Many people that are new to brewing are always wondering how other brewers "do it" and what methodologies they use.
Well, with that, I decided to share what I have learned at this point to help everyone (as well as myself) improve their brewing skills.
In this, the inaugural issue, I will start from the beginning by explaining the basic ingredients used in brewing as well as the overall process.
Then, on a weekly basis, I plan on covering all the aspects of brewing and providing tips and tricks that I have learned.
Basic Ingredients in brewing beer: There are only 4 basic ingredients in brewing beer.
Water, Malt, Hops and Yeast.
You can use "other" ingredients but these are just the basics.
The Germans think that beer should ONLY consist of these ingredients and wrote the "German Purity Law" (Keep in mind that this document was written in 1516 and is still adhered to today!!) So, if you use these four ingredients and don't try to get too fancy you can brew some great beer! 1.
Water - Water makes up more than 90% of beer.
The mineral content of water can influence the flavor of beer and is typically specific to the region from which it came.
2.
Malt (Barley) - Barley must be malted before being used to brew beer.
Malting is a process applied to cereal grains, in which the grains are made to germinate and then are quickly dried before the plant develops Hops1 3.
Hops - (Humulus Lupulus) Flowering vines whose flowers are used as a preservative and for their essential oils that add flavor and aroma to balance the sweetness of the malt.
4.
Yeast - These are a type of fungi.
Yeast is one of the most essential aspects of brewing beer.
This is where all the magic happens.
It is during this stage that sugars from the malt are metabolized into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
General overview of the brewing process: 1.
Malt barley is soaked in hot water, just like making a giant cup of tea (this releases the sugars in the malt).
This mixture is now called "Wort".
2.
The malt sugar solution is boiled with hops to add flavor and aroma.
3.
The solution is cooled (typically to room temp) and yeast is added to start the fermentation process.
The mixture can now officially be called "BEER".
I am man, hear me roar! 4.
The yeast ferments the sugars, releasing CO2 and ethyl alcohol.
This can be done in a single stage or two stage fermentation process typically taking 1-2 weeks.
5.
When the fermentation is complete, the beer is bottled with a little bit of added sugar to provide the carbonation (the residual yeast "eats" the sugars and releases more CO2).
This is called "Bottle Conditioning" and typically takes another 1-2 weeks.
Well there you have it, a general overview of the brewing ingredients and process.
In my next series I will cover the process from the very beginning, concentrate of methods and practices of "The Boil"...
stay tuned.
Well, with that, I decided to share what I have learned at this point to help everyone (as well as myself) improve their brewing skills.
In this, the inaugural issue, I will start from the beginning by explaining the basic ingredients used in brewing as well as the overall process.
Then, on a weekly basis, I plan on covering all the aspects of brewing and providing tips and tricks that I have learned.
Basic Ingredients in brewing beer: There are only 4 basic ingredients in brewing beer.
Water, Malt, Hops and Yeast.
You can use "other" ingredients but these are just the basics.
The Germans think that beer should ONLY consist of these ingredients and wrote the "German Purity Law" (Keep in mind that this document was written in 1516 and is still adhered to today!!) So, if you use these four ingredients and don't try to get too fancy you can brew some great beer! 1.
Water - Water makes up more than 90% of beer.
The mineral content of water can influence the flavor of beer and is typically specific to the region from which it came.
2.
Malt (Barley) - Barley must be malted before being used to brew beer.
Malting is a process applied to cereal grains, in which the grains are made to germinate and then are quickly dried before the plant develops Hops1 3.
Hops - (Humulus Lupulus) Flowering vines whose flowers are used as a preservative and for their essential oils that add flavor and aroma to balance the sweetness of the malt.
4.
Yeast - These are a type of fungi.
Yeast is one of the most essential aspects of brewing beer.
This is where all the magic happens.
It is during this stage that sugars from the malt are metabolized into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
General overview of the brewing process: 1.
Malt barley is soaked in hot water, just like making a giant cup of tea (this releases the sugars in the malt).
This mixture is now called "Wort".
2.
The malt sugar solution is boiled with hops to add flavor and aroma.
3.
The solution is cooled (typically to room temp) and yeast is added to start the fermentation process.
The mixture can now officially be called "BEER".
I am man, hear me roar! 4.
The yeast ferments the sugars, releasing CO2 and ethyl alcohol.
This can be done in a single stage or two stage fermentation process typically taking 1-2 weeks.
5.
When the fermentation is complete, the beer is bottled with a little bit of added sugar to provide the carbonation (the residual yeast "eats" the sugars and releases more CO2).
This is called "Bottle Conditioning" and typically takes another 1-2 weeks.
Well there you have it, a general overview of the brewing ingredients and process.
In my next series I will cover the process from the very beginning, concentrate of methods and practices of "The Boil"...
stay tuned.