Monday, June 10, 2013

The Brewing Process For Beginners

By Chris Saley


Beer is the standard term used for all malt beverages that contain alcohol. Most beers are "bottom fermenting brews", meaning their yeast settles to the bottom during the fermentation process. The three main categories of beer include lagers, ales, and specialty brews.

The brewing process can vary from brewer to brewer. Listed below are the steps of making beer.

Malting

Barley is passed and filtered over screens to remove impurities. It is then soaked and stored to allow for the grain to germinate. This can take anywhere from 30 to forty days depending on the type of grain used. The malt is then kiln dried to remove excess water. The amount of time the the malt is roasted determines the color and flavor of the beer. Light and golden beers come from lighter malts, while darker beers come from darker malts. The malt is filtered a second time to remove all excess sprouts.

Mashing

After the malt has been dried, it is ground into meal and then uniformly mashed. Water is then strained off the mixture and then liquid is then termed "wort". Wort has the consistency of syrup, with a sweet and malty taste.

Fermentation

Hops are then added and the solution is boiled in fermentation vats.

Lagering

At this point, the wort is cooled and the hops are strained off the top. Yeast is added to the filtered wort, where it begins to convert sugar to alcohol and carbon dioxide. Some recipes call for the carbon dioxide to be saved and added to the beer before packaging. The wort is now beer!

Chilling

The beer is finally chilled and filtered once again in holding tanks to get rid of impurities. Carbon dioxide is added to give the beer it's "bite".

Packaging

The beer is now ready to drink. It must be packaged into cans, kegs, or bottles. If the beer is to be pasteurized, it is done so at 140 degrees.

For the beginning home brewer or bartender, this knowledge of the brewing process is a great place to start.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment