In 1516, the Duke of Bavaria instituted a law that said, in short: “Thou shalt not make crappy/poisonous beer.” Specifically, he said that you could only use malted barley, hops, and water (he didn’t exactly know about yeast, yet, but that would later be grandfathered in) so as to ensure the quality of beer and the health of the citizens who drank it.

There were some exceptions made, of course — but in the end, this law more or less solidified the general notion that beer, real beer, was made with barley, hops, yeast, and water. Period. People that subscribe to this notion are justified in their adherence to the principle that these pillars of brewing do in fact tend to make some really excellent beers.

But does that mean you can’t make a good beer without the use of other ingredients (known as “adjuncts” in the business)? Heck no. You can make fantastic beer with adjuncts! Let’s talk about a few popular ones.

Wheat: Duh. This one is pretty obvious. Whatever variation of wheat grains you might use, this stuff makes some pretty awesome beer. The grain isn’t quite as fermentable as malted barley, so you end up with more sugars left over, resulting in a sweeter beer; this is why your hefeweizens and wits are so tasty! There’s also more protein in wheat, which causes two effects in your beer: you have more of a head and more haze. Wheat, as you might guess, is a popular ingredient in hazy IPAs.

Oats: Also duh. Oats have been a part of English brewing for centuries. Like wheat, they impart sweetness and haze to a beer, but more so than wheat they affect the mouthfeel of the beer, giving it a smooth, creaminess that is sought-after in some stouts and porters. Personally, I love an oatmeal IPA, but that might be just me. And your hazy makers love this stuff even more.

Corn: The use of corn was given an almost irretrievable bad reputation thanks to the American Industrial Brewing Complex that gave us the Bud/Miller/Coors crap many of us grew up with. Corn is cheap in ‘Murica and is pretty fermentable. As opposed to oatmeal, it tends to water down beer and make it less viscous. Not my thing, but some folks dig it.

Honey/Syrup/Other Sugars: Honey has been added to brews for eons, and there’s even a honey-centered brewing culture (see my article on mead). Honey is extremely fermentable, so you get a mega boost of alcohol by adding it, but still a nice bit of honey flavor and aroma sometimes. Interestingly, Maple Syrup is almost totally fermentable, so rarely do you get any maple flavor/aroma by its use, unless you put it in at or just before packaging. Other sugars, depending on the type, really only add to ABV, but some darker sugars can leave some color.

Fruit: This one is a time-honored tradition as well, especially in Belgium, where no brewing tradition is sacred, except the one that says there are no brewing traditions that are sacred. Want some apple in there? Sure. Cherries? Heck yeah. Blueberries? Sure. Lots of flavor, lots of fermentables.

I could go on and on. Suffice it to say, you can make good beer with lots of different things. Keep your mind open, as well as your mouth.

Huzzah!

 

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