Common Beer Terms
The total conversion of malt sugars to beer, defined here as three parts, adaptation, primary, and secondary.
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Beer Guide Stats
437 Beers Reviewed
262 Breweries Known
710 Beers Known
95 Beers Styles
387 Food Pairings
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Beer Questions
Below you will find a list of questions we are Beer Guide Australia are commonly asked. If you have a question, which isn't answered below please do not hesitate to contact us via email. We'll try to answer your question/s as quickly as possible and should we not have an answer, we'll try to find out for you.
How do I pour a Beer?
Hold your glass at roughly a 45° angle. Pour the beer, targeting the middle of the the glass. There's no rule about the distance between the bottle and glass, that's personal preference. However in our experience until you are more comfortable with pouring Beer a smaller distance and slower pouring is preferably.
When you are half-way through the bottle bring the glass to a 90° angle and continue to pour in the middle of the glass.
How do I taste Beer?
Cleanliness
Make sure the glass you choose to use is absolutely clean. Dishwashing liquid leaves residue on the glass and will ruin a beers head. For this reason rinse the glass in water, and air dry. This will allow for the maxium head to be created.
Look
Raise your beer in your glass in front of you. DO NOT expose it to direct light as this will dilute the true colour of the beer. Describe its colour, its head, consistency and its effervescence.
Agitate the Beer
Gently swirl the beer around in your glass. This will release the aromas trapped in the beer. Take TWO or THREE quick sniffs of the resulting smells with your mouth closed through your nose, then take a third quick sniff through your mouth only. This may sound strange at first, but remember that your mouth and nose are connected. Agitate a second or third time if required to take in all the aromas.
Possible Aromas
- Estery - Fruity, Sweet aroma from the Yeast.
- Hoppy - Grassy, Floral or Tangy aroma from the Hops.
- Malty - Sweet, Floury, Brewery Aroma.
- Roasted Malt - Coffee, Caramel or Butterscotch Aroma resulting from burt, or roasted Malt used in the brew.
Taste the Beer
Sip on the beer, only take around the same amount you would if using a dental mouthwash. This should be around 40-50ml, or slightly more than a shot glass. Resist swallowing immediately. Let the tastes explore your mouth and take note of the feel of the beer and its consistency in your mouth. Try to detect any flavours, bitterness or hidden sweetness. Explain how they feel and taste in your own words. Wait for a moment and then describe the after tastes that may be present. A large number beers present the drinker with an intial flavour which then fades and leaves a secondary after taste in your mouth.
Let the beer warm a little and repeat the tasting process. A really cold beer can mask some flavours, which become present after the beer warms slightly.
How Do You Rate The Beer?
We utilise a 1-25 scaling system for Flavour, Appearance, Aroma, Palate and a Technical rating. This value is then divided by 2 to provide an Overall Rating. We also allow users to add comments which can be hard to be reflected in a numeric scoring system.
Using the following chart may assist you in your own ratings:
- A Appearance
- Colour
- Carbonation/foam
- Characteristics
- Max 5 points
- B Aroma
- Positive characteristics
- Aroma Faults
- Max 5 points
- C Flavour & Palate
- General characteristics
- Bitterness
- Fermentation products
- Flavour faults
- Max 10 points
- D Experience & Technical
- Appropriate for class
- Absence of major faults
- Balance
- Drinkability
- Enjoyability
- Max 5 points
- TOTAL = (A+B+C+D)/2.5
What Styles of Beer are there?
At present there is no global agreement of what the 'true' list of Beer Styles that exist. There are many versions of this list and everyone seems to have their own version, we are no different. We have created our list based on our experience with what is available on the market and this seems to be the same approach taken by many people/businesses. You can view our style guide by clicking here.
What is an off/skunked/spoiled Beer?
The enjoyment of beer is a highly subjective and personal experience. However, in the real world, various people/groups develop their favorites while denouncing all other Beers. Quite typical exagerated by "The best/worst beer in the world is...." type threads in popular Beer forums.
However, if Beer is not correctly stored or handled it can become 'Bad Beer'. Bad beer can be easily identified, the two most common occurences are:
Skunking: When beer has been exposed to strong light, either natural or artificial, certain components in hops alter and produce acrid flavors, commonly know as being lightstruck. This is why beer should be bottled in brown bottles and stored in dark areas/rooms. Clear bottles (eg: Corona) offer no light protection and green is only slightly better. For an explanation of why, we need to look at the science of light and its various wavelengths. Technically, light of wavelengths from 550 nm and below can cause photochemical reactions in hop resins, resulting in a sulfury mercaptan which has a pronounced skunky character. 550 nm is roughly blue-green. Bottled beer can become lightstruck in less than one minute in bright sun, after a few hours in diffuse daylight, and in a few days under normal flourescent lighting.
Spoiled: Also referred to as going "off". This is a more vague term and often refers to beer that has not been properly stored or handled allowing oxidation (a cardboard taste) or other off-flavors resulting from contamination, overheating, etc. As with any fermented beverage, alcohol can also turn to vinegar, imparting a strong sour taste to beer. Whilst it will cause you no harm, it will not be pleasant to drink.
Why are there so many glass sizes in Australia?
It is not really known why there is such a difference between states for the size of Beer glasses. It might have something to do with the old 'wars' between states where each state was trying to differentiate itself from the others back in the early days of Australia. Or is simply may be just to make it difficult for people travelling inter-state. The following chart however should help you work out what to ask for in each state.
Where Can I Find Beer X?
We are currently developing a system to allow users to enter in where they purchased, or tried a Beer from. We will then compile these results and generate a list for you to access which will detail Bottle Shops, Pubs and Clubs which stock the Beer in question.
I Would Like To Advertise On Your Site
Please email us the details and we'll discuss what options are available. If this appeals to you, please contact us.
Your Information Is Incorrect!
By all means if you know something to be incorrect, please feel free to forward us the accurate information. We have compiled our information from a number of sources and it is in our nature as humans to make mistakes.
Got a Question?
Feel free to ask us a question about anything and we'll try to answer it as quickly as possible. Your question may even make it to the list here.
