The product of breweries - beer - is a low-alcohol drink. Beer is made mainly from barley malt and hops. At different stages of the technological process, barley wort undergoes biochemical transformations under the action of enzymes from both malt and brewing yeast. The nutrients necessary for yeast - carbohydrates, amino acids and mineral salts - are contained in beer wort.

The technological process of brewing includes the following stages: malt production, wort boiling, beer wort fermentation (main fermentation), beer aging and maturation (fermentation), filtration and bottling. To produce malt, barley is soaked, germinated and dried.

During the malting process, enzymes accumulate in the grain, which then convert grain starch into fermentable sugars and grain proteins into amino acids. When malt is dried under the influence of high temperature, aromatic substances are formed, giving beer its characteristic smell and taste.

A complex technological stage is the boiling of the wort. The crushed malt is treated with warm water, and under the action of enzymes, 75% of the malt dry matter goes into solution. Cooking is carried out in several stages. The temperature is adjusted to create the best conditions for the action of amylolytic (starch-breaking) and proteolytic (protein-breaking) enzymes. When the wort is boiled, the proteins coagulate, and the hop substances dissolve and give the wort its characteristic bitterness and aroma.

The fermentation process of beer wort is divided, as stated above, into two periods - main fermentation and post-fermentation. The main fermentation takes place in fermentation tanks (open containers) or tanks (closed containers).

Depending on the properties of the yeast used, fermentation can be bottom (cold - at a temperature of 6-10°C) and top (warm - at a temperature of 14-25°C). As a result of fermentation, 3-8% alcohol, up to 0.4% carbon dioxide and by-products accumulate in beer.

The main fermentation is carried out until a certain amount of alcohol corresponding to a given variety is obtained.

The bulk of the yeast settles to the bottom of the vessel, and only part remains in the young beer at the post-fermentation stage. This stage takes place in hermetically sealed containers, under pressure at a temperature of about 0 ° C and consists of slow fermentation of the remaining sugars, saturation of the beer with CO 2 and sedimentation of the yeast.

During maturation, complex biochemical transformations of substances occur in beer and organoleptic characteristics change. After the main fermentation, the product acquires the taste and aroma (bouquet) of the finished drink.

The most important processes during the fermentation of beer wort with yeast are shown in Diagram 4. Beer is clarified due to the settling of yeast and various suspensions - protein particles, hop resins, etc. For complete clarification, beer is filtered and bottled and barrels under pressure.

Scheme 4. The most important processes during the fermentation of beer wort.

This is how beer is produced using classical technology. However, in recent decades, new progressive methods have been developed and applied to reduce the duration of technological stages. There are two such methods: beer production in a continuous flow and in large vertical containers - cylindrical-conical tanks (CCT).

The beer production technology at CCT is as follows. The tank is filled 80-85% with chilled wort at a temperature of 8-10°C during the day, for which 4 boils are used: the first portion of the wort is aerated and yeast is added to it. Fermentation takes place at a temperature of 12-13 ° C; after reaching the final degree of fermentation, the beer is cooled to 0.5-1.5 ° C and kept for another 6-7 days.

Currently, using this progressive technology, not only Zhiguli beer is produced, but also high-quality beer: 12% beer in 18-20 days instead of 38 and 13% beer in 22 days instead of 50. At the same time, a significant economic effect is achieved and high quality products. The technology of beer production in CCT is widely used in our country.

To introduce my readers to the process of modern brewing, the other day I went at the kind invitation of Dima e_strannik to the Klinsky brewery.

1. The plant in Klin was founded in 1975, after geologists discovered in the area an artesian spring with water ideal for producing beer. In 1981, the plant came up with a recipe for Klinskoye beer, during the brewing of which rice was added, which made it possible to remove the bitter aftertaste characteristic of beer. Now there is a new production complex commissioned in 2001, and the old factory building has been turned into a warehouse.

2. Between the new and old complexes lies a reservoir used by the plant as a fire pond. The photo was taken through the bars of the fence, because the Klinsky brewery is fenced with a regular lattice fence; there is no concrete fence with barbed wire here.

3. Currently, the enterprise, like 6 other factories in Omsk, Perm, Saransk, Ivanovo, Volzhsky and Angarsk, belongs to SUN InBev OJSC.

4. SUN InBev is the Russian division of the world's largest brewing corporation Anheuser-Busch InBev, which appeared after the absorption in 2008 of the American Anheuser-Busch by the then world leader, the Belgian-Brazilian company InBev. Anheuser-Busch traces its history back to 1852, from the small brewery of Eberhard Anheuser and his son-in-law Adolphus Busch in St. Louis. InBev, in turn, is the product of a merger between the Belgian Interbrew and the Brazilian AmBev.

5. Founded in 1999, the Russian branch also bears the abbreviation SUN in its name, which was inherited from brother shareholders from India.

6. The Klin production complex is one of the ten largest breweries in Russia.

7. At the beginning of the excursion, corporate relations manager Olga Gulina gathered bloggers in the conference room and spoke in detail about the history of the company and the basic principles of brewing.

8. Beer is brewed from three main components: water, malt And hops.

9. Malt- These are sprouted grains of malting barley. When germinated, starch molecules break down in them to form maltose (malt sugar). This makes malt an ideal food for yeast. It also contains a lot of carbohydrates, mineral salts and vitamins. After germination, the grains are dried, and at high temperatures the sugar in them can caramelize. Depending on the temperature, types of malt differing in color and taste are obtained:
- light malt,
- caramel malt,
- dark malt,
- roasted malt.
Each of these towers stores three wagons of different brands of malt.

10. Pre-crushed malt in a grout vat is mixed with heated, but not boiling, water. This happens in brewhouse, all the beer of the plant is brewed here.

11. During a process called mashing, produce gradual heating in several stages necessary for the action of various enzymes:
- 50-52°C for 10-15 minutes - to break down proteins,
- 62-63°C for 15-30 minutes - the enzyme beta-amylase breaks down starch and dextrins into oligosaccharides and maltose,
- 70-72°C for 30 minutes - alpha-amylase crushes starch into large fragments - dextrins.

12. In total, the mashing process takes about three hours with constant stirring of the solution. The result is a paste ( congestion), which has a sweetish taste from malt sugars dissolved in it.

13. Then, in a special machine called a mash filter, filtration mash through a membrane filter from the remains of steamed grain (splits). The process lasts about one hour.

14. At the first stage, filtration occurs by gravity through a membrane filter; at the second stage, the grains are washed with hot water. The filtered spent grain resembles chopped hay and is subsequently used as animal feed.

15. After filtration, a clear liquid saturated with sugars is obtained, called beer wort. It is collected in a wort vat, where it is boiled (sterilized).

16. At different stages of boiling, hops are added to the wort (this occurs hopping). During boiling, the aromatic and bitter components of hops dissolve, giving the wort the characteristic flavor and aroma of beer. Protein substances coagulate and precipitate, and some aromatic components are evaporated, which adversely affect the taste of beer. Depending on the type of beer, boiling takes one to two hours.

17. The capacity of the Klin plant’s digesters allows it to produce 30 million deciliters of beer per year.

18. Outside the workshops is the equipment used to brew the world's most popular beer, Budweiser (under the Bud brand). The method of its preparation was developed by Adolphus Busch based on a recipe taken from masters from the town of Ceske Budejovice in Bohemia (present-day Czech Republic). When preparing this beer, the wort is subjected to rapid cooling to reduce bitterness. It is aged for a long time on beech shavings, as a result it almost completely loses its hop aroma. The Klin plant mastered the production of "Bada" in 2010.

19. After boiling, the hot wort is transported through one of the many pipelines to the next section.

20. The plant strives for a water consumption standard of 3.5 liters per 1 liter of beer produced.

21. The hot wort is pumped into a whirlpool to separate insoluble barley and hop residues. Under the influence of the frictional force of the layers of liquid, these particles collect in the center of the bottom of the hydrocyclone. The heavier parts of the wort settle to the bottom in a cone and are easily removed. Depending on the technology, settling can take from twenty minutes to one and a half hours.

22. The cleaned hot wort is then cooled in a heat exchanger to fermentation temperature.

23. When pumping already cold wort into a fermentation tank, liquid beer is injected into it yeast. Also, the wort is saturated with oxygen (aeration) to stimulate nutrition and proliferation of yeast.

24. The name of the workshop where fermentation occurs is slightly ambiguous - “Fermentation-lager”.

25. The name comes from the word lager is a type of beer that is produced by bottom fermentation followed by fermentation at low temperatures. 80% of the beer consumed in the world is lager. If top fermentation is used at high temperatures, the resulting beer is called ale.

26. Aerated and yeast-enriched wort is supplied for fermentation and post-fermentation to cylindrical-conical tanks (CCT), which can hold tens of tons of beer. The beer does not come into contact with air, since carbon dioxide released during the fermentation process accumulates on top of the CCT, gradually dissolving in the cold beer.

27. Yeast microorganisms feed on sugars obtained from malt, converting them into alcohol and carbon dioxide. To produce each brand of beer, a certain type of yeast is used ( race). The types of yeast used are a trade secret of every brewing company. Yeast for all InBev plants is propagated in a special laboratory in Belgium. The same batch of yeast can be used to make five batches of beer.

28. Most often, fermentation takes 7 days. Towards the end of the process, there are less and less nutrients in the wort, the yeast loses its activity and begins to settle to the bottom of the CCT into a cone. From there they are easily removed.

29. The product resulting from fermentation is called “green” beer. It is cooled to a temperature of 0 to -2°C and pumped to another CCT, where the flavor profile of the product is finally formed. The output is unfiltered beer.

30. Before bottling, it is filtered to remove yeast cells and protein and stored under pressure in special containers - forfas.

31. Beer bottling is carried out in a huge workshop of the packaging department. This is the largest room in the plant.

32. For some reason, the security service prohibits filming here, but I managed to secretly take a few shots from the belly.

33. Before bottling, bottles are filled with carbon dioxide to create back pressure, which prevents excessive foaming, leakage of carbon dioxide, and oxygen entering the beer, facilitating uniform filling of the container.

34. Along the walls there are stands with spare parts for packaging machines.

35. Driving is only possible on special paths; approaching running machines is extremely dangerous.

36. This is where it happens labeling bottles Some of them have foil “ties” applied to them.

37. The plant also has a line for bottling beer into aluminum cans.

Photos do not convey the atmosphere in the workshop well, so I took a small video :

38. Finished beer is tested for quality and stability in laboratory rooms. Four times a year a portion of the product is sent to Belgium for quality control.

39. At the end of the tour, we gathered in the tasting room.

40. Alexander Petrochenkov

Classical beer production technology includes the following main stages: obtaining malt from barley, preparing wort, fermenting wort, aging (refining) beer, processing and bottling beer. This is a long, complex process that lasts 60-100 days and largely depends on the qualifications of the brewer. Despite the fact that the starting raw materials are the same components, the quality of beer produced by different enterprises is different.

Obtaining malt. IN In brewing, malt plays the role of a source not only of active enzymes, but also of that complex of organic (primarily water-soluble sugars) and mineral substances, which, with the participation of these enzymes, makes it possible to obtain beer wort suitable for fermentation. The more simple sugars necessary for fermentation accumulate in the malt, the more active the fermentation process itself will be and the more alcohol will accumulate.

Barley used for making malt is soaked in special vats of water at a temperature of 12-17°C. In grain, as humidity increases, cellular enzymes are activated and the biochemical processes they catalyze are accelerated. This leads to a sharp increase in the intensity of respiratory processes and acceleration of the hydrolysis of polysaccharides to simple sugars necessary for these biochemical processes. Soaking is stopped when grain moisture reaches 42-45% for the production of light malt and 45-47% for dark malt.

The loss of sugars through respiration processes during the soaking period reaches 1.5%, while amylolytic and proteolytic processes acquire the greatest activity.

For germination, soaked grain is sent to malthouses of various designs (boxes or drums). The malting process is carried out at a temperature of 15-19°C and good aeration of the grain for 5-8 days. At the same time, by the end of malting, the endosperm of the grain softens and is easily ground due to the hydrolysis of starch by amylases, and hemicelluloses by cytase (a complex of enzymes). The sprouted grain accumulates soluble sugars - maltose, glucose, fructose and other sugars, which give the malt a sweetish taste. When phytin is hydrolyzed by the enzyme phytase, inositol and calcium-magnesium salt of phosphoric acid are formed. The presence of inositol in the wort stimulates the activity of yeast, and phosphoric acid determines the acidity of the malt and wort.

Due to the activation of proteolytic processes (proteinases, peptidases and amidases), complex complexes of nitrogenous compounds are hydrolyzed to form soluble proteins, peptones, amino acids, and ammonia.

In the process of grain germination, along with hydrolysis, processes of synthesis of physiologically active compounds also occur. Thus, B vitamins, tocopherols, and ascorbic acid accumulate in malted barley. The content of riboflavin especially increases (up to 210 mg per 100 g of dry matter). Subsequently, during the chemical interaction of hydrolysis products with active compounds, new aromatic and flavoring substances characteristic of sprouted and dried grain are formed. Therefore, beer cannot be made from raw (green) malt.

To impart the necessary properties and good shelf life, the malt is dried at various temperatures to a residual moisture content of 2-3.5%. Different temperature conditions and drying durations make it possible to obtain malt with different quality indicators and corresponding technological properties. The type of beer produced (light, semi-dark, dark) will, in turn, depend on the quality of the original malt.

To produce domestic beer varieties, the following types of malt are obtained: light, dark, caramel and roasted.

Light malt obtained by drying sprouted barley for 16 hours with a gradual increase in temperature from 25-30 to 75-80°C. Depending on the quality, light malt is divided into three classes: high quality, first and second. When finished, it has a light color, a sweetish taste, a malty aroma, a loose powdery endosperm and a high saccharifying ability. It is used for most types of beer.

For getting dark malt, the sprouted grain is dried for 24–48 hours at a higher temperature, reaching 105°C at the end of the process. Dark malt is not divided into classes. In addition to the brownish-yellow color, dark malt differs from light malt in the fragility of the endosperm and lower saccharifying ability. It is used for dark beers.

Caramel Depending on quality, malt is divided into two classes: first and second. Its color can range from light yellow to brownish with a glossy tint. For its production, dry or green malt with a high sugar content is used, which is roasted at a temperature of 120-170°C. Since caramelization of sugars occurs at such a high temperature, as well as Maillard processes, the appearance of the grain when cut is a sintered brown mass. For this type of malt, charring of the grain is not allowed.

Roasted malt- These are dark brown grains, without black color. It is prepared from green malt by pre-moistening and subsequent roasting at a temperature of 210-260°C. As a result, a taste and smell reminiscent of coffee is formed, without a burnt or bitter taste. The cross-sectional appearance of the grain is a dark brown, but not black, mass.

During the process of drying and roasting malt, intense chemical processes occur with the formation of specific aromatic and coloring substances. The pentoses accumulated as a result of hydrolysis are converted into furfural and other aldehydes and aromatic substances that cause the smell of malt (rye crust). The colored components of malt are products of the destruction of sugars as a result of caramelization and melanoid formation, which occur most intensely at temperatures above 80°C. Melanoidins, which have surfactant properties, are good foaming agents, and therefore darker beers produce more foam.

After drying, malt is freed from sprouts, since they give it hygroscopicity and bitter taste due to the presence of the alkaloid hordenine. The need for this operation is also due to the fact that amino acids accumulate in the sprouts, which, when they get into the wort, are the source of the formation of fusel oils during fermentation. Malt becomes fully ready for use only after 3-5 weeks of storage (ripening) in warehouses.

The finished malt is polished, freeing it from remnants of sprouts and impurities, passed through magnetic devices, and then fed to malt crushers. The degree of malt crushing further determines the rate of starch saccharification, the level of wort extract, and the duration of filtration.

Preparation of wort. Crushed malt, and, if necessary, unmalted materials, are mixed with hot water in a ratio of 1:4. The resulting mixture is slowly stirred while heating to a temperature of 50-52°C for 10-30 minutes. 15-20% of the malt's soluble substances go directly into the solution without enzymatic treatment. At the same time, enzymatic hydrolysis of water-insoluble nitrogenous substances and phytin occurs. Then the mixture is transferred to mash tuns, where, under the action of malt enzymes, further hydrolysis occurs and the water-insoluble substances of the raw material are converted into water-soluble ones, forming the extract of the future wort. To ensure maximum transfer of substances into the solution, the mash is slowly heated with constant stirring to 70-72°C (infusion method).

In another (decoction) method, 1/3 of the mash is pumped into a boiling kettle, where it is boiled for 15-30 minutes, after which it is combined and mixed with the rest of the mash. Repeating this operation 2-3 times, bring the temperature of the entire mash to the required value. In this case, the duration of the entire mash preparation process is 3-3.5 hours. This mashing of malt is necessary for further enzymatic hydrolysis of starch. The sequence of transformations of starch during hydrolysis under the action of a- and |3-amylases is as follows:

♦ starch—amylodextrins—erythrodextrins—achro-dextrins;

♦ maltodextrins—maltose—glucose.

Along with the complete saccharification of starch to glucose, protein proteolysis is completed in the mash, the products of which play an important role in the formation of organoleptic properties and stability of beer during storage.

The sugared mash is then sent to filtration to separate the liquid portion of the wort from the solid phase of the mash. In this case, the filter layer is formed by the solid phase of the mash itself - spent grains (non-hydrolysable components, cell membranes, proteins coagulated when heated), settling on the meshes of filtration tanks and filter presses used to filter beer wort. It is also possible to separate spent grains using self-discharging centrifuges.

The filtered wort and the water obtained after washing the grains are transferred to a wort kettle for boiling with hops, evaporation to the desired concentration and sterilization. At high temperatures, enzymes are completely inactivated and some of the soluble proteins coagulate, and the bitter and aromatic substances of hops dissolve in the wort. At the same time, large flakes of coagulated protein, settling, capture turbidity particles and thereby clarify the wort.

Hop a-acid (humulon), which when boiled turns into isohumulone (highly soluble in water), is mainly the source of the peculiar bitterness characteristic of beer. The solubility of (3-acids is insignificant, and soft cx-resin is hydrolyzed with the formation of (3-resins and the elimination of isobutyl aldehyde and acetic acid, which are involved in the formation of the specific aroma and taste of both wort and beer. Hop consumption rate, depending on the type of beer and its formulation, ranges from 22 to 45 g/da l.

The hopped wort, brought to the required density, is passed through a hop cooler, cooled to 4-6°C, and then freed from coagulated proteins using separators. During these operations, the wort is finally clarified and saturated with oxygen, which is necessary for the development of yeast.

Wort fermentation occurs in open or closed, wooden or metal containers by special races of bottom and top fermentation yeast. For special varieties of porter, low-fermenting yeast of the genus Brettanomycetes is introduced at the end of fermentation, giving the beer a special, specific aroma. On the surface of the wort, 15-20 hours after adding yeast, a strip of white foam appears (the whitening stage), and then the entire surface of the fermenting wort is covered with fine-meshed foam with gradually increasing curls. Having reached a maximum, the curls fall off, the foam thickens and turns brown. The settled foam (deca), due to the bitter taste, must be removed from the surface of the wort. At the end of fermentation, the bottom yeast settles to the bottom. The clarified liquid is called green, or young, beer. It, along with the ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide accumulated as a result of fermentation, also accumulates a number of by-products involved in creating the taste and aroma of beer. The main fermentation process is completed in 7-9 days. At this point, about 1.5% of sugars remain unfermented in the beer.

Beer aging (fermentation) contributes to the final formation of consumer advantages of beer. For post-fermentation, young beer is pumped into hermetically sealed metal tanks, the inner surface of which is coated with a special food varnish. Depending on the variety, beer is kept at a temperature of 0-3°C for 11-100 days. As a result of post-fermentation of residual sugar, the strength of the beer increases slightly, it is additionally saturated with carbon dioxide and clarified. The interaction of various primary and secondary products of the main and secondary fermentation processes leads to the formation of new substances that determine the characteristic taste and aroma of mature beer, as well as its varietal characteristics.

Beer processing and bottling. After laboratory and organoleptic control confirming the quality of the beer produced, it is processed and bottled. To impart clarity, beer is filtered through pressed plates of various filter media, and the best of them are diatomaceous earth (kieselguhr) filters. During the clarification process, beer loses a significant portion of carbon dioxide, so additional introduction of carbon dioxide before bottling is allowed, followed by aging for 4-12 hours to assimilate it.

Beer is a refreshing, carbon dioxide-rich, foamy drink obtained by fermenting beer wort with special races of brewer's yeast.

Beer wort is prepared from crushed grain products: mainly barley or wheat malt, barley, wheat, corn and other grains, water, sugar and hop products.

Beer happens:

light - beer with a color of O.4-2.5 c/unit (no more than 14 EBC units);

semi-dark - with a color of 2.5-4.0 c/unit (15-40 unit EBC); h dark - with color 4.0-8.0 c/unit (40-160 units EBC);

c/unit - cm 3 solution of iodine with a concentration of 0.1 mol/dm 3 per 100 cm 3 of water.

** EBC - European Brewing Convention.

non-alcoholic - with a mass fraction of alcohol not exceeding 0.4%;

strong - with a mass fraction of alcohol 1.0-6.0%;

original - light beer with an extended fermentation period and an increased rate of hop addition;

pasteurized - with increased biological resistance obtained by heat treatment;

special - prepared using flavoring or aromatic additives.

The main raw materials for beer production are barley malt, hops and water. The taste, nutritional and other consumer properties of beer depend on their quality and preparation.

Beer production includes a number of successive interconnected technological stages, characterized by strictly regulated parameters. The correctness of all processes largely determines the quality of beer.

Malt is produced by germinating cereals under artificial conditions at a certain temperature and humidity.

According to the method of preparation, the following types of malt are distinguished: light, dark, caramel and roasted. In terms of its quality indicators, it must meet the requirements of the standard - GOST 29249-92.

For the production of malt, barley is used that meets the requirements of GOST 5060-86 - “Barley for brewing.” This type of raw material entering the plant must be accompanied by a quality certificate.

Currently, there are a huge number of types of beer, and there is no number of manufacturers and individual brands. Despite this, there is a general beer production technology that most brewing companies adhere to. The differences lie in the details and specific components of the raw materials.

However, before talking directly about production, you should understand what beer is made from. In other words, we need to say a few words about the ingredients, the correct combination of which we owe to the appearance of our favorite foamy drink.

Raw materials or what beer is made from

The classic beer brewing process requires only four ingredients. So, the traditional composition of raw materials includes:

• water;
• malt;
• hop;
• yeast.

Let's take a closer look at each of these components.

Water

Many experts say that it is this ingredient that ultimately has a decisive impact on the final product. Even if all the other ingredients are of the highest quality, and you organize all stages of production as correctly as possible, but you do not have the right water, you will not get a good result.

However, it cannot be said that there is any special water from which all beer is brewed. This is confirmed by the widest possible geography of beer producers. Water in Europe, North America and Australia is very different and has a unique composition. Moreover, huge differences exist even within the same continent. For example, water in Germany and the Czech Republic is different.

The following properties of water are of primary importance for the beer production process:

"rigidity";
composition and concentration of salts.

Of course, modern technologies make it possible to change these properties. However, it is much easier and, more importantly, more economical to produce beer in a region where suitable water is already available.

Malt

It is a product that is obtained by sprouting cereal seeds. Most often, barley malt is used to produce beer. Wheat grains are sprouted much less frequently. Other grain brewers use extremely rarely. The only noteworthy example would be the Japanese, who make their traditional beer, sake, from rice.

The process of making malt is incredibly important. Large beer producers even have malting specialists on their staff. As you can imagine, these employees are responsible for the process of turning grains into malt.

Hop

In nature, hops are a flowering plant of the hemp family. In brewing, only its cones are used. At their core, they are complex female inflorescences.

Hop cones give beer a bitterness and a special rich aroma. In addition, this component determines the intensity of foaming. Many manufacturers of intoxicating drinks have experimented a lot with the issue of excluding hops from the composition of the initial beer raw materials. However, all these attempts failed. Without hop cones, beer lost its individuality and special taste, for which we all love it.

Yeast

In the production of beer, special yeasts of the Saccharomycetaceae family are used. They are also commonly called beer houses. What makes this yeast unique is that it does not occur in nature. These unique microorganisms were specially bred for the production of a foamy drink.

Currently, the largest amount of beer in the world is produced using the bottom fermentation procedure. In this case, manufacturers use brewer's yeast of the Saccharomycetaceae Carlsbergensis species. The result is the well-known lager.

If the top fermentation procedure is used, then brewer's yeast of the species Saccharomycetaceae Cerevisiae is used. This technology is used to produce ale, porter and stout.

If we talk about external differences, then such yeasts manifest themselves differently at the end of fermentation. The top ones float to the surface of the wort, and the bottom ones settle to the bottom of the fermentation tank.

This strict set of initial components is responsible for .

How is beer made?

The beer production process includes strictly defined sequential stages. Their strict observance becomes the key to preparing a high-quality and tasty drink. Please note, this is how the intoxicating drink is produced all over the world.

1. Preparation of malt.

It includes not only the germination of cereal grains. Also at this stage, the malt is dried and thoroughly cleaned of sprouts.

2. Mashing the wort.

The prepared malt is crushed. After this, it is mixed with water. As a result of these actions, an initial mash is obtained that has a sweetish taste.

3. Filtering the mash.

The mash is passed through a special filter or an entire filtration system. As a result of this procedure, it is separated into liquid wort and spent grain. Spent grain refers to solid fragments of cereal malt that have not dissolved in the mash.

4. Adding hops.

At this stage, hop cones are added to the wort. Some manufacturers at this very moment are introducing some other natural and artificial components into future beer. This way they can give the future drink certain shades of taste and aroma.

5. Boiling.

At this stage the wort is boiled for several hours. The duration of this process directly depends on the traditions of the brewery and the type of beer they want to end up with. When exposed to high temperatures, hop cones dissolve.

6. Lightening.

After cooking, the liquid is pumped into a special device called a hydrocyclone or whirlpool. In it, under the influence of centrifugal force, the beer is finally cleared of solid residues of the original components. This is not a very long procedure. It usually takes 25-35 minutes to get a positive result.

7. Cooling.

After the clarification procedure is completed, the wort goes into a special fermentation container. Sometimes it is also called a fermentation tank. Here, the future beer cools down and is enriched with oxygen, which is necessary for the vital activity of yeast.

8. Fermentation.

It is at this stage that brewer's yeast is added to the wort. The fermentation process takes several weeks. When the allotted time for it ends, the manufacturer receives a cloudy low-alcohol drink. Of course, you can drink it, but you are unlikely to get pleasure from it.

9. Fermentation or aging.

Beer aging occurs in sealed tanks under carbon dioxide pressure. It is at this moment that the drink gains its required strength. The duration of this stage is determined solely by the production standards and traditions of the manufacturing company.

10. Filtration.

Beer connoisseurs understand that this step is optional. After all, there are a huge number of unfiltered varieties that have their own fans. However, in most cases it is still carried out. The purpose of this process is to clean the drink from yeast residues.

11. Pasteurization.

The purpose of pasteurization is to increase the shelf life of the produced drink. It happens simply. The beer is heated to a temperature of 65-80 degrees Celsius. Some connoisseurs believe that pasteurization has the most negative effect on the taste of the drink.

This completes the production process. Beer is ready for bottling, sale and consumption.

Brewing beer is one of the most complex technological processes in the food industry. To obtain a high-quality drink, brewers need to take into account many nuances and carefully select ingredients. Next we will look at the important stages of classical brewing technology, which is used by most modern breweries.

First, let's find out what beer is made from. In the traditional recipe, only four ingredients are allowed:

Malt– a product obtained by sprouting cereals. To make beer, barley that has been malted is used, a process that promotes germination of the grain. After soaking, barley swells and chemical reactions begin inside the grains, breaking down starch into malt sugar needed for fermentation.

Water. In brewing, water is distinguished by its composition and salt concentration. For some types of beer, “hard water” (high salt content) is better, for example, for Munich. There are varieties made exclusively with low-salt water, such as Pilsner beer. Modern technologies make it possible to regulate the concentration of salts in water with a very high degree of accuracy, which simplifies production.

Hop. Gives beer a characteristic bitter taste, fragrant aroma and is responsible for foaming. It is impossible to replace hops in beer production without loss of quality. This is a unique plant, which contains more than 200 substances responsible for taste. Interestingly, only the cones of female hop plants are suitable for beer.

Yeast. Modern breweries use special brewer's yeast of the Saccharomycetes family, which is not found in nature, but is artificially bred specifically for brewing. Depending on the fermentation technology, two types of yeast are involved in beer production:

• top fermentation (Saccharomycetaceae cerevisiae) – suitable for such types of beer as porter, ale and stout;
• bottom fermentation (Saccharomycetaceae carlsbergensis) – used in the production of lager and Central European beer.

The difference between these types of brewer's yeast is that at the final stage, top-fermenting yeast collects on the surface (float), and bottom-fermenting yeast - at the bottom of the wort. This significantly affects the taste.

Stages of beer production

1. Preparation of wort. First, the barley malt is crushed, but the grains should not turn into a homogeneous mass. The composition of the wort requires large and small grains. This is called malt milling. The ratio of large and small particles differs in different types of beer.

The malt grind is then mixed with water. This process is called "mashing" and the resulting mixture is called mash. When water is added, barley enzymes begin to break down the starch into malt sugar. To speed up fermentation, brewers heat the mash to 76°C.

Next, the finished wort is filtered. The boiled mash is poured from the boiler into a special sieve, closed at the bottom. The mashed malt remains in this state for some time until solid particles called grains settle at the bottom. When the sieve is opened, clean liquid wort begins to seep through it and the layer of spent grain, which is collected in a special kettle for subsequent brewing.

2. Boiling the wort. The wort obtained at the previous stage is heated, brought to a boil and hops are added. The number of cones depends on the type of beer and the preferences of the master. Each recipe uses a different amount of hops.

Cooking the wort takes 2-3 hours. During this process, all microorganisms die and enzymes are destroyed, so further chemical reactions are impossible. Brewers achieve a predetermined density of the initial wort, which is designated as beer gravity on the label of the finished product.

Next, the brewed wort is filtered to remove any remaining hops and allowed to settle. The smallest particles that could not be filtered out at the previous stage fall out at the bottom. Some plants also speed up the removal of unwanted residues by centrifuge.

3. Fermentation. Clean wort flows through pipes to the bottom of fermentation tanks, called cylindrical tanks. After the liquid has cooled to the desired temperature, yeast is added to the vat. For top-fermented beer, before adding yeast, the wort is cooled to 18-22°C, for bottom-fermented beer - to 5-10°C.

A day after the yeast is added, a thick layer of foam appears on the surface of the fermentation tank. This means that the yeast has successfully begun to convert sugar into carbon dioxide and alcohol. During fermentation, a lot of heat is generated, so the wort needs constant cooling, the temperature must be stable.

During the fermentation stage, brewers monitor the concentration of carbon dioxide in the vats. When the maximum permissible level is reached, the gas is discharged through special pipes. Fermentation stops after the yeast has converted all the sugar into alcohol.

4. Maturation. The previous stages resulted in young, unfiltered beer that requires further maturation (does not apply to wheat varieties). Large stainless steel containers are used for maturation, and the process itself lasts from several weeks to four months.

During ripening, it is necessary to maintain a stable temperature and pressure in the containers; fluctuations are unacceptable. In modern enterprises, the technological process is controlled by special equipment that can automatically change temperature and pressure.

5. Filtration. After maturation, the beer undergoes another filtration with two different filters designed to remove large and small particles. After this, the foamy drink becomes absolutely transparent and ready for bottling.

6. Bottling. At the final stage of production, beer is poured into different types of containers. Before filling bottles, kegs or kegs, all containers are washed, then the air trapped inside is removed. Beer is a perishable alcoholic beverage that requires sterile conditions. Without sterility, the shelf life of the finished product is only a couple of days. When bottling into glass containers, bottles are pre-pasteurized - slowly heated to a temperature of 65°C, which significantly extends the shelf life of beer.

To systematize all the information, I suggest looking at the following diagram illustrating the sequence of stages.