Next, hold the glass up to your nose and take a good sniff - enjoy the blend of hop and malt aroma. Make a note of the beer if you like it - so you can ask for it by name at the pub, restaurant or beer store. Finally, talk to someone about what you have just seen, smelled, tasted and felt - share your experience. The longer and hotter the drying, the darker the malt and the darker the beer. Most beers use barley malt, though wheat is also popular.
Hops also act as a natural preservative for beer.
Different strains of yeast give different characteristics to beers.