Some of these could make the Reinheitsgebot devotees weep.
Adjuncts are ingredients outside of the regular 4 that are added to compliment and elevate the characteristic of an already tasty brew. This category of ingredients includes simple grain additions like oats for a fuller mouthfeel in a hazy IPA all the way to oysters for those delicious, subtly briny oyster stouts.
Some very common example of adjuncts can be found in many big commercial Lagers which use corn or rice to thin out the body of the beer like some Japanese beers or American Light Lagers, but the use of different ingredients has taken a whole different shape when it comes to modern craft beer.
Different types of grains and adjuncts
Craft beer has been taking the world by storm and new styles are being created around the clock with most of them including some type of adjunct addition.
Although adjuncts are mostly known to be used in modern craft beer, there are many traditional styles that use adjuncts too.
Some of these more traditional styles are Milk Stouts or Oatmeal Stouts from Ireland and the UK, suited for a fuller body and a richer character without the extra alcohol. But also, some of these traditional methods were used to supplement the main grain bill to raise the alcohol content, like Candi sugar for Belgian Strong Ales, but these days almost anything goes!
From Milkshake IPAs to Hyper-fruited Imperial Sours, some of these beers stand on their own while others try to imitate food preparations. The line between beer and something else gets thinner and thinner, but we are here for the experience!
In this month’s Ale Odyssey box, you’ll find more than half the beers include a form of adjunct. Taste the endless possibilities!
What to explore adjuncted beers further?
Why not start with one of the most common beer adjuncts? Fruit!
Check out Carwyn Cellar's full range of Fruited beers! From Session Sours, to Pastry beers!
Image by unknownbrewing.com and Illustration by James O'Boyle (isthmus.com)