FST 3

Introduction to Beer and Brewing

Charlie Bamforth
cwbamforth@ucdavis.edu

What is beer?

an alcoholic beverage usually made from malted

cereal grain (as barley), flavored with hops, and
brewed by slow fermentation
Merriam-Webster Dictionary

The brewer aims to produce beer

Efficiently (yield,
capacity, lowest cost
but.)
of highest quality
(foam, clarity, color,
flavor, shelf life)
safe and wholesome
meeting the
customers drinking
convenience (location,
package)

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
The proceeds of
alcoholic fermentation
C6H12O6 2 C2H5OH

Sugar

+ 2 CO2

Ethanol* Carbon dioxide

*a.k.a. ethyl alcohol, alcohol

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
Sugars from grapes
are fermented to
produce wine
Sugars from grain are
fermented to produce
beer

The basic four ingredients of

most brewing processes

Malted barley
Hops
Yeast
Water

And according to the Reinheitsgebot of 1516

these are the only ingredients allowed in German beer

Main difference elsewhere is use of

adjuncts
These are alternative sources of sugar
e.g. rice, corn

BEER PRODUCTION - 4 Phases

There are four main
stages

Malting
Brewing
Fermentation
Finishing

Barley

Trapped Starch

Malt

Freed Starch

Wort
yeast
Beer

Sugars
Alcohol

Barley

Lousy flavor

Malt

Nice flavor

Wort

Raw flavor

Beer

Beery flavor

Hops
Yeast

Sublime

Barley

Lousy flavor

Malt

Nice flavor

Wort

Raw flavor

Beer

Beery flavor

Hops
Yeast

And the color, foam, etc depend on the raw materials

and process as well

The soul of beer - barley

Barley kernel (corn)

- hard
- unpleasant flavor
- few enzymes

Aleurone
Embryo
(baby plant)

micropyle
Pericarp/Testa

Husk (or hull)

Starchy
endosperm
(food reserve)

Starchy endosperm

One endosperm cell

wall
One small
starch granule

One large
starch granule
protein

Need to add water to kick the

barley into life

water

Hormones
start to be made in
embryo

Hormones migrate to
aleurone

Hormones switch
on enzyme synthesis

Enzymes diffuse through endosperm, now

that it has been wetted. Break down endosperm

Small molecules produced diffuse back to

embryo to feed it

modification

water

Water distribution
Modification
Rootlets
Acrospire

Need to drive off the water again to

stop the process
But we need to keep the enzymes alive.
Especially those that will break down
the starch

Barley
Steep at 14-18oC (57-64oF) to 43-46% moisture (2 d)
Germinate 16-20oC (61-68oF) (4-6 d)
Kiln 50-110oC (122-230oF) (18-36 h)

Malt
In germination
make sugars
make amino acids

In kilning
Melanoidins
(color)
Flavors

Ale malts are more extensively germinated

(modified) than lager malts
Ale malts are more strongly kilned than are
lager malts
Result: ale malts have more color and more
complex flavor

Brewhouse
Step One: Grist to the Mill
Flour
Malt

Grits
Hull

Starch

Sugars

Hops
(boil)

Hopped
wort
D mill
E mashing

F Lautering
G Boiling

Separate sugar
solution (wort)
from spent grains

Hops
Bitterness
Aroma

Yeast
Wort
cooler

Oxygen

H Fermenter

C6H12O6 2 C2H5OH + 2 CO2

I
J

I chiller J cold storage (maturation) K packaging

Barley

Malt

(Store 2 weeks)
Mash 45-72oC (113-162oF) and collect wort (2-4h)
Boil with hops (1-2 h), clarify & cool

Wort
Fermentation at 6-25oC (43-77oF)(3-14 d)
Storage (maturation) as low as -1oC (30oF) (3-40 d)
Stabilize, Filter and Package (< 1 d)

Beer