Beer — 7 Ingredients, 9-Step Brewing Process, Top vs Bottom Fermented, Beer Strengths & Brands
Beer — 7 Ingredients, 9-Step Brewing Process, Top vs Bottom Fermented, Beer Strengths & Brands
Beer = from Anglo Saxon “Baere” = barley. By 6000 BC brewing was established in Babylon. Hops = Humulus Lupulus. Wort = sweet brown liquid from mashing. Green beer = beer after fermentation (before conditioning). Isinglass = fining agent from fish bladders.
Beer = from Anglo Saxon word “Baere” = barley. By 6000 BC, brewing well-established in Babylon. Middle East and Egypt = birthplace of beer (believed). Normans = credited with bringing brewing skills to England. Brewers historically believed beer was a gift from the Gods.
1. Malting (3 stages): Steeping (soak barley, 45% moisture) → Germination (enzymes break starch → sugars) → Kilning (stop by hot air drying → produces pale/lager/crystal/chocolate malt).
2. Milling: Malted barley lightly crushed → fine powder called grist.
3. Mashing: Grist + hot water in Mash Tun at 65°C → enzymes convert starch → fermentable sugars. Resulting liquid = WORT (pronounced “wert”).
4. Lautering: Wort filtered/strained. Spent grains removed → sold as cattle feed.
5. Boiling/Brewing: Wort in copper kettle + hops + sugar → boiled 1.5 hours. Kills enzymes/bacteria (sterilises). Hops for aroma = added at END. Hops for bitterness = added at START.
6. Whirlpooling: Wort filtered through whirlpool separator. Remaining hops sold as fertiliser.
7. Cooling: Wort cooled to 15°C through paraflow (heat exchanger).
8. Fermentation: Yeast added → sugar → alcohol + CO₂. After fermentation = Green Beer.
9. Conditioning/Maturation: Green beer in conditioning tanks. Top fermented = short settling. Bottom fermented = many weeks. CO₂ builds up = creates the sparkle.
| Feature | Bottom Fermented | Top Fermented |
|---|---|---|
| Yeast | S. carlsbergensis / S. uvarum | S. cerevisiae |
| Yeast position | Sinks to bottom | Floats on wort |
| Fermentation temp | 5–10°C (cool) | 15–25°C (warm) |
| Duration | 2 weeks | 3–7 days |
| Service temp | 4–6°C | 8–20°C |
| Infections | Less prone (more predictable) | More susceptible |
| Style | Thinner, clearer beers | Thicker, darker beers |
Average beer = 4% ABV. Super strength = 8–11% · Premium = 4–6% · Standard = 3–4% · Low alcohol = 0.5–1.2% · Alcohol-free = ≤0.05%
Australia: Foster · Mexico: Corona · Malaysia: Tiger · Denmark: Carlsberg · South Africa: Castle Lager · USA: Stroh, Budweiser · Netherlands: Heineken, Amstel Light · India: Kalyani Black Label, Kingfisher · Brazil: Brahma · Ireland: Murphy, Guinness · Belgium: Stella Artois
Serve within 5 minutes of order. Glass at 4 o’clock position to water glass. Glass free from chips, stains, watermarks. Hold glass from base (forefinger + thumb only). Present bottle to host for approval. Pour along rim at 45° angle. Head must not exceed 1 cm. Stop pouring 1 inch below rim.
Measures: Pint = 330 ml · Bottle = 650 ml
◆ Normans = credited with bringing brewing skills to England
◆ Diastase = enzyme in barley that converts starch → sugar
◆ Hops botanical name: Humulus Lupulus · Female flower used (not male)
◆ Lupulin = yellow resinous substance in hops → gives bitterness + flavour
◆ Isinglass = fining agent from air bladders of fish (especially sturgeon)
◆ Water called “liquor” by brewers · 6 litres water = 1 litre beer
◆ Wort = sweet brown liquid from mashing at 65°C in Mash Tun
◆ Green Beer = beer after fermentation, before conditioning
◆ Hops for aroma = added at END of boiling. Hops for bitterness = added at START
◆ S. carlsbergensis = bottom fermented (lager). S. cerevisiae = top fermented (ales)
◆ Lager = from German “lagern” = to store · stored up to 6 months
◆ Pilsner = from Czech town Plzeň · Kölsch = from Cologne (Köln)
◆ Trappist = only 6 brands allowed to use the name
◆ Lambic = spontaneous fermentation, wild airborne yeast, Belgium