Malt, hops, water, and yeast are the four basic ingredients used to brew all types of ale and beer. Malt is the primary ingredient and is produced from germinated barley. Hops add bitterness and act as a preservative. Water has a significant influence on the final flavor. Yeast carries out fermentation, converting the malt sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The beer making process involves milling grains, mashing in hot water, boiling with hops, cooling and filtering the wort, and fermenting with yeast.

1. Beer making Malting Mashing Fermentation

2. Ingredients All types of ale and beer are brewed from 4 basic ingredients: Malt Hops Water Beer yeast

3. Malt is the main ingredient that is used for making beer. Barley is mainly used because it produces the best malt and flavour. Malt is made by germinating barley. The barley is allowed to sprout under moist, warm conditions. This allows the amylase to become active and break down starch to maltose. When the desired amount of maltose has been produced, germination is stopped and the malt is extracted. The quantity of malt used in a brew affects the fullness, flavour and alcohol level of the beer.

4. Malting Barley before germination Barley after germination

5. Hops – from a plant Hops add bitterness to the beer and improve its keeping properties. Many varieties are available, but Fuggles and Goldings are the most popular for brewing beer, ale and stout and Saaz and Hallertau for lagers.

6. Water Beer is nearly all water. Even the very strongest of brews contain around 90% water. In brewing, water greatly influences the final flavour of the product. Hard water is generally preferred for brewing light ale and bitter, but soft water is preferred for mild ale and stout.

7. Yeast Yeast ferments rapidly converting the natural sugar (maltose) with to produce alcohol and carbon dioxide. Top fermenting beer yeasts are the most common used today as they are used in all British type beers and most of the beers of Europe. There are a variety of ale yeasts available, each having a different characteristic and imparting extra flavour to the brew. These yeasts work best at a temperature of 18-24C

8. The beer making process http://video.about.com/beer/See-How-Beer-Is-Brewed.htm

9. Malt and cereal grains are roughly milled and hot water is added in a large container – the mash tun The mixture is kept at 65°C for 3 hours The liquid is drained off and then boiled Hops are added for flavour, natural preservatives and protein coagulants. Wort (liquid) is filtered and cooled. Yeast is added- fermentation takes place at 15°C to produce alcohol and carbon dioxide In British beers , the carbon dioxide carries the yeast to the top – top fermenting. In lagers the yeast is bottom fermenting Alcohol content of beer is about 2-5%