Beer is one of the oldest drinks known to civilisations. It may even have been the cause of civilisation. Relics used for the production of beer have been dated back as far as 5,000 years ago. The first beers are believed to have been made from bread, evidence of which has been found on stone drawings showing bread being baked and then crumbled into a drink that is recorded as having made people feel “exhilarated, wonderful and blissful”.
This raises the question whether bread was actually an intermediate step in the making of beer since it was a means by which the grains could be partly processed and conveniently stored for later use, or transported.
Whatever the origins, the art of brewing has come a long way and indeed has become entrenched in many societies around the world, particularly in Europe from which most of the styles with which we are familiar originated.
Brewing as we now know it using barley, malt and hops dates back 1,500 to 2,000 years and has changed little. The basic recipe and method involves turning barley into malt by halting the germination process through roasting it, cooking the malt in hot water, adding hops and finally adding yeast to bring about the fermentation process. While this sounds very simple, it is often said that it is more of an art than a science. To quote one of the best known beer writers, Michael Jackson, “..in the end it takes palate, judgement, experience, perhaps intuition to make a truly good brewer, much as it does a good cook”.
What is Malt?
The process commences with malting, to render the starches within the seed soluble. The hard barley seeds are first stepped in water to start the germination process that is subsequently halted by drying and sometimes roasting if it is to be used to create a dark beer.
The way in which the barley is grown and treated will all add to the flavour of the beer. It is even known to smoke the barley to create a unique flavour within the finished beer.
The malt is first milled to gently break the husk of the seed and it is then immersed into hot water. This process is to convert the starches into fermentable sugars. The resulting porridge like mix is called a mash. The liquid is drained through a mesh floor in the vessel using the spent grains as a filter until the liquid is clear. This liquid is referred to as wort and it is from this that the beer will be made. The wort is transferred to what is called the kettle where the hops are added and the mix is brought to the boil. The type and quantity of hops will also contribute to the flavour of the beer by giving it bitterness but also act as an antiseptic and preservative.
The hot wort is then cooled to allow the yeast to be added and it is transferred to a tank to allow the fermentation process to occur. The type of yeast used will also add to the flavour of the finished product.
After fermentation the beer will be carbonated and transferred to kegs or bottled.
Whilst the process is not highly technical, there exists considerable opportunity to vary end result. Where the grains are grown, the type of malt and how the malt has been treated, the different blends of malt used in the mash, the length of time and temperature of the mash phase of the process, the type of hops used, the quantity and the length of the boil through to the yeast used in fermentation. This gives each beer its unique characteristics; its colour, head, aroma, body and taste.
So as you sample some of the fine ales on offer, think about how it has been made and above all, enjoy the ale that has been crafted for your pleasure.
