How is beer made?

Beers are primarily made with malted grain (usually barley but wheat and other grains are used), hops, yeast and water. The steps for making beer include malting the grain, preparation for fermentation (see details below), fermentation and filtration.

Malting

A grain (usually barley) is steeped (mixed with water) and then spread out thinly to germinate (sprout) – creating enzymes which break down starches into fermentable sugars. The malted grain is then kiln dried, preserving the enzymes.

Preparation for Fermentation

Milling - The dried malt is milled or crushed onto a coarse powder called grist, exposing the starch to more surface area.

Mashing – The grist is mixed with hot water to create mash. This activates the enzymes which convert the starches to sugars. The result is a sugary liquid called wort.

Boiling – The wort is boiled and hops are added. Boiling sterilizes the wort and eliminates any “wild” yeasts.

Fermentation

Yeast is added, converting sugars to alcohol. Fermentation time can vary from days to weeks.

Filtration

Filtration removes solids including yeast, hop residue and unwanted proteins. Some beer styles are not fully filtered such as a wheat beers and hazy pale ales.

Here is a comprehensive, illustrated explanation of the steps of Beer Brewing.