About Beer Making

Beer making, also known as brewing, is a complicated process that is as much science as it is art. Brew masters (people responsible for making beer) must make decisions on ingredients and temperatures of beer making processes in order to devise a specific beer of his choosing. This has been done since ancient times, and it is still regularly done today using modern equipment and very old processes.

The ingredients used to make beer generally are the same across the board, generally, but the types of these ingredients and other characteristics of them change depending on the type of beer that is being made. The main ingredient is malted grain. These are usually wheat, barley, and/or rye, depending on the region. Hops are added for flavor, and sometimes additional herbs and sugar are as well. Water mixes all of this together. The final ingredient is yeast, which is responsible for creating the alcoholic content of beer.

There are a number of different pieces of equipment used in the beer making process. The mash tun is where hot water and malt are mixed together. Malt is made in a kiln, where malted grains are roasted. A copper is a large mettle container where all the ingredients except for yeast are boiled together. There is a final fermentation vessel, which is where beer is fermented, as the name suggests. After this, bottling equipment and kegs are necessary to contain the finished product.

The basic process of beer making is fairly straightforward, though many different things can happen during it. First, the malted grains are dried out and roasted in order to bring out specific flavors in them. They are then broken apart and dumped into hot water and mashed into a liquid called mort. The mort is strained and boiled. At this time, hops and any herbs, sugar, or other additives are thrown in as well so that everything is mixed together. In the fermentation tank, afterwards, yeast is thrown in. This helpful bacteria converts sugar into alcohol and also releases carbon dioxide, which creates the head of the beer. Beer is then bottled and put into kegs, which are then sold to retailers.

There are three different types of yeasts that are used to make different types of beer. The first are bottom-fermenting yeasts, which are used to make a type of beer known as a lager. This yeast collects at the bottom of the fermenting tank and better suited for cold temperatures. This is good because lagers are fermented at around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Ales, on the other hand, are fermented at around 65 degrees Fahrenheit and require the use of top-fermenting ales. As their name suggests, these yeasts convert sugar into alcohol at the top of the tank. The final type of yeast used is wild yeast, which are typically used in Bavarian beer making to create Lambic beers. These yeasts ferment at spontaneous spots in the tank and are used to create a sort of spontaneous outcomes to some of the beers.

A simplified process of making beer is often used for home brewing, which is brewing beer as a hobby or for personal occasions. For this type of beer making, hops and yeast can be purchased in measured packets. Beer making kits can be purchased, which are liquid malt extracts that create wort when mixed with water. This takes care of the roasting of malted grains and the mashing process in professional brewing. The wort made from this kit is then mixed with prepackaged hops and any herbs or wood chips that may be used to enhance the flavor of the beer. These are added to the liquid wort when it is very hot, and all of it is done in a small container that can easily be moved and stored at home. Packaged yeast is then added and the container is sealed to prevent contamination. After the brew ferments for 1 to 2 weeks, the beer is finished. It can be bottled and served.