The Process

The Process

The process of making beer is not as simple as fermenting fruit or other beverages. There is much debate over how the fermentation of barley came about because the grain contains complex proteins, carbohydrates, and enzymes which are only converted through a series of steps. . Cultivation and agriculture are the cornerstones of civilization. The selection of grains used for the purpose of brewing beer have been cultivated to meet the specific needs of producing beer. Six row barley, two row barley are the most common types of barley used. Not all grains are suitable for beer making. However, a variety of grains may be used as a portion of the grain bill.

The malting of grains serves to preserve valuable nutritional properties. In ancient times grain was made into a bread and may have served this purpose.

Malting entails several steps. It is also one ingredient responsible for the variety of beer styles we enjoy today. Malting processes have developed over the years providing malt that is very dark to malt that is very light. Other processes of malting convert the grain so it contributes only color such as roasting or sugars such as crystal malt. These varieties lend themselves to artistic contributions by the brewer.

Mashing is very much like producing a large porridge. The hot water used to soak the malted grain must be held within very narrow parameters to initiate the conversion of starches, and activate certain enzymatic qualities of the malted grain. There are several types of mashing at the disposal of the brewer. The type used will depend on the end result of the beer.

The converted starches enzymes and proteins are washed away from the grains by a process commonly called lautering. This is a process which requires care so as not to over wash the grains. Too little will be a wasteful effort. Temperature of the water used to lauter is critical. The amount of time use in this step is a valuable tool in assuring a good wort. Wort is the name of unfermented beer in which all the properties of the grain are now contained. The next process in beer making is boiling the wort.

Boiling wort has several functions. It serves to sterilize the wort. It acts to dissolve the alpha acids in hop. Hops are traditionally added in various time lines of the boil which last for at least an hour if not more. The addition of hops contribute to bittering, flavor and aroma of the beer. It drives off undesirable flavors in the steam. It acts to denature enzymes and concentrates sugar and for long boils it can develop melaniodins which contribute additional color to the wort. Boiling also serves to coagulates proteins for improved clarity in the beer.

Clarification and Chilling the wort are critical steps to a healthy beer. During the process the wort can still contain an amount of grain husks, there are the spent hops that need to be removed from the boiled wort, coagulated protiens must also be removed. A Clarification can be accomplished through the creation of a whirlpool effect, through a hopback, or a coolship. This must be accomplished in a short window of time while the beer is being cooled to allow the addition of yeast without killing it and in a manner of time which does not allow opportunistic pathogens to be reintroduced to the wort.





The selection of yeast is also an ingredient which will determine beer style. Yeast selection effects aroma, flavor, appearance and mouthfeel. Primary fermentation is a very short process for ale and lager yeast. During primary fermentation the yeast converts sugars into two primary by products: alcohol and co2. The most important factor in successful fermentation is the selection of yeast and the temperature it is fermented at. The yeast family has been divided into two catagories. Lager yeast, bottom fermenting yeast or Ale yeast otherwise known as top fermenting yeast. While the time frame of primary fermentation for both lager and ale yeast are relatively short, the beer undergoes another process referred to as conditioning, lagering, or aging depending on the beer and the yeast. The yeast continues to work on beer but now it serves a different function. This is also a longer process depending again on the beer style and the desired finished product. Some beers will only condition for another few weeks. Other beers may wait for several months and even years before they are ready.

Once the brewer has deemed the work of the yeast finished the beer goes through a filtration process. Filtration serves several purposes. Spent yeast is removed as well as proteins that effect the finished product. While yeast may be removed to promote clarity in a beer some beers get yeast added to the finished product. Several beers such as cask conditioned ales and some bottled conditioned beers are highly desirable.

There are many ways to package a beer. Casks have always been highly desired in Europe. England prizes casks conditioned ale and have a movement to preserve the art of cellaring called CAMRA. Kegs have become common in Other beers are packaged much the way champagne and wine are. While cans were a common manner of packaging beer which had subsided with the promotion of craft beer cans are making a comeback due to some of the issues with different colors of bottled glass.

Pasteurization was developed by Louis Pasteur. It was the development of this method that allowed beer to be shipped and stored during long periods of transportation. Pasteurization is a trade off for some and not necessarily practiced by smaller breweries who distribute their beer locally. Like food beer is perishable, especially if it has had several opportunities to be exposed to beer spoiling microbes. If beer is consumed locally and within a reasonable period of time that trade offs in the process must be justified.