All Good Things Come to Those Who Wait for the Fermentation

With the mashing process of malted grain completed, certain duties have been relieved in order to continue the beer brewing process. It is at this stage commonly that the amateur home brewer can enter the process of beer brewing with readily available liquid malt extract in a can. Whether the raw ingredients of barley grain are more difficult to come by, or the brewer wishes to bypass the elementary level of mashing, these canned syrups which just require the addition of water can certainly make the whole brewing process more convenient to the average consumer brewer. 

Brewing beer has its basic fundamentals, although they are not entirely a set of rules which must be adhered to precisely. Manipulating each part of the brewing process can result in various outcomes, and in changing these, a brewer can determine the characteristics desired in the brew.

Beer Brewing – Wort & Fermentation – Is it True That All Good Things Come to Those Who Wait?
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jorge_Zarate]Jorge Zarate

With the mashing process of malted grain completed, certain duties have been relieved in order to continue the beer brewing process. It is at this stage commonly that the amateur home brewer can enter the process of beer brewing with readily available liquid malt extract in a can. Whether the raw ingredients of barley grain are more difficult to come by, or the brewer wishes to bypass the elementary level of mashing, these canned syrups which just require the addition of water can certainly make the whole brewing process more convenient to the average consumer brewer. Although they may lack certain qualities desired by the home brewer and their goal, there are a number of recipes to choose from which can still give exceptional outcomes if the following stages of brewing are endured with conviction.

If the syrup is not already at the ‘hopped wort’ level, then the process of boiling must be undergone with the addition of flavoring. So following on from the steps of lautering and sparging after the mashing process, our wort is now transferred to a kettle for boiling. This is commonly known as a ‘copper’ in typical brewing terminology, and the whole boiling procedure acts as a type of sterilization by destroying any unwanted harmful microorganisms. During the boil the addition of hops are then introduced, and these can be in the form of fresh hop flowers, hop pellets, or on the small scale home brewing, a hop teabag.

The hops act as a source of bitterness to balance out the sweetness of the wort, and they also contribute to the characteristic flavor and aroma commonly found in beer. Boling may last between 50 minutes to 2 hours depending on the volume of wort or the intensity of the boil, and it must be conducted in an even manner. The duration also depends on how much water the brewer wishes to evaporate in order to obtain a more condensed form of wort, and with prolonged boiling the hops add more bitterness with less aromatic and flavor qualities. During this period other ingredients such as herbs or spices may be added in order to enhance the characteristics of the beer.

Once boiling is over, the hopped wort must then be filtered of sediment and dense solids produced by the addition of hops or other additives. If fresh hops were used, then the method of filtering is most commonly achieved by passing the wort through a small vat known as a hopback. This vessel is a confined space filled with fresh hops which act as a natural filter removing large particles and adding extra aroma and flavor to the wort which may have been lost through boiling. If however hop pellets were used, then the hopback method does not become so efficient a filter for the smaller particles. This is where the use of a whirlpool tank comes into play, which basically uses centrifugal force to separate the sediment to form in a central cone shape which can then be easily removed. The wort is then cooled to a temperature of between 20-26°C once filtration is complete, and transferred to another vessel used for the process of fermentation to begin.

In the fermentation tank, brewer’s yeast is added to the hopped wort, and the hibernation and transformation stage is finally underway. With this stage of primary fermentation, it is here that the sugars in the wort metabolize with the help of the yeast into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Depending on the amount of yeast applied and sugars present in the wort will determine how much alcohol is produced, but if alcohol levels increase beyond 12% in volume then the yeast destabilizes and becomes inert as the by-product of alcohol is actually toxic to the yeast. Yeast effectiveness can also be inhibited by lower temperatures and shorter fermentation time, resulting in decreased alcohol content. Temperatures are important also to fermentation depending on what type of yeast is used. Bottom-fermenting yeasts which produce lagers operate better at cooler temperatures of between 7-12°C, whereas top-fermenting yeasts work better between 15-24°C producing ales and stouts.

After primary fermentation where the majority of alcohol is produced over a period which can ultimately last weeks, the wort has now become beer and can be transferred to another vessel for secondary fermentation. During transfer, filtration can be applied to remove unwanted sediment, though not entirely necessary with regards to the brewer’s choice. It can add to greater clarity and stabilize the flavors by removing dead yeast particles, before going to it’s next destination. It is possible the secondary fermentation process can take place directly in the bottle or in another vessel if preferred, but either way the container should remain airtight to allow for natural pressurization caused by the continuous production of carbon dioxide, which in turn prevents the beer from becoming flat.

A third stage of fermentation may be applied depending on the devout nature of the brewer and their respect towards patience, but as always these methods are entirely optional. Further conditioning is usually necessary during this secondary or third period which should normally outlast the primary fermentation greatly with regards to time. For lagers it is necessary to maintain temperatures close to freezing to allow for a mellow and smooth flavor, but with beers made from top-fermenting yeasts cooler temperatures are determined again at the brewer’s discretion. For the novice brewer it can all be just an experience in trial and error, but with the correct approach and even a system of varied applied techniques and waiting periods to the same initial batch production, the perfect home brew may just be well within arms reach.

Article Source:  http://EzineArticles.com/?Beer-Brewing—Wort-and-Fermentation—Is-it-True-That-All-Good-Things-Come-to-Those-Who-Wait?&id=3673894   Beer Brewing – Wort & Fermentation – Is it True That All Good Things Come to Those Who Wait?

Beer Brewing – Malting & Mashing – What Are the Fundamental Procedures to Producing a Good Brew?
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jorge_Zarate]Jorge Zarate

Brewing beer has its basic fundamentals, although they are not entirely a set of rules which must be adhered to precisely. Manipulating each part of the brewing process can result in various outcomes, and in changing these, a brewer can determine the characteristics desired in the brew. Volume ratios and an assortment of ingredients can have a dramatic effect on the end product, as does the methods applied at the various stages of the brewing process. Before the actual liquid known as wort becomes available for brewing beer though, water must go through a procedure of tainting in order to become an element worthy of brewing.

At the root of the procedure we must begin with the basic ingredient, which is predominantly the cereal grain barley. This is the most commonly used source of starch, although not compulsory, and the grains are first allowed to begin a partial germination soaked in water. By doing this, natural enzymes are activated which are necessary to break down the starches in the barley grain, and after some time are then dried in a kiln to stop the process, resulting in a malted grain.

With the use of coke, the malt can then be roasted for a period of time determining the color of the grain. If a pale grain is required then only a light roasting need be applied. This would result in a grain of an amber shade commonly associated with the color of pale lagers. If it were a darker beer the brewer wished to achieve like stout for example, then a longer roasting period would undoubtedly be necessary. With the addition of colorants or caramel darker shades of beer can also be obtained without prolonged roasting, however a genuine roast can also add natural flavor to the beer.

The grains are then crushed and milled into a form known as grist, and the next process of mashing is followed by adding the grist to hot water for a simmering period of up to two hours. As a method of adding flavor, lightening the body, creating better head, or purely cutting manufacture costs, supplementary unmalted grains can be added to the mash. These can be either grains such as corn, rice, or wheat, as well as being fruits or vegetables, and are added at ratios from 90/10 to 50/50 in relation to the barley. Known as adjuncts, the most common ones used are rice and corn grains by large brewing companies, with the sole intention of lowering production costs in relation to more expensive barley malt.

When the mashing process is underway, certain aspects to applied temperature levels during the simmering can achieve different qualities in the beer. These specific levels known as ‘mash rests’, can activate targeted sugars and components in the mixture during the mash. To activate various elements which break down proteins which result in a hazy beer, then a mash rest of between 49-55°C can be applied, but too aggressive a rest can produce a beer which cannot hold a head primarily composed of proteins. At 60°C, agents which break down glucans can be activated in the mash, allowing for sugars to be released more easily later in the process.

An important mash rest temperature of between 65-71°C converts the grain starches into necessary sugars to be later manipulated by the yeast during fermentation. If a high end temperature is applied, then less fermentable sugars will be produced resulting in a beer of lower alcohol content but having a full bodied appearance and flavor. To obtain a beer of weaker body but higher alcohol content though, then a low end temperature should be maintained in order to produce more fermentable sugars. The final stage of the mashing process ends with a temperature rest of 75°C to deactivate the enzymes in the mash. A very similar process to pasteurization, this procedure is known as a ‘mashout’.

Once a workable mash is finally achieved to the brewer’s desire, the liquid is then strained out of the ‘mash tun’ vessel through the bottom using the remaining grain sediment as a natural filter medium, and possibly additional finer filter frames. This draining process known as ‘lautering’ is commonly shadowed by a process of ’sparging’, where the sprinkling of hot water above the grains flushes out additional sugars. Normally each process may be done in two to three runnings and collected as different strains, as every subsequent time it is done will obviously produce a more diluted liquid resulting in a beer of weaker properties. It is then that the strained liquid is finally given the term ‘wort’, and is transferred to the next important stage of boiling.

Article Source:  http://EzineArticles.com/?Beer-Brewing—Malting-and-Mashing—What-Are-the-Fundamental-Procedures-to-Producing-a-Good-Brew?&id=3673886  Beer Brewing – Malting & Mashing – What Are the Fundamental Procedures to Producing a Good Brew?