Brewing
Four basic ingredients are used to brew beer: water, malted barley, hops and yeast.
Four basic ingredients are used to brew beer: water, malted barley, hops and yeast.
Water is the largest volume component of beer. Malted barley is barley allowed to sprout that has been subsequently dried and that, when being boiled, releases components needed in fermentation process and important for the flavour, aroma and colour of beer. Yeast is necessary for the production of alcohol and carbon dioxide. Hops give beer its bitterness and the hoppy aroma.
Technology description
Malted barley is ground and mixed with hot water so as to obtain the sugary intermediate product called wort. Hops are added to the liquid that remains after the solids (spent grains) have been filtered out and the whole mixture is brought to the boil. The boiling process results in wort containing compounds extracted from the malted barley (sugars, proteins) and from the hops (essential oils and bitter substances necessary for the flavour and aroma of the beer).
To allow for fermentation, the wort needs to be cleared and cooled. First, the solid particles are removed in a whirl tank, then the wort is cooled in a cooler. The cooled wort is mixed with yeast and the fermentation process begins. In its first phase yeast proliferates in the presence of oxygen, while in the next phase it gradually starts to produce alcohol, carbon dioxide and other compounds from substances present in the wort. The beer is created.
The further technological stages include filtration and filling beer into bottles, kegs or cans. Distribution to the final consumer is the last producer’s step.
