How does beer brewing work?
A guide for daredevils
Beer is one of the most popular drinks available worldwide. A true beer lover, therefore, feels blessed by the many different varieties he or she can choose from. From light to dark and from low to high alcohol content. The number of different beers to choose from is almost uncountable. There is a beer for almost everyone.
But where do the different flavours come from? How is such a beer brewed? And how is it that different beers have different tastes? Very few people know the answers to these questions. That’s why we take a closer look at the process of brewing beer. We would like to take you through the entire process of what a drinkable beer is ultimately the result of. It starts, of course, with the ingredients.
Blond
Vanaf € 8,95
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Double
Vanaf € 9,45
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Fruity
Triple
Vanaf € 9,95
per 75 cl bottle
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Bitter & hoppy
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The ingredients of beer:
Let’s start at the beginning, the ingredients. Like any other form of beverage or food, the final result is composed of a few distinct ingredients. In this case, it is all about the following 4 ingredients of beer:
The ingredient with the largest share in the final beer product is water. In fact, more than 90% of beer is water. The minerals in the water used are essential. This is because the amount, composition and ratio of minerals says something about how the beer will taste. When water is very soft and contains few minerals, it can be used to make a smooth, clean beer. A Pilsener is a good example of this. Water that contains a lot of minerals, on the other hand, is better suited for hop-bitter beer. The well-known Pale Ales are an example of this.
So a brewer pays close attention to the proportion of minerals in the water he or she uses when brewing a beer. This can have a considerable influence on the final result.
Another basic component of beer is malt. This involves grain that was first germinated and then dried. Special brewing barley is required in the process, as normal barley cannot be used in brewing beer. The type of malt you use is then of decisive importance in terms of the smell, color, taste and head of the beer. This is what malt is responsible for. So it is very important to think about what kind of beer you want to brew and what kind of malt you need. In terms of malt, you can choose between the following types of grain:
– Barley: This is the most popular option. This is mainly due to the favorable ratio of starch to protein in this type of grain. Moreover, it contains valuable enzymes for in the brewing process and barley is sturdy enough for a later stage of brewing.
– Wheat: If you use wheat during the brewing process, your beer will end up with a slightly cloudier look and a slightly larger head. This is due to the large amount of protein in this type of grain.
– Oats: Provides the flavor of oatmeal. Recognizable by the fuller and more velvety mouthfeel of the beer.
– Rye: Rye, on the other hand, adds a more spicy flavor to beer. In the distance, it reminds some palates of rye bread.
– Other grains: There are also other grains, all with specific properties. Examples are corn, spelt, emmer and rice.
With hops we have arrived at the most expensive ingredient of beer. The advantage is that as a brewer you don’t have to use too much of it. Thanks to hops a beer gets its bitter properties and also a smell is given to the beer. Moreover, hops are very valuable when it comes to shelf life. Hops have a preserving effect. It ensures that bacteria are killed. Also in terms of hops you have a wide range of different options for brewing your beer.
They can be roughly divided into 3 main categories:
– Bitter hops: As the name suggests, bitter hops give a bitter taste to beer. This is the case thanks to the alpha acids that are converted into bitter substances during the building process.
– Aroma hops: Aroma hops contain certain oils, which give off a fruity or floral aroma. Thus, with this type of hop, the focus is more on the aroma, or smell.
– Dual-purpose hops: Dual-purpose hops contain both the aforementioned alpha acids and also aroma hops.
The fourth and final main ingredient of beer is yeast. A living organism, of which as many as hundreds of different species exist. Isolated yeasts are preferred for the brewing process. This means that all yeast cells are completely the same. Also in terms of yeast, there are different types. You have top yeast, bottom yeast and spontaneous yeast.
The different processes of beer brewing
Now that we have gone through what the necessary ingredients are when brewing beer, it is time for the steps themselves. Because after collecting the ingredients you’re still far from a tasty beer, of course. The brewing process can be divided into a number of different steps. We will briefly go through these steps to give you a better idea of what happens behind the scenes while producing a beer.
Making different types of beer?
How do we make all the different types?
What not many people are aware of, and what we already touched on briefly above, is that in terms of fermentation, there are three different options that provide three very different results.
They are therefore seen as three different forms of beer making. We are talking about:
In low fermentation, the yeast sinks completely to the bottom. To achieve this, the yeast species Saccharomyces carisbergensis is used. This form of fermentation takes relatively longer and takes place at temperatures of 4 to 12 degrees Celsius. It is a popular method mainly because there is little chance of contamination by bacteria. Because of this, many large brewers often choose this method. It is safer. An example of a well-known beer brewed by low fermentation is Pilsener.
In the case of top fermentation, the yeast stays right at the top. The yeast species Saccharomyces cerevisiae is used at temperatures of 15 to 25 degrees Celsius. Thanks to this higher temperature, this form of yeast is also more susceptible to bacteria. This makes the fermentation process more difficult to control. Since the risk level here is higher, less large quantities are often produced at one time. On the other hand, an advantage is that many esters are produced as a by-product of the yeast. This gives a unique flavor to the beer, which attracts many brewers. Because when it does work, the beer obtained is of a special quality. An example of beers brewed by top fermentation are the beers from Make Your Own Spirit.
The main difference between spontaneous fermentation and the two previously mentioned forms is that there is no control over the type of yeast used. The obtained wort is exposed to the open air, so that wild yeast cells start the fermentation. This method ultimately results in different flavors that would not have remained in other methods of fermentation. It creates a more unexpected flavor, as it were.
Lots of information, of course! Who can still keep up? Much more important, of course, is the tasting itself. Because that remains the most important thing: a fresh and tasty beer.
With the above information, however, you can surprise your friends and family at the next barbecue or terrace afternoon with your extensive beer knowledge!
Be sure to try some of our top-fermented beers and let us know what you think of them. We would love to hear your reactions!
