Richard Thomas has been writing since 1997. A travel blogger, editor and writer, he has traveled from Argentina to Vietnam. He specializes in boxing, hiking, scuba diving, food and wine. Thomas holds a Master of Arts in international affairs.
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Beer TriviaMaking Wort
Factory beer brewing in a factory starts with milling the malted grain. The grain is run through a milling machine, which cracks open the dried kernels and grinds them into a powder. The cracked and ground malted grain is then poured into a mash tun, or a big stainless steel vat, where it is steeped in hot water. Doing this produces a starchy, sugary, thick liquid called wort.
Brewing
The wort is separated from the grain mash and sent to a stainless steel kettle, where it is boiled. The boiling process is called brewing, and can last for as long as 2 hours in a factory. Then the wort is cooled and sent to a third stainless steel tank, this one being a fermentation tank. This is the stage where yeast is added, and the sugars in the wort are converted to alcohol and carbon dioxide.
When the fermentation is nearing the end, the yeast and other residues will start to settle on the bottom of the tank. The results can now be called beer for the first time in the process, and are pumped through a filter to remove the yeast and residue. The beer is sent to another tank, where it is aged. The beer becomes carbonated naturally during aging. The entire process from brewing to the conclusion of aging can take anywhere from 2 to 8 weeks.
Bottling
Some breweries filter the beer again after aging, to achieve a clean, polished look. This is especially true for mass market beers, and common even for microbrews. Only beers looking to have a artisanal look will skip this step, as the results can be murky.
The beer goes on to be bottled mechanically in a factory, and industrial beer is almost always pasteurized in the process, to give it a longer shelf life.
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