Bavarian law (Reinheitsgebot) on the purity of beer by William IV (1516).
We rule, declare and want, together with the council of our land, that from now on throughout the entire land of the Duchy of Bavaria, as well as in all cities and marketplaces that do not have special rules, from Michaeli to Georgi, a quart or kopf (a little more than a liter) beer would not be sold for more than one pfennig of the Munich currency, and from Georgi to Michaeli a quart of beer would not be sold for more than two pfennigs of the same currency, and a kopf for no more than three hellers, under pain of the penalties listed below. If someone does not brew March beer, but brews something else, or does it in some other way, then he should not sell it for more than one pfennig per quart. But above all, we insist that from now on nothing more shall be used for any beer except malt, hops and water in all our cities, market places and throughout the land. He who willfully breaks the Decree and does not remain faithful to it shall be deprived of his keg of beer by the magistrate as a punishment. But if the owner of an inn buys one, two or three barrels of beer from any brewery in our cities, market squares and throughout the country, and then sells it to a simple peasant, then he (that owner) and only he is allowed and not prohibited from selling a quart or kopf of beer one heller more than stated above.
"Kopf" = 1.069 liters.
All my searches to understand the technical process of industrial brewing, namely the composition of the ingredients and their use, until recently were limited by the lack of information on the Internet and, moreover, in real life. Excursions to the brewery initially did not interest me; I wanted to find out exactly the “truth”, what and how. And recently, I found special free time to conduct my own micro-investigation. I imagined the basics and theory of brewing; in principle, it could not differ much from the basics of the last century, with the exception of the speed of the process, its continuity, automation and cost on an industrial scale. I initially heard about accelerators, modified fermenters, stabilizers, I knew about the presence of preservatives, dyes and antioxidants, but I decided, as far as possible, to get to the bottom of the truth and find out what they won’t write about on the label or show us in advertising......
Error, group does not exist! Check your syntax! (ID: 1)After googling, I realized that it is not at all difficult to find the so-called “Brewer's Packages” - a set of necessary enzymes, stabilizers and preservatives used in industrial brewing.
But first, a short excursion into the theory of brewing. Traditionally, barley is used for brewing - as the basis of the beer “body”. Regular barley contains a lot of starch, but little sugar fermentable by yeast, so before fermentation, starch is hydrolyzed using amylases (natural enzymes or enzymes), which are formed in the grain during germination. Therefore, for brewing, barley is sprouted and malt is obtained. Then, at certain temperatures, the crushed malt is kept in water, activating enzymes that hydrolyze starch into sugars (glucose and maltose), which will subsequently be processed by yeast into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
This is ideal. In industry, everything is different. Apparently, they stopped putting malt in beer a long time ago, and if they do it, it’s only for the sake of complying with technical conditions and the right to write the word MALT on the label in the “composition” column.
To produce alcohol from starch-containing raw materials, enzymes are needed - mainly amylases, which can convert starch into sugars, which are then fermented by yeast.
Enzymes are natural protein substances that catalyze specific biochemical reactions. They are found in all organisms: plants and animals, as well as microorganisms (molds, yeasts, bacteria). Since ancient times, the source of enzymes for the production of alcohol has been malt from cereals, primarily barley, oats and millet (or natural fungal cultures in the Far East).
However, since the late 60s, there has been a sharp change in the situation - gradually industrial enzyme preparations are replacing malt in many distilleries. The vast majority of distilleries around the world now use industrial enzymes. ***This company **** is the world's leading manufacturer of enzymes for many industries. There are many advantages of concentrated enzymes over malt in the production of alcohol.
For example, instead of 100 kg of malt, about 1 liter of enzyme preparations is used. Therefore, they are easy to use and store.
The preparations are practically sterile and do not introduce any infections into the wort; their action is more effective - saccharification of starch is more complete and the yield of alcohol is higher. Moreover, the enzymes are supplied with the same standardized activity and the process becomes more predictable.
In many cases, industrial enzymes are cheaper than malt (based on starch or alcohol).
In view of these advantages, it is not surprising that these enzymes are replacing malt in most distilleries and breweries that produce alcohol from starchy raw materials….
Written with undisguised cynicism and don’t give a damn about the consumer. And for me, as a home brewer and already a former consumer of consumer alcoholic products, it was unpleasant to read this. I understand that corporate aspirations in pursuit of profit are the law of big business, but no one can prevent consumers from knowing what they drink and what they actually produce under the guise of beer.
So the enzyme preparations used in the production of beer:
At the stage of mashing, fermentation, post-fermentation.
Thermamil
Extremely heat-stable bacterial α-amylase is a liquid preparation obtained by cultivating the Bacillus licheniformis strain. Thermamyl is used as a liquefying agent for gelatinized starch at relatively high temperatures. Breaks down α-1,4 glucose bonds in amylose and amylopectin, forming dextrins and oligosaccharides, reducing viscosity. Recommended dose: 150-400 ml per 1 ton of standard starch, depending on the type of raw material (more for potatoes) and the process conditions. (Description from the seller's website)
The Bacillus licheniformis strain is a genetically modified strain of bacteria that is present mainly in birds (on the plumage in the chest and dorsal parts).
Thermamil is added to ferment unmalted milk and its starches, which increases the alcohol content in the mash.
BAN - the same as thermomil, but differs in the temperature of enzyme activation. The point is to convert starch into sugars as quickly as possible and with the greatest efficiency.
AMG (AMG) - Amyloglucosidase (glucoamylase), obtained from a selected strain of mold Aspergillus piger. Provides almost complete saccharification of starch to glucose, increases the degree of fermentation to 103%, and allows you to obtain beer with a high alcohol content. Aspergillus niger is a species of higher mold fungi from the genus Aspergillus; causes diseases in humans and animals.
Viscozyme, Ultraflo, Celluclast are auxiliary enzymes. They break down non-starchy polysaccharides (cellulose and other ß-glucans, pentosans, hemicelluloses). They reduce the viscosity of the wort and slightly increase the alcohol yield. Those. They even break down what is not allowed.
Fungamil - Fungal a-amylase, increases the degree of wort fermentation, eliminates dextrin cloudiness in the finished beer.
Neutrase Neutral protease, for deep hydrolysis of proteins when using raw materials with a high protein content of 0.1 - 0.2 kg/ton. Protein hydrolysis is the destruction of protein by breaking its molecular bonds. The presence of protein in beer leads to cloudiness and sedimentation.
Maturex Controls the formation of diacetyl during fermentation and reduces the duration of post-fermentation. Diacetyl is formed as a result of fermentation. Its excessive quantity gives the beer an unpleasant odor.
Fermcap S - to control foam formation, reduce the risk of cross-infection transfer through the carbon dioxide collection system; defoamer, especially necessary during accelerated fermentation to reduce foam formation. The so-called enzyme “stopper” for foam prevents the wort from foaming during the fermentation process.
Biofine - to reduce the level of yeast cells after fermentation and improve filtration;
And so on... The list goes on, the names of enzymes from different manufacturing companies are accordingly different, but their meaning is approximately the same - to ensure rapid and complete fermentation of cheap starch at all stages, wort purification, and rapid filtration. By cheap starch I mean both unmalted (corn, rice, potatoes and their waste). This provides much-needed cheap alcohol in the beer wort.
Antioxidants:
To increase the stability of beer, antioxidant drugs are used, which are added to prevent oxidative processes leading to the formation of haze.
The most commonly used antioxidants are sulfur dioxide, sulfites, ascorbic acid and its sodium salt, as well as reductones obtained from sugars in an alkaline environment.
Industrial examples of beer antioxidants:
Vicant - consists of 2 main antioxidants: (E223) Na2S2O5 sodium metabisulfite (pyrosulfite) is harmful if ingested, when in contact with acids it releases a toxic gas, there is a risk of serious damage to the eyes.
(E-316) Sodium Erythorbate Sodium isoascorbate (harm to the body is not yet known).
Antioxin SB - antioxidant stabilizer. E-224 (E-224) Potassium pyrosulfite.
Dangerous for health. Potassium pyrosulfite (E-224) is a food additive-preservative, antioxidant. In the food industry, potassium pyrosulfite is used in wine production (treatment of grape pulp with potassium pyrosulfate) and in brewing. K2S2O5, colorless lamellar crystals. Let's dissolve in water. Component of acidic photographic fixer, antioxidant, antiseptic. Used in dyeing fabrics.
Stabilizers:
The most effective way to increase the colloidal stability of beer is to treat it with stabilizers containing proteolytic enzymes as an active component.
PGA, VK-75, 390, silicic acid hydrogel,
Beer stabilizers based on PVPP and silica gel. Provides stability to beer, improves clarity, aroma, taste of beer, and also makes foam stable.
Cobalt is sometimes used as a foam stabilizer. The content of this toxic element in beer in the heart muscle of beer drinkers exceeds the permissible limit by 10 times. In addition, cobalt causes inflammatory processes in the esophagus and stomach in beer drinkers.
Hops and hop substitutes:
Along with the use of hops and hop products (pelleted hops, lupulin extract, betafresh, isofresh, hop oil, emulsion) to reduce the cost of the process (primarily in luxury beers), synthetic acids are used, similar in composition to the a-acids of hops, and giving bitterness identical to natural, as well as hop flavorings.
Caramel colors
A dark brown liquid obtained by special temperature treatment of glucose and sucrose. Roughly speaking, “fried sugar.” If you look carefully at the beer label, some beers contain a caramel color (or else a sugar color). Previously, I only encountered this in dark beers, which is not surprising, since it is much more profitable to paint beer a dark “natural” color with the help of sugar than with the help of burnt malt. And recently, even in some varieties of light beer, caramel coloring is used, which makes you wonder what color the wort was originally and whether there is at least 1% malt in it... I think the answer is self-explanatory.
And, for a snack:
Flavors:
"Ale" QL-14510, "Wheat beer" QL-14527, Porter. Here, in fact, everything is clear and it’s hardly worth adding anything.
Cloudifiers: Cloudifiers for creating wheat beer.
Here is a far from complete list of how modern achievements of mankind are used to the detriment of humanity itself. But I am not trying to reach the conscience of the owners of breweries and breweries. Where big business rules, this word is alien. And I am in no hurry to blame the brewers for feeding us exactly this kind of beer, although they undoubtedly have some share of the blame. I just believe that we should know as much as possible about what we eat, what we drink, what we breathe. And not only for ourselves, but for the sake of the future, a healthy and strong future in the person of our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren...
One of these popular alcoholic drinks is. This inexpensive drink with a centuries-old history has spread throughout the globe. They buy it just like that, for no reason, and it is widespread among alcohol consumers. Most people have tried the intoxicating product, many of whom do not know what beer is made from.
What is powder beer
Now, when everyone around is abandoning everything traditional, old, eternal, rumors have begun to circulate about the existence of powder beer. Many people argue that all manufacturers have long abandoned the old brewing methods and came up with a powder-based product. The spreaders of these myths are confident that such a product is a chemical mixture that not only makes the brewing process faster, but even accelerates fermentation.
Such a technology for creating an intoxicating drink exists, but it will not be any different from the one made according to tradition. The intoxicating drink is made from ready-made dry beer wort concentrate. There is no chemistry in this. This mixture (powder or paste) is diluted with water in the desired consistency, at the desired temperature and further cooked according to the same scheme. If powdered beer is prepared correctly, even a professional cannot distinguish it from natural beer.
The widespread belief that only harmful products made from powders are on the shelves today is a lie. It is not profitable for large companies, factories and factories to buy an evaporator and produce a powdered drink. In addition, this is inconvenient, because you need to start the brewing process, interrupt it at one stage to dry it, and then resume it again.
Using this technology, the drink is produced at home or in bars, private breweries and restaurants. It is not profitable for the latter to purchase the finished product, so they cook it themselves using powder. It is no different from the traditional drink, because their composition is identical.
Also, such beer is no more harmful and no healthier than natural beer.
How to make powder beer
Powdered beer is most often prepared at home. This process is much simpler than the traditional method of brewing beer, but also requires time and patience. In order to brew a tasty homemade intoxicating product, buy a special mixture and add it to hot water (37°C). If the concentrate is not hopped, then hops are added to the beer.
One kilogram of this mixture produces 12 liters of drink. The finished liquid is cooled. Then special brewer's yeast is added to the resulting liquid and left for 1 week. After 7 days, the top layer of yeast is removed (they can then be reused) and the drink is left in the refrigerator for 4 weeks.
If necessary, you can filter the product, bottle it in clean bottles and let it sit for several months. Keep an eye on the drink and after a short period of time you will be able to get homemade beer that is no different from expensive store-bought beer.
How to make natural beer
It is now clear how a hop drink is made from powder, but few people know traditional brewing technology. First, malt is made from dried and peeled cereal grains (barley). After this, the wort is mashed. To do this, malt is crushed and mixed with water. The starch contained in grains is broken down into maltose and soluble elements. The result is a sweetish mash. Then this mixture is filtered to remove the remaining yeast and unhopped wort and spent grain are obtained from small particles of barley.
The next step is heat treatment. During two hours of boiling, hops dissolve in water and release all negative substances. Next comes the whirlpool, in which the remaining hops and malt are separated. This takes half an hour, after which the drink is cooled in a special container for fermentation. For this process to take place, brewer's yeast is added to the mixture. The fermentation process lasts about a month. After the required period of time, the resulting product is pasteurized (heated to 80°C). This process prolongs the shelf life, but degrades its taste.
How to distinguish powdered beer from natural beer
Despite the fact that the composition of natural beer and powder beer is practically the same, these two drinks can be distinguished by foam, taste and even smell. Beer foam is the main thing in a drink for experienced people; it is its calling card. If the foam is red, unattractive and with a large number of bubbles, then this is a powdery, low-quality beer.
The traditional foam is white, 4-5 cm high, lasts a long time and has no bubbles. You can put a coin on the natural foam and it won’t sink. There will also be some traces of foam left on the glass of the natural product you drink. It is important to note: in the south of England they prefer to drink an intoxicating drink that does not contain foam.
To understand by smell which beer is natural, you need to try to feel every note of beer aroma; beer in Russia, as in some other countries, has a weak aroma when compared with a natural drink. By inhaling the aroma of natural beer, you can smell each component; it should be soft and pleasant, not harsh and bitter.
As for taste, there is no debate about how to distinguish natural beer from powdered beer. The taste of the traditional one is richer and brighter than the taste of low-quality powder. There is also no bitter aftertaste in the natural one. Having taken a sip of a traditional product, you will feel how all the facets of this drink are revealed, how its taste changes, leaving a pleasant aftertaste in your mouth, like a trail of expensive perfume.
Remember that beer can not only benefit your body, but also harm it. Therefore, be vigilant when drinking a foamy drink, do not forget that in moderate doses, beer can only bring benefits, enriching the body with vitamins and healthy acids. On the other hand, in large quantities this drink causes and stimulates the development of cancer cells.
Beer - what is beer made from?
According to the classic German recipe for preparing beer, it is made from: malt - specially prepared barley; hops - simply collected cones of this plant; water; yeast - specially grown brewing yeast is added during the fermentation process; No other components are used. Malt: Specially grown malting barley is germinated, then the germinated tails are removed and then dried or roasted depending on the type of malt being produced. Unfortunately, the degree of automation of these procedures is quite low and good equipment for malt production is quite expensive. Therefore, it is possible to obtain very high quality beer only from imported raw materials;((which is also expensive). Hops: it must be said that the best hops in the world grow in Chuvashia, but hops in the form in which they are extracted very quickly lose their aroma and other substances necessary for making beer. In the West, this problem is solved by processing (granulating) hops and vacuum packaging. We just rarely have to drink fragrant and tasty domestic beer. Water: contrary to popular belief, does not have a decisive effect on the quality of beer (if, of course, it complies with SES standards You can make good beer from tap water, although if there is a cleaner source, then it is better to use it. Yeast: perhaps the most important component in beer and it is worth special mention. Most breweries producing beer in Russia do not have high-quality brewing yeast or use they are produced up to 50 times (ideally no more than 8 times).Yeast are microorganisms for which copyright can be established. For example, in the production of the famous “Buldweiser” beer, special yeast is used, the strain of which is kept secret; there is NO real beer containing more than 5.4% alcohol, because brewer’s yeast, during the fermentation process, stops working when this level is reached. Stronger beers are prepared either using other (non-beer) yeast strains or simply adding alcohol.
A book about tasty and healthy food. 8th edition, revised and expanded. - M.: Agropromizdat. L. M. Bogatova. 1987.
See what “Beer is - what beer is made from” in other dictionaries:
- (Bier. bière, beer), brewing production. P. generally refers to alcoholic drinks containing carbon dioxide, prepared from grain bread with the addition of hops. Starchy materials for preparing food are subjected to the same...
- (Bier. bière, beer), brewing production. P. generally refers to alcoholic drinks containing carbon dioxide, prepared from grain bread with the addition of hops. Starchy materials for the preparation of P. are subjected to the same as in... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Ephron
The style of this article is non-encyclopedic or violates the norms of the Russian language. The article should be corrected according to the stylistic rules of Wikipedia... Wikipedia
Bavarian wheat beer Beer is a low-alcohol drink produced by alcoholic fermentation ... Wikipedia
This term has other meanings, see Galileo. Galileo Genre popular science entertainment program Director(s) Kirill Gavrilov, Elena Kaliberda Editor(s) Dmitry Samorodov Production Television format (... Wikipedia
Main article: Galileo (program) Basically, each episode consists of four six stories and one experiment in the studio. The plots can be either from the original German version or filmed by a Russian team. Contents 1 Season 1 (March... ... Wikipedia
Galileo Program intro Genre infotainment Director Kirill Gavrilov Presenter Alexander Pushnoy Voiced by Boris Repetur, Irina Kireeva Composer ... Wikipedia
A traditional Slavic drink with a volume fraction of ethyl alcohol of no more than 1.2%, made as a result of incomplete alcoholic and lactic acid fermentation of wort ... Wikipedia
Wikipedia has articles about other people named Mark Smith. Mark E. Smith ... Wikipedia
Books
- Beer. A Guide for Connoisseurs, Ober Gierek. A complete guide to the world of beer for all lovers and connoisseurs! You will learn what beer is made from, how you can make it yourself at home, discover a variety of types and…
- Beer Guide for connoisseurs, Ober G.. A complete guide to the world of beer for all lovers and connoisseurs! You will learn what beer is made from, how you can make it yourself at home, discover a variety of types and…
WHAT IS THE ARTICLE ABOUT?
Story
The family of drinks commonly referred to as "beers" have been brewed for centuries. Beer is produced by yeast fermentation of malted cereal grains to which hops and water are added. Brewing has evolved from a cottage craft into a modern industry, with large breweries exporting their beer throughout the world. On a per capita basis, Germans consume more beer by about 150 liters per person per year. The United States ranks 14th in the world for beer drinking, and American breweries produce approximately 156,900 million barrels of beer per year. One barrel is equivalent to 117 liters.
The true origin of beer can only be guessed at, but what is certain is that the history of beer lies long before our era. Early attempts at brewing occurred around 7000 BC in Mesopotamia. The Egyptians and Greeks also consumed alcoholic beverages in a variety of ways, but the term "beer" did not appear in these early languages. The Babylonians offered recipes for brewing beer, and the Bible contains various references to this intoxicating drink. The English word "beer" appears to be related to the Celtic word "beor", which refers to a malt drink made by monks in a monastery in Northern Gaul.
During the Middle Ages, monasteries were the leading producers of beer, and monks were credited with many early brewing techniques, such as adding hops to enhance the aroma and preserve the beer. The distinction between ale, lager (light beer) and stronger dark beer began to appear in French and Irish writings in the 13th century. It is generally accepted that the modern frothy drink we know today dates back to the 1600s.
Beer brewing had already become a thriving industry in Europe when the United States declared its independence in 1776. European immigrants brought their brewing skills to America and founded a thriving beer industry. Some technological advances are yeast separator, such as mass production of beer.
Bottled beer was introduced in 1875 by the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a city famous for its breweries. Canned beer first came onto the market in the 1930s. Today, the American beer market is dominated by a few large companies, such as Miller and Anheuser Busch, although microbreweries and brewpubs with their own brands are becoming increasingly popular.
What is beer made from?
It has long been no secret what beer is made from. To prepare this foamy drink, the following components are used:
- corn
- hop
- pure water
- Brewer's yeast
Each ingredient can affect the taste, color, carbonation, alcohol content and other minor changes in the beer. Grain must be properly prepared, carefully stored and processed to improve quality. Typically barley, corn or rice grains are used.
Hops (scientific name Humulus lupulus) are a form of cultivated perennial hemp, and the beneficial bits of the vine, sticky cones, develop from the flowering plant.
Plenty of clean water is extremely important not only as an ingredient, but also for keeping brewing equipment clean. In beer, water that is high in lime or iron can interfere with the fermentation process and discolor the final product.
Yeast is a fungus that is a microorganism that reduces the sugar level in alcohol through fermentation. Some types of brewer's yeast are carefully protected trade secrets.
Outside of the beer itself, the production process also requires various acids and cleaning chemicals to maintain and sterilize brewing equipment. The final product also requires packaging that includes cardboard for boxes, aluminum for cans, glass for bottles and stainless steel for kegs and other commercial dispensing equipment. Most of the brewing equipment is stainless steel, with the exception of the brew kettles, which are copper.
Chemical composition
After processing and interaction of all the above products, the output we get is the following chemical composition, which varies depending on the type of beer:
- Water 90-93%
- Carbohydrates 1.5-4.5%
- Ethyl alcohol 3-7%
- Nitrogen-containing substances 0.2-0.6%
Production
Malt preparation
Fully ripened barley grains should be completely saturated. To do this, they are placed in cold water. The water is changed once a day, and after 45-72 hours the grains are placed in shallow tanks. The grain is aerated and stirred, causing it to sprout, releasing enzymes such as malt diastase. Malt diastase converts starches found in grains into sugars for fermentation. Once germination is sufficient, usually six days, the grain is roasted to stop the germination process. The exact start and end time of roasting affects the taste and color of the beer. Grains processed in this way are called malt.
Wort preparation
The malt is crushed using iron rollers and transferred to the wort tank. This tank is a large copper or stainless steel vessel that mixes the malt with warm water until it resembles porridge. This mixture is called wort. After mixing with similarly prepared cereal grains, the temperature gradually increases from 38 to 77 degrees Celsius, due to which the enzymes begin to react. Enzymes break down the starch in grains and convert them into simple sugars. Later, the yeast will convert the sugars into alcohol. Once complete, the wort may sit still and a sediment of solids may form at the bottom of the tank.
Cooking the wort
The liquid contained in the wort is transferred to another tank through filtration. This is achieved by drawing liquid through the bottom layer of cereal solids. Hot water is added to the top of the container to rinse out any remaining liquid. The solid grain residues are dried and sold as animal feed. The filtered wort is transferred to brewing tanks where it is boiled to sterilize it.
Carefully prepared hops are added here. Adding hops is important because they contribute to the bitterness of the beer. Copper cooking kettles are the most impressive piece of equipment in this process. They can be 2-4 m in diameter and two stories high. The energy for heating boilers is usually steam. After boiling is complete, the finished wort is filtered again and pumped into fermentation tanks.
Fermentation
Fermentation tanks must have a carefully controlled atmosphere to prevent any harmful bacteria from entering the yeast. Yeast is added to the wort in strict proportions and the temperature of the mixture is slowly reduced over a period of time between 10-15 °C. In this temperature range, the yeast grows by consuming the sugar in the wort and producing carbon dioxide bubbles. The wort became beer. The new beer is filtered and transferred back to barrels where the temperature is controlled at 0.5°C for 2-24 weeks. Shorter storage times create light beers, while European lagers last longer to increase alcohol content.
Pasteurization
After brewing, the beer can be pasteurized to kill any remaining yeast and prevent further alcohol production. This is achieved by heating the beer above 57°C. This process, named after Louis Pasteur, is widely known for preserving milk. Interestingly, Pasteur originally developed this process to preserve beer in the 1860s.
Pasteurization, however, is not used in the production of real beers. These beers are also known as "ice beer" because they need to be refrigerated to preserve their flavor and slow down the yeast. Many consider this beer to be the best in both aroma and taste.
Package
Whether packaged in cans, bottles or kegs, beer always moves carefully through the labyrinth of pipes in the bottling area. This is necessary to maintain natural carbonation. During bottling, additional carbon dioxide from the fermentation kettles is used to enhance the aroma of the beer.
High-speed packaging lines can handle thousands of cases of beer per day, and with state-of-the-art computerized controls, inventory can be tracked throughout the distribution network. Most beer comes from local distributors who have purchasing contracts with major breweries.
First of all, take the barley and soak it in water. The barley germinates - from this moment the biomass is called malt(on the picture). When seeds germinate, the nutrients stored in them decompose: starch breaks down into sugars (food for brewer's yeast), proteins break down into amino acids.
But barley doesn’t know business! He thinks, naively, that he will now hatch into a green blade of grass and begin to grow towards the sun! - But harsh brewers cut off the plant’s life plans at the root. They dry the seeds and tear off the sprouts with an unwavering hand.
Drying the seeds, of course, does not take place on the windowsill - they are heated. If you heat it up a little, you get malt for light beer; if you heat it up well, you get malt for dark beer. You can even roast malt for dog pigs - caramel beer is produced from burnt barley sugar. (The photo shows three types of malt of varying degrees of roasting.)
Next, malt (sprouted and then dried barley grains) is crushed (mashed) in warm water. The resulting porridge is called congestion(pictured on the left), the processes of breakdown of the seed's reserve nutrients continue in it.
Mashing lasts several hours, then the mash is filtered: the dry residue goes to livestock feed, and wort(sweet liquid, barley nutrient extract, pictured right) moves on.
The wort is boiled with hops for 1-2 hours (pictured). Boiling causes:
- tasteless essential oils from the wort are evaporated;
- the proteins remaining in the wort coagulate and precipitate;
- the bitter substances of the hops pass into the wort.
After which the wort is filtered again and saturated with oxygen - in fact, now everything is ready, you can start the yeast.
Brewer's yeast finds itself in an environment rich in oxygen (for respiration) and sugar (for nutrition) - isn't this yeast heaven? (At this point, the stern brewers chuckle, but the simple-minded yeast does not yet know their vile brewing habits, so they begin to blithely multiply in their paradise.)
Pretty soon, oxygen in heaven runs out (remember, we saturated the wort with it?), but this is not a problem - yeast can do without oxygen, using alcoholic fermentation (decomposing sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide). Fermentation lasts for a week (after which sugar in heaven runs out...), then additional fermentation (aging) takes place for another 2-3 weeks - and, in fact, that’s it, the beer is basically ready.
How beer is made in real life
I was prompted to write this article by one shocking discovery: the taste of real Czech factory beer is practically no different from the taste of our Russian factory beer. Pilsner and Kozel are completely equivalent in taste to Klinsky and Yarpiv. (Therefore, on a beer tour in the Czech Republic, you should only go to those restaurants that brew their own beer, and in all other places you will find exactly the same beer that is sold here here, and there is absolutely no need to travel such a distance.)
So how does it happen that dozens of (Russian and world) types of beer practically do not differ from each other in taste? The second part of the article is devoted to finding the reasons for this dull bad taste.
Reason one. Large corporations that produce beer want it to last as long as possible. Therefore, beer (which we left ready “in general terms” three paragraphs above) is first thoroughly filtered and then pasteurized (sharply heated and cooled). At the same time, half of the taste of beer is killed right on the spot and on the spot.
Reason two. Big corporations, damn them, want everyone to like their beer. That's why they make their beer not too bitter, not too sweet, not too sour, not too tart... In short, they make it average, nothing. (By the way, the problem is the same with cars. I can’t tell one brand of car from another on the street - they’re all somehow the same.)