Ferment

Find your brew by exploring different styles

Beer has been produced by humans for longer than many people may know. Barley beer researchers have to traced beer production to present-day Iran in the fifth millennium BC.

The making and drinking of beer also is noted in the written history of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.

Beer is one of the most popular alcoholic beverages available today and it is an important sector of the beverage industry.

Business Insider says an estimated $661 billion worth of beer was sold around the world in 2017. In the United States alone, more than 7,000 new breweries opened in 2018, according to the Brewers Association. An additional 1,000 breweries were opened last year.

All beers are either lagers or ales, which are distinguished by the type of yeast used during the fermentation process (bottom- or top-fermenting, respectively). These beers are further labeled to describe the brew’s overall character, and oftentimes its place of origin, states BeerAdvocate.

The following are some of the most popular types of beers on the market. • Bocks: BeerAdvocate says a German Bock is a lager that is stronger than your typical lager, with a more robust malt character. The hue of these beers ranges from dark amber to brown. Bocks were once brewed by Bavarian monks and were consumed at the end of Lent. • Brown ales: These beers feature toasty flavors with malty overtones. They have a mid-range alcohol content and boast a hoppy bitterness. Brown ales are full-bodied beers that pair well with heavier foods, like red meats and stews. • Dark lagers: Many dark lagers have malty, smooth, caramel flavors. They tend to have a midrange alcohol level and relatively low bitterness profiles. • India pale ales: IPAs boast strong hop bitterness and piney, floral flavors. They are especially popular among craft beer enthusiasts and brewers. IPAs tend to have a higher alcohol content than other pale ales. Imperial or double IPAs have even more pronounced flavors and higher ABVs. • Pale ales: These beers are hoppy, but generally light, drinkable beers. Many easily pair with fish, poultry and cheeses. • Pilsners and pale lagers: These similar, golden-colored beers are light in flavor and lower in alcohol content than other styles of beer. This style of beer was made popular in Germany, but many American brands like Coors and Budweiser have made pale lagers a favorite of the masses. • Porters: Porters were developed in London in the early 18th century. These beers are wellhopped and dark in appearance due to the use of brown malt. The name grew from the popularity of the beer among street and river porters. • Sours: People either love or hate this style of wild yeast-fermented ales. • Stouts: Stouts tend to be dark in color and are often mistaken as being heavy and strong. This isn’t always the case. Many stouts are complex and low in alcohol, according to All About Beer magazine. Dry stouts are well-known in Ireland. A distinguishing characteristic of a dry stout is its black, essentially opaque appearance. • Wheat ales: Wheat malts grown for use in beer usually have a lower

protein level – around 13-14% – than wheat grown for, say, bread. While protein is desirable for food items like bread and baking, too much protein can affect the way the grain interacts with the yeast and hops. Traditional German wheat beers are usually made from red winter wheat.Hefeweizen is the traditional German wheat beer, and witbier is the Belgian take on the style, and often are spcied with coriander and orange peel. • Hybrids: This category includes beers such as Alt and Kolsch, which are ales brewed with topfermenting lager yeast and coldconditioned like lage (courtesy Metro Creative Services.)

A crunchy-crust homemade pizza

By Jim Lundstrom 3/4 cup water

Ever since seeing this recipe on 1 1/2 cups (8 1/4 ounces) bread flour an episode of America’s Test Kitchen 2 1/4 teaspoons rapid-rise yeast several years ago, this has been my 1 teaspoon sugar hands-down favorite homemade pizza. 3/4 teaspoon salt It’s a simple recipe that has the crust Topping proof (rise) in the baking pan in a 1(28-ounce) can diced tomatoes fair amount of olive oil, which helps 1 tablespoon olive oil to create a heavenly crunchy crust. I 2 garlic cloves, minced guarantee you will be addicted to what 1 teaspoon dried oregano is known as Grandma Pizza. 1/4 teaspoon salt

The recipe calls for mixing the dough 8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded with a stand mixer. I did it by hand, (2 cups) which is a real workout. But once 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese you have the dough done, the rest is 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil simple. Resist the urge to add other Coat rimmed baking sheet with 2 ingredients. I can attest to the fact that tablespoons oil. Combine water and results will be an awful, soggy mess if remaining 1 tablespoon oil in 1-cup you add to the basic ingredients, and. liquid measuring cup. Using stand honestly, it’s perfect the way it is. mixer fitted with dough hook, mix flour, yeast, sugar and salt on low speed Grandma Pizza until combined.

Dough With mixer running, slowly add 3 tablespoons olive oil water mixture and mix until dough Reader readers

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comes together, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-low and mix until dough is smooth and comes away from sides of bowl, about 10 minutes.

Transfer dough to greased baking sheet and turn to coat. Stretch dough to 10 by 6-inch rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in warm place until doubled in size, 1 to 1½ hours. Stretch dough to corners of pan, cover loosely with plastic, and let rise in warm place until slightly puffed, about 45 minutes. (If the dough snaps back when you press it to the corners of the baking sheet, cover it, let it rest for 10 minutes, and try again.)

Meanwhile, adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 500 degrees.

Place tomatoes in colander and drain well. Combine drained tomatoes, oil, garlic, oregano, and salt in bowl. Combine mozzarella and Parmesan in second bowl. Sprinkle cheese mixture over dough, leaving ½-inch border around edges. Top with tomato

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