Density of beer is ... Density of beer in relation to water and weight

The variety of beer palette offered to consumers in modern conditions, can satisfy the taste of any, even the most experienced connoisseur of an amber drink. Talk about a single standard or the most popular variety is not necessary. There is an admirer for every shade of taste of a foamy drink. Someone appreciates the easy bitterness of the lager, there are also fans of a pleasant aftertaste of wheat or corn beer. And someone likes the spicy aroma and richness of the porter. Even the exotic fruit acidity of lambica and the bright chocolate taste of stout have their admirers.

The density of the variety is not subject to

With all due respect to established traditions, brewers constantly bring into the popular drink something new. The production process is being improved, new ingredients are being introduced, and flavors are added. Thus, around the world there are all new, unlike traditional kinds of beer. Each variety can have unique, sometimes with a national color, properties. And nevertheless, there remain unalterable beer canons, which are applicable to all varieties. One of such constants of the brewing process is the density of beer. On it you need to pay attention in the first place. After all, the main indicators indicated on the label are the density and strength of the drink. This information characterizes the taste and richness of beer, the amount of alcohol, the belonging of the drink to a certain class.

What is the density of beer?

Density of beer - this is the main characteristic for this intoxicating beverage. Often, consumers in choosing a variety of "amber" give her a secondary role. But sophisticated connoisseurs know that this indicator directly affects the taste and strength of the drink. In brewing, to determine the amount of alcohol in beer, the specific gravity of the liquid is compared before and after fermentation. It is a measure of density in relation to the reference substance - water, whose density is equal to 1 (1 kg per liter). This is the same as the ratio of the mass of matter to the reference filler of the same volume. The value before fermentation is called the initial density of the wort. After fermentation, it is called the final density. The difference between these two values indicates the amount of sugar involved in the fermentation process.

Density of beer, indicated on the label, expressed as a percentage of the dry matter content in a certain volume, characterizes the specific gravity of the beer wort before the fermentation process. After fermentation, it always decreases, as sugar is fermented into alcohol. The percentage decrease in density reflects the amount of glucose converted to alcohol. For non-alcoholic beer, this initial density does not exceed five percent, for traditional light it is 12 percent. Indicators from 12 to 20% are characteristic for strong and dark varieties.

How is the density of beer expressed?

Let's try to understand this question. In production, the density of beer and the weight of the product in different countries of the world is measured by means of different metric systems. In most of Europe, including Russia, as well as in the United States, it is determined by the scale of the hydrometer. This device indicates the percentage of sugar in the liquid. So, for standard light beer, for example "Zhigulevsky", this value is 11%.

In England and countries historically associated with it, a hydrometer is used. The scale of this instrument determines the density of any liquid with respect to water, whose density is taken as 1. This is the standard value. The density of beer and water is expressed in the value above 1. And the more it is, the stronger the drink. Density of beer in relation to water corresponds to the amount of alcohol contained in the drink. So it was always.

The density of beer is always measured twice - before fermentation in the initial wort and after fermentation. Extraction of the initial product in the production of light light varieties is 1.035-1.050 (9-11.25%). Strong varieties have an initial value at the level of 1.055-1.060 (13-15%). If necessary, based on these values, it is also possible to determine the density of beer (kg / m3).

The final density

As fermentation, sugar is converted to alcohol. The density decreases. For light beers, the final wort value does not exceed 2% (1.00), for strong and dark species the scale readings should be within 2.5%. Some varieties are made from concentrated wort with a high initial density. In this case, this indicator after the fermentation process can be even higher, but there is no sweet taste.

The determination of the potential content of alcohol is determined in two stages:

1. The density of the fully prepared beer wort is measured, but without yeast. This is an indicator - the initial wort extractivity or the initial value.
2. Measurement of density after the end of the preparation process, immediately before bottling in a container. This is the value of the final indicator.

From the values obtained, using the table, you can determine the potential content of alcohol in beer, its strength.

Fortress beer

The amount of sugar in the initial wort, which when converted to yeast, is converted to alcohol. And determines the strength of beer, in other words, the percentage of alcohol in the volume of the drink. The amount of alcohol declared on the bottle will not always correspond to reality. The fact is that according to the standard, the declared alcohol content indicated on the label determines the minimum, not the actual value. In other words, the actual content of alcohol in beer will always be slightly larger than what is written on the sticker.

Raw materials, technology and taste

Not only does the content of dry matter in the initial wort affect the fortress. An important role is played by the quality of yeast and malt. We take into account the conditions and the fullness of fermentation, the technology of cooking. All these factors also determine the taste characteristics of beer.

Traditional varieties and record holders

The most common types of beer contain between three and a half to six percent alcohol. The process of preparing a strong drink with an alcohol content of about 12% is quite difficult because of the early cessation of yeast development. It is a mistake to assume that alcohol is simply added to make a strong beer in it. In such cases, during manufacturing, technologists often go for various tricks. For example, use special "resistant" to alcohol yeast, the components of champagne. In addition, they freeze the beverage to separate the alcohols from the water.

There are varieties, record holders, whose strength exceeds 40 degrees. The technology of production of such a drink is far from traditional. A high alcohol content is achieved by repeatedly freezing the initial product to remove moisture. Such a drink is quite expensive, because, in addition to the complex technological process, the initial volume of the product decreases 11-15 times.

The strongest beer on the planet from existing varieties is the brand "Snake Poison". Did his Scottish brewers-innovators, apparently, whiskey just fed up. His strength is 67.5%, the price is eighty-one dollars per 0.5 liter bottle. To obtain the final product, the initial material was freezed 15 times, which led to a decrease in its volume by 11 times.