How to get copper color in beer. What determines the color of beer? Brewing Ingredients

26.05.2016 04:14

All over the world, the same ingredients are used to make beer: hops, malt, water and yeast. Dozens and even hundreds of styles of this drink have emerged, thanks to the variety of brewing methods. The brewers' imaginations are limitless here. Beer packaged in kegs of different styles and manufacturers is popular all over the world.

The role of malt and brewer's yeast in brewing

Malt, which is most often used in beer brewing technology, is sprouted grains containing the amount of sugar necessary for fermentation. The dried grains are roasted and ground. In this form they are boiled in water.

Brewer's yeast is added to the cooled broth, under the influence of which the fermentation process occurs.

Fermentation occurs:

• riding;
• grassroots;
• spontaneous.

Depending on the type of yeast, fermentation can be top or bottom. Fungi, which prefer a cool environment (5-14°C), descend during fermentation, resulting in a beer called lager. For top fermentation, a temperature of 15 to 20°C is required. Sweet and strong beer produced using this technology is called ale.

The drink produced by spontaneous fermentation is called lambic. This beer is made in Brabant (Belgium). It does not require yeast to produce. Beer wort is poured into wooden barrels that have been used to store wine - Burgundy, sherry or port. Fermentation is caused by microorganisms remaining on the walls and entering from the air.

The influence of grain on beer style

The grain also influences the style of the beer. Most often barley is used for its production, less often other grains - oats, rye, wheat, rice, corn, spelt.

For example, Belgian (belgian wheat beer) and German top-fermented beer (weizen or weissbier) are made from wheat.
Unsprouted grains are often used. An example of such a beer is British dark alestout. It is produced using roasted barley that has not been malted.

What determines the color and taste of beer?

The color of the product is determined by the temperature of drying and roasting of the malt, ranging from light amber to almost charred. For example, British ale bitter and Czech lager pilsner are made from light malt, and British ale porter is made from dark brown malt.

The taste depends on the type of hop. Both selection varieties and traditional ones are used - Tettnangsky, Gallertaussky, Zhatetsky and Byuvransky. An important role is also played by the methods of processing cones. Lambic hops are aged for 3 years or more.

Additional components are added to certain types of beer ( fruit juices, ginger, etc.). For example, when adding dark cherries, a Belgian lambic creek is obtained, raspberries are added to frambosen (Framboise).

Collection beer

Imported beer in bulk can be everyday beer with a shelf life of 3 to 6 months and collectible beer with a mandatory maturation period and the need for proper storage.

Not all styles are used for aging, but only a few. Typically these are strong drinks with a low hop content. An example would be Belgian strong ale, imperial stout, English barley wine ale, English old ale, lambic and others.

Beer is placed in dark bottles marked “bottle conditioned” on the label and sealed tightly.
The style of a beer is sometimes indicated by its origin. Cologne ale is brewed only in Cologne, while Trappist ale is brewed in monastery breweries in Belgium and Holland.

In the photo:

1. Bitter is an English ale with a pleasant bitterness and a complete absence of sugar.
2. Porter is a dark British beer with the aroma of top-fermented roasted malt.
3. Weissbier/Weizen is a light, thirst-quenching German wheat ale with a clove aroma and tangy taste.
4. Burley wine is a sweet and strong beer or “barley wine” with a long shelf life.
5. Kriek is a Belgian lambic with the addition of dark dried cherries.
6. Pilsner is a light Czech lager with a specific hop aroma and bitter taste.
7. Märzen is an amber-colored German lager.

The color of your beer depends largely on the ingredients you use. Basically, malt gives beer its color. The use of special malts allows you to achieve a wide variety of colors, from light amber to almost black.

Units for measuring beer color.

There are 3 main methods used in brewing to measure the color of beer:

• Lovibond degrees

While a lot has already been written about Lovibond degrees, many may not have heard of them before. In fact, measuring beer color in degrees Lovibond is the oldest approach. It was invented by D.W. Lovibond in the second half of the 19th century. This method of measuring color began to be used in 1883.

Measuring the color of beer - Lovibond method.

The method of measuring the color of beer using Lovibond degrees involves visually comparing the beer to special colored glasses. The simplicity of this approach contributed to its rapid spread, but after some time, misunderstandings and friction began to arise among brewers regarding the color of beer and the accuracy of its determination. The human eye perceives colors slightly differently. Also, environmental conditions, for example lighting, also greatly influence the accuracy of determining the color of beer using the Lovibond method. After some time, the outdated method of determining the color of beer by glass was replaced by a new, more accurate method - SRM

Determination of beer color - SRM.

SRM (Standard Reference Method) is an approach to determining the color of beer using a special device - a spectrophotometer. The use of a special device made it possible to more accurately and unambiguously determine the color of beer, which made this method more popular in the brewing market.

Simultaneously with the introduction of SRM, another method for measuring beer color was developed in Europe - EBC - European Brewing Convention

The values ​​of these two color measurement systems diverge, which leads to the mandatory indication of the system in which the color measurements were made. Moreover, in the early 2000s, the EBC system was modernized, but the introduction of the new color system to the market was not successful and brewers around the world were divided into two groups. The first is for those who have adopted the new system, and the second is for those who still use its old modification.

Beer color calculator.

On our website you can find. It uses predefined color parameters for malts and other components, and based on their quantity and the amount of wort, calculates the approximate final color of the beer. Certainly. The color intensity of the finished product may be slightly different and differ from the calculated one. A lot of factors influence the color of beer, and it is simply impossible to predict and calculate them for the total mass. Even the composition of water affects the color of beer. However, using a color calculator will give you an idea of ​​what kind of beer you'll end up with. Another important factor is the color rendition of the monitor, which directly depends on your personal settings.

However, the color calculator not only shows the approximate color of the future beer, but also gives the result in numerical form.

The color calculation result is displayed for both the system and SRM

What affects the color of beer.

Here are a few main factors that influence the color of beer to a greater or lesser extent.

Water.

The amount of carbonates and bicarbonates in water affects the color of the beer. The relationship between the color of beer and the amount of carbonates is direct. This means that the more of these substances are dissolved in your mash water, the darker your beer will be. We have already talked about the effect of water on the quality of beer in the article ““. I think I won't repeat myself.

Malt color.

The color of malt and the intensity of its roasting, and, of course, its quantity are the main indicators that influence the color of beer. The more you use, the more intense the color of the beer you get. Using caramel malts will give your beer a more amber color. The use of roasted malts will give a black color and a unique taste. If you wish, you can read more about specialty malts.

Wort boiling time.

The brewing time of the wort also affects the color of the beer. Again, there is a direct relationship here. The more the wort boils, the darker it becomes. How much and why, read here.

Cooking defects.

When brewing beer, mistakes can be made that result in burning of malt to the mash - burnt malt will give a darker color to your beer, so you should choose the temperature and heating intensity correctly. Especially if your mash bar is equipped with electric heating elements. Also, using a false bottom can solve this problem when cooking on the stove. If you do not have a false bottom, and you are using a collector filter system, then regular stirring can also prevent the malt from burning.

Oxidation.

Oxygen also causes beer to darken. In addition, this is one of the most common beer defects.

Change in beer color.

Sometimes on forums, and in life, you can hear something like: I brewed everything exactly the same, but the color of the beer is different. Well, this happens. Even on an industrial scale, with colossal technical capabilities, the color of beer may differ from batch to batch. What can we say about home brewing beer. In the end, the differences in color are not that critical. The main thing is that you like it.

Good luck with your brewing and delicious, beautiful beer!

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Determines the color of your beer based on the amount and color of the fermentable ingredients used (malt, burnt sugar, malt extract, etc.) in the recipe. If a certain ingredient has a high color index and its use in beer is sufficient, then the beer will similarly turn out darker.

There are three main systems characterizing the color of beer - these are Lovibond degrees (0 L), SRM and EBC. Moreover, the EBC system comes in both the old and new determination methods, which may confuse some brewers. The Lovibond method is the oldest and was developed by D.W. Lovibond in the late 19th century, 1883 to be exact. It involves determining color by comparing it with special colored pieces of glass. But just as the human eye can determine color in different ways, this method has been replaced by SRM, which determines color using a special device - a spectrophotometer. During the introduction of SRM (Standard Reference Method), Europe independently developed its own method for determining color and called it EBC (European Brewing Convention). Over time, already in 2000, the old EBC system was replaced by a new one, but many European brewers and maltsters did not follow this recommendation and still continue to use the older measurement system.

SRM and 0 L have almost the same value, but EBC is different and this dependence was derived in special formulas:

EBC (new method) = SRM * 1.97; SRM = EBC / 1.97;

EBC (old method) = 2.65 * SRM - 1.2; SRM = 0.377 * EBC + 0.45;

Due to the fact that the old method is currently more in demand, our The brewing recipe builder calculates the old EBC using the corresponding formula above. And the color of the beer in your recipe is determined by this formula:

SRM = 1.5 * (W * 2.2 * S / (V * 0.26)) ^ 0.68 where

W- weight of the fermented ingredient in kilograms

S- color fermentable ingredient in SRM

V- size (volume) of the wort batch after boiling, l

The resulting arithmetic value is the approximate color of your recipe, which is displayed in glasses of beer for clarity (see picture above). Unfortunately, this color is just a rough estimate. But in practice, it can differ significantly, and it is different for each brewer. For clarity, below I provide a list of factors that influence color:

1. Composition of your brewing water. An important trace element in water that affects the color of beer is carbonates or hydrocarbonates. The higher the level of these ions in your water, the darker your beer will be. These substances increase the alkalinity of the water, which leads to better leaching of dyes from the grain. Taking this factor into account, there are standards for the content of this ion in water. For light beers their amount should not exceed 50 mg/l, for amber (semi-dark) 50-150 mg/l, and for dark beers their content is preferably even higher, but not more than 350 mg/l.
2. Shades of fermented ingredients. There are different types of malt, some have reddish tones, others are brownish, others are rich black or burnt, etc. Also, a combination of different types can create different shades in the finished beer. This means that the calculator will not be able to accurately represent these shades in your recipe.
3. Wort boiling time and intensity, as well as the period of time the wort is in a hot state. The fact is that the longer the wort is boiled or kept in a hot state, the more hot decomposition materials are formed, which increase the color of the wort. Therefore, for the light ones types of beer long boiling, as well as keeping it hot after boiling is not advisable. But for dark beers this may make sense.
4. Burning of mash or malt extract. If the mash is heated directly (for example, in a pan on a gas burner), then parts of it may burn due to poor mixing. This also applies malt extracts while boiling. Burning causes caramelization of the sugars, which increases color and can significantly degrade the flavor of the finished beer.
5. Oxidation. Oxygen is one of the main enemies of beer, which spoils its quality at all stages of beer production. In addition to the deterioration of the taste and storage properties of the drink, there is also an increase in its color. Therefore, try to minimize exposure to air during all stages of beer brewing, except for aerating the wort before fermentation, which is necessary for normal yeast function.
6. Differences in malt color values ​​from batch to batch. Unfortunately, different indicators of your ingredients may differ from batch to batch, and the same applies to color. Therefore, pay attention to the performance of your new purchased ingredient before using it. You may need to adjust the amount before using it in a recipe.

To summarize what has been said , I would like to add: if yourthe beer turned out to be much higher in color than the calculator predicts, then it may be worth paying attention to these factors in order to eliminate the shortcomings when brewing the next recipe.

Happy brewing!

The color of a beer largely determines its type (for example, “light” and “dark” beer). Very light Pilsener beers or southern German beers are characterized by a color value of 5.3-7.5 units. EBC, Dortmunder beer, strong lager and Export beer - 9.5-11 units. EBC, Viennese (Wiener) and Maerzen beer - 18-30, and dark beer - 45-95 units. EMU.

The color of the beer must be clean and consistent with the type of beer. Discoloration may be a consequence of the use of low-quality raw materials, unsuitable brewing water, failures in the wort preparation process, insufficient turbidity separation, as well as sluggish fermentation. Color is determined by the quality, degree of dissolution and drying of the malt. In the production of dark beer, roasted (about 1%) and (sometimes) caramel malt are additionally used to obtain the desired color. The advisability of additional “touching up” of beer during the brewing process depends on the above factors. Heavily dried malt (at temperatures of 90-100 °C) due to the high content of polyphenols and anthocyanins and the resulting coloring substances (primary and secondary products of the Maillard reaction) causes a stronger coloration of beer than malt dried at lower temperatures (approx. 80 °C).

Slightly dissolved, carefully cured and dried malt (at a temperature of 80 ° C) adds slightly coloring substances to the mash. Color formation is retarded by steep water, negative residual alkalinity, and malt conditioning. coarse, casing separation, short mashing method, and a liquid first wort. Aeration during mashing, filtering and boiling the wort, as well as during prolonged treatment with hot air, contributes to stronger coloration by phenolic substances. Excessive heat treatment wort (e.g. by boiling or in a hot wort tank) promotes additional formation of Maillard reaction products and thus an increase in color. During fermentation, due to a decrease in the pH value, a distinct lightening of the young beer begins, which ultimately determines the color of the beer. The clarification process is also influenced by filtration or the use of high-quality adsorbents.

The color change from malt to beer (based on a 12% initial wort) using the example of light beer is as follows: congress (laboratory) wort - 4.2, first wort - 5.5, wort in the wort brewer (with toppings) - 6.5, hot hopped wort - 7.5, initial wort - 8.3, beer - 6.0 units. EMU. With a high oxygen content, the color of bottled beer can increase by 0.5-1 units. EBC producing a reddish-brown hue.

So, there are a crazy number of varieties and types of beer in the world. And they all differ not only in taste, aroma, but also in color. Let's talk about what determines the color of beer.

The color of the foam is largely influenced by its main component - malt. And although most varieties use the same malt - barley, the shades of beer are still different. And often dramatically.

What is important to know about malt?

Malt is sprouted grain. As we found out earlier, most often - barley. It needs to be sprouted to start fermentation, which is important for beer production. Sometimes fermentation needs to be stopped. This is done by drying the malt with hot air. This makes the beer light.

Sometimes the malt is pre-roasted. Then the beer turns out darker. However, the amount of roasted malt can vary; sometimes it has to be diluted with unroasted malt to obtain a sufficient amount of enzymes. And this, of course, also affects the flavor of the beer.

Basically, beer is divided into dark and light. But there are, although less often, “red” varieties. This shade of beer is provided by melanoin malt, which is processed in a special way. By the way, it does not contain enzymes at all. But it acquires a curious taste and aroma.

In addition to malt, the color of beer can also be influenced by:

Water: the harder it is, the darker the beer will be.

Oxygen: More exposure to oxygen causes the beer to become lighter. By the way, you need to be more careful here, since this, in addition, may also indicate the low quality of the drink. So a suspiciously light beer may not be very good.

With poor filtration, sediment may appear in the beer, which, when settled, also affects the color of the beer, making it more cloudy.

Let's not forget about various aromatic additives and even spices. What manufacturers don’t do to stand out.

In general, experts have a scale of forty shades of beer. And these are just the official shades!

You can always buy dark or light beer at the WineStreet store.