Define ALCOHOLIC FERMENTATION: a biological process in which elements such as glucose, fructose, and sucrose are converted into cellular energy and thereby produce ethanol and carbon dioxide as metabolic waste products.

In the realm of imbibing, beer only makes up a small percentage of the drinks and libations that can be both concocted and consumed by way of alcoholic fermentation. Historically speaking, beer as we know it today is quite different than it used to be, and fermented beverages have taken on several different shapes and flavors over the millennia. Whether drinking to celebrate, to calm nerves, or to ritualize tribal traditions, drinks made by way of alcoholic fermentation have been enjoyed all around the world for reasons far beyond simply the taste and satisfaction we so commonly associate with the beverages today.

Sacramental wine in church, vodka shots on a cold Russian night, a mint julep at the Kentucky derby, a beer at the ball game, Champagne on New Years Day, and countless other reasons to enjoy a beverage of choice illustrate the natural inclination we have as a species toward imbibing (the result of alcoholic fermentation).

For how long the human race has been enjoying the fruits of alcoholic fermentation, none of us can say for sure, but one fact does remain agreed upon: HONEY, being the most easily accessible fermentable sugar, proves to be the first main ingredient in the fermented drink known commonly as “mead.”

Mead

Mead, as we know and recognize it today, is both revered and relished. It not only has a devout following of purists and traditionalists, but also a more recent cult following comprised of individuals seeking alternatives to mass-marketed, macro-produced beers and wines.

As a product made primarily of honey, water and naturally occurring yeast, the simplicity of the ingredients in this historic drink provides us with the ability to ferment mead nearly anywhere in the world in which bees are able to pollinate local plant life and, in turn, produce honey. As honey produced from pollen gathered in the United States will most certainly differ in taste compared to honey from the United Kingdom, for example, mead produced in these varying geographical regions will also take on tastes exclusive to their own respective regions. This difference in taste, as a result of location, is known as “terroir.”

France, for instance, is often considered to have set the standard by which wine produced from grapes should be made and compared, though Spain and Italy would certainly dispute that claim. Scotland and Ireland often argue as to who was the first to distill whiskey, even though each location has their own wonderful and individualized style of the drink. South Africa produces a liqueur called Amarula, which is made from indigenous ingredients available in the area and Belgian breweries often stand strong in the practice of introducing only naturally occurring yeast strains to their beers, akin to the brewers and winemakers of old. Regardless of location, fermentation has been a part of human cultures from all over the world – each making something unique to their environment by working with the ingredients that nature has provided for them.

When it comes to alcoholic fermentation, mead is merely a trendsetter in its ability to give regionality a taste by which it is recognized. Areas all over the world have developed alcoholic drinks exclusive in taste to their specific locale, based on contributing factors such as climate, ingredients, and even natural yeasts.

Wine

Wine, as it’s known today, is a beverage made by fermenting the juice from grapes. Though much more involved than simply grape juice and yeast, wine is a term often applied to nearly anything fermented and of an alcoholic strength above 10%. Mead, for example, would be a drink that is commonly referred to as “honey wine.”

When discussing wine today, there are generally two main styles of the drink – Old World and New World.
Old World wines tend to be produced in places known for wine production beyond the last two hundred years. This generalization usually applies to European winemakers and, particularly (though certainly not necessarily exclusively) those of France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany and Austria. The standards of wine production in these regions has been interlaced with historical events such as Napoleonic invasions, world wars, and medieval monarchies. These events have produced a storied local history, which has brought on traditions in wine production that have not only survived the test of time, but have served to set a standard of winemaking that is revered the world over for its precision and dedication to excellence.

New World wines, on the other-hand, are wines made in parts of the world with a less ancestral wine-making history (such as North America, Australia, New Zealand and South America, etc.), or in a style of wine production that goes against the grain of its Old World brethren. While many winemakers wish to stick to the practices and techniques of the past, many modern winemakers, like many of today’s modern homebrewers, see their work with wine as an opportunity for self-expression and experimentation.

When drinking a fantastic bottle of Shiraz from the Barossa Valley in Australia, for example, it’s easy to see the differences between this New World wine and the Crozes-Hermitage from Old World France. I highly suggest you try each of these two wines at some point in your life – simply as a point of comparison. Both are produced using the same grape variety, but the similarities between these two drinks end there. The Shiraz has a bold, fruit-forward flavor with a deep, dark berry presence, whereas the Crozes-Hermitage tends to let its boldness take less of a starring role in order to allow the supporting cast of flavors (vanilla, clove, wood, spice, and a slight oxidation) to shine through.

The combination of possible wine flavors is truly endless, as every factor of the winemaking process plays a part in determining how the finished drink will ultimately taste to the consumer. From the type of soil the grapes are grown in, to the number of days of sunshine the grape plants receive, to the humidity of the region, the age of the vines, and the type of barrels that are used to age the drink, it all plays a part in the overall quality and taste of the finished product.

Because of the various factors involved in the taste of wine, it should come as no surprise that many of these factors will change from year to year, and as a result, produce a different flavored wine – something referred to in the winemaking world as “vintage.” Even though a winemaker can reproduce certain aspects of a successful wine, weather is truly the master of the winemaking ship and little can be done, at times, to duplicate a truly unique vintage.

Whiskey

Whiskey, or “Whisky” (without the “e”) as it is frequently labeled, is the product of alcoholic fermentation and distillation. Distillation in and of itself has many uses beyond the manufacturing of an alcoholic spirit, but for the context of this book, it’s essentially a way of extracting the alcohol from a beer-type liquid fermented from grains, water and yeast.

The concept of Whiskey fermentation is relatively simple. A process known as “malting” produces enzymes in a grain-like soup that converts otherwise unfermentable starches into more simplified and easily fermentable sugars during the “mashing” process. After mashing, the sugary sweet grain water known as “wort” is then fermented for a length of time dependent on the type of yeast and grain used. The “beer,” as it is called at this point, is then filled into a still and with the application of heat, alcohol begins to separate from the beer (i.e. alcoholic fermentation). It is the collection and condensation of this alcoholic vapor that produces a distilled spirit, which we then call “Whiskey.”

Whiskey’s produced in Ireland and Scotland are produced almost entirely from malted barley. Bourbon, which is an American export, however, is based primarily on corn with the addition of other grains such as rye, barley or wheat.

Water quality also plays into the distinct flavors of Whiskey. In Scotland, for example, the water itself is so revered that many distilleries are named after the water source they use. It is also the water source that contributes flavors often described as tasting salty, medicinal, briny or hard. In Kentucky, the birthplace of bourbon, it was the clean, iron-free limestone that housed the aquifers that distillers drew from, that helped to make that style of Whiskey an American Icon.

Rum

Rum is an an example of alcoholic fermentation that is very similar to Whiskey in that it too is distilled and traditionally aged in oak barrels. Usually produced in tropical regions where sugar cane grows and is easily accessible, Rum is distilled from a mash of sugar, minimally processed to retain all of the natural enzymes and nutrients present in the drink’s molasses, water and yeast ingredients. After fermentation, Rum typically undergoes two distillations (rather than just one) in a pot-style still and is then aged in oak barrels.

Oak aging helps to not only impart flavors from the barrels themselves, but also to allow the extraction of impurities from the Rum into the barrel. The constant process of expansion and contraction of the wood in the barrels allows for the drink to soak into the staves of the barrel during the day when it’s warm, and be forced out of the Rum, back into the drink, when the temperature drops each night. The result is that flavors from within the charred wood of the barrel itself can be tasted in the final Rum drink.

Cider

Cider, also known as “Hard Cider” or “Cyder,” is frequently considered an alternative to beer and is thought by many to be relatively new to the marketplace, even though cider has historically been around much longer than beer has. An  alcoholic fermentation of pressed apples, apple juice and yeast, Cider is a simple combination of ingredients with endless possibilities. Like beer, wine and rum, the combination of ingredients that go into this simple beverage will ultimately produce a product that is varied and original, depending on what type of apples are used, the age of the apples, and the yeast that is included.

North American cider producers utilize primarily heirloom apple varieties for cider production and have been preserving most of those orchards and/or varieties for several generations in order to preserve the heritage associated with cider making. France, as well, is also known for not only producing excellent Hard Cider, but for utilizing Cider in the production of a drink called Calvados, which is a twice-fermented drink that is then aged in French oak barrels. The original Cider used in Calvados production is generally made with a variety of apples not normally used for anything but Cider (and occasionally, baking).

Other Fermented Foods & Drinks

Of all the alcoholic fermentations that are available to those of legal drinking age, there are several other products worth mentioning. Cheese, sauerkraut, kombucha, and even pickles, for example, are all the result of fermentation.

Cheese, for example, is made by introducing the microbes and cultures already present in dairy, yogurt or buttermilk, and adding rennet and salt, which helps to preserve the curds of milk and form the cheese that you and I know today.

Sauerkraut is made by using salt water to bring out the moisture in crushed cabbage and exposing this mixture to wild airborne bacteria. After the cabbage is exposed to this bacteria for an appropriate length of time, the result is a healthy fermented food with no present alcohol and lots of healthy microbes that your gut will thank you for. The longer the cabbage is fermented, the tastier the Sauerkraut will be. Pickles are made in much the same way, but with cucumbers and spices instead of cabbage and salt water.

Finally, kombucha is a wonderful drink that has been around, by some accounts, since 212 BC. This ancient beverage was said to give Samurai warriors their long lives as well as abundant energy and focus. Kombucha is made by fermenting a mixture of tea, sugar and a culture of bacteria commonly referred to as a SCOBY, which is an acronym for “symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast.” As the yeast in the SCOBY eats the sugar and produces alcohol, a bacteria present in the SCOBY eats the alcohol and the final result is a tea with little to no sugar, healthy bacteria, nearly no alcohol, and a wonderful tangy taste. Gaining popularity for its health benefits, Kombucha is an easy product to make at home and shares a lot of similarities to the processes involved with making your own beer.

Alcoholic Fermentation With Beer – Now It’s Your Turn!

Does the thought of making your own alcoholic drinks and sharing them with your friends, family members, co-workers and loved ones sound like a lot of fun! That’s because it is a lot of fun… and it’s easy to do as well. Now you can learn how to make beer with Dr. Homebrew’s How-To Beer Book – now available in both paperback and hardback copies. It makes a great gift – either for yourself or the beer lover in your life.

The post Alcoholic Fermentation: Beer, Wine, Mead & Other Drinks Made With Fermentation appeared first on Dr. Homebrew.

HOME BREWING BEER – Learn how to make beer at home with Dr. Homebrew’s How-To Beer Book. (Available now in both paperback and hardback copies – MAKES A GREAT GIFT!)

The seemingly magical process known as “fermentation” has been around well beyond recorded history, is steeped in endless tradition, and has been an integral part of our human culture the world over. What is considered by some as common practice in everyday life is revered by others as a glorious opportunity for self-expression. That opportunity, my friend, is “Home-brewing.”

DEFINITION: Home brew (noun): an alcoholic beverage (as beer) made at home.

As its name suggests, homebrewing is the process of making beer at home. As foreign a concept as that may sound to you at the moment, the process of “brewing” has been practiced for thousands of years in various locations all around the world, with a multitude of different ingredients, and has brought smiles to billions of individual faces.

Amazingly, some of those combinations of fermentation and imbibing have occurred naturally, without any influence by man. But once those seemingly random reactions were manipulated by thirsty humans, the rest was history, as they say. What was once a misunderstood but enjoyable chemical reaction has since been studied, practiced, and refined by varied civilizations – each of which has developed their own regionally exclusive and culturally influenced concoctions. Factors such as indigenous ingredients, climate, and even the ability to forge metals have all played a part in the act of “homebrewing.”

A quick hop and a skip down to your local brewery will reveal a maze of megalithic structures that would seem right at home in an oil refinery, yet with the skillful hand of an experienced brewmaster they can easily bring about a masterful composition of sweetness and bitterness, dancing seamlessly together like a well-tuned violin concerto. Yet no violinist gets to play at that level without first practicing on their own. So fear not if you possess little in the way of metallic brewing contraptions as metallurgical advances have only made things more convenient. The basics of home brewing beer have remained almost the same since the very beginning and you don’t need much to get started!

One of the most beautiful aspects of fermentation, especially when practiced at home, is the fact that it occurs naturally. This is just a small part of why home brewing beer has persevered through the test of time and has been adapted to many different people and places the world over. Whether you have access to fresh honey, tea leaves, grains, sugar cane, fruits, vegetables, or soda pop, with some patience and a little help from mother nature, you can homebrew nearly anything you want. In fact, that’s exactly what has happened for thousands of years! People have utilized ingredients in their area, adapted those ingredients to the technology at hand, left room for yeasts of various kinds, and created their own unique and entirely home-made alcoholic drinks. The possibilities are literally endless!

Learn to make your own beer now… with Dr. Homebrew’s How-To Beer Book!

The secret to success as a homebrewer is creativity. If it weren’t for creativity, we would never have things like airplanes, power tools, or Mozart. When it comes to home brewing beer, the sky’s the limit! Sure you could try your best to replicate the disgusting taste of a commonplace beer like that of Lake’s Ltd., or you could lead a rebellion of free thought and self-expression by making something truly delicious and one of a kind. That’s the beauty of homebrewing your own beer, wine, mead, or anything else you can imagine, because the only impedance to making something wonderful are the boundaries of your imagination.

Is Home Brewing Beer Safe?

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s address a couple questions I’m sure you’re just itching to ask. Such as, “Is it safe to homebrew beer?”

Well, that’s an excellent question my friend! Let’s put on our lab coat and safety glasses and get to the bottom of that, shall we?

While homebrewing beer is frequently described as a hobby that can be either as expensive or as complicated as you wish to make it, it would be fair to say that an inherent increase in caution would be warranted and wise when brewing your own beers. It’s important with anything you do in life to exercise a certain degree of caution, and fermenting your own ales and lagers is no exception. Whether you’re walking across the street to get to your local pub, cutting vegetables in your kitchen with a knife for dinner, or knowing when to stop drinking and call a cab for a ride home at the end of the night, caution is a natural and instinctive part of our lives.

As for specific safety concerns when brewing up your own tasty batch of suds, the process is not too unlike that of making tea – albeit on a much larger scale. When you brew your own beer, you’re dealing with hot water, sugar, and the process of transferring your “sugar tea” to a fermentation vessel of some kind. If you’re capable of handling a pot of boiling water and steeping the grains or liquid extract syrup safely, then the only other safety concern you need to keep in mind is sanitation, which won’t be a problem, provided of course you follow the procedures discussed later in this book.

The importance of sanitation cannot be stressed enough as yeast isn’t the only microscopic organism looking to crash your fermentation party. If your beer gets any organisms in it besides the yeast you want to be in there, there’s a good chance that your beer will not only taste unpalatable to most, but could very likely contain some other type of bacteria that is normally best avoided and should not be ingested. The best way to stay safe when brewing your own beer is to keep anything that comes close to your homebrew clean. From the room you choose to brew in to the instruments you use to stir your “sugar tea” with, you need to keep things clean and sanitary at all times. This is very important!

Is Home Brewing Beer Legal?

You’re probably also wondering about the legalities of homebrewing. In other words, “Is homebrewing  beer legal?”

To be honest, I’m no international lawyer and I don’t even play one on television. For me to pretend to be an expert on the legalities of making your own alcoholic beverages would be laughable and, at best, dishonest. I can only suggest that you consult with your area’s legislative office or local authority to ask and clarify the matter before you begin. While most countries do allow for small quantities of homebrewed alcoholic concoctions to be made by those of legal drinking age, I can’t speak for the entire planet and hold no responsibility for you should you decide to brew your own beer in a part of the world where doing so is considered against the law.

Not only is the fermentation process both safe and legal in almost every part of the world, but brewing your own beer has unending potential for exercising all of your senses and expanding your creativity. The processes involved are relatively simple and can be masterfully combined to create a beer that you can be proud of when you raise your glass at your next toast.

Homebrewing Beer Has Never Been Easier!

Beer, as we know it today, is the result of an amalgamation of generations upon generations of brewing experience and technological innovation. Ancient cultures have understood and practiced fermentation for a multitude of reasons, including spiritual enlightenment and, of course, personal satisfaction. For such a simple and ancient process to have not only persisted through time, but to have both evolved and thrived for thousands of years, one can not doubt the magic that can be experienced through the fruits of this simple act.

The allure that home brewing beer had in the past and continues to have all over the world in various forms is proof that when you combine the traditions and practices from ages past with the technological developments of today and the future, the potential for brewing evolution is truly astounding.

As a homebrew hobbyist, you have access to a community of fellow beer brewers that will gladly share both their experiences and honest opinions with you, while happily offering up advice to help you thrive and improve as a homebrewer. Should you have aspirations of brewing beer as a profitable career, Dr. Homebrew’s How-To Beer Book will help you get your start. After all, you’d be hard pressed to find a successful head brewer didn’t get his or her start as a homebrewer first and then worked, over the years, to hone the skill sets necessary to produce beer on a commercial scale.

I salute you in your quest to learn more about the magic and mystery of homebrewing and I’m pleased that you chose me (Dr. Homebrew) to be in your beer brewing instructor.

Now it’s your turn. Home brewing beer is easy! Learn to brew your first batch of beer with Dr. Homebrew’s How-To Beer Book. Available now in both paperback and hardback formats. Makes for a great gift too!

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