Beer Facts
Interesting Info
https://www.thrillist.com/drink/nation/beer-facts-beer-facts-to-make-you-sound-smarter-at-parties
The first modern American IPA was Anchor Liberty Ale
Beer cans debuted way back in 1933
Schlitz invented the brown bottle + tall boys in 1911
North Dakota drinks more beer than anyone
The Belgian dubbel beer is named that because people were illiterate
Narragansett was advertising beer on TV way back in 1944
The world’s best-selling beer is… Snow? (from China)
During Prohibition, people were prescribed “medical beer”
A 15ft high tidal wave of beer killed eight people in London in 1814
America’s largest craft brewery is Yuengling
People were drinking beer 5,000 years ago
Abraham Lincoln taxed beer to help pay for the Civil War
Beer, according to a pure definition in Germany is brewed according to the Reinheitsgebot, which permits only water, hops, and malt as ingredients
TERMS
IBU is an abbreviation for the International Bitterness Units scale, a gauge of beer’s bitterness. What IBU’s measure are the parts per million of isohumuone found in a beer. A what? isohumuone?? It’s the the acid found in hops that gives beer its bitter bite.
https://www.brewersfriend.com/2009/01/24/beer-styles-ibu-chart-graph-bitterness-range/
| BUs of some common styles[13] | ||
| Beer style | IBUs | |
| Lambic | 0-10 | |
| Wheat beer | 8-18 | |
| American lager | 8-26 | |
| Kölsch | 20-30 | |
| Pilsner | 24-44 | |
| Porter | 18-50 | |
| Bitter | 24-50 | |
| Pale ale | 30-50 | |
| Stout | 30-90 | |
| Barleywine | 34-120 | |
| India pale ale | 40-120 | |
SRM The number was originally, and still is, defined by “Beer color intensity on a sample free of turbidity and having the spectral characteristics of an average beer is 10 times the absorbance of the beer measured in a 1/2-inch cell with monochromatic light at 430 nanometers.”
https://www.twobeerdudes.com/beer/srm
| Beer Style SRM Color Ranges | |
| Style | SRM Range |
| Pilsner | 2 – 7 |
| Witbier, Berliner Weisse | 2 – 4 |
| Belgian Strong Ale | 4 – 7 |
| Maibock | 4 – 10 |
| Vienna Lager | 7 – 14 |
| Oktoberfest | 4 – 12 |
| American Pale Ale | 6 – 14 |
| Pale Ale | 5 – 14 |
| English Golden Ale | 4 – 8 |
| Bavarian Weizen | 4 – 10 |
| Bitter, ESB | 8 – 14 |
| Märzen | 7 – 15 |
| Imperial Pale Ale | 5 – 11 |
| Bière de Garde | 6 – 13 |
| Dunkel Weizen | 9 – 13 |
| Amber Ale | 11 – 18 |
| English Brown Ale | 12 – 22 |
| Bock | 15 – 30 |
| Porter | 20 – 40 |
| Oatmeal Stout | 25 – 40 |
| Baltic Porter | 17 – 40 |
| Foreign Stout | 30 – 65 |
| Imperial Stout | 50 – 80 |
HOPS The plant part used in brewing beer is the hop flower, a delicate, pale green, papery cone full of perishable resins. They give a beer bitterness when used early in the brewing process, and aroma when added at the end. As a bonus, hops are a preservative, and extend the life of beer.
http://allaboutbeer.com/learn/beer/hops/
| Hop Name | Hop Alpha Acid % | Common Beer Styles | Possible Hop Substitutions | Hop Characteristics |
| Admiral (U.K.) | 13.5% to 16% | Ale | U.K. Target, U.K. Northdown, U.K. Challenger | Known for its bittering potential. |
| Ahtanum | 4% to 6.3% | – | – | Floral, citrus, sharp, and piney. |
| Amarillo | 8% to 9% | Ale, IPA | Cascade, Centennial | Citrusy, flowery. |
| Bramling Cross (U.K.) | 5% to 7% | ESB, bitter, pale ale | U.K. Kent Golding, U.K. Progress, Whitbread Golding Variety | Quite mild, fruity currant aroma. |
| Brewer’s Gold | 7% to 8.5% | English ale | Bullion | Bittering hop with neutral aroma character. |
| Brewer’s Gold (German) | 6% to 7% | Ale, heavier German-style lagers | Northdown, Northern Brewer, Galena, Bullion | Black currant, fruity, spicy. |
| Bullion | 6.5% to 9% | IPA, ESB, stout | Columbus, Northern Brewer, German Brewer’s Gold | A rich hop primarily used for bittering. Intense blackcurrant aroma. |
| Cascade | 4.5% to 7% | Pale ale, IPA, porter, barleywine | Centennial, Amarillo, possibly Columbus | Pleasant, flowery, spicy, and citrusy. Can have a grapefruit flavor. |
| Centennial | 8% to 11.5% | All ale styles, has been used with wheat beer | Cascade, possibly Columbus | Medium with floral and citrus tones. |
| Challenger (U.K.) | 6.5% to 8.5% | English-style ales, porter, stout, ESB, bitter | U.S. or German Perle, Northern Brewer | Mild to moderate, quite spicy. |
| Chinook | 10% to 14% | Pale ale, IPA, stout, porter, lager | Nugget, Columbus, Northern Brewer, U.K. Target | Mild to medium-heavy, spicy, piney, and grapefruity. |
| Cluster | 5.5% to 8.5% | Ale and lager (good aroma for ale, good bittering for lager) | Galena | Medium and quite spicy. |
| Columbus | 11% to 16% | IPA, pale ale, stout | Nugget, Chinook, U.K. Target, Northern Brewer | Pleasant, with pungent aroma. |
| Crystal | 2% to 4.5% | Lager, pilsner, ESB | Mt. Hood, Hersbrucker, French Strisslespalt, Liberty, Hallertauer | Mild and pleasant, spicy and flowery. |
| Eroica | 9% to 12% | Wheat | Galena, Nugget, Chinook | Strong but pleasant aroma. |
| First Gold (U.K.) | 6.5% to 8.5% | Ale, ESB | U.K. Kent Golding, maybe Crystal | A little like Golding family; spicy. |
| Fuggle (U.S.) | 4% to 5.5% | Any English-style beer or American ale | U.K. Fuggle, Willamette, Styrian Golding, U.S. Tettnanger | Mild and pleasant, earthy and fruity. |
| Fuggle (U.K.) | 4% to 5.5% | All English-style ales, ESB, bitter, lager | U.S. Fuggle, Willamette, Styrian Golding | Mild, pleasant, hoppy, and robust. |
| Galena | 10% to 14% | Ale, porter, stout, ESB, bitter | Nugget, Pride of Ringwood, Chinook | Medium but pleasant hoppiness, citrusy. |
| Golding (U.S.) | 4% to 6% | Pale ale, ESB, all English-style beer | U.K. Golding, Whitbread Golding Variety, U.K. Progress, and possibly the Fuggle family | Mild, extremely pleasant, and gently hoppy. |
| Hallertauer (U.S.) | 3.5% to 5.5% | Lager, pilsner, bock, wheat | Liberty, Ultra, Hallertauer Tradition | Very mild, pleasant, and slightly flowery, some spicy. |
| Hallertauer Gold | 6% to 6.5% | – | Crystal, Mt. Hood | Known for its aromatic properties similar to Hallertauer. |
| Hallertauer Mittelfrüh | 3% to 5.5% | Lager, bock, wheat, maybe pilsner | Liberty, German Tradition, Ultra | Mild and pleasant. |
| Hallertauer Tradition (Ger.) | 3.5% to 5.5% | Mild-flavored beers | Crystal, Liberty | Known for its aromatic properties. A replacement for Hallertauer Mittelfrüh. |
| Hallertau Hersbrucker (German) | 3% to 5.5% | Lager, pilsner, bock, wheat | Mt. Hood, French Strisslespalt | Mild to semi-strong, pleasant, hoppy. |
| Horizon | 11% to 14% | Ale, lager | Magnum or a high-alpha hop | Pleasantly hoppy. |
| Kent Golding (U.K.) | 4% to 5.5% | All English-style ales, ESB, bitter | U.S. Golding, Whitbread Golding Variety, U.K. Progress | Gentle, fragrant, and pleasant. |
| Liberty | 3% to 6% | Lager, pilsner, bock, wheat | Hallertauer Tradition, Hallertauer, Mt. Hood | Mild and clean aroma, slightly spicy character. |
| Magnum | 13% to 15% | All beers, particularly lager, pilsner, stout | Northern Brewer | Known for bittering value and quality. |
| Mt. Hood | 3% to 8% | Lager, pilsner, bock, wheat | Crystal, French Strisslespalt, Hersbrucker | Mild, pleasant, and clean, somewhat pungent and resiny. |
| Northdown (U.K.) | 7.5% to 9.5% | All ales, porter | – | Fruity with some spiciness. |
| Northern Brewer (U.S.) | 6% to 10% | ESB, bitter, English pale ale, porter, California (steam) beer | Nugget, Chinook | Medium-strong with some wild tones. |
| Northern Brewer (German) | 7% to 10% | ESB, bitter, English pale ale, porter | Chinook, U.S. Northern Brewer | Medium-strong with some wild tones. |
| Northwest Golding | 4% to 5% | Ale, porter, stout, ESB, bitter | – | Known for aromatic properties. |
| Nugget | 11% to 14.5% | Light lager | Columbus, Chinook, U.K. Target, Galena | Quite heavy and herbal. |
| Olympic | 11% to 13% | – | Chinook | Mild to medium, citrusy aroma, spicy. |
| Perle (U.S.) | 6% to 9.5% | Pale ale, porter, German styles | Northern Brewer, Cluster, Galena, Chinook | Known for its aromatic and bittering properties, pleasant and slightly spicy. |
| Perle (German) | 6% to 8.5% | Pale ale, porter, lager | U.S. Perle, Northern Brewer | Moderately intense, good and hoppy, fruity and a little spicy. |
| Phoenix (U.K.) | 4.2% to 5.5% | All ales | U.K. Northdown, U.K. Kent Golding, U.K. Challenger | Similar to U.K. Challenger. |
| Pioneer (U.K.) | 8% to 10% | Ale, ESB | U.K. Kent Golding | A mild, typical English aroma. |
| Polish Lublin | 3% to 4.5% | Pilsner | U.S. Saaz, Czech Saaz, U.S. Tettnanger | Mild and typical of noble aroma types, spicy, herbal. |
| Pride of Ringwood (Australia) | 7% to 10% | Australian lager | Galena, Cluster | Quite pronounced, woody, earthy, herbal. |
| Progress (U.K.) | 5% to 7.5% | Ale, bitter, ESB, porter | U.K. Kent Golding, Fuggle | Moderately strong, good aroma. |
| Saaz (Czech) | 3% to 4.5% | Pilsner | U.S. Saaz, Polish Lublin | Very mild with pleasant hoppy notes, earthy, spicy, and herbal. |
| Saaz (U.S.) | 3% to 5% | Pilsner, lager, wheat | Czech Saaz, Polish Lublin | Mild and pleasant, earthy and spicy. |
| Santiam | 5% to 7.9% | Lager, American ale, pilsner | German Tettnanger, German Spalt, German Spalt Select | Noble characteristics. |
| Satus | 12.5% to 14% | – | Galena | Known for its bittering and aromatic properties. |
| Simcoe | 12% to 14% | – | – | A bittering and aromatic hop. |
| Spalt (German) | 4% to 5.5% | Lager | U.S. Saaz, U.S. Tettnanger, German Spalt Select | Mild and pleasant, slightly spicy. |
| Spalt Select (German) | 4% to 6% | Lager, and any beer where noble aroma is wanted | U.S. Saaz, U.S. Tettnanger, German Spalt | Very fine Spalter-type aroma. |
| Spalt Select (U.S.) | 3% to 5% | German lagers | Tettnanger, Saaz | Medium intensity and pleasant hoppy qualities. Medium-strong aroma with wild American tones. |
| Sterling | 6% to 9% | Lager, ale, pilsner | Saaz, Polish Lublin | Herbal, spicy, pleasant aroma, hint of floral and citrus. |
| Strisslespalt (France) | 3% to 5% | Pilsner, lager, wheat | Mt. Hood, Crystal, Hersbrucker | Medium intensity, pleasant, hoppy. |
| Styrian Golding (Slovenia) | 4.5% to 6% | All English-style ales, ESB, bitter, lager | U.S. Fuggle, U.K. Fuggle, Willamette | Delicate, slightly spicy. |
| Summit | 17.5% to 19.5% | IPAs, Imperial IPAs | Simcoe | Orange, tangerine, citrus notes. |
| Target (U.K.) | 9.5% to 12.5% | All ale and lager | Fuggle, Willamette | Pleasant English hop aroma, quite intense. |
| Tettnanger (U.S.) | 3.4% to 5.2% | German ales and lagers, American lagers, wheat | German Spalt, Czech Saaz Santiam | An aromatic hop, mild and slightly spicy. |
| Tettnanger (German) | 3.5% to 5.5% | Lager, ale | German Spalt, German Spalt Select, U.S. Tettnanger, Saaz | Mild and pleasant, slightly spicy, herbal. |
| Tomahawk | 15% to 17% | Ale | Columbus | Primarily a bittering hop. |
| Tradition (German) | 5% to 7% | Lager, pilsner | Hersbrucker, Hallertauer Mittelfrüh | Very fine and similar to Hallertauer Mittelfrüh. |
| Ultra | 2% to 4.1% | Lager, pilsner, wheat, finish hop in ales | Liberty, Hallertauer Tradition, Saaz | Very good to outstanding, some Saaz-like qualities. Aromatic properties similar to Hallertauer. |
| Vanguard | 4% to 5.67% | – | Saaz, Hallertauer Mittelfrüh | Aroma similar to continental European types. |
| Warrior | 15% to 17% | Ale, stout | Nugget | A bittering and aromatic hop. |
| WGV (Whitbread Golding Variety) (U.K.) | 5% to 7% | Ale | U.K. Kent Golding, U.K. Progress | Quite pleasant and hoppy, moderately intense. |
| Willamette | 3.5% to 6% | Pale ale, ESB, bitter, English-style ale, porter, stout | U.S. Fuggle, U.S. Tettnanger, Styrian Golding | Mild and pleasant, slightly spicy, fruity, floral, a little earthy. |
| Yakima Cluster | 6% to 8.5% | – | – | Used as a kettle hop for bittering. |
| Zeus | 13% to 17% | – | Columbus | Aromatic and pleasant. |
