| Brewing beer is essentially the process of fermenting | | | | will settle on the bottom of the glass jar or vat |
| grain or fruit over a period of time, the sugars in the | | | | together with other materials. When this first |
| grain or fruit will then turn in to alcohol. You can make | | | | fermentation is done most brewers will put the beer |
| beer with either the grains or an extract from grain. | | | | in a new container so it can ferment some more. |
| The way commercial producers make beer is not so | | | | Step 5 |
| different from the way that home brewers do. | | | | Now we have come to the last stage which is the |
| The steps to a home brewed beer | | | | packaging stage. Get your beer bottled and capped. |
| Step 1 | | | | Where do the bubbles come in? |
| First we need to make a mash that is why this stage | | | | You might wonder when the bubbles, or carbonation |
| is often called the mashing stage. We need to crush | | | | as we call it, gets in the beer. Most of the beer |
| en steep all the grains in water and thus forming an | | | | drinkers in the world like their beer to be carbonated. |
| extract. This mash is then kept at a constant | | | | Except a few people, no one likes his or her beer to |
| temperature and by doing this some enzymes and | | | | be flat. When you brew your own beer some |
| starches are distracted from the grains. The | | | | carbonation will have happened but it won't be much. |
| distracted starches will become sugars that later on | | | | When you do your brewing at home then there are |
| will become alcohol. | | | | a few methods to get more carbonation in your |
| Step 2 | | | | brew, |
| Sparging is the name of the stage. Fresh water | | | | Method A |
| needs to be added at this point so any sugar that | | | | This method is not for everyone and is called forced |
| remained in the mash will now dissolve. From now on | | | | carbonation. When you use this method you would |
| we will call this mixture wort, this is the basis for all | | | | be forcing carbon dioxide, just before capping them, |
| beers, a dark liquid loaded with sugar. | | | | into the bottles. This is not only difficult but also could |
| Step 3 | | | | be hazardous and therefore is not a method we |
| When we are done with the sparging and we are | | | | would recommend. |
| sure that all sugar has dissolved we will boil the wort. | | | | Method B |
| If you need to add any extra ingredients this is the | | | | A much easier way of getting more carbonation in |
| time to do so. Hops is a given in this but you can add | | | | your brew is to just let it ferment a bit longer. When |
| anything that your recipe calls for. A lot of the home | | | | the yeast starts to ferment in the beer and creating |
| brewers out there have their own special ingredients | | | | alcohol in the process has a byproduct and that |
| that they add to the recipe, so they can have a | | | | product is called carob dioxide. So the longer the beer |
| special flavor that is connected to them. By bringing | | | | is allowed to ferment the more carbonation you will |
| the wort to a boil we also kill bacteria and other | | | | get. |
| microorganisms that could be present in the wort it | | | | Method C |
| will also get rid of the excess water. | | | | You could also add some unfermented wort to each |
| Step 4 | | | | bottle of beer just before they are capped. This way |
| Now we place this mixture of wort, hops and other | | | | the fermentation process continues in the bottle and |
| ingredients in to a glass vat or jar and we add yeast | | | | thus adding more carbon dioxide to the beer. But be |
| to it. Now we let this mixture ferment for some time. | | | | very careful with this method, if you add to much |
| This fermentation process can take from 7 up to 14 | | | | wort the bottle could explode because to much |
| days (sometimes longer), during this time sediment | | | | pressure builds up inside the bottle. |
