What is Beer Made Of?

It can be a surprise to some that beer is made from just four simple ingredients:

Water

The quality of the water can make a real difference - the levels of minerals in water can have an effect on the taste of the beer.  Brewers in Burton use the famous hard water of that region to create their trademark beer.

Grain (or a starchy carbohydrate)

The grain used in beer is usually malt (which is the name for kiln-dried barley) but it can be wheat, corn or oats - the same grains you might have for you breakfast cereal. Different grains give the beer different flavours, colours and sugars.

Yeast

The yeast ferments the starch in the grain, converting the sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide.

Hops

Hops are flowers that grow on a vine - they look like small green pine cones.  The hops give the beer that bitter taste, to balance the sweetness of the malt.  The variety of hops are what give different beers their different flavours.

Just these four simple ingredients can be transformed them into a work of art!  By using different varieties of these ingredients, and by altering the brewting method, skilled brewers can create the amazing range of beers that we know and love.