Irish Moss Beer

It is said that the beer has been around as long as man has been around. Some of the earliest known writings of humankind in the manufacturing and distribution of beer: the Code of Hammurabi "included laws regulating beer and beer parlors and" Hymn to Ninkasi, "a prayer the Mesopotamian goddess of beer, served as both a prayer and as a method of remembering the recipe for beer in a culture with few literate people. Beer is composed mostly of water, malted barley, hops and yeast.

The fermentable material is provided by the source of starch in the beer, which largely determines the strength and flavor of beer. The source of starch, the most commonly used in beer is malted grain. Grain is malted by soaking it in water, allowing it to begin germination, and then drying the partially germinated grain in a kiln. Nearly all beer includes barley malt as the majority of the starch. There are many advantages in the use of barley in the manufacture of beer. Barley has a fibrous envelope that facilitates the process of brewing. It is also a rich source of amylase, a digestive enzyme which facilitates conversion of starch into sugars.

The water content of beer is more than ninety percent, and therefore plays a major role in determining the size of the final product. Contrary to everyday life, when it comes to making beer, "water" is not just "water". When the brewing of beer is concerned, there are many subtleties associated with the nature of water, its sources, and what it contains. Water from natural sources contain elements such as calcium and magnesium, which aids many biochemical processes taking place during brewing.

It is said that "hops are to beer what is the lemonade." Hops give the flavor, bitterness and aroma to beer. Beer Hops also have anti- bacteria that help ward off decay and gives the beer shelf life. Hops plants are very prolific and can be grown in many parts of the world.

The micro-organism "yeast" is used for fermentation of beer. strains of yeast are selected
the type of beer produced. The two main strains are ale yeast and lager yeast, with other variants available. Yeast aids in the metabolism of sugars that are extracted from grains, and, therefore, produces alcohol and carbon dioxide. In ancient times, when the functions of yeast are not fully understood, all fermentations were performed using wild yeasts in the air.

Many brewers prefer to add one or more "agents of clarification" to beer that are not required to be published as components. Examples include collage isinglass, which are obtained from swimming
fish maw and Irish moss, which is a type of red algae. Since these ingredients can be obtained from animals, those concerned with the use or consumption of animal products should obtain detailed information from the brewer.