BREW PROCESS

Beer consists of barley, hops, yeast, and water. Today, most large breweries replace some of the barley with rice or corn to produce the lighter beers. With few exceptions, microbrewers use traditional ingredients. The brewing process is pretty straightforward but critical for master brewers to oversee each step.

· Microbrewers focus special attention on picking the best ingredients. Barley determines the color, flavor, and body of the beer so it’s crucial to prepare it correctly. It is steeped in cold water for 48 hours. Thereafter the barley is drained and placed in germination beds. After the barley has sprouted, usually within 3 days, the germination cycle ends and the grain is heated and dried in a kiln. This turns the barley into malt. Choosing hops is important since some produce smooth clean tastes while others are chosen for specific flavor or color characteristics. During the fermentation process the yeast converts the sugars

· The brewing process starts with the barley malt. It is ground by running it through a malt mill removing the starch from the husk. This crushed malt and husk mixture is then blended with warm water to form “mash”. The “mash” is then heated and stirred for approximately 2 hours allowing the starchy carbohydrates to be broken down into simple fermentable sugars. The mash is then strained and rinsed to produce a liquid called “wort”. The wort then flows through a brew kettle where it boils for 1-2 hours. During this process hops will be added to give the brew its flavor and aroma. The wort is then moved to a whirlpool allowing the sediment to settle at the bottom of the vessel. The brew is then decanted to the wort cooler and the sediment is discarded.

· Once the brew is cooled down to the fermentation temperature it is injected with sterile air and yeast. The air stimulates the yeast growth. During fermentation brewmasters use a controlled temperature to allow the yeast to ferment the simple malt sugars into ethyl alcohol, carbon dioxide, and the flavor and aroma compounds. Sometime during the fermentation process the fermenter exhaust is closed, pressurizing the tank and carbonating the beer. For ales the fermentation process is about 10 days, lagers take longer. The beer is then stored at about 30 degrees for a period of time to allow it to mature.

· Filtration is the final step before the beer is bottled or kegged. This removes yeast solids from the beer and refines the flavor and appearance of the beer.