Archive-name: beer-faq/part1
Posting-Frequency: bi-weekly
URL: http://www.beerinfo.com/~jlock/rfdbeer0.html


rec.food.drink.beer FAQ (c)
-------------------------------

This is the general FAQ for rec.food.drink.beer.  It condenses a vast
repository of beer knowledge represented by the posters to r.f.d.b.  I
depend on the participants of this group to provide the feedback I need to
make this a living document.  Please e-mail comments, additions,
corrections, etc. to John Lock <editor@beerinfo.com>.  If your
browser supports forms, you can use the feedback form.

This document is available through the following means:

*  On WWW at <URL:http://www.beerinfo.com/~jlock/rfdbeer0.html>
*  If your browser supports forms, use the request form at
   <URL:http://www.beerinfo.com/~jlock/beerinf4.html>
*  Via anonymous ftp to ftp.stanford.edu in /pub/clubs/homebrew/beer/rfdb
   as rfd-beer.faq
*  Posted every two weeks to Usenet newsgroup rec.food.drink.beer
*  Via e-mail by sending the following message lines to
   ftpmail@gatekeeper.dec.com:

   connect ftp.stanford.edu
   chdir /pub/clubs/homebrew/beer/rfdb
   get rfd-beer.faq
   quit


*----------------------------------------------------------------------*
|                rec.food.drink.beer FAQ   (rfd-beer.faq)              |
|                                                                      |
|                    * posted every other Tuesday *                    |
*----------------------------------------------------------------------*

Copyright (c) 1994-95 by John A. Lock.  All rights reserved.  This
document may be freely distributed in its entirety provided this copyright
notice is not removed.  It may not be sold for profit nor incorporated in
commmercial products without the author's written permission.

The Charter for rec.food.drink.beer is posted twice every month and
available on WWW at
<URL:http://weber.u.washington.edu/~cverver/rfdbcharter.html> or
from the archives.

I'd like to thank Craig Verver and Alan Marshall for their support and
encouragement in taking on this task.  In addition, special thanks to our
other FAQ posters who publish in-depth FAQ's on some of the more popular
beer topics.

Other individuals who have contributed information to this FAQ (either
directly or because they posted something of value):

Jon Binkley <binkley@fafner.stanford.edu>
Aaron Birenboim <mole@netcom.com>
Dan Brown <brown@eff.org>
Stephen Dunn <stephen@bokonon.uucp>
Rich Fortnum <fortnum@pints.com>
Brendan Halpin <halpin@vax.oxford.ac.uk>
Marc de Jonge <dejong@geof.ruu.nl>
Ed Lingel <ed.lingel@tek.com>
Alan Marshall <ak200032@sol.yorku.ca>
Bill McGinnis <bigdog@execpc.com>
Brendan Molloy <b.molloy@ic.ac.uk>
Ian Nottage <ian@beehive.demon.co.uk>
Alex Oliver <harpua@new-orleans.neosoft.com>
Joel Plutchak <plutchak@uiuc.edu>
Alison Scott <alison@fuggles.demon.co.uk>
Richard Stueven <gak@aloha.net>
Craig Verver <cverver@u.washington.edu>

And, of course, thanks to the dedicated bunch of folks who moved here from
alt.beer to advance the cause of beer as a beverage to be relished in its
myriad forms.

Cheers, Prost, Salud, Skaal, Slainte, Stineeyammous, Gan Bei, etc!

John A. Lock <editor@beerinfo.com>

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

How to Use the FAQ

This FAQ is divided into five sections which loosely encompass the variety
of Frequently Asked  Questions that appear concerning beer.  These are
preceded by a quick index section to aid in finding answers to specific
questions quickly.

The Quick Index
     A listing of the most frequently asked questions.

Definition of common terms regarding beer itself
     Some popular items are beer definition, styles, and marketing
     terms...

Definition of common terms regarding the brewing industry
     Topics such as alcohol strength, Reinheitsgebot, and CAMRA...

Beer handling and sensory issues
     Typical answers cover proper storage, serving temperatures, tasting
     methods, off flavors...

Miscellaneous topics
     Includes brewing your own and specific brand issues...

Beer resources
     Where to find good beer, the r.f.d.b. archives, and pointers to other
     Net resources...

You can search for information in a number of different ways:

First,  read the whole thing.  You may find this entertaining, but it's
certainly not the fastest way to get an answer to a question.

Second,  you can use the "Search" or "Find" function of your newsreader or
editor to locate a specific topic.  This can be very useful since the
questions cover fairly broad topics and  your  specific answer may be
buried  inside a broader response.  For example, if you wanted to know
about serving temperatures, you wouldn't find that topic specifically
addressed in the questions. However,  upon searching for "temp" you would
find several such references.

Thirdly, there is the quick index to the questions which you can use to
jump directly to a specific question/answer, again, using your search
function to find the text.  See the Quick Index for an example.

And lastly, if your viewing the HTML version on The Web, you'll find
useful pointers imbedded throughout the document.  Just follow your nose
(figuratively speaking :^)!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Modification history

01-DEC-95   Miscellaneous updates and corrections
            Added CAMRA Web site

01-SEP-95   Debut on The Beer Info Source!

04-JUL-95   Update Belgian ale terms in 1-13
            Updated labeling info in 2-3
            Updated CAMRA address in 2-7
            Clarified Chimay description in 4-2
            Added 4-10 regarding American beer
            Updated brewpub sources in 5-3
            Updated numerous WWW links

14-FEB-95   Modified lambics definition and added 1-13
               regarding Belgian ales
            Modified all clear text URL's to RFC 1738 syntax
            Split into 3 parts for posting

31-JAN-95   Changed archive site references
            Change ftp-by-mail procedure
            Added IRC beer tasting info

27-DEC-94   Expanded lambic answer and added pointer to Lambic Digest
            Updated various WWW page references
            Added copyright notice
            Added Sam Adams Q&A

29-NOV-94   Added Guinness Q&A
            Expanded "brewery/microbrewery" size definition
            Updated "ale, malt liquor, barleywine" labeling definition
            Clarified Koelsch and Alt definitions

01-NOV-94   Reformatted, converted to HTML, and published on WWW
               the ASCII version will still be maintained concurrently
            Added Coors politics Q&A
            Clarified "cold-filtering" answer
            Added "gravity" Q&A

20-SEP-94   Added Vegetarian/Kosher/Organic Q&A
            Changed mail-order beer answer to point to new FAQ
            Added Q&A for the perennial Chimay topic
            Expanded Internet beer resources
            Updated archives listing

09-AUG-94   Clarified "skunking" description

12-JUL-94   Added Quick Index
            Added city/brewpubs question and answer

28-JUN-94   Clarified filtering section
            Clarified brewpub definition
            Changed "Steam Beer" statement
            Added storage recommendations

14-JUN-94   Updated "Reinheitsgebot" section

31-MAY-94   Added beer magazine info
            Updated beer club list
            Added porter description

17-MAY-94   Clarified "Draught-flow" (tm) description
            Added additional notes to judging
            Changed r.f.d.b. archive name to rfd-beer.faq

03-MAY-94   Corrected alcohol measurement figures
            Expanded mail order beer info
            Added video tape resource info
            Added FTP by mail info

19-APR-94   Added beer description and ale/lager comparison
            Added "800" number for Microbrew To You

05-APR-94   Expanded description of "ice" beers
            Added description of bock beers
            Added pointer to beer book list

21-MAR-94   Inaugural post


rec.food.drink.beer FAQ - Index
--------------------------------

*----------------------------------------------------------------------*
|           Quick Index to Frequently Asked Questions                  |
*----------------------------------------------------------------------*

This is a list of Frequently Asked Questions appearing in r.f.d.b. Each
question is keyed using a simple code. The answer to question #Y in FAQ
Section X is labeled X-Y and so on. To find an answer to any question
quickly, use your "search" or "find" function to find X-Y.

For example:
     To find the answer to question 2-7 "What is CAMRA?", search for 2-7
     and you will be positioned at the answer. To return to this index,
     search backwards for 0-0.

If you're viewing the HTML version of this document on The Web, just
follow the links from question to answer and back.

0-0. Top of List

FAQ Section 1 - Definition of common terms regarding beer itself

1-1. What is beer?
1-2. What are ales?
1-3. What are lagers?
1-4. How are they different?
1-5. What are lambics?
1-6. What is "bock" beer?
1-7. What is "porter"?
1-8. What are "dry" beers?
1-9. What are "ice" beers?
1-10. What are "cold-filtered", and "heat pasteurized" beers?
1-11. What is "draught" (draft) beer?
1-12. How is specific gravity related to beer?
1-13. What does "Dubbel" mean on a beer label?

FAQ Section 2 - Definition of common terms regarding the brewing industry

2-1. How is alcohol strength measured?
2-2. Why is beer stronger in Canada than the U.S.?
2-3. How are "ale", "malt liquor", and "barleywine" related to strength?
2-4. What is the Reinheitsgebot?
2-5. What about the new "Draught-flow" (tm) system (AKA the "widget" or
"smoothifier")?
2-6. What is "Real Ale"?
2-7. What is CAMRA?
2-8. What are the categories of brewers/breweries?
2-9. What is a brewpub?

FAQ Section 3 - Beer handling and sensory issues

3-1. How do I judge a beer?
3-2. What is good/bad/skunked/spoiled beer?
3-3. How should I store beer?
3-4. How long does beer keep?
3-5. Is beer considered a vegetarian/kosher/organic product?

FAQ Section 4 - Miscellaneous topics

4-1. What is Zima and/or clear beer?
4-2. What do the different Chimay packages/colors mean?
4-3. What does the "33" mean on the bottles of Rolling Rock?
4-4. Does Coors support Nazi organizations?
4-5. Can I make my own beer....is it legal?
4-6. How do I make it?
4-7. WIMLIACLDAB? BTABFCTW!.....What was that?
4-9. Where are Sam Adams beers made?
4-10. Why does American beer suck?

FAQ Section 5 - Beer resources

5-1. Where can I get more beer info and tasting tips?
5-2. Where can I get good beer?
5-3. I'm going to "some city", what brewpubs/bars are good?
5-4. Can I get beer in the mail?
5-5. Where can I get details on making my own?
5-6. Where can I get recipes?
5-7. What is r.f.d.b. about?
5-8. Where are the archives?
5-9. What is in the archives?
5-10. I don't have ftp, can you e-mail files to me?


rec.food.drink.beer FAQ - Section 1
------------------------------------

*----------------------------------------------------------------------*
|          Definition of common terms regarding beer itself            |
*----------------------------------------------------------------------*

1-1. What  is  beer?
     Beer is an alcoholic beverage made from malted grains, hops, yeast,
     and water. The grain is usually barley or wheat, but sometimes corn
     and rice are used as well. Fruit, herbs, and spices may also be used
     for special styles.  In the distant past, the terms "beer" and "ale"
     meant different things.  "Ale" was originally made without using
     hops, while "beer" did use hops.  Since virtually all commercial
     products now use hops, the term "beer" now encompasses two broad
     categories: ales and lagers.

1-2. What are ales?
     Ales are brewed with "top-fermenting" yeasts at close to room
     temperatures, 50-70F (10-21C). Ales encompass the broadest range of
     beer styles including bitters, pale ales, porters, stouts, barley
     wines, trappist, lambic, and alt. The British Isles are famous for
     their ales and it is a popular style with homebrewers and
     micro-breweries.

1-3. What are lagers?
     Lagers are brewed with "bottom-fermenting" yeasts at much colder
     temperatures, 35-50F (2-10C) over long periods of time (months). This
     is called "lagering". Lagers include bocks, doppelbocks, Munich- and
     Vienna-style, Maerzen/Oktoberfest, and the famous pilsners.
     Pilsner beer originated in the town of Pilsen, now in the Czech
     Republic and was the first non-cloudy beer. Most popular beers
     produced by the large North American breweries were originally of the
     pilsner style. These have diverged a great deal from the original
     style and succeed now by the force of the mass-marketing prowess of
     the brewers rather than any remarkable qualities of the beers
     themselves.

1-4. How are they different?
     The differences tend to be based on tradition more than anything
     inherent to either style. The major traditional differences are a
     result of the varying lengths of fermentation and temperature used
     for the two beer types. They can also vary in style and degree of
     hopping and in the types of malt used, but these differences are very
     arbitrary and exceptions abound.

     Ales generally undergo short, warm fermentations and are intended to
     be consumed soon after completion. The result of relatively warm
     fermentation is that a lot of by-products of yeast metabolism besides
     alcohol and CO2 get left in the beer. These usually manifest
     themselves as "fruity" or "buttery" flavors which vary in degree and
     flavor with the strain of yeast used and the temperature and duration
     of fermentation. Accordingly, ales exhibit their most complex flavors
     when served at warm temperatures, around 50-60F (10-15C).

     The trick with lager yeast is that they can survive, metabolize, and
     reproduce at lower temperatures. Lager yeast can assimilate compounds
     which ale yeast cannot, fewer by-products are made, and the stuff
     that does get made drops out during lagering. The result is a very
     clean, sparkling beer. Lagers are best served at slightly cooler
     temperatures than ales, 40-50F (5-10C).

     Of course there are notable exceptions:

     California Common
          The best known example is "Steam Beer" which is a trademark of
          the Anchor Brewing Co.  It employs lager yeast fermented at ale
          temperatures which gives it some fruitiness usually associated
          with ales.

     Koelsch and Alt
          Ales that undergo a cold secondary fermentation and storage
          period resulting in only a hint of ale-like fruityness.
          Koelsch is usually associated with the city of Cologne,
          Germany while Alt is indigenous to Duesseldorf.

     Cream Ale
          Alternately, an ale fermented at lager temps or vice-versa. It
          has also been made by blending a conventional ale with a
          conventional lager after fermentation. Most examples are only
          slightly more interesting than mega-brews; a touch more body, a
          touch more fermentation flavor.

1-5. What are lambics?
     Lambics are a type of ale brewed in parts of Belgium by exposing hot
     wort (unfermented beer) to the outside air. Indigenous, wild yeasts
     and other microorganisms settle on the exposed surface of the wort as
     it cools and begin spontaneous fermentation. They are often sweetened
     with fruit flavorings and generally prized the world over.

1-6. What is "bock" beer?
     Bock is a style of lager beer which originated in Germany. It was
     traditionally brewed in the fall, at the end of the growing season,
     when barley and hops were at their peak. It was "lagered" all winter
     and enjoyed in the spring at the beginning of the new brewing season.
     Bocks can be pale (helles) or dark (dunkles) and there are
     double(doppel) bocks which are extra strong.

     Bocks are usually strong beers made with lots of malt yielding a very
     full-bodied, alcoholic beer. A persistent myth has been that bock
     beers are made from the dregs at the bottom of a barrel when they are
     cleaned in the spring. This probably seemed logical because of the
     heavier body and higher strength of bocks. From a brewing standpoint,
     this is clearly impossible for two reasons: 1) The "dregs" left after
     fermentation are unfermentable, which is exactly why they are left
     over. They cannot be fermented again to make more beer. 2) Any
     attempt to re-use the "dregs" would probably result in serious
     bacterial contamination and a product which does not resemble beer as
     we know it.

1-7. What is "porter"?
     From: The Guinness Drinking Companion by Leslie Dunkling (1992)
     Guinness Publishing; ISBN 0-85112-988-9 "In the London Ale-Houses and
     taverns of the early 18th Century it was common to call for a pint of
     "Three threads", meaning a third of a pint each of ale, beer, and
     twopenny (the strongest beer, costing twopence a quart). A brewer
     called Harwood had the idea of brewing a beer that united the
     flavours of all three. He called this beer "Entire". This was about
     1720.

     Harwood's Entire was highly hopped, strong, and dark. It was brewed
     with soft rather than hard water. Within a few years Entire was also
     being referred to as "Porter" (short for porter's ale) because the
     porters of the London street markets were especially fond of it.
     Porter that was extra strong was known as "Stout Porter", and
     eventually "Stout"."

1-8. What are "dry" beers?
     "Dry" beer was developed in Japan. Using more adjuncts (like corn and
     rice) and genetically altered yeasts, these beers ferment more
     completely and have less residual sweetness, and hence less
     aftertaste.
