What else does a brewer need to know when choosing malt? As you understand from the title - its color. What is it for? The answer is simple and obvious. Knowing the color of the malt, you can roughly understand what color your future beer will be. And decide on the ingredients (as you know, malt is most often used in the mixture) for preparing the wort.
The emergence of color determination systems (SRM and EBC)
A system for determining the color of beer was proposed in 1883 by D.W. Lovibond, and received its name of the same name. The essence of the system was to compare the color of beer with colored glass, and the result was determined approximately by eye. The Lovibond system lasted for several decades and even today there is the terminology “Lovibond color degree”.
In the 20th century, the Lovibond system was pronounced inaccurate; it allowed only an approximate determination of color from a very wide spectrum. It was decided to abandon it; all this happened against the backdrop of the advent of the spectrophotometer. And already in 1950, the American Association of Brewing Chemists used the reference table method (SRM) to determine the color of foam. In parallel with SRM, another system emerged in Europe - EBC.
In the SRM system, the color of beer is determined using a spectrophotometer, using a 0.5 inch cuvette and a wavelength of 430 nm. It is worth noting that the value most often coincides with the value on the Lovibond scale. In the European system (EBC), the color of beer is also measured using a spectrophotometer with the same wavelength, but the thickness of the cuvette does not exceed 1 cm. In fact, 1 EBC = 1.97 * SRM.
Determining the color of beer by the malt used (recipe)
Home brewers are most often interested in the question of determining the color of beer based on the raw materials used. And the popular programs among brewers - BeersCult and BeerSmith - do an excellent job of this.
But you can do this yourself, using a regular piece of paper and a pen. Color is calculated using simple formulas:
MCU=M*CL/V, where M is the weight in pounds, CL is the Lovibond color of the malt, V is the volume in gallons.
MCU is nothing more than a calculated unit of malt color.
SRM = 1.49*MCU*0.685
Thus, knowing the color of your malt before soaking, you can easily calculate the color of your future beer.
No matter how accurately you can determine the color of a beer, any system used has its limitations. In simple terms, they are not perfect. At the same time, giant commercial breweries widely use food coloring to ensure the color of beer matches from batch to batch. Therefore, do not be upset if your beer turns out not to be the color you expected.
Color is an interesting indicator, however, there are much more important parameters of malt, which we will consider later.
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, the old EBC system was replaced by a new one in 2000, 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 to malt extracts during boiling. Burning causes caramelization of the sugars, which increases color and can significantly degrade the flavor of the finished beer.
- 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.
- 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!
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, by adding dark cherries, a Belgian lambic creek is obtained, and 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 Foto:
- Bitter is an English ale with a pleasant bitterness and a complete absence of sugar.
- Porter is a dark British beer with the aroma of top-fermented roasted malt.
- Weissbier/Weizen is a light, thirst-quenching German wheat ale with a clove aroma and tangy taste.
- Burley wine is a sweet and strong beer or “barley wine” with a long shelf life.
- Kriek is a Belgian lambic with the addition of dark dried cherries.
- Pilsner is a light Czech lager with a specific hop aroma and bitter taste.
- Märzen is an amber-colored German lager.
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 development is retarded by steeping water, negative residual alkalinity, conditioning of coarse malt, skinning, short mashing, 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 of the wort (for example, by boiling or in a hot wort tank) promotes additional formation of Maillard reaction products and thereby increasing 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.
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