How many calories exist in a beer?

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Thean L. Kruger, the Brew Master at Castle Malting answers all your queries about the calories present in beer, how to calculate them, and the alcohol content in it.

To begin with, do you know what constitutes the calories in beer? The answer is carbohydrates (4 calories per gram), proteins (4 calories per gram), and alcohol (7 calories per gram). 

While calculating the caloric content in beer, the formula that is adopted is SG to Plato Scale Wherein 

  • SG is the density of various liquids and 1.000 water) 
  • Plato Scale is the representation of the amount of sugar in a particular volume and 1°Plato)

The Plato Scale has 1% sugar solution that makes it unique. Now if you were to calculate the alcohol by beer formula, there are two formulas 

  • Alcohol by volume 
  • Alcohol by weight. 

ABV is a simplified version created for a beer that has up to 9 to 10% alcohol content; however, for beers stronger than these, alcohol by weight formula is used.

Another formula is the Real Extract (RE). It measures the difference in the sugar densities before and after melting. This formula is applied after calculating the total calories in beer.

Finally, accurate caloric calculation per 100 ML beer, adds up the total calories by alcohol and carbohydrates.

Also Watch our Video which is based on Brasserie Vexin Brewery which is located in Thermicourt, France. Brasserie Vexin brewery is the makers of the worlds best honey beer.

Grain D’Orge Brewery In Hombourg

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Ever wondered about the popular Grain D’Orge Brewery? It is famous because of its exclusive range of beers. And being a beer-lover, you would be glad to know that this is a microbrewery located in a quaint countryside area near the Dutch and German border. 

Grain D’Orge Brewery is a family-run business. Since January 2002 it has been in the brewing and the small initiation started to bloom with no turning back. What started with Brice, Joup and few custom beers such as the Aubel’s beers is now a big name in the beer world. 

So, let’s discuss a few more interesting facts about this Belgium brewery that would help you to learn more about this place. 

  • In case you are planning to go out on Belgium brewery tour to quench your thirst for beer making knowledge, you must not forget about Grain D’Orge which is like an institution for many years. It is known for Aubel Double, Aubel Tripel, Aubel Pure, Brice, Grelotte, Joup, Pom, Box and more interesting versions of the beer.
  • Visitors may enjoy small meals and snacks there. The visits are organized in groups and one person will get time for a maximum of 10 minutes. The visit organization depends on the availability of the brewery. And at least 10 people are required for a beer group tour. 
  • Visitors with a special request for custom beer need to contact the brewery before they fix the schedule. 

To know more about the group visits and the price for a beer tour along with the tasting, make sure you refer to the official website of Grain D’Orge. 

Noble hops

What Are Nobel Hops? Why Brew With Hops?

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When it comes to beer brewing technique, using hops and varieties of Nobel hops is the first thing that develops in mind. From microbreweries to homebrewers, hops is an essential ingredient that cannot be missed in beer making.

Know About Hops

Hops are derived from the hop plant Humulus lupulus which is a perennial plant and is a member of the help plant family. The flower cluster part of the hop plant is used in brewing.

In case there is a confusion between hops and Nobel hops, one must know that the latter is a variety of European hops. These hops are extensively used in brewing and are of four varieties named Spalt, Terrnanger, Hallertauer, and Saaz.

Why Are Hops Needed?

The right kind of hops brew will give the desired flavour. The flower part of the plant contains the bitter flavour and also essential oil. This balances the beer flavour and lowers the sugary taste that emerges from the malt in the beer. The most important part is that hops act as a preservative and helps to keep the freshness intact without any chemical reaction.

How Hops Balances Beer?

Experienced brewers can do the trick by the following ways-

  • By adjusting the type of hops
  • Timing of the hops adding
  • Time adjustment of the hop boiling

Since hops are divided based on their bitterness level and aroma, there are two categories of hops. The bittering hops are rich in alpha acids, while the aroma hops have lower alpha levels and have more essential oil content.

Castle Malting is the best place where you can get more information about the art of brewing and beer.

Love beer? Stay tuned about the beer-making ingredients.

How to Make Best Flemish Red Ale

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Flemish Red Ale is a typical beer that has been popularised by the Belgians. The west Flander region of Belgium is the origin place of this particular variety of beer. The colour of Flemish or Flander Red Ale is almost like ruby and burgundy. And the best part of this unique beer is the flavour. You will get the taste of mixed fruits such as blackberries, cherries, and red currants.

The colour of this drink, thus, forms such beautiful reddish hint and it almost looks like red wine. Traditionally Vienna and Munich malts are used to prepare this drink along with vanilla and chocolate notes. The oak aging process was the conventional method to achieve the right flavour.

Flemish Red Ale is not just a beer, but a cocktail with extraordinary aroma and taste. It has complex bitter notes along with mind-blowing flavour and attractive colour. And depending upon the region where the brewery is located the taste varies of this beer.

Red ale recipe can be prepared in a microbrewery and it involves the following steps:

  • Caramel malt of both light and medium is used. The generous use of maize makes this drink very special.
  • Hops are used as an antibacterial ingredient that is needed to prepare this unique style of beer. Traditional old hops are preferred that has low alpha acid.
  • Flemish Red Beer is a drink that may require boiling of up to 2 hours. And the right creation of the taste depends upon the bacteria. So quality yeast is very much necessary.
  • During the fermentation process, the reading should be between 1.000 and 1.012. Always make sure that you get a stable reading before bottling the beer.
  • In the bottling state new yeast has to be used. To do this wine yeast is preferred as it can handle the acid content of this beer.

In the world of craft beer, the red ale beer has been a gem for years. You can find many varieties of red ale. It is your preference which one to buy. Also, if you visit a craft brewery you can always order for a classic red ale beer to go with a caramel dessert and cheeseburger. Beer connoisseur tastes varieties of beer of all the famous regions. And if you are one of them then you would know the uniqueness of the red ale beer.

What is Craft Beer & How Craft Beer is Made

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To understand what is craft beer you need to understand the difference between a craft beer and the regular industrial beer. There is a big difference in the entire making of beer that is done in a large scale industry than that of a microbrewery. In the world of craft beer, one has to learn all the basic things that separate craft beer from the regular beer.

Know Craft Beer

The beer malting process is very different in the craft brewery than that of the conventional method. In all true sense craft beer is the type of beer that is produced on a much smaller scale in comparison to the large industries. And the beer produced in microbreweries is extensively known for their unique taste, flavour, aroma and alcohol content.

Craft beer brewing, in other words, is a form of beer making art that has been developing for many years.

Process Of Making

* Craft beer is done in five distinct steps that are- malting, mash and lauter, adding hops, fermentation and bottling.

* Malt is derived from barley. Apart from barley, you can also use rye or wheat. But barley is the widely preferred grain to use in beer making. The seeds of barley go through the malting process which is then left to germinate. This germination activates the starch to create fermentable sugars.

* In the mash and lauter process that malt is mashed to release the sugar. The water is drained later and then you get a syrup kind of liquid known as wort. In the lauter stage the grain parts are removed from the wort.
After the completion of lautering, hop and spices are added to the liquid at this stage that provides the bitterness and flavour of the beer.

* In the fermentation, stage beer is divided into two groups- the ales and lagers. Depending upon the type of yeast used you can determine if it is ale or lager. There are almost 1500 varieties of yeast found that can be used to ferment the liquid. This will give the distinct quality of the craft beer.

* The final stage is the bottling where the beer is stored in can, bottles or kegs.

Planning to start your own craft brewing industry? Well, then you need to get all the necessary information regarding craft beer and the art of brewing. There is no end of beer making and craft brewing is the most interesting field.

Must-Try Saison Recipes to Brew at Home

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If you are wondering what beer Saison is, then here explain that Saison is a French word meaning season. A beer Saison is a pale ale that is fruity, spicy, highly carbonated, and often bottle-conditioned. It was originally a rustic, low alcohol style of beer. It started as a pale ale brewed in the cooler, less active months in Wallonia and Belgium and stored to be consumed in summer months. Belgium is famous for its beer with over 1220 beer brands to try and Jean-Louis Darcy’s Castle Malting is undoubtedly the most famous malt-producing company there.

Over time, beer Saison evolved with many versions of it having moderate to high levels of alcohol. If you see the different Saison recipes, you will realize that Saison is whatever you make it be.

Here are a few different Saison recipes to brew at home.

Saison De Craisin
This beer recipe is strong and spicy. Adding spices like coriander, orange peel, dried cranberries, and cinnamon elevate the Saison spiciness to the next level. The alcohol level in it is close to 10% ABV, which makes it strong and delicious.

Bale So Hard Dry-Hopped Saison
Castle malting is a complex procedure that requires the right specifications. If you fail to follow the process correctly, you are not likely to get the right product. This beer is an easy-drinking Saison having a fragrant nose of American hops and Belgian yeast as dry hops are added after fermentation to add the aroma minus the bitterness.

Adroit Theory Triptych Tart Rambutan Saison
This beer recipe makes use of a tropical fruit called rambutan, which is a native of Malay-Indonesian region. It has a sweet, mildly acidic flavor – somewhat similar to that of grapes.

There are many must-try Saison recipes to brew at home and if you really want to give it a try you should be very careful about the specifications. Start by deciding what alcohol percentage you want. The one too high in alcohol limits its drinkability, but again it is up to you.

The yeast is the main player in a Saison and since tons of its strains are available to choose from, you need to make the right choice as given in the recipe. Always follow the recipe to the tee to get exactly the same taste.

So, are you ready to brew these must-try beer Saison recipes at home?

Dry Hopping Your Beer Like a Pro

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There is a lot of science that goes behind getting you a glass of perfectly chilled beer. Most of us know that malt extract is frequently used in the brewing of beer, but do we know what it exactly means?

Beer malting is a specific process starting from steeping and germination to kilning and finally roasting. The process starts by germinating barley grain, which it is immersed in water to start the sprouting. As the grain begins to sprout, the process is then halted drying the barley. The malted barley, as it is referred to, is the source of the sugars, the principal being maltose, which finally gets fermented to produce beer. Thus, beer malting can be understood as a process that allows the grain to germinate partially so that the seed resources become available to the brewer.

Castle malting, on the other hand, produces speciality malts of the highest quality so that the brewer can brew beers of various styles. As it offers a wide range of base, you can make Pilsen, White, the darkest Abbey and other organic beers. The Belgian malts are considered to be the best in the world.

Now that you know what malting is, you need to answer if you love beer that has a big, hoppy flavour or just a bitter tang.

If you love your beer with big, hoppy flavour, then you should know that you want a beer in which aromatic hops are added during the fermentation process. The bitterness in the beer also comes largely from hops, but those are added during the boiling during the beer making process. Boiling makes the hops release acids, which add to the crispness and a bitter tang. But then, the oils that provide floral notes get vaporized. Thus, if you are looking for delicate scents and flavours in your beer, you need to opt for dry hopping.

In dry hopping, homebrew gets a huge blast of flower power as the hops are added during fermentation and thus essential oils in them remain preserved.

In the beer making process, the brewers spend hours getting everything right according to the specifications of a particular variety. So, when you chill after a long day with a beer glass in hand, realize that the brewer would have spent a lot of time to make it perfect for you.

Brewery Spotlight: Castle Malting Brewing Company

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Beer is one of the most popular drinks across many countries and societies. With varying types and alcohol percentages, it is one of the most preferred when it comes to choosing an alcoholic drink for the day or when you want something light. In Europe, there are many breweries, which produce world-class beers of different varieties. Among them, Belgium is like a heaven for beer lovers. Castle Malting is one of the oldest steam breweries in the area. It offers more than a thousand varieties of beers to satisfy their vast range of customers. Belgium malts like Castle Malting are very famous and are exported to more than 100 countries worldwide.

How does Castle Malting brew the beer? Beer brewing is basically fermentation of grains ranging from wheat, barley, and even rice. The grains are allowed to sprout and then ingredients are added to bring out the rich flavour and aroma to produce different kinds and qualities of beer malts.

Hybrid Beer Production Process

Castle Malting has a hybrid process of beer production wherein they blend the old and the new technologies to get the best products out for the customers. They make sure that their processes are environmental-friendly causing as less damage as possible to the ecosystem.

Premium Quality Products

Castle Malting products are premium and quality oriented ranging from basic Belgium malts to more premium beers brewed specially for a certain taste and colour. The company has also developed a unique malt roasting and fermenting technology, which is a world-class beer brewery. The company follows strict rules in maintaining high quality and standards of the process and also the plant. It has assured the conformity to many industry standards of food safety management in the world. Many quality analysis tests of the grains are used while making the malts and the end product tests are conducted regularly to ensure the best service in the industry.

With beers offered in all ranges from basic to premium, Castle Malting has been delighting its customers with class, quality and innovation always. Check out their wide collection of beers today!