Does It Matter Which Beer You Cook With?
Posted: Tue Dec 29, 2009 5:03 amDoes It Matter Which Beer You Cook With?
Have you got brats on the grill today? The brats you carefully made with just the right ingredients and fat content. Now you’re going to par-cook them or steam-cook them in beer before they hit the hot, smokey grill. Right? Does it matter what kind of beer you use? Actually, it does matter, according to Christopher Kimball, owner and editor of Cook’s Illustrated. He says, “Lots of cooks add beer to their dishes whether their recipes call for it or not. In many foods, beer leaves behind the wonderful flavor of grains, hops, and herbs, making the tangy savor of beer so unique. But the type of beer makes a difference”.
Old timers have long kept their secret of adding only “lager” beer to bread and hotcakes since its yeast is “bottom wort fermented”, in a low oxygen, cooler environment causing yeast to produce fewer phenols and esters. During beer’s fermentation, warm temperatures and oxygen encourage yeast to produces alcohol, carbon dioxide, and a few sulfur compounds with astringent flavored composites called phenols and fruity, floral amalgams known as esters - wonderful in beer - not so desirable in bread. In contrast, most non-lager beers, such as pilsners, are brewed using “top wort fermentation” in which more phenols and esters are produced by yeast actually floating on the surface of the grain-mash. Exposed directly to oxygen, it is also kept warm to stimulate fermentation, producing stronger, spicy flavors, a bit to heavy for bread making. Accordingly, persnickity cowboy chuckwagon cooks add only lager to their recipes.
Best wishes, Chuckwagon
PS... Hmmm. Why do I have the feeling that JohnFB is going to say the best beer to cook with is the one he has in his fridge at the time?
PSS. And Why do I have the feeling that Coastie and Beardosmoothshave are going to say,"To heck with cookin' it... pour it in a glass and lets drink it?
Have you got brats on the grill today? The brats you carefully made with just the right ingredients and fat content. Now you’re going to par-cook them or steam-cook them in beer before they hit the hot, smokey grill. Right? Does it matter what kind of beer you use? Actually, it does matter, according to Christopher Kimball, owner and editor of Cook’s Illustrated. He says, “Lots of cooks add beer to their dishes whether their recipes call for it or not. In many foods, beer leaves behind the wonderful flavor of grains, hops, and herbs, making the tangy savor of beer so unique. But the type of beer makes a difference”.
Old timers have long kept their secret of adding only “lager” beer to bread and hotcakes since its yeast is “bottom wort fermented”, in a low oxygen, cooler environment causing yeast to produce fewer phenols and esters. During beer’s fermentation, warm temperatures and oxygen encourage yeast to produces alcohol, carbon dioxide, and a few sulfur compounds with astringent flavored composites called phenols and fruity, floral amalgams known as esters - wonderful in beer - not so desirable in bread. In contrast, most non-lager beers, such as pilsners, are brewed using “top wort fermentation” in which more phenols and esters are produced by yeast actually floating on the surface of the grain-mash. Exposed directly to oxygen, it is also kept warm to stimulate fermentation, producing stronger, spicy flavors, a bit to heavy for bread making. Accordingly, persnickity cowboy chuckwagon cooks add only lager to their recipes.
Best wishes, Chuckwagon
PS... Hmmm. Why do I have the feeling that JohnFB is going to say the best beer to cook with is the one he has in his fridge at the time?
PSS. And Why do I have the feeling that Coastie and Beardosmoothshave are going to say,"To heck with cookin' it... pour it in a glass and lets drink it?
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