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, milling, mashing, boiling, fermentation and conditioning.

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.

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 the hops provide bitterness to balance malt sweetness and contribute characteristic aromas and flavors.

Fermentation

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

Conditioning

Yeast is given time to clean up fermentation byproducts that would otherwise cause "off-flavors."

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