Secrets of production: what beer is made of and how it is brewed

The first beer appeared in the 7th century BC. Most likely, it bore little resemblance to modern varieties, and the production technology differed considerably. We won’t be able to find out how the ancient Sumerians prepared their drink, but it’s easy to tell you what ingredients and how beer is brewed today. Let’s go!

The subtleties of the process

The basis of any beer is malt. This is the name given to the seeds of cereals that have undergone special fermentation. Grains can be different — wheat, barley, rye and even corn. After the grains are ripe, they are sent to a crusher to be pulverized. Once the grains are completely broken, the next stage of production comes — mashing.

This is the name given to the process of mixing malt with water. The resulting mass is heated to a high temperature — from 60 to 72 degrees Celsius. This is necessary for the malt to release starch, which is then broken down and transformed into simple sugars. It is they that become the alcohol base of the future drink.

At this stage, the malt and water become wort — a sweet mass that undergoes fermentation. The wort is filtered to get rid of residual grains, and then boiled. The high temperatures precipitate the proteins that will later become the foam, and the drink itself is sanitized.

Then hops are added to the wort, either during boiling or immediately after. It is responsible for the aroma of the future drink and bitterness in its taste. The longer the hops are boiled, the more pronounced the bitterness will be.

But that’s not all. The resulting mass is again cleaned from the remnants of grains to make the drink even more transparent. A special decanter or whirlpool is used for this purpose.

Then the wort is cooled — from 100 degrees to the fermentation temperature. Modern production facilities use a special device for this purpose — a heat exchanger. After that, the mass is placed in a container where it will ferment. To start the process, yeast is added to the wort. They turn sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. It is the type of yeast that determines which family the beer will belong to: ales or lagers. Sometimes no yeast is added, and fermentation takes place under the influence of «wild» yeasts — microorganisms that are found in a particular geographical area. This is the case with lambic, which is produced by spontaneous fermentation in the Senna River Valley.

Once the fermentation process is complete, aging begins. The beer is placed in a container (for example, some varieties are aged in wine barrels) for a certain period of time.

By the way, non-alcoholic beer is brewed in the same way, and degrees are removed from it with a special device after fermentation.

Lambic has both. Come to any of our beer restaurants and try it!

Date : 16 May

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