An alcoholic beverage made by fermenting cereal grains (most commonly malted barley, but also wheat, corn and rice) and flavored with hops. Third most popular drink overall, after water and tea
Unique characteristics that help create specific styles of beer come from yeast strains and bacteria fermenting it.
Main beer fermenters are yeasts: ale yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae ("top-fermenting" type since they rise to the surface during fermentation, creating a very thick, rich yeast head) and lager yeast (the "bottom-fermenting" type, Saccharomyces uvarum).
Yeast varieties such as Brettanomyces bruxellensis and Brettanomyces lambicus are common in lambics. In addition, other organisms such as Lactobacillus bacteria produce acids which contribute to the sourness. Pediococcus sours beers like lambics and Flanders.
Unique characteristics that help create specific styles of beer come from yeast strains and bacteria fermenting it.
Main beer fermenters are yeasts: ale yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae ("top-fermenting" type since they rise to the surface during fermentation, creating a very thick, rich yeast head) and lager yeast (the "bottom-fermenting" type, Saccharomyces uvarum).
Yeast varieties such as Brettanomyces bruxellensis and Brettanomyces lambicus are common in lambics. In addition, other organisms such as Lactobacillus bacteria produce acids which contribute to the sourness. Pediococcus sours beers like lambics and Flanders.
