You may have heard brewers refer to a beer as “adjunct-y” or maybe read a description on a menu that mentions adjunct grains. Let me tell you a bit about what that means and what those adjunct grains actually do (or don’t do in some cases).
Adjuncts, simply put, are grains or other sugary additions that are not malt. This covers nearly everything that isn’t malted barley: sugar, corn, wheat, rye, honey, quinoa, fonio, etc. - the list is essentially endless. All of these non-malt ingredients are just another lever brewers can pull to achieve their desired result in the finished beer. Think of the American Light Lager for example: very pale, very crisp, and low on flavor. These effects are achieved primarily through the use of adjuncts, usually corn or rice. Unlike malt, corn and rice add no color, but they do add a little body, and some extra sugar for the yeast to ferment. So if you were to do a side-by-side comparison between an all-malt lager and one brewed with a large percentage of corn or rice you’d notice that the all-malt beer has a darker color, a richer flavor, and sits a little more heavily on the palate. So next time you sip into a snappy lager, thank the adjuncts!
But adjuncts don’t just lighten the color and body, do they? Absolutely not! One of the most ‘adjuncty’ beers you can find out there is a Sweet Stout/Dessert Stout/Pastry Stout. These styles are filled to the brim with oats that behave in the exact opposite way to corn or rice. While oats won’t add any color to the beer, they will add a rich and filling body with a sweetness that lingers long after each sip. They aid in the smoothness and creaminess of a beer while also adding a touch of nutty flavor that works wonderfully in darker beers.
Honey can add color (this depends heavily on the type and source of the honey that is being used) and a fairly strong flavor, but honey is mostly used for greatly increasing the sugar content and thus the ABV of the final beer. It’s the same reason why certain types of meads and wines are so biting on the palate - juice and honey are mainly just simple sugars that get readily turned into alcohol during fermentation. No residual sugar and no protein makes for a very very dry drink.
These are just the most common of the adjuncts you’ll likely come across on your journey through the beer world. Next time you order a beer, see if you can tell if there are adjuncts in it and maybe even try to guess what kind!