The malting process simulates grain germination , which metabolizes the natural grain sugars called maltose , which is what the yeast feeds on during fermentation. To do so, the seed is soaked in water until the plant starts to grow. Just before it emerges from the seed it is put in a kiln and dried. The method of drying can make different colors and flavors of malt. Grains give beer three important qualities:. Malt Flavor and Aroma — These range from gently corn-like to burnt and mocha-like, with many points in between.
Color — This determined by the type of malt used. All beers are made from a large proportion of light-colored malts, because they have special chemicals, called enzymes, which convert malt starch into sugar. Hops provide beer with piquant aroma, a variety of flavors, and a delicate-to-intense bitterness that balances the sweetness of the malt.
They are the flowers of a perennial vine resembling soft, green pine cones and contain a yellow powder called lupulin. The resins and oils contained in this powder are vital for beer making.
A hop resin called alpha acid gives beer its bitterness. The oils give certain beer styles, like pale ales, their floral, citrusy, hoppy aromas. When hops are boiled, the alpha acid undergoes some chemical changes that allows it to bitter the beer. First, the brewers screen and crush the malts to create a grist , then mix them with warm water to form a porridge-like mixture called mash.
At this point, some brewmasters add corn or rice to make the beer lighter in body and flavour. When the conversion is complete, the mash is divided. The clear, sugary liquid is strained from the residual solids in a process called lautering.
The solids are often sold as animal feed. The liquid, called wort , will go on to become beer. The wort flows to a brew kettle , where it is brought to a boil. At this point, the brewmaster will usually add hops. The quantity, variety and even the time at which the hops are added, all make a big difference to the taste and fragrance of the beer. Read more about hops. The brewers move the wort to a hot wort tank to let the solids settle out.
Hops add flavour, fragrance and bitterness. For the next step, the brewmaster moves the wort to a vessel called a fermenter , introducing one or more yeasts. But they all perform the same important function: they transform sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide, in a process called fermentation.
There are two basic categories of yeast. Lager yeast settles to the bottom of the fermenter. Ale yeast rises to the top. They result in the two basic categories of beer: lagers and ales, respectively. Most beers types are ales, but refreshing, golden lagers are always popular. Read more about yeast. Water, malt, hops, yeast and a whole lot of love At Beerwulf we love beer. And if you are reading this, chances are you do too. But do you also know what beer is made of and how it is brewed? Making beer can be quite easy, but it must be done very accurately and carefully, a lot can go wrong!
Here we explain the basics of making beer: the raw materials. And those buttons all influence the end result. How your favourite beer is brewed how the knobs are turned depends on what type of beer it is. Nevertheless, the fundamentals of beer brewing are always more or less the same. Here I explain as simply - and as completely as possible - how that works. Firstly, we begin with the 4 components of beer: water, malted grains usually barley , hops and yeast.
The latter is a living organism and is therefore not always seen as an ingredient but is no less essential for the brewing process. In addition to these ingredients, a brewer can add more seasonings, these come in the form of herbs such as coriander seeds or fruit anything from grapefruit to cherries. Water serves as a medium for all other substances in the beer.
The composition of the water amount of minerals such as iron and lime can influence the end result in various ways. The two best known examples of this are the water from the Czech Plzen and the English town, Burton-upon-Trent. The very soft water few minerals of Plzen is perfect for brewing a smooth and clean beer like Pilsner.
The hard, mineral-rich water from Burton-upon-Trent makes the hop bitters in India pale ales stand out more. The minerals in the water are therefore of particular importance, everything from the quantity, composition and proportion of minerals in the water can have an effect. This also has a major influence on the effectiveness of the enzymes during step 3 of the brewing process mashing. Brewers can adjust their brewing water and determine the hardness themselves.
Burton-upon-Trent even left a verb: Burtonising. Malts are perhaps the most important and impactful ingredient in beer. It is with cereals that you determine for a large part the colour, smell, taste and even the head of the beer.
Brewed grains must first be malted, a process that we will return to in the second part of this article. Barley is the most commonly used malt for beer because the starch-protein ratio is the most favourable, it provides the enzymes needed during mashing step 3 and because the barley husks are strong enough to serve as a natural filter bed during clear step 4.
Wheat gives off a soft, bread-like taste with a slightly sour touch. You can taste it well in Weizen and wheat beer. Wheat contains more proteins, which in an unfiltered White beer and German wheat beer provides the characteristic haze and a thicker head.
Oats provide a velvety, somewhat fuller mouthfeel and, of course, the taste that you may know from oatmeal.
Oats are traditionally used in stout oatmeal stout , but increasingly also in other types of beer. Rye provides a slightly spicy, earthy touch to beer and can create a somewhat syrupy mouthfeel. It reminds some beer lovers, depending on the amount of rye, of rye bread. Jopen Jacobus is an example of a beer with rye. In addition to these grains, other alternatives can be added. Spelt for example, but also corn. The latter is a relatively cheap source of starch and is often used in American-style beers.
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