The Brewing Process

Fit-to-Drink

The brewing process

Whether in a small or large set-up the brewing process remained principally the same. Beer, “fit to drink”, was produced within a day, a week or some months depending on its intended type and the brewer’s circumstances. The brewing process basically followed a number of set stages:

Malting: the barley’s starches are converted to sugar;

Milling: the malted barley is cracked to access the sugar;

Mashing: malt combined with hot water to make the liquid, “wort”;

Brewing: the addition of hops and other flavouring to a heated wort;

Cooling: the reduction of the temperature to inhibit bacterial action and to provide a workable temperature for the yeast;

Fermentation: the conversion of sugars to alcohol, promoted by the addition of yeast, followed by:

Maturation, Finishing and Packing.

Malting: The barley is carefully soaked in water to promote germination. During sprouting the barley’s starches are converted to sugar.

Old Beer in the Black Creek Pioneer Village Brewery. Photo: Megan (Elena)

As the perfect moment when the right amount of sugar is present, the malt is dried to stop the barley’s growth. Each step of the mating process unlocks starches hidden in the barley.

When the stem or acrospires has nearly reached the end of the kernel, the germination is stopped by heating the malt in a kilm. The roots fall off in the drying and screening” (American Mechanical Dictionary, 1876). Stages of germinating barley: steeped grain; grain which spires; grain malt after 8 days, grain with developed acrospire (Preparation of Malt and the Fabrication of Beer, 1882).

Milling the malt is to facilitate the absorption of water and thus aids the extraction of the sugars. The husks of the grains are broken open delicately to access the grain, but the body of the grain remains intact.

“…barley malt is indispensable… Even if other starch-converting ferments, of which there are several, had the power of supplying the sugar forming action of the malt… the beer produced would be entirely different…” (The Preparation of Malt and the Fabrication of Beer, 1882).

Mashing is the process of turning the malt into a sweet liquid. In a large vat, known as a mash tun, the brewer combines malt with heated water to make an unfermented liquid called “wort”.

The hot water helps to dissolve and draw out the sugar from the malt. In the past, those without thermometers used traditional rules for measuring the water temperature.

“… as the first heat of the water has subsided, and you find that you are able to bear your fingers drawn slowly through it without experiencing pain, you must then throw in the malt…” (Cookery Book for the Working Classes, 1852).

“Take this rule… when you can, by looking down into the tub, see your face clearly in the water, the water is become cool enough; and you must not put the malt in before.” (Cottage Economy, 1826).

The mashing continues until the mix achieves its greatest possible sweetness. At one time the brewer measured this by eye, taste or by a special tool called a saccharometer. The wort is then strained through the bottom of the mass through an under back to the brew kettle.

“There is no surrogate which can completely take the place of hops: The following objects are obtained by the use of hops in breweries: 1) In the boiling of the wort they contribute towards clarification 2) They give to the beer an agreeable bitter and at the same time aromatic taste; 3) They exert a preservative influence upon the beer”. (The Preparation of Malt and the Fabrication of Beer, 1882).

(Hops heads on the vine)

Beer Barrels. Photo: Megan (Elena)

Brewing

The fresh wort is drained into a heated copper kettle to brew. At this point the hops are added to enhance the flavour. The wort is boiled for some hours and then drained into a hop back. As it drains the liquid is again filtered to catch the hops and allow them to be used for another brew. The hopped wort is then cooled.

“The quantity of hops must be proportioned to the length of time that it is intended to keep the beer, and the taste of the consumer; for ordinary family use, half a pound of hos to a bushel of malt gives and agreeable flavour.” (The Domestic Dictionary, 1857).

“Porter is brewed from very highly dried malt, with an extra quantity of hops.” (The Domestic Dictionary, 1857).

Cooling

It is of paramount importance that the wort be cooled immediately. This prevents the liquid from becoming contaminated with bacteria, starting to acidify and go bad. The brew is cooled to a temperature of at most 65 degrees F.

“Wait until it has cooled down to about 50 degrees F, or barley lukewarm, and if this temperature be not obtained during the day, wait until night.” (The Domestic Dictionary, 1857).

Early brewers were limited too brewing in the fall and spring when cold weather made this quick cooling possible.

“…fermentation is indicated by a line of small bubbles round the sides of the tun… A crusty head follows, and then a fine rocky one, followed by a light frothy head… As soon as this head begins to fall the tun should be skimmed, … continues every two hours till no more yeast appears.” 

(Mackenzie’s 50000 Recipes, 1829).

(cooling pans)

Fermentation: Once cool, the wort is drained into fermenting tuns and the yeast is added to promote fermentation. The yeast converts the sugars in the wort into alcohol. Centuries of experience have cultivated good brewing strains of yeast, and it is these that largely determine the character of the beer.

“The best rule for mixing the yeast is a pound and a half to every barrel of strong beer wort, and a pound to every barrel of table beer wort.” (Mackenzie’s 5000 Recipes, 1829).

There are two distinct types of yeast; top-fermenting and bottom-fermenting.

Ales, porters and stout are fermented using top-fermenting yeast at temperatures between 65 F and 72 F for 4 to 6 days.

Lagers are bottom-fermented and require much cooler temperatures acting for 1 4 weeks.

Maturation & Finishing: When the frothing has stopped the beer is made. It is drawn off into casks for aging in cellars or cool storage. The beer has to be cold before casking. A small amount of yeast may be added to continue the fermentation and to keep the beer fresh by consuming and remaining oxygen.

“Then it is beer; and when quite cold, (for ale or strong beer,) put it into the casks by means of a funnel. It must be cold before this is done, or it will be foxed; that is, made a rank and disagreeable taste.” (Cottage Economy, 1826).

Packing

The beer is finally packed in barrels and bottles. All containers have to be spotlessly clean, barrels especially. The tradition was always to return and reuse the containers.

Secondary fermentation occurs in the barrel and sediment will settle to the bottom. The barrel is vented to release excess gases and the tapped for serving. The beer is drawn directly from the barrel and pumped up from the storage cellar. Naturally carbonated, these beers are not necessarily very “fizzy”.

Beers that have undergone secondary fermentation in the barrel or bottle often have a murky appearance due to particles in solution.

Craft beers that are brewed with natural ingredients, no added preservatives and are not pasteurized (flash heated to kill bacteria), may have a limited shelf life and need to be consumed within two or three weeks.