Brewing beer is a science. There are many different ways to do it, depending on the style of beer. But there are six basic steps that you need to follow in the beer brewing process.
I have taken a somewhat complex method of brewing and broken it down in a very simple six step process. The goal of this blog is to get you to understand what each of the six steps does to the ingredients involved in the beer brewing process and how it gets each ingredient closer to creating the world’s most delicious beverage, beer.
Knowing the brewing process really helps you understand the basics of beer tasting. Obviously, the process changes based on a multitude of different factors. But, here are the basics.
Ingredients
- Water
- Barley grain
- Hops
- Yeast
- Water
Yes, you’re going to need a lot of water. After all, water is the main ingredient in beer.
Process
Malting
The process of releasing the starches in the barley. There are three main steps in the malting stage.
- Steeping - letting the barley sit in water
- Germination - putting the grains in a slightly cool and moist environment
- Kilning - stopping the germination process
After all of this, the barley grain is now considered malt. That malt is crushed to prepare for the next stage.
Note — home brewers will usually skip the malting process. It is possible to buy the malt as-is. If you are doing this, you will just want to make sure you crush the grains so that the centers of the seeds are exposed.
Mashing
This is when the starches in the grain are converted into sugar. The crushed malt is mixed with hot water in a vessel that mixes them together. This will produce a liquid known as wort.
Lautering
This is the process of removing the grain mash so that only the wort remains.
Boil
At this stage the brewer can really determine the flavor, color and aroma of the beer. Hops are added to the wort in this stage. Because of the boiling water, these hops start to break down and add flavor, aroma and a bitter characteristic to the beer. After the boil, the hopped wort is separated out and cooled down immediately.
Fermentation
The process of turning the sugars into alcohol. Yeast is added to the cooled wort and the magic begins. The yeast essentially eats the sugars in the wort and releases alcohol, carbon dioxide and different flavors.
Conditioning
A way to condition, mature or age the beer. The dead yeast is removed and the beer is left to age. This will add flavor and alcohol to the beer.
After all of these steps the beer is packaged and sent out to thirsty consumers, like you and me.
This was a very general breakdown of the process. If you’re looking for specific measurements / times for home brewing, take a look at this article from Drink Craft Beer. When brewing beer at home, don't get frustrated when it doesn't taste just right the first few times. It's all about trial and error, figuring out what works and what doesn't. Download the free beer tasting scorecard for an easy way to rate the beers you brew.
In the end, it all comes down to these six basic steps. Once you understand what each of these steps does, you’ll understand why your beer taste as delicious as it does.
Cheers!
