My journey to become a Cicerone

I'm studying beer, every possible aspect of beer, to gain certification as a Cicerone. This blog should help me, because reasons

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Esters generate the fruity aromas found in beers. They tend to be more present in top fermented ales, and less so in bottom fermented lagers. There's some debate as to if this is due to the yeast strain or possibly fermentation temperature. The most significant esters you'll notice in beer are isoamyl acetate, which gives a beer the banana like aroma that MAKES a German wheat, ethyl acetate which is lightly fruity and solvent like, ethyl caprylate which will bring apples to mind, ethyl caproate which is also appley with a touch of aniseed, and phenylethyl acetate which brings roses and/or honey.

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They may sound like a rad Harry Potter spell, but these little guys make a different kind of magic happen. Both species of yeast from the genus Saccharomyces, the pastorianus species is a bottom fermenting yeast used to produce lagers at cooler temps, and the cerevisiae species working as a top fermenting yeast to brew ales at warmer temperatures. Variations of these two yeasts are used to produce the vast majority of the liquid gold we know as beer.

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Based on the glassware and color, I'd guess that's a German Festbier. The festbier, used to be exactly like the German marzen, but over time they made it lighter to appease people with lighter tastes. Both are the associated with Oktoberfest.

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Very important beer and pie chart for geologists on this important Pi(e) Day.

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Somewhat disagree with the last two. I'd flip em. Pale lagers are super light in flavor, so I'd serve is, as a refresher to lighten the chocolate cream pie. The stout, especially if its imperial, is going to be rich and heavy. Stacking rich and heavy on Rich and heavy would come off as over bearing, so pairing it, with a much brighter pie, like key lime would satisfy every desire

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Let's talk a bit about what makes wild ales so wild. Some of the best sours you'll find, use spontaneous fermentation, the yeasts and bacteria present in the air, and in the oak allow for some truly funky flavors to develop.

Brettanomyces is a wild yeast that yields a goaty barnyard flavor that's sometimes leathery and ads a lightly fruity acidity. It is common in Goses, lambics, gueuzes, Brett ales, old ales, Bier de gardes, and flanders.

Lactobacillus is a microorganism responsible for foods like sauerkraut and yogurt. In beer it gives a tart lactic acidity and can be found in Flanders ales, Saisons, and Berliner Weisse

Pediococcus is a microorganism that produces lactic acid and diacetyl. Can sometimes be found in lambics and gueuze, but can sometimes (thanks to diacetyl) make them come off buttery.

Acetobactor is a microorganism that produces acetic acid, giving the beer a vinegar or pickle like taste. Can be found in Flanders reds, and lambics.

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Unfruited lambics are uncarbonated and rarely seen outside Belgium. Spontaneous fermentation makes for a very sour, acidic beer, with a lot of funky flavors including horse blanket or barnyard flavors. They're straw to gold in color, ranging from 3 to 7 on the SRM.

The assertive sour quality seriously reduces your perceived bitterness, putting then at zero to ten IBUs.

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Belgian witbiers tend to be light and slightly fruity. They're straw to light gold in color, tend to be hazy, and rank 2-4 on the SRM, they have a low bitterness at from 8 to 20 IBUs. Normal alcohol four and a half to five and a half percent alcohol by volume. They're a fairly popular style, that's notable for having half its recipe being unmalted wheat. Some commercial examples include hoegaarden, st bernardus wit, and blue moon.

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Attenuation refers to the amount of sugars converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide in a beer. The greater the attenuation, the higher the abv, and dryer the finish.

Basically the yeast eats the fermentable sugars and converts them into alcohol. The more attenuative the yeast, the more alcohol you'll get in your beer. A good analogy for this can be found on beerandbrewing.com likening the yeast to eating at a restaurant.

100 percent attenuation means you cleaned your plate.

75 percent attenuation means you took home about a quarter of your dinner in a doggy bag.

50 percent attenuation means you probably should have split an entrée with your dining partner.

0 percent attenuation means you lost your appetite after ordering

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Saisons, or farmhouse ales are often described as funky due to the unique yeast used to ferment them. They're usually light gold to amber in color, five to fourteen using the SRM. They tend to have moderate bitterness at 20-35 IBUs and normal to elevated abv ranging from five to seven percent alcohol. They often use a wide range of herbs and spices that would put the colonel to shame, to add flavor. They drink pretty dry due to high carbonation and attenuation. Common flavor descriptor would be horse blanket, which is more palatable than it sounds. commercial examples include saison du pont, Unibroue Saison 13, and St Feuillien Saison.

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Unclean draft lines can seriously interfere with the flavor your beer is SUPPOSED to have. It's a businesses responsibility to handle that. I'm very proud to work for people that actually care and don't need to be reminded, but wherever you buy your beer, ask. Someone should know when they were cleaned, and if they don't, find a new bar.

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The color of beer comes primarily from the malts used, and those malts make a huge difference on the flavor. They're not the only factor of course, but here are some ideas of how malt effects the flavor. Straw to gold beers are going to have raw dough and bread characters. Ambers tend to be like bread crust and nutty. Browns are slightly roasty, toasty, and caramelly. Black beers are roasty, with notes of roasted coffee and sometimes chocolate.

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Belgian golden strong ales came out in the mid twentieth century, they're straw to gold in color ranging from three to six on the SRM. You'll get moderate bitterness at about 22 to 35 IBUs, and high but well hidden alcohol ranging from 7.5 to 10.5% Many countries, Belgium included have developed a ladder system to their beers, this would be a stronger version of the aforementioned Belgian Blond Ale. The names often reference the devil, with commercial examples being Duvel, Gulden Draak, and Delirium Tremens.

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I want to be clear, I don't 100% agree with this. This is something I'll be tested on, but some styles IMO improve with age, barrel aged beers specifically. The hop bit is accurate though. Old ipas ate fuggin gross.

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Beer should ideally be kept chilled, but not ice cold. The colder a beer is, the less flavor it will have, however high temperatures actually damage the beer and causes off flavors. 35-45°

is the sweet spot, but cellar temperature of 45-60° are probably fine. Actual heat though, like the trunk of your car on a summer day is terrible for the quality of beer.

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This is seriously important to the consumer. Honestly, cans protect the best, but brown is best for bottles. Sometimes, if the beer is in a case, you'll be okay, but it takes VERY little to ruin a beer.

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The Belgian Blond ale is light gold to gold in color, putting it from a four to a seven using the SRM. It has a low perceived bitterness ranking at roughly fifteen to thirty IBUs. Generally ranges from six to seven and a half percent alcohol by volume. It's a slightly sweet refreshing Belgian, that was originally brewed to compete with pilsners and such. Commercial examples include Leffe, and LaChouffe

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IBUs are international bitterness units. They describe how bitter a beer is. While a considerable amount of bitterness comes from hops, some also comes from additives like coffee or chocolate.