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Powder beer. Beer production technology

Beer technology is a complex and lengthy process consisting of several cycles. Classic technology Beer production includes the following main stages: obtaining malt from barley, preparing wort, fermenting wort, aging (fermentation) of beer, processing and bottling of beer. A general diagram of beer production is presented in Figure 1. A description of the main processes of beer production using equipment is presented in Figure 2.

Picture 1. Generalized diagram of beer production

Figure 2. Basic beer production processes. 1 - raw materials, 2 - malt crusher, 3 - mash tun, 4 - filter vat, 5 - digester, 6 - hydrocyclone (whirlpool), 7 - fermentation tanks CCT, 8 - fermentation and maturation vats, 9 - filter, 10 - container

1. Preparation and cleaning

Malting begins the process of converting the barley's nutrients into a form favorable for yeast cell growth and fermentation. The carbohydrates contained in barley grain are insoluble in water, and therefore barley needs additional processing. Malting involves soaking, sprouting the barley, and then drying the freshly sprouted (“green”) malt and removing the sprouts.

Malt is prepared in special rooms called malthouses. Most breweries do not have their own malthouses to produce malt, but use the services of suppliers. Malt is stored at the plant in special silos.

Cleaning malt involves polishing it to remove dust and germ residues, as well as metallic impurities.

2. Crushing

First of all, the malt is sent to malt crusher 2 (Fig. 2) for grinding in order to facilitate access to malt substances. This ensures maximum dissolution of its extract in water and good filtration speed and degree of clarification. As a result of crushing, a mixture of husks, large and small grains, and flour is obtained. This results in so-called malt grinding. According to the method of crushing, the following types are distinguished: dry crushing, dry crushing with conditioning, key conditioning (the shell is moistened, softened, and flour is obtained from the internal parts). Malt crushing is carried out to intensify the physical and biochemical processes of grain dissolution during mashing, as well as to ensure filtering of the mash through a layer of spent grain.

3. Mashing

Mashing is the process of transferring all the valuable substances of the grain into an extractive solution and preparing beer wort. During the mashing process, under the influence of temperature and during several temperature pauses, the particles of ground malt dissolve, i.e. their transition into solution as a result of the activity of active enzymes and the conversion of starch into simpler types of sugars. At the end of this stage, the wort acquires a sweet taste. The remaining insoluble constituents will later be separated in the lauter tun in the form of spent grains. The mashing process takes place in mash tun 3 (Fig. 2). The resulting mixture is called mash.

4. Filtration

After mashing, the finished mash is pumped into a special filter tank 4 (Fig. 2), where the initial wort is filtered. This is necessary, since in addition to the wort extract, the mash contains the shell and the inner part of the malt, the so-called spent grain. Spent grain is a by-product that must be separated from the wort. If the wort is not clear enough, it is passed through the filter again. The clearer the wort, the better the beer. The purpose of mash filtration is to separate the liquid phase (wort) from the solid phase (split grains) and then wash away the extract retained by the grains with water.

5. Boiling

At this stage, the mass enters the wort kettle 5 (Fig. 2), where it is boiled and hops are added in one or more stages - “wort hopping”. Boiling wort with hops involves concentrating the wort to a given mass fraction of dry substances in the initial wort, transferring the valuable constituents of hops into solution, inactivating enzymes, coagulating protein substances and sterilizing the wort. As a rule, hops, which were added at an early stage of boiling, give the beer a specific taste - bitterness. Adding hops at the end of the boiling process gives the drink aroma and softens the bitterness. Boiling can last from 60 to 120 minutes. Hops give beer a specific taste and aroma, improve foaming and shelf life of beer.

The amount and type of hops added depends on the type of beer being brewed. At the same production stage, the wort is brought to a certain density, which is expressed as a percentage and is called the “extractive density of the initial wort.” To prepare the wort for clarification and cooling, it is separated from the hop grains to eliminate its negative effect on the color and taste of the beer.

6. Clarification and cooling of hopped wort

The resulting hot wort is pumped into a special apparatus - a hydrocyclone (whirlpool) 6 (Fig. 2) with a volume of one boil, for clarification by settling small suspended particles of hops and protein. The operating principle of the apparatus is as follows: the stream of beer wort flow is directed tangentially, so the wort rotates inside the apparatus. Under the influence of hydrodynamic forces, suspended particles are collected in the form of a cone in the center of the bottom of the apparatus. After the solids settle, the wort becomes light in color and is skimmed off the sediment, first from the upper levels of the hydrocyclone, and then from the lower ones as clarity increases. Next, the wort is cooled in a plate cooler to a predetermined temperature while it is pumped into the fermentation tank.

Clarification and cooling of the wort is carried out to separate suspensions from it, saturate it with oxygen and reduce the temperature to the initial fermentation temperature.

7. Fermentation

Sterile compressed air is first injected into the cooled beer wort stream through a special aeration and yeast dosing unit, and then brewer's yeast is dosed. Air is necessary for yeast to multiply intensively during the first 12-24 hours of fermentation of beer wort. The wort is sent to one of the cylindrical-conical tanks (CCT) - main fermentation apparatus 7 (Fig. 2). Cold wort enters them from below, and yeast is injected into its stream. The fermentation process is the conversion of sugars contained in the wort by yeast into ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide. It is important that fermentation begins as quickly as possible. Otherwise, brewer's yeast will compete with bacteria and wild yeast, ready to multiply rapidly in the rich nutrients wort. After 12 hours, you can notice the first signs of fermentation that has begun. Since the wort is saturated with carbon dioxide, small bubbles are visible on its surface and a foam similar to cream is formed. The temperature begins to rise.

The fermentation process, among other things, generates heat. To prevent the temperature from rising too much, the fermenting wort is cooled. Thus, a constant temperature of the wort is maintained, which is very important for the taste of the future beer of this type. Fermentation lasts from 6 to 8 days - for different varieties beer - at a temperature of 9_18°C. At this time, all the sugars contained in the wort are fermented, forming alcohol, carbon dioxide and a certain amount of other substances: glycerin, acetaldehyde, acetic, succinic, citric and lactic acids. As by-products of fermentation, higher alcohols are formed from amino acids, which affect the aroma and taste of beer. Some of the carbon dioxide dissolves in the beer. But after some time, the beer is again saturated with carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide that continues to be released is removed from the tank through a special pipeline. Protein compounds that precipitate during fermentation are called cold pipe. Most of the proteins form flocs and sink to the bottom of the tank. This part is removed simultaneously with the selection of spent yeast. When almost all of the fermentable sugars contained in the wort have been processed, fermentation stops. All alcoholic fermentation products formed in the wort participate in the formation of the specific taste and aroma (bouquet) of beer. At the end of the fermentation process, the “new beer” is cooled to a temperature of 3°C. In this case, the settled yeast is removed from the bottom of the CCT. This is first generation yeast. They can be used for repeated fermentation. How many times they will be used depends both on the quality of the yeast and on the cleanliness and accuracy of production, since they are able to adsorb various substances, even heavy metals. Different races of yeast determine the character of the future beer, and, as a rule, each brewery uses its own pure race.

The main fermentation of the wort is carried out with the aim of breaking down the main amount of carbon, by-products of fermentation by yeast and forming the optimal composition of young beer.

8. Maturation

Then the beer that has passed the fermentation stage is sent to the next stage - post-fermentation and maturation 8 (Fig. 2). For final maturation, “young beer” is kept at a temperature of 0_2°C. During this period, it is saturated with carbon dioxide, slow fermentation of the extract remaining in it occurs, clarification and formation of a bouquet and fullness of taste.

Post-fermentation of young beer involves its natural saturation with carbon dioxide as a result of fermentation of the remaining amount of carbon, the formation of specific aromatic substances, the precipitation of yeast, suspensions, protein and polyphenolic compounds. After chemical analysis After confirming the readiness of the product and tasting, the beer is sent for filtration (clarification).

9. Filtration

The compounds that cause turbidity in beer are complex in structure and have a wide range of particle sizes, therefore the best method their removal is considered to be filtration using an auxiliary material: kieselguhr. Diatomaceous earth is a sedimentary rock that creates a porous surface through which beer passes, but particles of substances that affect turbidity remain behind. First, the beer passes through a separator, where large particles are separated, then through a kieselguhr filter. Lastly, the beer goes through a fine cleaning stage, during which the smallest particles are removed 9 (Fig. 2). If necessary, the beer is additionally saturated with carbon dioxide through a carbonizer. After these operations, the beer is completely clear and it is sent to storage tanks - forfas (collectors of clarified beer) in which it is stored at a low temperature immediately before bottling.

10. Bottling

The bottling process varies depending on the type of container, and includes: pasteurization of beer, preparation of containers (washing and sterilization), filling into containers, gluing labels, packaging in boxes and pallets.

Pasteurization is necessary to ensure a longer shelf life of beer in order to avoid changes in the taste and quality of beer as a result of the activity of microorganisms. This process heats the beer to the required temperature for a short period of time.

Beer is bottled into containers that have undergone thorough processing (containers with cracks or other defects have been rejected), washed inside and out, rinsed, and tested for cleanliness in the laboratory. During filling into a container, regardless of its type, it is filled with carbon dioxide for a backpressure effect. This effect allows the beer to slowly flow into the container under the influence of gravity, preventing foaming, carbon dioxide leakage, oxygen entering the beer, and also promotes uniform filling of the container. Then the containers are sealed, placed on pallets and sent to the finished goods warehouse. Beer bottling is carried out to obtain finished product in the form of bottled, canned or draft beer. The main condition for bottling is not to degrade the quality of the beer. First of all, this concerns maintaining the level of CO 2 in the drink and maintaining microbiological discipline.

Introduction

Beer is a sparkling, refreshing drink with a characteristic hop aroma and a pleasant bitter taste, saturated with carbon dioxide (carbon dioxide) formed during the fermentation process. It not only quenches thirst, but also increases the overall tone of the human body and promotes better metabolism.

Brewing is one of the oldest industries. It is assumed that even 7 thousand years BC. In Babylon, beer was brewed from barley malt and wheat. Then the method of making beer spread in Ancient Egypt, Persia, among the peoples inhabiting the Caucasus and southern Europe, and later throughout Europe.

All Slavic languages ​​contain the word “beer”. Previously, this word was used to describe not only beer, but also a drink in general. The words “beer” and “drink” are consonant in Slavic languages. It was the Slavs who were the intermediaries who transferred the practice of using hops to other European peoples.

During archaeological excavations at the site of Ancient Novgorod, birch bark letters were found in which digests were mentioned. Digests are intoxicating drinks made from honey and beer, characterized by high strength. How highly valued digestions were can be judged by the fact that honey and digestions were tribute in Rus'. It should also be noted that beer, malt and hops were part of the peasants' dues for the use of land.

In Rus', beer and meads of various strengths (light - from 2% to 4% alcohol, medium - from 4.5% to 7%, strong - up to 17% and even 35% or more) were ritual drinks consumed at feasts. Beer was brewed in monasteries. During the reign of the great princes, beer was often mentioned in royal decrees. During the years of his reign (1462–1505), Grand Duke Ivan III forbade anyone from brewing beer and consuming hops, assigning this right to the treasury. The decree was later canceled.

Over time, more and more breweries appear in Rus'. In 1715, at the direction of Peter I, maltsters and brewers were sent to St. Petersburg, which contributed to the development of brewing. The founding of the current beer plant in Lviv dates back to the same year. Beer in Rus' is becoming familiar and popular and even appears on the pages of literary works.

At the turn of the 18th–19th centuries. Beer from Moscow breweries was famous, the total number of which was 236. Apparently, they were smaller compared to the large St. Petersburg ones. Kaluga beer, produced by top fermentation, was especially famous back then.

The history of St. Petersburg brewing is interesting. In 1795, with the highest approval of Catherine II, Abraham Friedrich Krohn founded the elder of Russian brewing in St. Petersburg - a brewery named after Alexander Nevsky. The plant produced up to 170 thousand deciliters per year (1 deciliter or 1 dal equals 10 liters, and 1 hectoliter or 1 hl equals 100 liters) of beer, which was supplied to the imperial table. At the end of the 18th century. Peter Kazalet founded beer production near the Kalinkin Bridge. The Kalinkinsky brewery specialized in producing the best, elite varieties of beer. In 1848, Kron and Kazalet united their factories; later, brewing was carried out at the Kalinkinsky brewery, which already in 1848 produced 330 thousand decalitres. (Since 1923, this plant has been named after Stepan Razin.) In 1863, the Bavaria brewery of the Russian-Bavarian brewing company was established on Petrovsky Island, which became a supplier to the court of His Imperial Majesty. In 1872, the Vienna plant of the Russian-Austrian joint-stock company was founded.

In the second half of the 19th century. The total number of breweries began to decrease, and in the remaining large ones, beer production increased. If in the 80s. XIX century The total number of breweries reached almost one and a half thousand; at the turn of the century there were about a thousand.

The most important impetus for the development of industrial brewing was the invention of steam and refrigeration machines. By the end of the 19th century. About a third of the factories were equipped with steam engines, and then some of them began to use electricity. In 1876 Trekhgorny brewery released the first beer in Moscow. In 1887, the plant's productivity was about 700,000 decaliters. Beer produced by the company at the All-Russian Industrial Exhibitions in 1882 and 1896. for quality it was awarded the “Golden Opel” award. The plant used the achievements of science and technology: in 1899 the enterprise switched to electric lighting, in 1907 it installed a high-performance steam engine, in 1911 the German inventor Nathan installed his wort fermentation plant. In 1908, the 65 largest factories produced half of the total volume of beer. About 20 thousand workers worked in the industry at that time.

On the eve of the First World War, the St. Petersburg province was the leader in the total volume of beer production among the regions of Russia, Moscow was in second place, then Livland (overtaking other provinces in the number of factories) and Warsaw province. Within the borders of the modern Russian Federation, brewing was developed in the St. Petersburg, Moscow, Samara, Kazan and Smolensk provinces. The first place in individual plants was occupied by the Moscow Trekhgornoye Partnership, followed by the St. Petersburg plants of Kalinkinsky and Bavaria. Soon, the First World War with its “prohibition” law and subsequent events temporarily suspended the development of the domestic brewing industry.

In the 30–70s of the 20th century, the brewing industry in Russia was completely technically reconstructed, many new large factories were built, technological processes were mechanized and automated.

Currently, many enterprises are installing modern high-performance equipment. Particular attention is paid to improving the clarification and bottling of beer.

When preparing beer, many physicochemical, biochemical and other processes occur that determine the quality and taste of the finished product. Managing these processes and obtaining a high-quality drink requires workers to have knowledge of technology and equipment, advanced work techniques, and high responsibility for the assigned work.

Raw materials for beer production

Barley

The main raw material for making beer is barley malt, which is obtained from malting barley varieties. Barley crops are widespread in our country and occupy large areas.

Barley belongs to the cereal family, the genus Hordeumsativum, in which there are two types: two-row and multi-row (six-row). Two-row barley is mainly spring, and six-row barley is mainly winter and spring.

Two-row barley has one normally developed grain and several undeveloped grains on the spike shaft on both sides of it. With this arrangement, the grains of two-row barley develop well, grow large and of the same size. The side grains of six-row barley have an irregularly curved shape and are smaller.

Six-row barley is used for livestock feed, they are called fodder, and two-row barley is used for the production of malt, which is why they are called malting barley. In malting barley varieties, the grain shell is thinner, the content of extractives (mainly starch) is higher, and the protein content is lower than that of fodder barley.

Barley grain consists of an embryo, endosperm (mealy body) and membranes.

The germ is located at the lower end of the grain. It consists of a germinal leaf - a bud and a germinal root. The germ is the main part of the grain responsible for its germination.

The embryo is separated from the endosperm by a scutellum, through the cells of which nutrients are supplied during germination.

Endosperm– the mealy part of the grain. The bulk of the endosperm is large cells filled with starch grains and protein. Thin cell walls are made of hemicellulose. The outer part of the endosperm is the aleurone layer, which consists of three layers of thick-walled cells containing protein and fat. As one approaches the embryo, the thickness of the layer decreases, and near the embryo the aleurone layer disappears. The endosperm cells located next to the embryo do not contain starch, since it was used up by the embryo during ripening and storage of the grain. Most of the enzymes are formed in this layer during grain germination. The cells of the aleurone layer are alive (just like those of the embryo), and the remaining endosperm cells are reserve for the development of the embryo.

Shells. The grain is surrounded by shells, which are arranged in the following order: the outer one is the flower membrane, underneath is the fruit coat, then the seed coat. If the flower membranes are fused with the grain (endosperm), such barley is called filmy; if they are not fused, then it is naked. In hulless barley, the hull is separated during threshing. Filmy barley is used in brewing.

Other types of grain raw materials

In brewing as unmalted materials, i.e. without germination, corn, rice and, less commonly, wheat are also used.

Corn. It is used as an additive to malt in the form corn flour or corn chaff. Corn contains a lot of fat, which reduces the stability of the foam. Fat is contained mainly in the germ, so its amount in flour can only be reduced by first separating the germ. The fat content for corn flour or chaff should not exceed 2%. Corn fat goes rancid easily, so corn chaff or flour should be stored for no more than 3 months in a dark and cool place. The extractivity of corn is higher than that of barley and amounts to 82–90%. Corn flour contains on average 12–13% water, 63% starch and 9% protein.

Average interest chemical composition corn grains (in terms of dry matter DM): carbohydrates – 78.5; protein substances – 12.15; cellulose – 2.5; fat – 5.1; ash – 1.75. Corn starch contains 21–23% amylose and 77–79% amylopectin. Starch grains are small and difficult to hydrolyze by enzymes.

Rice. It is added to malt in the form of flour or chaff, which is a waste product from rice processing. Before processing, rice is a grain covered with flower membranes. The amount of film in the grain is 17–23%. The starch content in the cut is about 80% (amylose 21–31%, amylopectin 69~79%), protein 6–8%, extract content 95–97% by weight of dry matter.

Classical beer production technology includes the following main stages: obtaining malt from barley, preparing wort, fermenting wort, aging (refining) beer, processing and bottling beer. This is a long, complex process that lasts 60-100 days and largely depends on the qualifications of the brewer. Despite the fact that the starting raw materials are the same components, the quality of beer produced by different enterprises is different.

Obtaining malt. IN In brewing, malt plays the role of a source of not only active enzymes, but also a complex of organic (primarily water-soluble sugars) and minerals, which allows, with the participation of these enzymes, to obtain beer wort suitable for fermentation. The more the malt accumulates simple sugars required for fermentation, the more active the fermentation process itself will be and the more alcohol will accumulate.

Barley used for making malt is soaked in special vats of water at a temperature of 12-17°C. In grain, as humidity increases, cellular enzymes are activated and the biochemical processes they catalyze are accelerated. This leads to a sharp increase in the intensity of respiratory processes and acceleration of the hydrolysis of polysaccharides to simple sugars necessary for these biochemical processes. Soaking is stopped when grain moisture reaches 42-45% for the production of light malt and 45-47% for dark malt.

The loss of sugars through respiration processes during the soaking period reaches 1.5%, with amylolytic and proteolytic processes acquiring the greatest activity.

For germination, soaked grain is sent to malthouses of various designs (boxes or drums). The malting process is carried out at a temperature of 15-19°C and good aeration of the grain for 5-8 days. At the same time, by the end of malting, the endosperm of the grain softens and is easily ground due to the hydrolysis of starch by amylases, and hemicelluloses by cytase (a complex of enzymes). The sprouted grain accumulates soluble sugars - maltose, glucose, fructose and other sugars, which give the malt a sweetish taste. When phytin is hydrolyzed by the enzyme phytase, inositol and calcium-magnesium salt of phosphoric acid are formed. The presence of inositol in the wort stimulates the activity of yeast, and phosphoric acid determines the acidity of the malt and wort.

Due to the activation of proteolytic processes (proteinases, peptidases and amidases), complex complexes of nitrogenous compounds are hydrolyzed to form soluble proteins, peptones, amino acids, and ammonia.

In the process of grain germination, along with hydrolysis, processes of synthesis of physiologically active compounds also occur. Thus, B vitamins, tocopherols, and ascorbic acid accumulate in malted barley. The content of riboflavin especially increases (up to 210 mg per 100 g of dry matter). Subsequently, during the chemical interaction of hydrolysis products with active compounds, new aromatic and flavoring substances characteristic of sprouted and dried grain are formed. Therefore, beer cannot be made from raw (green) malt.

To impart the necessary properties and good shelf life, the malt is dried at various temperatures to a residual moisture content of 2-3.5%. Different temperature conditions and drying durations make it possible to obtain malt with different quality indicators and corresponding technological properties. The type of beer produced (light, semi-dark, dark) will, in turn, depend on the quality of the original malt.

To produce domestic beer varieties, the following types of malt are obtained: light, dark, caramel and roasted.

Light malt obtained by drying sprouted barley for 16 hours with a gradual increase in temperature from 25-30 to 75-80°C. Depending on the quality, light malt is divided into three classes: high quality, first and second. When finished, it has a light color, a sweetish taste, a malty aroma, a loose powdery endosperm and a high saccharifying ability. It is used for most types of beer.

For getting dark malt, the sprouted grain is dried for 24-48 hours at a higher temperature, reaching 105°C at the end of the process. Dark malt is not divided into classes. In addition to the brownish-yellow color, dark malt differs from light malt in the fragility of the endosperm and lower saccharifying ability. It is used for dark beers.

Caramel Depending on quality, malt is divided into two classes: first and second. Its color can range from light yellow to brownish with a glossy tint. For its production, dry or green malt with a high content of sugars, which is fried at a temperature of 120-170°C. Since caramelization of sugars occurs at such a high temperature, as well as Maillard processes, the appearance of the grain when cut is a sintered brown mass. For this type of malt, charring of the grain is not allowed.

Roasted malt- These are dark brown grains, without black color. It is prepared from green malt by pre-moistening and subsequent roasting at a temperature of 210-260°C. As a result, a taste and smell reminiscent of coffee is formed, without a burnt or bitter taste. The cross-sectional appearance of the grain is a dark brown, but not black, mass.

During the process of drying and roasting malt, intense chemical processes occur with the formation of specific aromatic and coloring substances. The pentoses accumulated as a result of hydrolysis are converted into furfural and other aldehydes and aromatic substances that cause the smell of malt (rye crust). The colored components of malt are products of the destruction of sugars as a result of caramelization and melanoid formation, which occur most intensely at temperatures above 80°C. Melanoidins, which have surfactant properties, are good foaming agents, and therefore darker beers produce more foam.

After drying, malt is freed from sprouts, since they give it hygroscopicity and bitter taste due to the presence of the alkaloid hordenine. The need for this operation is also due to the fact that amino acids accumulate in the sprouts, which, when entering the wort, are a source of formation fusel oils during fermentation. Malt becomes fully ready for use only after 3-5 weeks of storage (ripening) in warehouses.

The finished malt is polished, freeing it from remnants of sprouts and impurities, passed through magnetic devices, and then fed to malt crushers. The degree of malt crushing further determines the rate of starch saccharification, the level of wort extract, and the duration of filtration.

Preparation of wort. Crushed malt, and, if necessary, unmalted materials, is mixed with hot water in a ratio of 1:4. The resulting mixture is slowly stirred while heating to a temperature of 50-52°C for 10-30 minutes. 15-20% of the malt's soluble substances go directly into the solution without enzymatic treatment. At the same time, enzymatic hydrolysis of water-insoluble nitrogenous substances and phytin occurs. Then the mixture is transferred to mash tuns, where, under the action of malt enzymes, further hydrolysis occurs and the water-insoluble substances of the raw material are converted into water-soluble ones, forming the extract of the future wort. To ensure maximum transfer of substances into the solution, the mash is slowly heated with constant stirring to 70-72°C (infusion method).

In another (decoction) method, 1/3 of the mash is pumped into a boiling kettle, where it is boiled for 15-30 minutes, after which it is combined and mixed with the rest of the mash. Repeating this operation 2-3 times, bring the temperature of the entire mash to the required value. In this case, the duration of the entire mash preparation process is 3-3.5 hours. This mashing of malt is necessary for further enzymatic hydrolysis of starch. The sequence of transformations of starch during hydrolysis under the action of a- and |3-amylases is as follows:

♦ starch—amylodextrins—erythrodextrins—achro-dextrins;

♦ maltodextrins—maltose—glucose.

Along with the complete saccharification of starch to glucose, protein proteolysis is completed in the mash, the products of which play an important role in the formation of organoleptic properties and stability of beer during storage.

The sugared mash is then sent to filtration to separate the liquid portion of the wort from the solid phase of the mash. In this case, the filter layer is formed by the solid phase of the mash itself - spent grains (non-hydrolysable components, cell membranes, proteins coagulated when heated), settling on the meshes of filtration tanks and filter presses used to filter beer wort. It is also possible to separate spent grains using self-discharging centrifuges.

The filtered wort and the water obtained after washing the grains are transferred to a wort kettle for boiling with hops, evaporation to the desired concentration and sterilization. At high temperatures, enzymes are completely inactivated and some of the soluble proteins coagulate, and the bitter and aromatic substances of hops dissolve in the wort. At the same time, large flakes of coagulated protein, settling, capture turbidity particles and thereby clarify the wort.

Hop a-acid (humulon), which when boiled turns into isohumulone (highly soluble in water), is mainly the source of the peculiar bitterness characteristic of beer. The solubility of (3-acids is insignificant, and soft cx-resin hydrolyzes with the formation of (3-resins and the elimination of isobutyl aldehyde and acetic acid, which are involved in the formation of the specific aroma and taste of both wort and beer. Hop consumption rate, depending on the type of beer and its formulation, ranges from 22 to 45 g/da l.

The hopped wort, brought to the required density, is passed through a hop cooler, cooled to 4-6°C, and then freed from coagulated proteins using separators. During these operations, the wort is finally clarified and saturated with oxygen, which is necessary for the development of yeast.

Wort fermentation occurs in open or closed, wooden or metal containers by special races of bottom and top fermentation yeast. For special varieties of porter, low-fermenting yeast of the genus Brettanomycetes is introduced at the end of fermentation, giving the beer a special, specific aroma. On the surface of the wort, 15-20 hours after adding yeast, a strip of white foam appears (the whitening stage), and then the entire surface of the fermenting wort is covered with fine-meshed foam with gradually increasing curls. Having reached a maximum, the curls fall off, the foam thickens and turns brown. The settled foam (deca), due to the bitter taste, must be removed from the surface of the wort. At the end of fermentation, the bottom yeast settles to the bottom. The clarified liquid is called green, or young, beer. It, along with the ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide accumulated as a result of fermentation, also accumulates a number of by-products involved in creating the taste and aroma of beer. The main fermentation process is completed in 7-9 days. At this point, about 1.5% of sugars remain unfermented in the beer.

Beer aging (fermentation) contributes to the final formation of consumer advantages of beer. For post-fermentation, young beer is pumped into hermetically sealed metal tanks, the inner surface of which is coated with a special food varnish. Depending on the variety, beer is kept at a temperature of 0-3°C for 11-100 days. As a result of post-fermentation of residual sugar, the strength of the beer increases slightly, it is additionally saturated with carbon dioxide and clarified. The interaction of various primary and secondary products of the main and secondary fermentation processes leads to the formation of new substances that determine the characteristic taste and aroma of mature beer, as well as its varietal characteristics.

Beer processing and bottling. After laboratory and organoleptic control confirming the quality of the beer produced, it is processed and bottled. To impart clarity, beer is filtered through pressed plates of various filter media, and the best of them are diatomaceous earth (kieselguhr) filters. During the clarification process, beer loses a significant portion of carbon dioxide, so additional introduction of carbon dioxide before bottling is allowed, followed by aging for 4-12 hours to assimilate it.

Beer is a refreshing, carbon dioxide-rich, foamy drink obtained by fermenting beer wort with special races of brewer's yeast.

Beer wort is prepared from crushed grain products: mainly barley or wheat malt, barley, wheat, corn and other grains, water, sugar and hop products.

Beer happens:

light - beer with a color of O.4-2.5 c/unit (no more than 14 EBC units);

semi-dark - with a color of 2.5-4.0 c/unit (15-40 unit EBC); h dark - with color 4.0-8.0 c/unit (40-160 units EBC);

c/unit - cm 3 solution of iodine with a concentration of 0.1 mol/dm 3 per 100 cm 3 of water.

** EBC - European Brewing Convention.

non-alcoholic - with a mass fraction of alcohol not exceeding 0.4%;

strong - with a mass fraction of alcohol 1.0-6.0%;

original - light beer with an extended fermentation period and an increased rate of hop addition;

pasteurized - with increased biological resistance obtained by heat treatment;

special - prepared using flavoring or aromatic additives.

The main raw materials for beer production are barley malt, hops and water. Their taste, nutritional and other properties depend on their quality and preparation. consumer properties beer.

Beer production includes a number of successive interconnected technological stages, characterized by strictly regulated parameters. The correctness of all processes largely determines the quality of beer.

Malt is produced by germinating cereals under artificial conditions at a certain temperature and humidity.

According to the method of preparation, the following types of malt are distinguished: light, dark, caramel and roasted. In terms of its quality indicators, it must meet the requirements of the standard - GOST 29249-92.

For the production of malt, barley is used that meets the requirements of GOST 5060-86 - “Barley for brewing.” This type of raw material entering the plant must be accompanied by a quality certificate.

True beer lovers are well aware of the value of properly brewed, natural drink. Its popularity is rapidly growing in comparison with the cheap product presented on the shelves of supermarkets and grocery stores. However, expensive beer is not always natural. It is quite reasonable that enterprising people have a question about whether they should start preparing this drink at home, because if there is high demand, then there will be profit. In general, this statement is true, however, such a business has its own specifics, which will be discussed in this article.

Features and profitability of the business

First of all, it is worth noting that the issue of licensing beer production is raised regularly, but today you do not need to obtain the appropriate certificate to launch your own project. However, you will still have to register as an individual entrepreneur (you can also register as a legal entity, but this is simply not necessary for a small enterprise).

As for the premises, everything is relatively simple here - you can organize a small production with minimal volumes at home, i.e. in the kitchen, however, it is unlikely that such volumes will be enough to earn at least some serious income, plus you will need a large room for storing containers in which the beer will ferment. So, the best options can be a garage or a small and inexpensive rented space. To produce 100 liters of beer per day, you need a room with an area of ​​40 square meters.

Of course, the amount of expenses for opening such a business will depend on many factors, ranging from production volumes to renting premises and the cost of equipment. If you are planning to open your own small brewery, it will pay for itself in 1-2 years. The amount of starting investment can be from 30 thousand dollars.

Required Ingredients

Any beer is prepared from the following ingredients:

  • Yeast;
  • Malt;
  • Hops;
  • Water.

Their proportions will depend on the type of beer, the chosen recipe, and the brewer’s original idea. Other ingredients may be added to the beer, but this will again depend on the recipe.

Necessary equipment

If you already have brewing experience and decide to open your own mini-brewery, the best option for you would be a set of equipment, a small Production Line which usually includes:

  • Brewery (can vary in volume, for example, 100, 200 liters);
  • Mill for crushing malt;
  • Fermentation tank;
  • Cooler hose;
  • Drain tap;
  • Hydraulic jam;
  • Density measuring instruments;
  • Cleaning and disinfection kit.

The cost of such a kit with a capacity of 200 liters starts from 20 thousand dollars. At the same time, experienced brewers give preference to European producers. The fact is that domestic or Chinese analogues cost no less, but at the same time they are inferior in quality to the German and Czech manufacturers.

If you are a beginner and would like to start working with small production in your own kitchen, you do not need to purchase expensive equipment. You can brew beer in an ordinary saucepan, limiting yourself to a set of ordinary utensils. In addition, you can purchase a small home line, the cost of which is hundreds of times less than the cost of a full-fledged production kit.

Production technology step by step

Below you can familiarize yourself with the technologies for making beer at home and in your small brewery. Essentially, the difference between the two processes lies in the equipment used and the volumes of product. Thus, 20 liters of beer can be brewed in your own kitchen without expensive equipment, while a volume of one hundred liters already requires the use of special equipment. If you are a beginner who is just starting to study this field of activity, it would be optimal home method. This way you can practice making this drink, study the recipe, and choose several favorite varieties. After this, it will be possible to think about renting space and purchasing more expensive equipment.

Making beer at home

The following describes the process of preparing beer on a regular home kitchen. When starting brewing, it is worth recording data in a separate log, noting the date, quantity and type of malt and hops, amount of water, temperature, etc. This allows you to repeat the recipe if you really cook delicious drink, and avoid mistakes in the future if the game turns out to be unsuccessful.

Prepare a container with malt, the malt itself, and also a small crusher (it may well be homemade). Remember, malt cannot be ground in a coffee grinder, because the brewer does not need flour. It is the rather large shell of the grains that serves as a natural filter layer. In its absence, the malt filtration process becomes almost impossible.

Measure out the required amount of malt on a regular kitchen scale. Recipes can be different - ready-made or invented by the brewer himself. In order not to make a mistake with the proportions, you must either strictly follow the chosen recipe, or analyze the structure of the future drink in one of the special applications that will show you the color, strength and bitterness of the beer.

Start grinding the malt. Using home equipment, grinding 5 kilograms of malt will take about an hour.

Prepare water for mashing the malt (ratio approximately 1 to 3). Heat it up.

Measure the water temperature. Most often, malt begins to fall asleep at a temperature of about 72 degrees Celsius.

Gradually add malt in small mugs. Do not do this abruptly as lumps may form in the water.

Measure the temperature of the malt. The first pause (mashing) occurs at a temperature of 64 degrees.

Cover the tank or pan with a lid, wrap it in a special cloth or regular blankets.

Set the timer for 30 minutes and leave the malt to settle.

After half an hour, you need to make a second temperature pause(68 degrees). Raise the temperature to the desired level, slowly stirring the malt, and leave the tank for 70 minutes.

Then add boiling water to raise the temperature to 78 degrees. This is the saccharification temperature when all processes are stopped and wort is obtained. Next, you need to close the tank for 15 minutes.

After saccharification, do the so-called “iodine test”. To do this, take a few drops of wort, pour it onto a saucer, and drop a little iodine onto the same saucer. During the mashing process, the starches must be broken down into sugars. If this does not happen for some reason, the mixture of iodine and wort will turn blue. If everything was done correctly, the color of the mixture will be normal, brownish.

Open the tap and drain the first cloudy wort into a separate container (then you can return it to the tank).

Drain off some clear wort for testing. Check its transparency.

In order not to damage the natural filter layer, before the cloudy wort returns, lay two layers of food foil on the surface.

Pour the cloudy wort into the tank. It will hit the foil and spread gently, slowly, and will not damage the filter layer.

Place the wort on the fire and cover it with a lid. After it boils, you will need to remove the lid and continue to boil without a lid.

After the wort boils, make the first addition of hops. Carefully skim off any foam that forms. Boil it for 30 minutes. During this time, you can prepare the yeast - pour it into the flask warm water(about 20 degrees) and add yeast powder there.

After 30 minutes, make a second addition of hops and wait 25 minutes.

While the wort is boiling, you need to prepare the chiller for cooling. One inlet will be connected to the water, the other will be lowered into the sink, and 20 minutes before the end of boiling it will need to be lowered into the boiler.

20 minutes before the end of boiling, lower the chiller into the cooking container.

Pour in the third batch of hops.

Cool the wort to 20-23 degrees.

Drain the wort into the fermentation container, having previously disinfected it. The screw needs to be treated with vodka or alcohol.

Pour the yeast into the container. Leave the beer to ferment for two weeks. Close the container very tightly.

* The remaining grain can also be used to make kvass and moonshine, as well as to feed animals.

Making beer at a mini-factory

The technology for brewing this drink using professional equipment is as follows:

The malt is prepared, cleaned and ground in a mill.

The mash (crushed malt) is added to the water and the mash is filtered. The output is the remains of barley and the beer wort itself.

Hops and other ingredients are added to the wort.

It boils for 1-2 hours.

The liquid is cooled in a tank, yeast is added and the mixture is left to ferment.

After several weeks, the beer is fermented in closed containers.

* Some manufacturers also pasteurize the product - heating it to a temperature of 60 to 80 degrees Celsius. However, despite the fact that pasteurization greatly increases the shelf life of beer, entrepreneurs usually refuse it, because this process affects the taste of beer, and this is the main advantage of such small productions.

Sales areas

The main difficulty in this business lies not in mastering production technology, but in marketing the finished product. The fact is that the market is filled with products from a huge number of both small and large manufacturers, and it is not so easy to compete with them. In other words, beer is not a scarce commodity at all and you can buy it virtually everywhere, which means you need to find the place and buyers who will purchase your natural products.

For a novice entrepreneur, at first, friends and acquaintances will be an excellent sales channel and, perhaps, word of mouth will work in his favor. It will also be an indicator that people really like his product. With large production volumes, beer can be sold to cafes and restaurants that want to offer visitors a truly tasty drink. Of course, the best scenario, promising the greatest profits and prospects, is to open your own cafe or beer store, but this option is suitable for those who have enough money and time to launch such a fairly serious project.

Conclusion

If you are a connoisseur of a foamy drink and have been thinking about starting your own production for a long time, you should definitely try your hand at this. However, even if you have the funds to start a small brewery, there is no need to rush. First of all, you need to study the technology of making beer in practice. You can do this by purchasing a minimum set home equipment and raw materials (which are very cheap) and started experimenting in my own kitchen. Having received positive feedback from friends, you can begin to study the issue more carefully, select a suitable location, and look for good equipment suppliers. You don’t have to immediately purchase the most expensive, foreign, powerful equipment - for starters, relatively small volumes will be enough, which can be increased over time.


Brewer brews beer in a copper vat

Beer – intoxicating or low alcohol drink known since ancient times. Even the ancient Sumerians were engaged in brewing - that’s what the production used to be called. It is believed that after the Egyptians, Jews began to actively engage in brewing.

During the Middle Ages, beer experienced a peculiar peak of development and popularity, since both adults and children were allowed to drink it - due to its greater safety for health - because beer was boiled, unlike simple river water. Brewing at that time was concentrated in monasteries, where the monks developed the technology for the production of “liquid” - beer received this name due to its high calorie content.

Beer production equipment

Production equipment is classified according to the volume of finished products it produces per day - micro, mini, standard and large breweries. Micro and mini factories are purchased by private individuals for production in small and medium volumes.


The required set of equipment includes:

  • malt crusher and mash and wort brewer;
  • filtration apparatus with water heating apparatus;
  • pumps for mash and wort, hot water;
  • cyclone apparatus with electric steam generator;
  • heat exchanger and distribution tanks;
  • pumps for green (young) and finished beer;
  • refrigeration unit with a milk generator and fermentation tanks;
  • yeast vats.

For production non-alcoholic beer The following equipment is used quite often: a pre-mash tun, which is installed on the line for supplying crushed malt from the bunker to the mash tun, a mash tun, a filtration tun, a wort tun, a coil brewer, a hydrocyclone.

Quality equipment gives a high yield of hot wort per boil, during cooking you can use the decoction method, it is possible to use high pressure during cooking, there is a whirlpool included in the equipment set. Quality tanks are made from stainless steel and all have double walls with polyurethane foam insulation. A properly organized wort production process eliminates direct heating of the wort by electric heating elements.

When producing this drink, it is most often recommended to organize high-quality cooling of the premises, since the equipment heats the air.

Beer production technology

Today, there are several classifications of beer, since European and American experts have different views on technology and types. However, in general, there are several signs by which a general classification can be made.


The starting material used in European breweries is barley, which can be replaced with other grains or cereals. Brewing production technology is also used to produce beer from other products - bananas, herbs, or even vegetables and fruits. Basically, these are national drinks that are analogues of traditional beer. Hybrid or specialty honeycomb refers to the combination of different varieties and the use of unusual components for production.

Beer is also classified by color - light, dark, white, red and mixed, a little less often used - semi-dark - when dark and light are mixed.

It also includes fermentation, by which beer is also classified - it can be either top or bottom fermentation. There is also a classification by strength - it is expressed as the percentage of alcohol in ready-made drink. The strongest beer according to the standard contains 6-8% alcohol. Non-alcoholic contains 0.2-0.1% alcohol, which is removed using several options: vacuum distillation, dialysis, suppression of fermentation, stopping the fermentation process.

The production technology consists of the following stages: obtaining malt from cereal grains, drying it and removing sprouts; mashing - when malt is ground and mixed with water; filtration of the resulting mixture - mash in a special container for spent grain and unhopped wort. Next, the resulting wort is boiled along with hops and other ingredients for one to two hours. After this, the wort pumped into the whirlpool is separated from the insoluble residues of hops and barley. In the fermentation tank, the resulting wort is cooled and goes through an aeration stage. During the following stages - fermentation, filtration and pasteurization - in the wort, the yeast converts sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide, the remaining inactivated yeast is removed and the beer is heated to 68-72°C, which increases shelf life. The whole process lasts from sixty to one hundred days, the quality of the drink depends both on the products that were used to obtain the drink, and on the qualifications of the specialist and equipment involved in the preparation process.

Video how to do it:

Basically, malt, which is the basis for beer, is obtained from barley, and it is divided into several types - light, when the sprouted barley is dried with a gradual increase in temperature. It is divided into three classes - high, first and second. Signs of finished light malt are light color, sweetish taste, characteristic malt aroma and mealy loose endosperm, high saccharification ability. They dry it for 16 hours. Dark malt is produced by drying for 24-48 hours with a gradual increase in temperature to 105 degrees, versus eighty degrees to obtain light malt. There is no classification for dark malt and it has a fragile endosperm and a lower level of contestability.

Video about the work of the Guiness plant from A to Z:

useful links

  • Make millions: how much you can earn on craft beer // RBC, interview with figures