Things I've Learned.

Brewing Process:

This trip I have learned a lot about the brewing process. Beer is essentially made of barley, hops, and water. The first step in the process is malting, in which barley is soaked in water which allows the grain to germinate. This creates enzymes such as alpha- and beta-amylase which convert the released starches into sugar. The grain is then dried in a kiln and roasted; this results in color compounds and aroma compounds that will flavor the beer. 

The next step in the process is mashing, in which hot water is mixed with crushed grains. During this process, the alpha- and beta-amylase convert starches into fermentable sugars. That is, starches (which are large chains of carbohydrates) are broken down into mono- and disaccharides. This occurs in an apparatus called a mash tun which has a false bottom that allows the resulting sweet liquor (called wort) to run out. 

The wort is then boiled with hops. This step sanitizes the wort to decrease the change of undesirable flavors, stops enzyme action, volatilizes compounds, and provides energy for the isomerization of hops (which creates bitterness). The wort is then cooled in preparation for fermentation. This is because yeast is unable to grow at high temperatures. Once cooled, the wort enters the fermentation tank. Here, yeast are added to begin the fermentation process in which sugars are converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The beer is often filtered after fermentation to remove yeast and any other solids. During bottling, sugar is added to the bottles for carbonation. And that's how beer is made!

Tasting Beer:

For my comparison of beers, I tasted the Aringer Kellerbier and the Augustiner Helles. The Kellerbier is an unfiltered helles so I thought it would be interesting to compare a filtered helles with an unfiltered one. I tasted the Kellerbier at the restaurant in Ayinger where we had lunch. This is a bottom fermented beer.

Appearance: The Kellerbier was a light yellow color though very cloudy because of the yeast. I would say the color rating was around a 3-4. It was definitely lighter than a cloudy wheat beer; I haven't really seen a beer that looked like this before.

Aroma: It smelled a bit off to me, like corn which could be due to dimethyl sulfide. The aroma also smelled slightly sour. 

Flavor and Mouthfeel: Taking a sip, the beer did not feel like it coated my mouth too heavily; it was mostly on the back of my tongue where the beer lingered. While it didn't necessarily coat my tongue, the weight of the beer in my mouth felt a bit heavier than I am used to with lighter beers. Again, I believe this is due to the yeast in the beer. The beer tasted slightly sour, but not overpowering. While there was a slight bitterness at the end, I believe that the IBUs were still fairly low. The beer was fairly carbonated but not extremely overpowering. 

Overall Impression: The beer was very refreshing and, while it was a bit heavier than the unfiltered helles that I am used to, it was still light. There didn't seem to be one characteristic of the beer that stood out or overpowered my senses. 

I tasted the Augustiner Helles at the Augustiner restaurant near our hotel (not where we had dinner...the restaurant down the opposite direction). This is a bottom fermented beer.

Appearance: The beer was very clear and a light yellow color. Similar to the Kellerbier, I would rate it around a 3-4 SRM. I could see through it and I could also see the bubbles float to the top. 

Aroma: The first aroma that I picked out was cooked corn, similar to the Kellerbier. Although I have had Augustiner Helles on other occasions, this one seemed to have a much stronger smell of DMS. 

Flavor and Mouthfeel: The first flavor that I detected when I tasted the beer was sour. It wasn't particularly appealing (at least compared to previous helles or the Kellerbier). It had a distinct metallically flavor. While it didn't seem to coat my tongue, I could feel it most in the back and sides of my tongue. At the very end, it seemed to have a slightly bitter flavor. Similar to the Kellerbier, I would say that the IBU was fairly low. Unlike the Kellerbier, I was able to taste the cooked corn aroma (rather than just smell it) which was not particularly appealing. It was pretty carbonated...more so than the Kellerbier. After I swallowed, it left my tongue a little dry. 

Overall Impression: The DMS was pretty overpowering in this beer which did not make it particularly pleasing to drink. Because I have had this beer at other locations and liked it, I was a bit surprised that it was not very good. The sour and metallic taste was not very refreshing or appealing. I definitely preferred the Kellerbier over this one. I think it may have been beneficial to try the Augustiner Helles at a different location as perhaps it was just this restaurant that served the beer like this.

Culture:

In addition to the chemistry of the beer, I have learned a lot about culture in Germany. First of all, Berlin and Munich are very different cities. Berlin seemed to be very connected to its history; what has happened in that city has really shaped what it is today. It was an interesting mix of modern and traditional. It definitely felt busy and the city felt alive at all times. Where we stayed, there didn't seem to be many local pubs nearby. While we did see some big breweries, I didn't really feel that traditional beer culture that I was expecting. Munich, on the other hand, was definitely more like what I was picturing in regard to beer. The long tables and big beer steins at Augustiner and Hofbrauhaus in particular stood out to me. Drinking here is definitely a cultural thing designed to bring people together. The buildings in Munich seem much more traditional than in Berlin. Our tour guide mentioned how some older people disliked recent buildings because they are too modern. I thought that was interesting. Munich also feels much more ethnically diverse than Berlin. I feel that it is a bit more laid back, though still quite busy. At this point in time, I think I like the vibes of Munich better, though both cities are incredible in their own ways. 

I think it is interesting that both cities are located on waterways. Because water is used in brewing, easy access probably has been in part responsible for the popularity of brewing. Furthermore, water makes trade easier, which could impact the diversity of beer ingredients (perhaps different grains and hops could be exported). Also, importing and exporting different beers may occur more easily which could lead to changes in tastes among the people of the cities. Looking at a map of Berlin, I definitely think that the number of people in the city (over three million) compared to its size accounts for the fact that it played a major role in both of the World Wars. I think this may also be the reason why we see so many tall buildings; they need to build from the ground-up in order to accommodate all of the people. Looking at a map of Berlin, I can also see East and West Berlin which played a major role in the history of Berlin. When I look at a map of Munich, it looks like streets surround the inner city in a circle. I think this is where the wall was built to keep people out of the main city. The streets within the main part of the city look much more jumbled than the outer city, which is in more of a grid shape.