An Overview of Brewing

Abstract

This chapter deals in general with the brewing of beer from barley malt because this is the main raw material employed worldwide. The malting process converts raw barley by controlled steeping, germination, and kilning into a product that is much more friable, with increased enzyme levels and modified chemical and physical properties. There are three principal mashing methods that have been developed to accommodate the equipment and materials available to the brewer. For the classic infusion mash, the processes of mashing and wort separation take place in the same vessel, the mash tun. Wort boiling is a process unique to beer production because it is not required in the distilling or vinegar production processes. It is important that most of the coagulated material formed during the boil is removed so that beer stability does not suffer. The wort is cooled from almost boiling point to fermentation temperature through a heat exchanger, using cold water as the main cooling medium.