Initially in the making of beer for the brothers and for visiting pilgrims, later
as a means of financing their communities. However, there was still very little known about the role of yeast in
completing fermentation. Beer brewing played an important role in daily lives. Beer was clearly so desired that it led
nomadic groups into village life. Beer was considered a valuable (potable) foodstuff and workers were often paid
with jugs of beer.

In the beginning- The Germans

By the fifteenth century, there was a record of hops used in Flemish beer imported into England, and by the
sixteenth century hops had gained widespread use as a preservative in beer, replacing the previously used bark or
leaves.

However the most widely known event in brewing history was the establishment of German standards for brewers.
The first of these regulations was the inspiration for the Reinheitsgebot of 1516 - the most famous beer purity law.
This pledge of purity states that only four ingredients can be used in the production of beer: water, malted barley,
malted wheat and hops. Yeast, though not included in this list, was acceptable, as it was taken for granted to be a
key ingredient in the brewing process. The "Reinheitsgebot" was the assurance to the consumer that German beers
would be of the highest quality in the world and acknowledges the European disdain for adding adjuncts such as
corn, rice, other grains and sugars.

In the beginning- Fermentation

The next great development occurred in the mid-nineteenth century, through work done by Louis Pasteur, the first
to propose an explanation of how yeast worked. Shortly thereafter, samples of Bavarian yeast provided the

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successful identification of a single-cell and strain of the bottom-fermenting lager yeast. German brewers had
started to make beer by lagering (storing) in 1402.

Beer, like wine, spread to all part of the globe through colonisation. Beer is made in virtually every country in the
world and unlike spirits and in some cases wine have little restrictions on how it is made and manufactured.

Beer in Australia
Beer arrived in Australia around 1770 when Captain Cook set sail around 1768 to find new lands. He left with beer
instead of water as a means of “preserving” water.

Today beer is without doubt the most popular alcohol beverage in Australia. However, this was not always the case.
In the early days of settlement rum was the drink of choice, so much so that as the currency was in such short supply
rum was used as currency. Unfortunately, having rum as a currency led to drunkenness. Beer was introduced as a
healthier and less intoxicating alcoholic beverage.

The first, official, brewer in Australia was John Boston who brewed a beverage (many would not call it beer) from
Indian corn bittered with cape gooseberry leaves.

The first pub was opened in 1796 in Parramatta by James Larra, a freed convict.

Until 1885 most beers brewed were Ales, top fermenting beers. (Beer styles and types are explained in detail later in
the course.)

In 1804 the government of the day opened its own brewery in Parramatta and was quickly followed by rival privately
owned breweries. Interestingly by 1871 there were 126 breweries in Victoria alone servicing a population of only
800,000 people.

Timeline of Australian brewing:

‘He was a wise man who invented beer‘ Plato.

Important dates in Australian brewing history:

1824- Cascade brewery opens and is still the oldest operational brewery in Australia
1862- Thomas Cooper starts Cooper’s brewery in South Australia. It is still owned today by the Cooper family and the
largest Australian owned brewery today.
1864- Carlton brewery opens in Melbourne
1887- The Fosters Brothers arrive from New York with refrigeration equipment and establish the first Lager brewery
to use this type of equipment in Australia
1889- Lager is first brewed in Queensland at the Castlemaine and Quinlan brewery.

Today the number of breweries has dwindled. Two large breweries, have a combined market share of approximately
85%. The two breweries are: Fosters and Lion Nathan. Fosters have a stable of brands that includes: Crown Lager,
Carlton Draught, Carlton Midstrength and Fosters Lager. Lion Nathan beers: XXXX, XXXX Gold, Toohey’s New and
Hahn Premium Light.

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In May 2012, XXXX Gold (a mid strength beer) became the number one selling beer in Australia, pipping VB (Victoria
Bitter) which had been number one for 20 years.

Good Point
Its official XXXX Gold (a mid strength beer) is the number one selling beer in Australia pipping VB
(Victoria Bitter) which had been number one for around 20 years. May 2012.

Section 2 – The Brewing Process

“Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

Broadly speaking, brewing is the production of beer through steeping a starch source (commonly cereal grains) in
water and then fermenting with yeast. The basic ingredients of beer are water; a starch source, such as malted
barley, which is able to be fermented (converted into alcohol); a brewer's yeast to produce the fermentation; and
flavouring, such as hops. A secondary starch source (an adjunct) may be used, such as maize (corn), rice or sugar. The
amount of each starch source in a beer recipe is collectively called the grain bill.

Before we can discuss the process of brewing beer, it is important to review the most common terms
used in brewing.

Terminology

The brewing of beer can be deemed a science. In some instances scientific, or at least, rarely used,
terminology is used in the beer making process.

There many terms and you are not expected to memorise them. But you should read them to gain an
understanding.

Brewing Glossary

Term Description
Acetaldehyde Green apple aroma, a by-product of fermentation.
Additive Enzymes, preservatives and antioxidants which are added to simplify the brewing
process or prolong shelf life.
Adjunct Fermentable material used as a substitute for traditional grains, to make beer lighter-
bodied or cheaper.
Aerobic An organism, such as top fermenting ale yeast, that needs oxygen to metabolize.
Alcohol Ethyl alcohol or ethanol. An intoxicating by-product of fermentation, which is caused by
yeast acting on sugars in the malt. Alcohol content is expressed as a percentage of
volume or weight.
Alcohol by weight Amount of alcohol in beer measured in terms of the percentage weight of alcohol per
volume of beer, i.e., 3.2% alcohol by weights equals 3.2 grams of alcohol per 100
centilitres of beer. (It is approximately 20% less than alcohol by volume.)
Alcohol by volume Amount of alcohol in beer in terms of percentage volume of alcohol per volume of beer.
Alcoholic Warming taste of ethanol and higher alcohol's.
Ale Beers distinguished by use of top fermenting yeast strains, Saccharomyces cerevisiae.
The top fermenting yeast perform at warmer temperatures than do yeast's used to brew
lager beer, and their by-products are more evident in taste and aroma. Fruitiness and

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esters are often part of an ale's character.

All-malt A relatively new term in America. "All malt" refers to a beer made exclusively with
barley malt and without adjuncts.
Amber Any top or bottom fermented beer having an amber color, that is, between pale and
dark.
Anaerobic An organism, such as a bottom-fermenting lager yeast, that is able to metabolize
without oxygen present.
Aroma Hops Varieties of hop chosen to impart bouquet. (See Hops)
Astringent A drying, puckering taste; tannic; can be derived from boiling the grains, long mashes,
over sparging with hard water.
Attenuation Extent to which yeast consumes fermentable sugars (converting them into alcohol and
carbon dioxide).
Bacterial A general term covering off-flavours such as mouldy, musty, woody, lactic acid, vinegar,
or microbiological spoilage.
Balling Degrees Scale indicating density of sugars in wort (see wort). Devised by C J N Balling.
Barley A cereal grain that is malted for use in the grist (see grist) that becomes the mash in
the brewing of beer.
Barrel A unit of measurement used by brewers in some countries. In Britain, a barrel holds 36
imperial gallons (1 imperial gallon = 4.5 litres), or 1.63 hectolitres. In the United States,
a barrel holds 31.5 US gallons (1 US gallon = 3.8 litres), or 1.17 hectolitres.
Beer Name given alcohol-containing beverages produced by fermenting grain, specifically
malt, and flavoured with hops.
Bitter Bitterness of hops or malt husks; sensation on back of tongue.
Bitterness The perception of a bitter flavour, in beer from iso-alpha-acid in solution (derived from
hops). It is measured in International Bitterness Units (IBU).
Black malt Partially malted barley roasted at high temperatures. Black malt gives a dark colour and
roasted flavour to beer.
Body Thickness and mouth-filling property of a beer described as "full or thin bodied".
Bottle-conditioning Secondary fermentation and maturation in the bottle, creating complex aromas and
flavours.
Bottom-fermenting One of the two types of yeast used in brewing. Bottom-fermenting yeast works well at
yeast low temperatures and ferments more sugars leaving a crisp, clean taste and then settles
to the bottom of the tank. Also referred to as "lager yeast".
Brewhouse The collective equipment used to make beer.
Brew Kettle The vessel in which wort from the mash is boiled with hops. Also called a copper.
Brewpub Pub that makes its own beer and sells at least 50% of it on premises. Also known in
Britain as a home-brew house and in Germany as a house brewery.
Bright Beer Tank See conditioning tank.
Bung The stopper in the hole in a keg or cask through which the keg or cask is filled and
emptied. The hole may also be referred to as a bung or bunghole. Real beer must use a
wooden bung.
Butterscotch See diacetyl.
Cabbage like Aroma and taste of cooked vegetables; often a result of wort spoilage bacteria killed by
alcohol in fermentation.
CAMRA The Campaign for Real Ale. An organization in England that was founded in 1971 to
preserve the production of cask-conditioned beers and ales.

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Carbonation Sparkle/ bubbles caused by carbon dioxide, either created during fermentation or
injected later.
Caramel A cooked sugar that is used to add colour and alcohol content to beer. It is often used
in place of more expensive malted barley.
Caramel malt A sweet, coppery-coloured malt. Caramel or crystal malt imparts both colour and flavour
to beer. Caramel malt has a high concentration of un-fermentable sugars that sweeten
the beer and, contribute to head retention on the beer
Cask A closed, barrel-shaped container for beer. They come in various sizes and are now
usually made of metal. The bung in a cask of "Real" beer or ale must be made of wood
to allow the pressure to be relived, as the fermentation of the beer, in the cask,
continues.
Cask-conditioning Secondary fermentation and maturation in the cask at the point of sale. Creates light
carbonation.
Chlorophenolic A plastic like aroma; caused by chemical combination of chlorine and organic
compounds.
Chill haze Cloudiness caused by precipitation of protein-tannin compound at low temperatures,
does not affect flavour.
Chill proof Beer treated to allow it to withstand cold temperatures without clouding.
Clove like Spicy character reminiscent of cloves; characteristic of some wheat beers, or if
excessive, may derive from wild yeast.
Conditioning Period of maturation intended to impart "condition" (natural carbonation). Warm
conditioning further develops the complex of flavours. Cold conditioning imparts a clean,
round taste.
Conditioning Tank A vessel in which beer is placed after primary fermentation where the beer matures,
clarifies and, is naturally carbonated through secondary fermentation. Also called bright
beer tank, serving tank and, secondary tank.
Contract Beer Beer made by one brewery and then marketed by a company calling itself a brewery.
The latter uses the brewing facilities of the former.
Copper See brew kettle.
Decoction Exhaustive system of mashing in which portions of the wort are removed, heated, then
returned to the original vessel.
Dextrin The un-fermentable carbohydrate produced by the enzymes in barley. It gives the beer
flavour, body, and mouth feel(see mouthfeel). Lower temperatures produce more
dextrin and less sugar. While higher temperatures produce more sugars and less
dextrin.
Diacetyl A volatile compound in beer that contributes to a butterscotch flavour, measured in
parts per million.
DMS Taste and aroma of sweet corn; results from malt, as a result of the short or weak boil
of the wort, slow wort chilling, or bacterial infection. -- Dimethyl sulfide, a sulfur
compound.
Dosage The addition of yeast and/or sugar to the cask or bottle to aid secondary fermentation.
Draft (Draught) The process of dispensing beer from a bright tank, cask or, keg, by hand pump,
pressure from an air pump or, injected carbon dioxide inserted into the beer container
prior to sealing.
Dry-hopping The addition of dry hops to fermenting or aging beer to increase its hop character or
aroma.
EBC European Brewing Convention. An EBC scale is used to indicate colours in malts and
beers.

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Enzymes Catalysts that are found naturally in the grain. When heated in mash, they convert the
starches of the malted barley into maltose, a sugar used in solution and fermented to
make beer.
Ester Volatile flavour compound naturally created in fermentation. Often fruity, flowery or
spicy.
Estery Aroma or flavour reminiscent of flowers or fruits.
Fahrenheit (degrees) F = (Celsius x9 / 5)+ 32.
Fermentation Conversion of sugars into ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide, through the action of yeast.
Final specific gravity Specific gravity of a beer when fermentation is complete (that is, all fermentable sugars
have been fermented).
Fining An aid to clarification: a substance that attracts particles that would otherwise remain
suspended in the brew.
Filter The removal of designated impurities by passing the wort through a medium,
sometimes made of diatomaceous earth (made up of the microscopic skeletal remains
of marine animals). Yeast in suspension is often targeted for removal.
Fruity/Estery Flavour and aroma of bananas, strawberries, apples, or other fruit; from high
temperature fermentation and certain yeast strains.
Grainy Tastes like cereal or raw grain.
Gravity See specific gravity.
Grist Brewers' term for milled grains, or the combination of milled grains to be used in a
particular brew. Derives from the verb to grind. Also sometimes applied to hops.
Hand Pump A device for dispensing draft beer using a pump operated by hand. The use of a hand
pump allows the cask-conditioned beer to be served without the use of pressurized
carbon dioxide.
Hang Lingering bitterness or harshness.
Hard Cider A fermented beverage made from apples.
Heat Exchanger A mechanical device used to rapidly reduce the temperature of the wort.
Hefe A German word meaning "yeast". Used mostly in conjunction with wheat (weiss) beers
to denote that the beer is bottled or kegged with the yeast in suspension (hefe-weiss).
These beers are cloudy, frothy and, very refreshing.
Hogshead Cask holding 54 imperial gallons ( 243 litres ).
Hop back Sieve-like vessel used to strain out the petals of the hop flowers. Known as a hop jack
in the United States.
Hops Herb added to boiling wort or fermenting beer to impart a bitter aroma and flavour.
Hoppy Aroma of hops, does not include hop bitterness.
Infusion Simplest form of mash, in which grains are soaked in water. May be at a single
temperature, or with upward or (occasionally) downward changes in temperature.
IBU International Bitterness units. A system of indicating the hop bitterness in finished beer.
Keg One-half barrel, or 15.5 U. S. gallons. A half keg or, 7.75 U. S. gallons, is referred to as
a pony-keg.
Kr�usening The addition of a small proportion of partly fermented wort to a brew during lagering.
Stimulates secondary fermentation and imparts a crisp, spritzy character.
Lager Beers produced with bottom fermenting yeast strains, Saccharomyces uvarum (or
carlsbergensis) at colder fermentation temperatures than ales. This cooler environment
inhibits the natural production of esters and other by products, creating a crisper tasting
product.

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Lagering From the German word for storage. Refers to maturation for several weeks or months
at cold temperatures (close to 0�C /32�F) to settle residual yeast, impart carbonation
and make for clean round flavours.
Lauter To run the wort from the mash tun (see mash tun). From the German word to clarify. A
lauter tun is a separate vessel to do this job. It uses a system of sharp rakes to achieve
a very intensive extraction of malt sugars.
Lauter Tun See mash tun.
Length The amount of wort brewed each time the brew house is in operation.
Light-Struck Skunk like smell; from exposure to light.
Liquor The brewer's word for water used in the brewing process, as included in the mash or,
used to sparge the grains after mashing.
Malt (ing) The process by which barley is steeped in water, germinated ,then kilned to convert
insoluble starch to soluble substances and sugar. The foundation ingredient of beer.
Malt Extract The condensed wort from a mash, consisting of maltose, dextrins and, other dissolved
solids. Either as a syrup or powdered sugar, it is used by brewers, in solutions of water
and extract, to reconstitute wort for fermentation.
Malt Liquor A legal term used in the U.S. to designate a fermented beverage of relatively high
alcohol content (7%-8% by volume).
Mash (Verb) To release malt sugars by soaking the grains in water. (Noun) The resultant
mixture.
Mash Tun A tank where grist is soaked in water and heated in order to convert the starch to sugar
and extract the sugars and other solubles from the grist.
Maltose A water soluble, fermentable sugar contained in malt.
Mead Meads are produced by the fermentation of honey, water, yeast and optional
ingredients such as fruit, herbs, and/or spices. According to final gravity, they are
categorized as: dry (0.996 to 1009); medium (1010 to 1019); or sweet (1020 or
higher). Wine, champagne, sherry, mead, ale or lager yeasts may be used.
Medicinal Chemical or phenolic character; can be the result of wild yeast, contact with plastic, or
sanitizer residue.
Metallic Tastes tinny, bloodlike or coin like; may come from contact with bottle caps.
Microbrewery Small brewery generally producing less than 15,000 barrels per year. Sales primarily off
premises.
Mouthfeel A sensation derived from the consistency or viscosity of a beer, described, for example
as thin or full.
Musty Mouldy, mildewy character; can be the result of cork or bacterial infection.
Original gravity A measurement of the density of fermentable sugars in a mixture of malt and water
with which a brewer begins a given batch.
Oxidized Stale flavour of wet cardboard, paper, rotten pineapple, or sherry, as a result of oxygen
as the beer ages or is exposed to high temperatures.
Pasteurization Heating of beer to 60-79C/(140-174F) to stabilize it microbiologically. Flash-
pasteurization is applied very briefly, for 15-60 seconds by heating the beer as it passes
through the pipe. Alternately, the bottled beer can be passed on a conveyor belt
through a heated tunnel. This more gradual process takes at least 20 minutes and
sometimes much longer.
Phenolic Flavour and aroma of medicine, plastic, Band-Aids, smoke, or cloves; caused by wild
yeast or bacteria, or sanitizer residue.
Pitch To add yeast to wort.

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Plato, degrees Expresses the specific gravity as the weight of extract in a 100 gram solution at 64F
(17.5C). Refinement of the Balling scale.
Priming The addition of sugar at the maturation stage to promote a secondary fermentation.
Pub An establishment that serves beer and sometimes other alcoholic beverages for
consumption on premise. The term originated in England and is the shortened form of
"public house".
Publican The owner or manager of a pub.
Regional specialty A brewery that produces more than 15,000 barrels of beer annually, with its largest
brewery selling product a specialty beer.
Reinheitsgebot "Purity Law" originating in Bavaria in 1516 and now applied to all German brewers
making beer for consumption in their own country. It requires that only malted grains,
hops, yeast and water may be used in the brewing.
Saccharomyces See Top-fermenting yeast.
cerevisiae
Saccharomyces uvarum See Bottom-fermenting yeast.
Saccharomyces See Bottom-fermenting yeast.
carlsbergensis
Salty Flavour like table salt; experienced on the side of the tongue. Can be caused by
carbonation.
Secondary fermentation Stage of fermentation occurring in a closed container from several weeks to several
months.
Shelf life Describes the number of days a beer will retain its peak drinkability. The shelf life for
commercially produced beers is usually a maximum of four months.
Solventlike Reminiscent of acetone or lacquer thinner; caused by high fermentation temperatures.
Sour/Acidic Vinegar like or lemon like; can be caused by bacterial infection.
Specific gravity A measure of the density of a liquid or solid compared to that of water ((1.000 at 39F
(4C)).
Sparge To spray grist with hot water in order to remove soluble sugars (maltose). This takes
place at the end of the mash.
Squares Brewers' term for a square fermenting vessel.
Sweet Taste like sugar; experienced on the front of the tongue. Usually caused by malt.
Sulfurlike Reminiscent of rotten eggs or burnt matches; a by-product of some yeast's.
Tart Taste sensation cause by acidic flavours.
Terminal gravity Synonym for final specific gravity.
Top-fermenting yeast One of the two types of yeast used in brewing. Top-fermenting yeast works better at
warmer temperatures and are able to tolerate higher alcohol concentrations than
bottom-fermenting yeast. It is unable to ferment some sugars, and results in a fruitier,
sweeter beer. Also known as "ale yeast".
Tun Any large vessels used in brewing. In America, "tub" is often preferred.
Units of bitterness See IBU.
Vinous Reminiscent of wine.
Winy Sherry like flavour; can be caused by warm fermentation or oxidation in very old beer.
Wort The solution of grain sugars strained from the mash tun. At this stage, regarded as
"sweet wort", later as brewed wort, fermenting wort and finally beer.
Wort Chiller See heat exchanger.

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Yeast A micro-organism of the fungus family. Genus Saccharomyces.

Yeasty Yeast like flavour; a result of yeast in suspension or beer sitting too long on sediment.

‘We old folk have to find our cushions and pillows in our tankards. So strong beer is the milk of the old. ‘MARTIN
LUTHER

The Brewing Process Flowchart

Below is a flowchart of the brewing process. Each of these steps will be discussed on the next slides.

Malting

Malting is the process of readying barley to be used in brewing. Barley is a tall grass with seeds on the top of the
stalk. Barley is not good for baking but is good for brewing beer. Barley comes in many strains and varieties that
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ultimately influence the flavour of the beer. Malting is made up of 3 steps: steeping, germination and kilning. Each
step of the malting process unlocks the starches hidden in the barley.

Steeping is the first step in malting. Here the grain is steeped (soaked) in a vat of water for about 40 hours.

After steeping comes germination. To germinate the barley, the grain is spread out on the floor of the germination
room for about three to five days where rootlets begin to form. Inside the barley is a substance called starch. If left
alone, the barley seed develops enzymes (chemicals) to break down the starch into sugars. The barley plant would
use that sugar as energy to grow leaves and once the sugar supply is used up, the sun would take over growing a
new barley plant. The germination process produces the enzymes which break down the starches within the grain
into shorter lengths. At the end of the germination process, about three days, the starch has become soft and the
enzymes have not started converting the starch into sugar yet. The barley grain is called green malt.

Kilning

The final stage of the malting process is drying or kilning. Once the plumule or rootlets below the husk grow

to three quarters the length of the grain, germination is halted by drying the green malt on metal racks in the kiln
house at 50° C. The temperature is then raised to 85°C for a light malt, or higher for a dark malt. It is important that
temperature increases are gradual so that the enzymes in the grain are not damaged. The malt shoots are removed
for cattle feed, and the dried malt is stored in silos. Although malted barley is the primary ingredient, unmalted corn,
rice or wheat are sometimes added, to produce different beer flavours.

After kilning, the result is finished malt. The differences in the way the barley is malted will affect the flavour, colour
and aroma of the beer. There are different types of malts: pale malts are dried at a low temperature and can
produce a malt that can give the beer a pale golden colour and a slightly bready flavour such as a pilsner. Mild ale
malts are kilned to a slightly higher temperature and produce a pale malt that gives the beer a deeper colour and
slightly toasted biscuit flavours in the final beer. Many English ales go for this malt profile. Vienna and Munich malts
are stewed and lightly kilned which converts some of the starch into more sugar which give the beer an orangey
amber colour and the classic toffeeish, nutty flavours of Oktoberfest beer and other Bavarian, German specialties.
The highest temperatures are used to produce very flavourful and aromatic malts. Caramel and Crystal malts are
stewed until all of their starches are converted into sugars then they are kilned until the sugar caramelizes like little
Sugar Daddy candies. This longer roasted, sweet, caramel-flavoured malt gives the beer a reddish-amber color, rich
flavours and a fuller body. Kiln the barley longer and at higher temperatures and the darker and "roastier" the beer
will be. (Just like higher roasted coffee beans.) This will give the beer darker colour and chocolate, coffee and
espresso-like flavours.

Milling

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Milling is the cracking apart of the grain which the brewer chooses for the particular batch of beer. Milling the grain
allows it to absorb the water it will eventually be mixed with in order for the water to extract sugars from the malt.

Mashing

Mashing is the process of turning the finely-ground malt, known as the grist, into a sweetened liquid. Mashing
converts the starches, which were released during the malting stage, to sugars that can be fermented. The milled
grain is dropped into warm water then gradually heated to around 75° C in a large cooking vessel called the mash
tun. In this mash tun, the grain and heated water mix creating a cereal mash to dissolve the starch into the water,
transforming it into sugar - mainly maltose. Because water is such a vital part of the brewing process, the water itself
is a key ingredient. This sugar rich water is then strained through the bottom of the mash and is now called wort.
(Pronounced wert.)

Lautering

The spent grains are filtered out and the wort is ready for boiling which involves many technical and chemical
reactions. During this stage, known as Lautering, important decisions will be made affecting the flavor, color and
aroma of the beer. Certain types of hops are added at different times during the boil for either bitterness or aroma
and to help preserve it. The wort is boiled for one to two hours to sterilize and concentrate it, and extract the
necessary essence from the hops.

Cooling

The wort is transferred quickly from the brew kettle through a device to filter out the hops, and then onto a heat
exchanger to be cooled. The heat exchanger basically consists of tubing inside of a tub of cold water. It is important
to quickly cool the wort to a point where yeast can safely be added, because yeast does not grow in high heat. The
hopped wort is saturated with air, essential for the growth of the yeast in the next stage.

Fermentation

After passing through the heat exchanger, the cooled wort goes to the fermentation tank. The brewer now selects a
type of yeast and adds it to the fermentation tank. This is where the "real magic" of brewing happens - when the
yeast, a micro-organism, eats the sugar in the wort and turns it into alcohol and carbon dioxide. This process of
fermentation takes ten days. The wort finally becomes beer. Each brewery has its own strains of yeast, and it is these
that largely determine the character of the beer. In some yeast varieties, the cells rise to the top at the end of
fermentation, and are then skimmed off. This is called top fermentation, and ales are brewed in this way. When at
the end of fermentation the yeast cells sink to the bottom, the process is known as bottom fermentation, used for
lager.

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Maturation

Maturation, also called racking or conditioning, is the next step. The beer has now been brewed, but it can still be
improved through maturation. During this phase, the brewer moves, or racks, the beer into a new tank called the
conditioning tank. The brewer then waits for the beer to complete its aging process. The taste ripens. The liquid
clarifies as yeast and other particles settle. Secondary fermentation saturates the beer with carbon dioxide.

Filtering

Filtering or Finishing is the process where the beer is filtered and carbonated. Further filtering gives the beer a
sparkling clarity. The beer is moved to a holding tank where it stays until it is bottled, canned or put into kegs.

Packaging

Packaging is putting the beer into the bottles, cans or some other high volume vessels. One of the most
important things in packaging is to exclude oxygen from the beer. Filling techniques ensure air does not come
into contact with the beer, and cannot be trapped within the container.

“Skunky” Beer
Occasionally, you may open it to discover it doesn't smell quite right. In fact, the smell may be unpleasantly
overwhelming. This is a phenomenon that has come to be known as "skunky beer." However, the name in the
industry for this problem is "light struck" beer.
Skunky beer occurs when the hops become exposed to any kind of light such as ultraviolet from the sun or even
the fluorescent lights of a store display case. When light hits the beer, a chemical reaction breaks the
isohumulones, compounds relating to beer bitterness, into free radicals.
Beer contains naturally occurring sulfur proteins that react with the isohumulones as they break down. The
reaction causes a substance called 3-methyl-2-butene-1-thiol. The most important part of this equation as it
applies to skunky beer is the thiol. Thiol is the same chemical responsible for the defensive smell that skunks
produce when agitated or defending themselves.
Prevention

The best way to prevent skunky beer from occurring is to limit its exposure to light. Buying beer that has darker
bottles, comes in cans or is held in cardboard containers will help dramatically decrease your chances of buying a
skunked beer. Beers that have higher contents of hops are more likely to become skunky as there are more
isohumulones to be broken down by the light.
Did you know?

Barley malt is the most popular fermentable material used in beer making. There are many other grains and
cereals that can be used in the making of beer. The following are just a small sample:

 Rice;
 Corn;
 Oats;
 Sugar;
 Rye; and
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 Wheat.

They are known as “adjuncts” because they are added to the brewing process, with the barley. The brewer does
this in an effort to achieve a certain taste. However in a lot of instances it is because they are cheaper than
barley malt. An adjunct can be added by the brewer to achieve a certain taste. However, an adjunct is usually
because it is cheaper than barley malt.

Section 3 – Beer Styles

“This is grain, which any fool can eat, but for which the Lord intended a more divine means of consumption.....Beer! “
FRIAR TUCK

What is a beer style? Simply put, a beer style is a label given to a beer to differentiate and categorize beers by factors
such as colour, flavour, strength, ingredients, production method, recipe, history, or origin.

The study of what constitutes a beer's style may involve provenance, local tradition, ingredients, and/or empirical
impression, which is conventionally broken down into several elements; typically - aroma, appearance, flavour and
mouthfeel. The flavour may include the degree of bitterness of a beer due to bittering agents such as hops, roasted
barley, or herbs; and the sweetness from the sugar present in the beer

Elements of Beer Style

Beers may be categorized based on a number of factors. These factors are:

 Appearance;
 Aroma;
 Flavour;
 Mouthfeel;
 Strengh/Alcohol Concentration;
 Yeast;
 Grains;
 Hops;
 Water; and
 Other Ingredients

Appearance

The visual characteristics that may be observed in a beer are colour, clarity, and nature of the head. Colour is
usually imparted by the malts used, notably the adjunct malts added to darker beers, though other ingredients
may contribute to the colour of some styles such as fruit beers.

Many beers are transparent, but some beers, may be cloudy due to the presence of yeast making them translucent.
A third variety is the opaque or near-opaque colour that exists with stouts, porters and other deeply coloured
styles. Thickness and retention of the head the lace it can leave on the glass are also factors in a beer's appearance.

Aroma

The aroma in a beer may be formed from the malt and other fermentables, the strength and type of hops, the
alcohol, and various other aromatic components that can be contributed by the yeast strain, and other elements
that may derive from the water and the brewing process.

Flavour
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The taste characteristics of a beer may come from the type and amount of malt used, flavours imparted by the yeast,
and strength of bitterness.

Mouthfeel

The feel of a beer in the mouth, both from thickness of the liquid and from carbonation, may also be considered as
part of a beer's style. The level of carbonation (or nitrogen, in "smooth" beers) varies from one beer style to another.
For some beers it may give the beer a thick and creamy feel, while for others it contributes a prickly sensation.

Strength/Alcohol concentration

The strength of beer is a general term for the amount of alcohol present. It can be quantified by determining the
overall percentage of alcohol in the beer, generally abbreviated as A.B.V. (alcohol by volume).

Yeast

A variety of yeasts are used in making beer, most of which are strains of either top-fermenting yeast or bottom-
fermenting yeast. Different strains impart different flavour and aroma characteristics] and may vary in which
complex sugars they can ferment .

Grains

Most beers use barley malt as their primary source of fermentable sugars, and some beer styles mandate it be used
exclusively, such as those German styles developed under Reinheitsgebot. Some beer styles can be considered
varietals, in the same sense as wine, based on their grain bill. Some styles use one or more other grains as a key
ingredient in the style, such as wheat beer, rye beer, or oatmeal stout.

Hops

Hops contribute bitterness, flavour and aroma to a beer in different ways depending on when they are added during
the brewing process. How much hop bitterness and aroma is appropriate varies between beer styles.

Water

Water is the main ingredient in beer, and, though water itself is flavourless, the chemical composition can have an
influence on the finished taste; indeed, some brewers regard it as the most important ingredient in beer.

Other ingredients

Fruits and spices are key ingredients in some beer styles. While fruit beers and herb beers are often listed as style
categories unto themselves, fruits and spices are sometimes used to contribute to the flavour and aroma profile of
other styles. Vegetables have also been used in beers. Honey, molasses, candy sugar, or other fermentable sugars
may be added to impart their distinct flavours to a beer.

Ale or Lager:
Whilst there are many different styles of beer the world over, most beers all into two categories roughly according
to the time and temperature of the primary fermentation and the variety of yeast used during fermentation.
The two broad types are: Ale and Lager.

Ale

Ales are known as “top fermenting beers”. Yeasts that ferment at warmer temperatures, usually between
15- 20 degrees Celsius, form a layer of foam on the surface of the fermenting beer. Due to the fact
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that fermentation process takes place on the top of the beer, and are usually low in carbonation (less
bubbly).

Due to the fact that fermentation process takes place on the top of the beer, and are usually low in carbonation
(less bubbly).

The most popular styles of Ales are:

Pale Ale: rather fruity beers with light malt flavours and pleasantly dry often bitter after taste

Porter: light malt sweetness and pleasant dark grain flavours.

Oatmeal Stout: very dark, full bodied, roasty, malty with a complementary oatmeal flavour

Irish Stout: very dark, roasty beer with a creamy mouth feel.

Weizenbier: refreshing wheat based beer, golden coloured and spritzy

Lager

Lager is the most common type of beer in the world, making up 95% of the world’s beer manufacturing.

Lagers are known as “bottom fermenting beers”. Yeasts that ferment at temperatures 12 degrees Celsius collect at
the bottom of the fermenting beer. With the yeast settling on the bottom during fermentation, the carbon dioxide
given off by yeast rises to the surface, causing the beer to be carbonated (bubbly). These yeasts ferment more
sugars, creating a dryer beer, and grow well at low temperatures.

The following are some of the more common types of lagers of the world:

American Pale lagers: light coloured, grassy and watery with delicate sweetness

Bock Beers generally dark, somewhat strong and very malty

Pilsner: aromatic, subtly malty, crisp and refreshing.

Beers in Australia

There are many different styles of beer available in Australia. Lager is the most common type, with Pilsner being the
most common style.

The birth of Pilsner beer can be traced back to its namesake, the ancient city of Plzen (or Pilsen) which is situated in
the western half of the Czech Republic. A pilsner is generally light straw to golden colour and crystal clear. Hops are
very prevalent usually with a spicy bitterness and or a spicy floral flavour and aroma. Smooth and crisp with a clean
malty palate, many are grassy.

The most popular beers can be broken into three main groups: mainstream, international and craft.

 Mainstream: Beers brewed by either Fosters or Lion Nathan (between these two breweries they hold over
80% of the Australian beer market
 International Beers: Once this category of beers would have been called “imported” because the beers
would have come from overseas brewers. These days a lot more beers that used to brewed overseas are
brewed here by the two mainstream breweries.

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 Craft Beers: A craft brewery has sales of between 10,000 and 25,000,000 litres of beer per year. These
breweries can be on a national, state, regional or even just made and sold in one outlet.

Alcohol Volume

As the vast majority of beers sold in Australia are the same style, another way to categorise beers was required.
Australia is one of the few countries in the world where beer is categorised by its alcohol by volume (ABV). We have:

 Light beer which is generally under 3% ABV

 Mid strength beer between 3% and 4% ABV

 Heavy beer over 4%

A recently developed category of beer in Australia is Low Carbohydrate Beer. Normally a 375ml bottle of beer would
contain around 135 calories; the new Low Carbohydrate beers usually contain less than 115 calories.

Beer Categorised By ABV

The following are the most popular brands of beer in Australia categorised by alcohol volume:

Light Beers - (ABV under 3%)

 Hahn Light
 Cascade Premium Light

Mid Strenght Beers - (ABV between 3-4%)

 XXXX Gold
 Carlton Mid

Heavy Beers - (ABV over 4%)

 VB (Victoria Bitter)
 Toohey’s New
 Carton Draught
 XXXX Bitter
 Fosters
 Crown Lager
 Boags
 Coopers Pale Ale
 Summer Bright

Heavy /Low Carb (Alcohol over 4% but lower in calories)

 Hahn Super Dry

 Pure Blonde

Popular international beers

The following is a list of the best selling interntional beers in Australia. They are all Lager style beers.

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Heineken
Peroni
Stellar Artois
Corona
Budweiser
Miller Genuine Draft

Craft Beers
Craft beers are produced by smaller breweries producing less than 25,000,000 litres of beer per
annum. Below are list of the most popular.

Fat Yak
Little Creatures Pale Ale
Stone and Wood Lager
Burleigh Brewing Company
Consumption per Capita

I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to met any national
crisis. This great point is to bring them real facts, and beer

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

Though this data is a few years old it does give a good indication of which countries, and their people,
enjoy beer the most.

But sadly it is also showing a reduction in beer consumption and enjoyment in nearly all the countries
on this list

Total national
Consumption
Country consumption
(litres)
(106 L)
Czech Republic 132 1708
Germany 107 8787
Austria 106 888
Ireland 104 479
Estonia 91 117
Lithuania 86 304
Poland 84 3215
Australia 83 1794
Venezuela 83 2259
Finland 83 435
Slovenia 83 165
United States 78 24138
Belgium 78 844
Croatia 78 350
Romania 77 1700

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Panama 75 256
Netherlands 74 1224
United Kingdom 74 4587
Bulgaria 73 521
New Zealand 71 300

World’s leading beer brands

Beer is enjoyed the world over and is the second most popular beverage in the world. Tea is the most
popular.

Below is table listing the top 6 beer brands by million hectolitres(100 litres) produced annually.

1. Snow range 61.0 China

2. Bud Light range 55.6 USA

3. Budweiser 43.4 USA

4. Skol 35.4 Brazil

5. Corona 32.7 Mexico

6. Heineken 29.1 Netherlands

Section 4 - Beer Tasting & Food Matching

Beer is an adventure with over 10,000 different brands and styles worldwide. Each beer should be enjoyed and
savoured based on what you know of the beer and what you like in a beer. Some people prefer the sweet malty
flavour of some beers; while others consider a hoppy bitter style of beer more to their liking.

Beer can be complex or very simple. You can love a beer, take it or leave it, or hate it. You should taste beer with
your eyes, your nose, and, of course, your mouth.

1. You taste with your eyes

The beer should look clean and tasty. There should be no floating particles in the beer unless that is the style of beer.
Bubbles should be small with lots of movement to the top of the glass unless it is an ale. The head, in most instances,
should be white or cream in colour and should last for the duration of your enjoyment.

2. You taste with your nose

Good beers have a beautiful aroma. Some beers have a delicate sweet smell which emanates from malted barley or
other selected grains. Beers can also have wonderful fruity smell. This smell comes from the hops. There are many
different types of hops so it depends what hops is used as to the smell that comes from the beer.

3. You Taste with your mouth

Beers vary greatly in taste bough about the wide range of ingredients that are used.

Some beers, like a Porter, will have a full mouth feel with both bitter and some sweet tastes. A beer like a Pilsener
will have a delicate taste with high carbonation delivering a fresh taste.

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Seven Beer Tasting Tips

Tasting beer is subjective. There are seven simple tips that you can use to understand the beer that
you are tasting. They are:

1. Pouring
2. Appearance
3. Aroma
4. First Sip
5. Mouth Feel
6. Finish
7. Style

Each of these will be discussed on the next slides.

1. Pouring the Beer

If you are pouring the beer yourself from a bottle gently run it down the inside of the glass. Judge your pour
speed based on the head that is forming. Pouring the beer too fast will create too much head, too slow not
enough head. Aim to have about a two finger head when you're done. Some beers contain visible yeast at the
bottom of the bottle that is meant to be drunk with the beer. If this is the case, stop the pour with a bit of beer
left in the bottle. Swirl the remaining liquid to lift the yeast sediment and pour it into your glass.

2. Appearance

Note whether the head is dense or thin. Heads are sometimes described as rocky if they are especially dense
with dips and peaks forming as some of the bubbles pop. The color of the head is also worth noting and can
range from pure white on Pilsners to light or medium brown on some stouts and porters.

Examine the appearance of the beer itself. Hold the glass up to the light and note the color and whether it is
cloudy or clear.

3. Aroma

Note whether it smells primarily of hops or malt? Generally speaking light colored beers will smell more of hops
while darker beers tend to have a pronounced malt, roasted, chocolate or coffee aroma. Many ales have a hard
to pin down spiciness or fruitiness from their yeasts.

Take your time with the aroma. Try to take three good sniffs before your first sip. If you're taking notes, stop to
write your impressions before the first sip distracts you.

4. First Sip

When taking your first sip, note the initial sensation as the beer enters your mouth. Think about whether it is
sweet, bitter or something else. Beer, especially ale, can be very complex. There can be quite a difference
between the first taste and the finish.

5. Mouth feel

This is the texture of the beer or how it physically feels in your mouth. Beer ranges from silky dry stouts, to thick
and chewy Scotch ales to thin and fizzy Berliner Weisses. This is an important characteristic of a beer.

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6. Finish

Note the lingering flavors after you swallow the drink. Often it can be bitter from the hops or a lingering malty
sweetness.

Stop before your next drink and try to write down everything that you just detected. Try to confirm it all with
your second drink or see if you need to rethink your conclusions.

7. Style

There is a lot of variation from one beer to the next with regards to what is "correct," stylistically speaking.

“It was as natural as eating and, to me, as necessary. I would not have thought or eating a meal without drinking a
beer.” ERNEST HEMINGWAY

Tips:

In addition to the previous hints, the following will enhance your beer tasting experience.

1. Do not taste new beers with food or soon after eating. The lingering flavors from food can greatly affect your
impression of the brew.

2. Cleanse your palate with water. Crackers or cheese are fine but you should remember that even these foods
can affect the apparent flavors of the beer.

3. If you're tasting a number of different beers, let the color be your guide. It is best to taste from light to dark.

4. Have you ever heard the expression “a cleansing ale”? Beer can refresh the palate due to its carbonation which
refreshes the palate. Therefore beer can be a wonderful addition to a meal where there is numerous courses
being served with contrasting flavours.

Food Matching

“A quart of ale is a dish for a king.” WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

The dining table has traditionally been a place for food and wine, while beer has been relegated to bars, sporting
events and parties. These days, however, beer is stating its claim to be as good a compliment to food as wine.

If you want to take a lead from wine then think lagers, or lighter style beers, as white wines and darker beers such as
porters, stouts and robust ales as red wines. If you think along these lines matching food to beer and vice versa will
become much easier.

There are major differences between wine and beer which must be recognised when food and beer matching. Most
beers lack acidity and tannin two things that make wine such a good match with food. However, beer does have
other excellent qualities such as bitterness (hops), sweetness (malted barley and other grains), carbonation and a
lower alcohol level.

Good Point
Listed below are some tricks of the trade to match the most common styles of
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beers to food:
 Ale: Asian Food, Mexican food, Cheddar cheese
 Bock Beer: Cajan food, Saugage, seared food
 Lager: Sushi, grilled chicken and pork, spicy food
 Pilsner: Salads, fish, Mexican food, American cheeses
 Porter: Smoked foods, rich stews, meats
 Stout: Braised dishes, chocolate, roast food
 Wheat beer: Asian food, Salads, citrus flavoured dishes

It was as natural as eating and, to me, as necessary. I would not have thought or eating a meal
without drinking a beer. ERNEST HEMINGWAY

Shellfish Stout with oysters are a perfect match

Most shellfish are matched well with a dry Porter Stout

Fish: Crisp hoppy beers are best like a Pilsner style. Wheat beers offer a unique
combination with seafood as well.

Pizza: Pizza are usually topped with cooked tomato which makes matching
difficult. We would recommend sweeter style lager or malty Brown Ale

Chicken or Pork: Sweeter meats need a malty lager or pale Ale.

Red meat: Best partnered with full coloured fruity ales or heavy style Pale Ale .
The heavier the dish the heavier the beer

Spicy Food: Hoppy Pilsners are best

Barbeque: Burnt tasting Porters are worth a try

Salads: Very acidic beers are the best such as a Berliner Weisse

Cheese: Old English Ales are the pick of the bunch

Section 5 – Serving & Selling Beer

“I am off for a quiet pint – followed by fifteen noisy ones.” GARETH CHILCOTT

Serving Beer

In the previous section we talked about “tasting with your eyes”. Thus, the presentation of the beer in the glass in
terms of its foam head, clarity, brilliance and colour is very important. In terms of flavour, the foam head is critical.

Beer glass shape, material and thickness impacts on the longevity of the foam, and whether or not the aromas are
caught and presented to the drinker’s nose. Thicker glasses will reduce the rate of beer warming thus tending to
improve the persistence of the foam. Long cylindrical shaped pils glasses will have a higher surface to volume ratio,
thus warm more quickly. Importantly, glasses with a relatively narrow brim compared to their body tend to
concentrate aromas in the glass and present them to the drinker’s nose.

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Beat the Bloat

One myth surrounding bear is ‘beer is bloating’. Beer as we know is a carbonated beverage, the same as champagne
and soft drink.

The fundamental difference between beer and champagne is that champagne is rarely, if ever, consumed directly from
the bottle, whilst beer is often drunk straight from the bottle.

When beer is consumed straight from the bottle, the CO2 contained within the beer will end up in the stomach, as
there is nowhere else for it to go. When the beer is poured into a glass, certain amounts of the CO2 gas will be released
into the air reducing the amount of carbonation reaching your stomach and reducing the bloating nature of the beer.

Keep it Clean

Beer is more enjoyable when served in a clear glass. The most important tip is that you’ll get the best sparkle in your
beer when your glassware sparkles. Any trace of grease, soap or lint from a towel will cut down on beer enjoyment. A
clean beer glass is necessary to acquire the proper foam and flavour. If washed properly, there will be no bubbles
clinging to the side of the glass. The foam will adhere to the inside of the glass in a ring design.

To get your glassware squeaky clean if you hand wash, use a soap-free, odourless cleaning agent. Baking soda is
excellent, too. Always rinse glasses thoroughly in clean, cool running water and allow them to drain freely and air dry.
If you are using a dishwasher, use liquid detergent and a glass sparkling agent. Another tip from the experts is to dip
the clean glasses into cold rinse water right before filling and serving.

How to pour a beer:

Use a clean glass. A dirty glass, containing oils, detergents, dirt or residual liquid from a previous beer, won’t give
your beer a good stage to work from.
Hold you glass at a 30-45 degree angle. Pour the beer, targeting the middle of the slope of the glass. There’s no rule
about the distance between the bottle and glass, that’s a personal preference.
At the half-way point, bring the glass to a 90 degree angle and continue to pour in the middle of the glass.
This will create a perfect foam head- this is a very good thing. It releases the beers aroma and adds to the overall beer
sensation.

GOOD POINT

What to do when you pour a beer and:

 If beer is flat..then..
Glass is not clean
Not enough CO2 pressure
Cooler or system is too cold
Leak in tubes or kegs
Obstruction in line
Beer drawn improperly

 If beer is cloudy..then..
Beer over-chilled in cooler
Beer was warm at one time
Hot spots in beer line
Beer hose in bad condition
Contaminated pressure
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Beer has been frozen

How to sell a beer

Selling beer is a very emotive thing. Customers usually have strong preferences and usually know what they like and
don’t like.

Beer, like all foods, is about trial and error and working out what you like and what you don’t. Your customers, in
most instances, have tried one or two beers in the course of their life.

The following hints will help you to sell a customer a different beer:

 Know the beer yourself. You cannot sell what you don’t know. Add some theatre to the sell. Talk about the
creamy head, the malty sweet aroma and warm mouth feel etc.
 Unfortunately unless you have a particular beer on tap it is difficult to get a customer to try a beer, unlike
wine, so your description (product knowledge) must be precise so the customer gets a “feel” for the beer
before they have tried it.
 Know your beer and food matching. Telling a customer that a particular beer will go with a particular food
good be crucial in getting a sale.
 Be honest. If you don’t like a beer tell the customer but tell them why. The beer you don’t like might be just
what the customer wants.
 Always get feedback from customers so you can pass comments on to other customers. these referrals could
be your best method of helping you sell a beer. Also getting feedback will allow you to determine which
beers are popular and which are not. There is no point in carrying a beer that no one wants.
 Finally, ask the customer what they like. This might seem obvious but the number of times someone just
hands you the wine and beer list and expects you to make an order is quite often. With the customers help
you can serve them a beer that they will enjoy. And with luck, they might even buy another.

Product Knowledge
I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to met any national crisis. This great
point is to bring them real facts, and beer
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
To find out about the beers you sell there are many places for you to source information:

 Management: Usually a manager/owner will have reasons why they sell the beers they do so this is
a good place to start
 Customers: Ask the customers what they thought of a particular beer when they have finished it
 Sales Representatives: The people who sell the beer will have a wealth of information about the beers they
sell. However, watch for the bias that might come from this source
 The internet: Great source of information when you want to compare lots of different styles and
brands of beer
 Trade magazines: This is a good place to look but, again, watch for the bias for articles written for the
trade magazine may have been written by the company that brews the beer.

Supplier Support

Beer suppliers are a wealth of information for support in the selling of their product. Suppliers
normally have a truck load of Point of Sale material that can be used to help sell their beer both on-
premise and off premise. Some of these products are:

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Table Talkers: these are small vertically mounted signs that go on tables or on the bar. They alert
customers who are sitting in these areas about the beer and is usually accompanied with a price
promotion.

Signs: Good noticeable signs around an establishment is a sound way to bring attention to a particular
beer and hopefully therefore sales

Coasters: Most beer companies produce coasters. Ask your sales rep for some of these. The
companies would not produce them if they did not help sales.

Promotions: Some companies offer incentives to customers for buying their product. This could be as
simple a price reduction to the customer or it could be an incentive like “buy two beers and receive a
cap”. Usually these promotions are “off the shelf” and ready to go so ask your sales rep about this.

Talk: Ask your rep about successful beer promotions in other venues. The rep will only be keen to tell
you about promotions in other venues that help sell their beer.

Sell More Beer

If you want to sell more beer you must have these 5 things in your venue:

1. Variety: A wider variety of beers means you attract a wider consumer base and therefore sell
more beer
2. Temperature: Whether from a bottle or from the tap the beer must be served at the right
temperature
3. Value: Don’t rip off your customers with expensive beer. Price your beer fairly and you will
sell more.
4. Clean Glasses: You have to have clean beer glasses if you don’t the beer will not present
well which does not sit well with customers
5. Sell with a smile: Being friendly and accommodating will always help you sell more beer

Section 6 - Cider
Cider is currently enjoying great success within the Australian market.

It is a refreshing alcoholic beverage traditionally made from apples. In recent years, we have seen the introduction
of pear, berry and other fruit varieties increasing in popularity.

Cider is made from apple juice which has undergone two different kinds of fermentation.

The first fermentation is carried out by yeasts which have either been added deliberately or which are naturally
present on the apple skins. This fermentation converts sugars to ethanol and the higher alcohols (fusel alcohols). The
second fermentation, the malo-lactic fermentation converts L(-)-malic acid to L(+)-lactic acid and carbon dioxide. This
fermentation is carried out by lactic acid bacteria which are present in the apple juice and also in the area in which
the fermentation is carried out. The malo-lactic fermentation can occur concurrently with the yeast fermentation
but more often it is delayed until the fully fermented cider reaches 15 C, normally in the late spring or early summer
of the year following that in which the cider was made.

The Cider Making Process

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Traditional cider making starts with the picking of the apples. These are left to mature for a week and then tipped
into a "scratcher" which crushes the apples. In more modern plants the apples are reduced to a pulp in a grater type
mill made of stainless steel. The apple pulp is known as the pomace or pommy.

Next the pulp must be crushed to extract the juice. This is done in a cider press. Several types of press are used. The
traditional type is a rack and cloth press (sometimes known as a pack press). In this type of press a sheet of sisal or
hessian is placed across the bottom of a square frame above a trough. A layer of pomace, 4-5 inches deep, is poured
onto the hessian. The hessian is folded over the pomace, completely enclosing it. Another sheet of hessian is placed
on top of the first and the process repeated until the layers fill the frame. The cider press is then racked down onto
the layers and the juice runs into the trough. The pomace is pressed until it is solid and no more juice runs out. The
press is then racked up, the layers of pomace are broken up by hand, and the whole lot is re-pressed. In modern
plants mechano- hydraulically operated plate presses are used. The pressed pomace is either dried in hot air to 12%
moisture and used for manufacture of pectin (Solid extract from fruit), or it is directly sold on for cattle feed.

The freshly pressed juice may be fermented straight away. In some commercial operations it is concentrated and
stored for later conversion to cider, in which case it is extensively treated to pasturise it and to remove pectin. The
fresh juice may be fermented in one of two different ways. Traditionally the juice is run into a wooden pipe (a barrel
which can contain 120 gallons) or smaller wooden barrels, and the bung of the barrel is removed. No yeast is added,
traditional cider making relies on wild yeasts. The fermentation starts in 1-2 days and continues for several weeks,
during which time the barrel is topped up with more cider. When fermentation is over, the bung is replaced and the
cider matured for 5-6 months.

Alternatively the juice is treated with sulphur dioxide to inhibit natural wild yeasts, and is then fermented with
added pure yeast cultures. This method is used in high output commercial operations. After the initial fermentation
subsides, the cider is left for the yeast to settle, and it is either racked and/or centrifuged and placed into storage
tanks. Storage may last 12-18 months, and the cider is blended with new and old ciders to moderate any excessive
changes thus maintaining a consistent flavour profile year on year. These cider blends are nearly always cleared by
centrifugation or kieselguhr filtration. This type of cider is sterilised by sterile filtration or flash pasteurization and is
artificially carbonated in the bottle by counter-pressure bottle fillers. Sulphur dioxide is added at this stage to
maintain the stability of the cider. The resulting product may be considered analagous to keg beer.

Characteristics of Apple Juice

Compared to wort, apple juice has a much lower pH, a much lower soluble nitrogen content, and a virtual absence of
any sugars other than mono- and di-saccharides. The composition of the juice varies with the apple variety used. The
average composition of cider apple juice in terms of its sugar content is 74% fructose, 15% sucrose, and 11% glucose.
There are almost no other sugars present so that there is very little residual gravity left in fully-fermented ciders.

The major acid present is L(-)-malic acid but shikimic, quinic, chlorogenic and p-coumarylquinic acids are commonly
present. The juice also contains soluble pectin (polymers of galacturonic acid esterified with methanol). Tannins are
present, mainly epi-catechin, dimeric and trimeric pro-anthocyanidin and phenolic acids. These phenolics are the
fraction which undergoes oxidation in damaged fruit.

The soluble nitrogen content is low and is largely made up of asparagine, aspartic and glutamic acids. Apple juice
usually contains one eighth of the soluble nitrogen content of wort. The lower nitrogen content is further
exaggerated by the much lower pitching rates used in cider making when compared to beer making, usually 5-15
times lower. This means that the apple juice must support a higher degree of yeast growth and thus the
fermentation is much protracted. Some commercial operations now add ammonium sulphate to the cider to give
rapid and consistent fermentations.

Cider in Australia

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Cider is enjoying great success in Australia over the last 5 years with the market for cider growing at over 19% per
annum year on year. No other beverage in recent time has seen this spectacular growth.

Growth has been spurred on by the rise of cider manufactures all over the country plus the heavy marketing by the
two major brewers who both supply ciders to the Market. Fosters owns Strongbow and Lion Nathan owns 5 Seeds.

This growth can also be attributed to the changing tastes of the Australian public who are enjoying sweeter alcoholic
beverages. This fondness to sweeter beverages started with the introduction of Ready To Drink beverages such as
Lemon Ruski’s, Sub Zero, UDL’s and Vodka Cruisers to name just a few.

Cider is predominately sold in similar bottles to beer, however, it is now readily available on tap in a lot of outlets.
Some cider manufactures are using unique bottles to stand out from the crowd and or marketing themselves as
organic.

Cider Brands

There are many ciders on the market here are a few of the top selling Australia made ciders:

 Strongbow
 Mercury
 Five Seeds
 Three Oaks Cider
 Pipsqueak

Of the top selling ciders some are imported:

Magna’s (UK)

Weston’s (UK)

Monteith’s (NZ)

Kopparberg (UK)

Rekorderlig (Sweeden)

Bulmers (UK)

For a beverage to be called a cider in Australia it must contain a minimum of 25% apple juice.

Did you know that you could call “cider apple” wine for they are made in virtually the same process
and like grapes apples are fruit.

Here are some other fruits added to apple to cider to change the flavour and colour of the beverage:

 Strawberries
 Pear
 Mango
 Rasberry
 Blackcurrent

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