Process

The Brewing Process

Beer The brewing process starts with malting. Malting is the process where barley grain is made ready for brewing. Malting is broken down into three steps, which help to release the starches in the barley. First, during [|steeping], the grain is added to a vat with water and allowed to soak for approximately 40 hours. Next, during germination, the grain is spread out on the floor of the germination room for around 5 days. The goal of germination is to allow the starches in the barley grain to break down into shorter lengths. When this step is complete, the grain is referred to as green malt. The final part of malting is kilning. Here, the green malt goes through a very high temperature drying in a kiln. The temperature change is gradual so as not to disturb or damage the [|enzymes] in the grain. When kilning is complete, there is finished [|malt] as a product. The next step is milling. Which is when the grain used for the beer are cracked so it is easier for them to absorb the water that they are mixed with and which extracts the sugars from the malt. Milling can also influence the general characteristics of a beer.

After milling comes mashing which is the process that converts the starches that are released during the malting stage, into sugars that can be fermented. It is then mixed with hat water in a large vessel which is known as a mashing tun. In the mashing tun, naturally occurring enzymes present in the malt convert the starches in the grain into smaller molecules or simple sugars. This "conversion" is called [|saccharification]. The result of the mashing process is a sugar rich liquid or "wort" (pronounced wert), which is then strained through the bottom of the mash tun in a process known as [|lautering]. Prior to lautering, the mash temperature may be raised to about 75 °C (165–170 °F) (known as a mashout) to deactivate enzymes. Additional water may be sprinkled on the grains to extract additional sugars. At this point the liquid is known as [|wort]. The wort is moved into a large tank known as a "copper" or [|kettle] where it is boiled with [|hops] and sometimes other ingredients such as herbs or sugars. This stage is where many chemical and technical reactions take place, and where important decisions about the flavor, color, and aroma of the beer are made. The boiling process serves to terminate enzymatic processes, [|precipitate] proteins, [|isomerize] hop [|resins], and concentrate and [|sterilize] the wort. Hops add flavor, [|aroma] and [|bitterness] to the beer. At the end of the boil, the hopped wort settles to clarify in a vessel called a "whirlpool", where the more solid particles in the wort are separated out. After the whirlpool, the wort then begins the process of cooling. This is when the wort is transferred rapidly from the whirlpool or brew kettle to a [|heat exchanger] to be cooled. The heat exchanger consists of tubing inside a tub of cold water. It is very important to quickly cool the wort to a level where yeast can be added safely. Yeast is unable to grow in high temperatures. After the wort goes through the heat exchanger, the cooled wort goes into a fermentation tank. A type of yeast is selected and added, or "pitched", to the fermentation tank.

When the yeast is added to the wort, the fermenting process begins, where the sugars turn into alcohol, [|carbon dioxide] and other components. The second to last stage in the brewing process is called racking. This is when the brewer racks the beer into a new tank, called a conditioning tank. Conditioning of the beer is the process in which the beer ages, the flavor becomes smoother, and flavors that are unwanted dissipate. After one to three weeks, the fresh (or "green") beer is run off into [|conditioning tanks]. After conditioning for a week to several months, the beer enters the finishing stage. Here, beers that require [|filtration] are filtered, and given their natural polish and color. Filtration also helps to stabilize the flavor of the beer. After the beer is filtered, it undergoes [|carbonation], and is then moved to a holding tank until bottling.

Wine The process for creating wines is essentially the same however, the requirements for the malting are eliminated. A must is mixed with the primary ingredients of the wine and is placed into a primary fermentation container where the final ingredients are added. Some wines need to be heated prior to fermentation for the ingredients to mix properly. Once the must has cooled to room temperature, the yeast is pitched and fermentation begins. The choice of yeast and ingredients will have a large impact on the final product and final alcohol content. From this point the process is identical to the procedure for brewing beer as outlined above.

Because fermenting alcoholic beverages are endothermic, they create their own heat, thermal control in the fermentation stage is essential. Cooling belts or heating belts, as required, are often used on small homebrew fermenters. Commercial fermentation tanks will have these thermal controls built into them. Too hot and the yeast cells will die, too cold and they will go into hibernation. The homebrewer, often, will forgo these tools and use his home's heat or AC to maintain the temperature in its proper range.