Bitter
Term from the Brauwerkstatt brewing glossary, category “Beer styles”.
Explanation
English pub beer, usually served as real ale straight from the cask with little carbonation. Amber and malty with clear hop bitterness and often low in alcohol. Typical: 3.2–6 % ABV, 25–50 IBU.
Test your knowledge
Which country does the beer style “Bitter” come from?
- Netherlands
- Portugal
- United Kingdom
Show answer
Correct: United Kingdom. English pub beer, usually served as real ale straight from the cask with little carbonation.
Why is the wort boiled?
- So that the yeast can grow
- To create alcohol
- To sterilise it, to get bitterness from the hops and to drive off unwanted compounds
Show answer
Correct: To sterilise it, to get bitterness from the hops and to drive off unwanted compounds. Boiling sterilises the wort, turns alpha acids into bitter iso-alpha acids and drives off DMS.
What happens during isomerisation?
- Alpha acids from the hops become bitter and soluble during the boil
- Protein flocculates
- Sugar turns into alcohol
Show answer
Correct: Alpha acids from the hops become bitter and soluble during the boil. Only boiling turns alpha acids into iso-alpha acids. That is why hops boiled for a long time add a lot of bitterness.