The core ingredients which make up beer are water, malt, hops and yeast. Additional ingredients can be incorporated to add flavor and colour.
Water
Water
Beer is mostly water. So the type of water used in the brewing process is extremely important and can directly affect the beers characteristics. For example, it is a known fact that beer made with hard water will produce a darker coloured beer than beer brewed from a softer water.
Malt Barley
Malt Barley
This is the most commonly used malt in beer making. This is because it is rich in amylase and an enzyme which assists in the breakdown of starch into sugars. Other malts and unmalted grains can be used in place of barley.
Hops
Hops
Since the 17th century, hops have been widely used as a bittering ingredient in beer. Hops assist in balancing the sugariness of the malts. In addition, they add a fragrance to the beer.
Yeast
Yeast
Yeast is added to facilitate beer fermentation. Different yeast strains are used depending on the type of beer being brewed. There are two main strains of yeast – ale yeast and lager yeast.
Yeast assists in metabolising the sugars created when the malt was extracted. It also produces alcohol and CO2, as a result.
Clarifying agent(s)
Clarifying agent(s)
Many beer makers like to add one or more clarifying agents to their beer. Often these clarifying agents aren’t listed as ingredients, since the law doesn’t require them to do so. Examples include kappa carrageenan, derived from seaweed and certain gelatins.