Beer is an alcoholic beverage made from grains, water, hops and yeast. Although most beer is created from the same ingredients, there are different styles and varieties to suit everyone’s taste. It is also a good way to stay healthy.
Brewing a good beer takes some time and attention. This is because the process involves combining a variety of elements, which must be followed in order to achieve the right results.
Brewing starts with the water, which is used to heat the ingredients. The next step is the malting of the grains. After the grain is malted, the brewer can add the yeast. Malting enables the grains to produce the necessary enzymes to break down starches into sugars.
The first brewing stage is called mashing. In this stage, the brewer stirs the hot water and the grain together in a mash tun. The mixture is then boiled to dissolve excess water and kill any microorganisms.
The second brewing stage is fermentation. During this time, the yeast consumes the starches in the grains and converts them into alcohol. Once the mixture has been cooled, the yeast releases the alcohol.
There are two main types of brewing yeast, ale yeast and lager yeast. While lager yeast produces little alcohol during the fermentation process, ale yeast produces complex flavours within days.
To get the right taste and color, the brewer mixes the wort with other ingredients. These are known as adjuncts. For example, many brewers use secondary starch sources as a lower-cost substitute for malted barley.
