here we can look at the grains, some of the things we like, dislike, and what to look out for.
Barley - staple grain for beer. With only a few exceptions, all beers have some amount of barley. Agriculture, and civilization, began 11,000 years ago with barley, and it was for beer rather than bread.
Wheat - staple grain for bread, but the Germans weren’t the first to make wheat beer. That would be the Babylonians. Generally cloudier than all-barley beer, but there is such a thing as Kristallweizen. There is also a Polish all-wheat beer (can’t remember names, one German, one Polish). Wheat beers tend to have more esters like isoamyl acetate (the banana ester).
Rye - can give a dry, spicy kick to beer. Watch out for beta-glucan, which will gum up the mash and sparge, and steal gravity points.
Oats - will increase the attenuation, yet make the beer sweeter when you expect it to be drier. Great for stouts and porters. If you use oat malt, the mash will smell like freshly cut grass. Oats are also higher in protein and oils than other grains, making the beer very cloudy, more so than wheat or rye.
Maize (or corn) - tends to clarify a beer, and make it sweeter.
Rice - makes a beer drier and clearer. Sake (Asian drink that is all rice) can be near 16% ABV.
Sorghum - gluten free grain, choice for sufferers of celiac disorder.
Wild rice - found in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. $5 per pound!
