Many of us have spent the weekends watching football or playing pool and one thing that can typically be found in our hand is beer. Beer is one of the most popular alcoholic beverages on the market. They come in a huge variety of brands and types, from dark ale, to beer that has reduced calories and carbs. It is an extremely versatile drink that is served from barbeques, to even the fanciest weddings and there are few adults who have not sipped a frosty brew at least one time in their lives.
What's interesting is that despite all the people who drink it, if you were to ask them what the ingredients were, most would not be able to tell you. So for all you beer lovers out there, here's some beer trivia for you about what it's made from and why.
The primary beer ingredients are yeast, malted barley, hops, and water. Starches are also used because they help to ferment the sugars that increase the alcohol content. They also contribute to the flavor and body of the brew.
Malted barley is used because it contains a large amount of amylase. It also helps to convert starch to sugar, thanks to an enzyme it contains. The term "malt", refers to the process of letting grains soak in water. This will prompt the grain to actually start to grow. Once the grain begins to germinate, it is then dried. Other grains such as rice, oats and rye can also be used.
Water is the main ingredient in beer. Because water varies from region to region, the water from a specific region can determine the kind of beer that will be produced. An example is that regions that have hard water will produce darker beer.
Yeast is another ingredient that is used in beer. This is the ingredient that causes fermentation. There are various types of yeast that are used, particularly the ale and lager varieties. The next time you order one of these types of beer, you will know where the terms come from.
Hops are another ingredient and they contribute a bitter taste to beer. The balance between the bitterness and the sweetness depends on it. It also contributes to the beer's rich scent. It may interest you to know that hops have been used in beer since the 17th century, which makes beer not just a beverage but a part of history as well.
You may wonder how with all of these different ingredients, that beer maintains such a clear color. This is because clarifying agents have been added to it and they range from Irish moss to fish bladders. For those drinkers who are vegetarians, it may be important to take the time to discover which clarifying agent was used in the beer that you drink.
Outdoor living is becoming more and more popular. As folks head out to their local big box store (Home Depot and Lowe's come to mind) to shop for outdoor tables, chairs, tent awnings, and other items for their outdoor space, the temptation is to buy it all then and there without carefully examining how well some of those items will hold-up. Among the most comfortable of outdoor furniture is the Adirondack chair, and among the sometimes most sloppily manufactured and cheaply sold furniture at these stores is yes, you guessed it, the Adirondack chair.
While there are many things to look for when purchasing an Adirondack chair, I will focus in this article only on a few aspects of construction that you should avoid. Watching out for these red flags will make a huge difference in the safety and longevity of life of these fine, comfortable outdoor wood products.
Many budget Adirondack chairs found at big box stores are constructed exclusively with nails and glues. These chairs are usually made with quantity of production in mind rather than quality. Thus, they sell for an extremely low price and are in most cases no better than the cheap metal-framed folding lawn chairs we all have hanging in our garages and sheds.
A well made Adirondack chair is assembled with screws appropriate for the wood they're going into. Screws hold several advantages over nails: they hold the pieces of wood more tightly together, they will not loosen as much over time causing wobbles and a potentially unsafe situation, they can be tightened if parts do begin to loose their snugness, and they can be easily removed if the chair must be knocked-down for transportation or storage.
For the same reason, glued outdoor furniture should be avoided as well. If a part of your Adirondack chair becomes damaged, and it is glued to the frame or another part, removing and replacing the damaged part just became that much more difficult to do. Not only that, but without a guarantee that the glue used in the chair is outdoor grade, you could be purchasing an Adirondack chair assembled with glue not meant to be used on items placed outside year-round -- another potentially dangerous proposition.
Better than glues is mortise and tenon joinery combined with screws. If you're not familiar with the woodworking term "mortise and tenon," this technique is similar to the "Put tab A into slot B" concept... essentially there is a groove cut into one piece (the mortise), and the other piece has cut into it a tab (the tenon) that fits into the mortise. This method of joinery takes time, but is worth every penny when it comes to making your Adirondack chair last a long, long time.
Purchasing Adirondack chairs at your local hardware store (or even a home furnishings shop) can be a hit and miss proposition. Most times, the sales associate helping you will have no more clue than you do about the chair's construction. For this reason, I have always recommended purchasing outdoor furniture from the specialists in the field. These days, there are many qualified and knowledgeable retailers online offering prices comparable to the big box stores, and with the added benefit of quality guarantees and manufacturer warranties.
Both Gregg Hall & Jason Gerth are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Gregg Hall has sinced written about articles on various topics from Lingerie, Desserts and Mortgage. Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as at. Gregg Hall's top article generates over 3350000 views. to your Favourites.