Beer & Cider

Question 1

Beer brewing process:

Answer 1

• malt is made by steeping barley into water for 48-72 hours untile begin to germinate
• starches are converted into sugars
• grains are dried by hot air in a kiln (stops further growth) and roasted to the required colour and flavour
• light malt, crystal malts = light ales, bitters, lagers
• chocolate malts, black malts = mild ales, stouts
• malt is cracked in a mill producing grist that is mixed to hot liquor (water) at 65-66C for 2 hours
• wort (name of the liquid at this point) is boiled in a brew kettle/copper for 13 hours with sugar syrup and hops
• wort is run off into the hop-back where it settles and then strained off into the paraflow system which cools it down to 15-16C
• wort is then moved to the fermenting vessel where yeast is added and fermentation starts and continues for about 7 days
• beer goes into storage tank for 3-21 days to await pastorisation, bottling or kegging. (3 days for draught beer)
  Hops might be added (dry hopping) to add flavour and to make clarification of cask-conditioned beers easier
• Saccharomyces Carlsbergensis yeast is used for Lager = bottom fermentation yeast (works at the bottom of the vessel instead of the top)
• fermentation takes longer (10-24 weeks) / much lower temperatures (1-3C)

Question 2

Cider / Perry

Answer 2

Cider = fermented apple juice or apple + max 25% pear juice

Perry = fermented pear juice or pear juice + max 25% apple juice

fruit is harvested, chopped/grated/pounded and pressed extract the juice.
Fermentation at 18-24C for 4-6 weeks
Sometimes C02 is added or secondary fermentation is encouraged by addition of sugar and yeast.

Cider strenght = 4-8%