Global InformationBrewing information
Brewing is the production of beer by steeping a starch source (commonly cereal grains, the most popular of which is barley)[1] in water and fermenting the resulting sweet liquid with yeast. It may be done in a brewery by a commercial brewer, at home by a homebrewer, or communally.[2] Brewing has taken place since around the 6th millennium BC, and archaeological evidence suggests that emerging civilizations, including ancient Egypt,[3] China,[4] and Mesopotamia, brewed beer.[5] Since the nineteenth century the brewing industry has been part of most western economies.
The basic ingredients of beer are water and a fermentable starch source such as malted barley. Most beer is fermented with a brewer's yeast and flavoured with hops.[6] Less widely used starch sources include millet, sorghum and cassava.[7] Secondary sources (adjuncts), such as maize (corn), rice, or sugar, may also be used, sometimes to reduce cost, or to add a feature, such as adding wheat to aid in retaining the foamy head of the beer.[8] The most common starch source is ground cereal or "grist" - the proportion of the starch or cereal ingredients in a beer recipe may be called grist, grain bill, or simply mash ingredients.[9]
Steps in the brewing process include malting, milling, mashing, lautering, boiling, fermenting, conditioning, filtering, and packaging. There are three main fermentation methods: warm, cool and spontaneous. Fermentation may take place in an open or closed fermenting vessel; a secondary fermentation may also occur in the cask or bottle. There are several additional brewing methods, such as Burtonisation, double dropping, and Yorkshire Square, as well as post-fermentation treatment such as filtering, and barrel-ageing.
- ^ Evan Evans (2011). The Oxford Companion to Beer. Oxford University Press. p. 236. ISBN 9780195367133. Archived from the original on 23 December 2019.
- ^ Chris Boulton (20 May 2013). Encyclopaedia of Brewing. John Wiley & Sons. p. 111. ISBN 9781118598122. Archived from the original on 21 May 2016.
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