water, grain, hops, and yeast; and anything else would be uncivilized. However we add either rice or corn to lighten up the beer, in some instances honey and other ingredients not mentioned here:)
for most ales it depends on the type of yeast used. We ferment our ales at 68 F.
it depends on how it was stored. If a bottle of beer was bottled properly and is kept dark and cold, it can last for years.
there are typically four things that cause a beer to go bad:
- light: if kept in direct sunlight the light will react with the hops and will eventually cause the beer to have a skunky aroma/flavor. Brown bottle are the ideal choice for this reason.
- oxygen: If oxygen is introduced to the beer during the bottling process, it will eventually cause the beer to go stale.
- bacteria: if there is bacteria in the beer or bottle, it will destroy the beer.
- temperature: if the beer is stored at high temperature for extended periods of time, any of the above problems will be accelerated and amplified.
by strict definition a microbrewery can produce no more than 15,000 barrels of beer each year.
yes, that is actually in the works as we speak.
yes, no more questions.
