Beer: definition

Microbrewery Fridays – Arthur Schneiter

Il est de ces questions que l’on ne se pose même plus, tant la réponse semble évidente, et dont l’aspect trivial, s’il épargne bon nombre d’arrachages de cheveux, cache en réalité tout un monde. La bière artisanale en fait probablement partie, et c’est pourquoi je voulais aujourd’hui revenir aux fondamentaux de ce qui fait cette chronique dans un petit point technique, en étant le plus complet possible sans être exhaustif. La bière: définition.

Une bière, ce sont d’abord ces ingrédients: du houblon, du malt, des levures et bien sûr de l’eau. Le houblon est une plante de la même famille que le cannabis, utilisée pour ses propriétés aromatiques, amérisantes et antibactériennes. Le malt représente la principale source de sucres (certains sucres complémentaires sont parfois ajoutés durant le processus de brassage) et il est obtenu par maltage de plusieurs céréales: l’orge, le blé ou le seigle. Le maltage consiste à faire germer la céréale et la cuire lors d’une phase de touraillage. Plus le malt est torréfié, plus il donnera un caractère prononcé au breuvage final, mais moins il produira de sucres fermentescibles. Les levures sont utilisées afin de digérer et transformer les sucres fermentescibles du malt en alcool (généralement du genre saccharomyces, mais les brettanomyces gagnent en popularité pour le goût acidulé qu’elles engendrent). Ce sont les ingénieurs microscopiques sans lesquels rien de tout cela ne serait possible.

Brewers typically experiment with the balance and combinations of hops and malts to give their creations a unique aroma. Other ingredients may be added to the mix to enhance and enrich the flavor, such as fruits, berries, flowers, spices, and so on. These ingredients can vary in form and quantity, and it is from this multitude of brewing processes and combinations that the immense diversity of beers on the market today arises. But without the momentum provided by microbreweries in North America in the 1970s, we likely wouldn’t have access to so many varieties.

Techniques from stirring

Generally, the brewing process consists of successive steps: mashing and rinsing the spent grain, boiling the resulting wort and cooling it, fermentation, and bottling. A common practice today among some brewers of’IPA (India Pale Ale), in particular, involves adding hops at a cold temperature to enhance their aroma. In some Brussels breweries, suspended yeast is a common sight and ferments the wort directly without human intervention—this is known as spontaneous fermentation.

There are as many techniques as there are beer styles, so we won’t go into great detail about this remarkable diversity. However, if you’re new to this field, it’s at least important to distinguish between two processes based on temperature: bottom fermentation (ideally between 10 and 15°C, the process underlying lagers and primarily industrialized) and top fermentation (ideally between 18 and 21°C, the process underlying ales and more widely used among homebrewers).

Toward the end from monopoly from beers industrial

The basic process, while requiring at least some basic technical skills and strict attention to hygiene, is similar to cooking. This is evidenced by the number of craft breweries, which has skyrocketed in recent years thanks to homebrewing kits and has inspired some people to pursue a career in brewing. home brewers. Plus de mille brasseries en Suisse (qui détient le record mondial du plus grand nombre de brasseries par habitant) sont au compteur actuellement, et la tendance est à la hausse partout dans le monde. Les chiffres sont cependant à mettre en perspective avec ceux qui peuvent réellement vivre de leur art, et ceux qui brassent comme hobby les dimanches après-midi dans leur garage. Moins d’une cinquantaine de brasseries seraient à l’heure actuelle rentables en Suisse.

Since the invention of modern beer in the Middle Ages, we've come a long way, and the dominance of large industrial breweries in the 20th^th The century-old tradition seems to be slowly giving way to homebrewing. Beer is gradually gaining recognition, particularly in comparison to wine, which in our regions remains the king of alcoholic beverages and is an integral part of our heritage. However, the traditional industry is not giving up without a fight and is undermining the movement craft through a series of acquisitions and the launch of its own «craft beers.» But then, what exactly is a craft beer?

A beer handcrafted, what is it?

The definition is vague and difficult to pin down, and remains a subject of debate within the community. Generally speaking, a beer is considered craft beer if it comes from an independent brewery—that is, one that operates independently of large multinational brewing conglomerates such as Heineken or AB InBev. This purely economic concept is sometimes contrasted with the issue of scale (at what point—in terms of liters brewed or number of employees—does a brewery become too large to be considered «craft»?), along with its array of Greek-derived terms such as microbrewery, nanobrewery, pico-brewery, and so on.

Read also | Craft beer, a phenomenon of fashion, but also of taste

Perhaps what matters isn’t the definition itself, but the intention behind the brewing process and the relationship between the brewer and their beer. If the beer you’re drinking was conceived as an artistic creation—rather than a consumer product intended solely for profit—there’s a good chance you’re drinking craft beer. In this weekly column, our main goal is to give you a glimpse into the vast spectrum of the beer world—primarily through Swiss breweries, but also through a broader exploration of the subject.

Keep an open and critical mind when you see the term «craft beer,» find out about the brewery that produced it, the hops and malts used in its brewing, talk to the person who served it to you (and if you’re lucky, to the person who brewed it!) and compare your tastes with theirs. Speak Share your discoveries with your loved ones and help them realize that beer today is no longer just a pils not just soulless industrial lager, but a wide variety of flavors with charming names like New England India Pale Ale, Imperial Stout, Gose, Barley Wine, Witbier, Gueuze, and Porter.

Many thanks to Camille Spühler of La Nébuleuse for her clarification on certain technical points.

Write to the author: [email protected]