How does a Brewer produce a Craft Brewed Beer?

Glad you asked, because the micro craft beers are as close to a handmade beverage as is possible.  Beer brewing has been around for centuries, without many modifications in the process along the way.  Beer production all starts with malted barley. The barley is ground up and slowly added to a large tank, called the MASH TUN.  Mashing is the process that allows the barley to release starch, which produces sugar for the yeast to convert into Alcohol and carbonation.  Once the ground malted barley is in the Mash Tun, water is added, which is heated to 140-160 degrees F.  It is at this temperature that the enzymes present in the barley become activated.  The Mash Tun has large; slowly moving rakes that circulate to assure all the barley comes into contact with the hot water.  This process can take up to 90 minutes.

After this time, the brewer releases the ‘sugar water’ (the liquid is referred to as the MASH) into a LAUTER TUN, which acts as a large strainer.  This process holds back the grain and allows only the liquid to enter the brew kettle.  This process is similar to sparging tea through a tea bag into your teacup – holding the tea leaves behind.  The liquid is now exposed to more heat and is boiled (approximately 212F) .  It is during this process that the hops are added.  Generally, the bittering hops are added initially, and the aroma hops are added in this process at the very end.  The duration of the boil is generally one hour.

Once the boil is complete (now the liquid called the WORT) the beer needs to be cooled as fast as possible down to 70 degrees.  The brew master will take several tests during all the processes, with specific attention to temperature, time and gravity.  When the brewer is satisfied, and the wort is chilled to 70 degrees, yeast is added (or pitched).  Again, it is the yeast that creates alcohol, carbonation, and influences the taste. 

FERMENTATION starts the moment the yeast is introduced to the wort.  The beer is stored at very exacting temperatures in fermentation tanks for a minimum of a few weeks, and beer could ferment for years, depending on style.   Commercial brewers use very sophisticated temperature controls to maintain desired temperature. 

PACKAGING is the final process.  Although most micro craft breweries either bottle or keg their beers, cans are becoming more popular. 

I was wrong, there is one more step ….. TASTING is an important process as well.  The brewer must be comfortable that his beer is consistent from batch to batch, and the age old taste test proves the most successful …. Drinking the beer!!