Interest in craft beer is on the rise, and people are learning more about this beer and discovering their favorites. However, not many people understand what craft beer is and how it differs from normal beer.

What Makes a Beer a Craft Beer?

Craft breweries use timeless methods when brewing craft beers. Unlike macro-breweries, they make use of quality, local ingredients in their recipes. For a beer to be labeled as a craft beer, it should be made using real malts. Because of this, craft beers are more flavorful and have better texture and dimension.

Another major difference between craft beers and normal beer is that craft beer is often left unfiltered and unpasteurized. The brewers will also not add any preservatives or chemicals to the beer. This makes the beer way more flavorful and arguably a lot more interesting.

Today's craft brewers make use of the best of old-fashioned brewing methods while at the same time throwing in some new ingredients and interesting new techniques. Their goal is to push the boundaries of style and flavor as much as possible. This is what makes craft beer a lot more unique and memorable than regular beer.

Raw Materials

Craft beer is manufactured with care. All the raw materials used must pass through a strict selection process before they are used to make the brew. These are the typical components of craft beer:

• Malt: The main ingredient in craft beer is malted barley. To make this malt, barley is soaked in water and allowed to sprout. Heat is then applied to the sprouts to pause the germination process. The malt can then be roasted to come up with the resulting flavor of the beer.
• Hops: Another well-known craft beer ingredient is hops. Hops are responsible for giving craft beer a hint of bitter flavors. Hops varieties do not only give craft beers some bitter note but they are also used to bring out notes of tropical fruits or even fresh grasses.
• Yeast: It is not possible to brew craft beer without yeast. Yeast is needed to ferment the beer. The type of yeast used is so significant that most brewers keep its identity a secret.
• Water: Craft beer is made using high-quality water. The characteristics of the water used in brewing can affect the outcome. Most brewer will take the time to ensure that the water has been filtered and purified.
  
  

Even though craft beer is made using these four primary ingredients, it is nowhere near simple. There are other specific ingredients used by experienced brewers to enhance the flavor of the beer and make it unique. These include peaches and cloves, among others.

Place of Production

Unlike normal beer, which is made in large factories using fully automated processes, crafted beers are made in "microbreweries." These small breweries are characterized by fair machinery. What makes craft beer unique, apart from the ingredients, is that the human factor is critical for the execution and regulation of its brewing.

Fermentation

This is one of the most important stages in the brewing of craft beer. While there is the first fermentation with all types of beer, there is a second fermentation with craft beer. This process produces natural gas, which is made by yeast. This gas is assimilated by the body more efficiently than CO2, which is usually artificially injected into regular beer.

Flavor and Aroma

Even a beer amateur will be able to tell that craft beer is different from industrial beer. It has more peculiar colors and more body. Craft beer also has an intense aroma and its flavor is well defined. For that reason, more consumers value craft beer tastes and product quality. Research also shows that craft beer has more nutrients than industrial beer.

Types of Craft Beer

There are more types of craft beer than you can keep up with. On the basic level, these beers are categorized by three kinds of yeast. These include ale yeast, lager yeast, and spontaneous yeast.

The choice of yeast used affects the general flavor of the beer. Lagers are quite easy to drink and they have light and crisp flavors. Ales, on the other hand, are known to have raised alcohol levels and are therefore denser.

Today there are hundreds of craft beers available and they all have their own unique features. It is important to note that they are all made revolving around the same principles of quality and attention to detail. Come visit Two Frays Brewery today to try some of our craft beers, made right here in our brewery!