How beer is made

The first stage of beer production concerns the malt, which is obtained from barley or other mature cereals. Through maceration and germination, the malt becomes ready for drying or roasting. The malted barley is then milled and mixed with water. This is what is known as mashing, in which the malt is transformed into wort. The wort is placed in a kettle and heated until it boils: boiling sterilises and concentrates it. At this point hops are added, giving beer its characteristic bitter flavour. The wort is cooled for fermentation at a temperature between 4 and 6 degrees for bottom fermentation and between 15 and 20 degrees for top fermentation.

Yeast is essential: it is mixed into the wort to convert sugars and amino acids into alcohol, carbon dioxide and aromatic compounds. Yeast shapes every aspect of a beer: its head, its aromas, its body. Once the process is complete, the beer is filtered and then bottled or kegged. In certain places, natural fermentation can be used, which occurs not with cultivated yeast but with that present in the air: lambic, gueuze, kriek and frambozen are examples of this. A final distinction concerns pasteurised and unpasteurised beers. With pasteurisation, beer is brought to a temperature of 60 degrees, which destroys certain microorganisms. The purpose of this process is to extend shelf life. Raw, unpasteurised beer is a living beer, since the microorganisms present within it are active and work in the body by supporting certain functions, such as intestinal ones for example.

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What are the ingredients of beer

Water

Water is the main ingredient and perhaps the one that more than any other determines the quality of the beer. It must be rich in mineral and organic substances and in microorganisms such as bacteria and yeasts. The most famous beers are made with particularly fine water: in the past, breweries were built near springs; today the characteristics that make water excellent can be easily replicated.

Yeast

The fungal microorganisms that form the basis of yeast transform moist sugar-containing substances into alcohol. Currently there are two main yeast strains: Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces carlsbergensis.

Malt

Barley malt is the type most commonly used in beer production. Other malts also exist: wheat, oat and maize.

Barley

A good brewmaster favours two-row barley, preferably from a summer crop. Barley is the preferred cereal for producing beer because it is coated in a kind of husk (the lemma) that protects it during processing.

Hops

Apart from Great Britain, only female plants are used in all countries; their flowers contain lupulin, a powder rich in aromatic and resinous substances and acids with antiseptic and preservative properties. Other flavourings used include coriander, chamomile, clover, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cherries, peaches, strawberries, plums, coffee, chocolate, honey and chilli pepper.

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How to pour beer

To pour beer properly, hold the glass slightly tilted until it is three-quarters full, then pour. Towards the end, pour more quickly, so as to develop a good amount of foam (just above the rim of the glass). Foam, besides being an indicator of freshness, makes beer more digestible, protects it from oxidation and, above all, enhances its aromatic intensity. Any bubbles moving upwards (the so-called perlage of sparkling wines and champagne) are, in beer, a fault. Beer should not be served too cold, as this causes a loss of aromas and fragrances.

What beer contains

Beer is low in calories. 100 grams of beer contain an average of 34 kcal, the same as 100 g of carrot juice or freshly squeezed orange juice. In practice, a standard small beer does not exceed 100 calories. Naturally, the more you drink and the higher the alcohol content of the beer, the more the calories increase: in high-strength beers this can reach 60 per 100 grams. All the more reason not to overindulge.