Beer production

The raw materials used in the production of beer are four:

• l "barley (and / or other cereals),
• the water,
• hops,
• and yeast (unless a natural fermentation takes place).

Barley is usually soft barley, while hard barley - richer in proteins - is intended for human consumption in other forms (flakes, flours, baked goods, etc.).

In order to be used, the "soft barley - richer in starch than the previous one - must" first be transformed into malt, through a process called tallitura. It naturally starts from the kernels (therefore from the grain), which is subjected to washing and calibration (using sieves); follows a maceration of two or three days in water (until the grain reaches a humidity close to 45%). During this period, the germ of the caryopsis begins germination, emitting a radicle and a first sprout; however, the most important changes concern the substances contained in the grain, which go against an "intense enzymatic transformation (mainly due to the work of amylase and glyco and proteolytic enzymes). Amylases, in particular, begin to degrade starch, breaking it down into smaller and smaller molecules (dextrins) up to maltose. Among these substances, in beer we find dextrins intact, while maltose is used by microbial strains in the subsequent fermentation phases. alcoholic.

After germination, the barley is dried (at 65 - 70 ° C, subsequently at 80 ° C or higher temperatures for red and dark beers), with the aim of blocking the enzymatic activity which, perpetuating, would damage all carbohydrate and protein structures (important for the subsequent processing steps). The drying also affects the rootlets, which are thus removed more easily.

In the preparation of beer, a much more important ingredient than one might think is water; in fact, it must be of low hardness (around 7-8 French degrees, because - if too hard - it decreases the acidity of the must, reducing the fermentation action of the malt enzymes) and sweetness (if it is too sweet it has an excessive solubilizing power on the components of the hops and therefore gives the beer a more acrid flavor).

The third ingredient in beer is hops (Humulus lupulus, family Urticaceae), of which only the female inflorescences are used, rich in tannins and resinous substances with a bittering power, from which the hops are obtained; therefore, the quantity of hops added - just a few grams per liter is enough - affects the more or less bitter taste of the beer.

The fourth ingredient is given by yeasts, such as Saccharomices carlsbergensis and the Saccharomices cerevisiae, which - in addition to carrying out the alcoholic fermentation - contribute to giving the drink its typical organoleptic characteristics.

After drying, the barley, which can now be called malt, is ground and mixed with water; a mixture is thus obtained which is then subjected to heating to 55-60 ° C, by means of a process called saccharification ( as the enzymes degrade conspicuous quantities of starch, forming dextrins and maltose, and hydrolyze the proteins, forming the small peptides and free amino acids typical of beer). This mixture of barley malt and water in heating is called wort, as it is the starting point on which to carry out the subsequent alcoholic fermentation.

In the following step there is the separation - by filtration - of the liquid part from the solid one; the latter, called threshers, is used in animal husbandry to feed livestock and in the fertilization of fields, while the filtrate, still lacking in aroma, is added with the typical flavoring substance, which is precisely hops. This is added according to the flavor to be imparted to the beer, after which the filtrate is boiled for a couple of hours. During the boiling process, the aromatic components of the hops (especially resins and tannins) are dissolved. they give the beer its typical slightly astringent flavor); at this point, after the boiling process, the must is left to cool, with the formation of a bottom body to be removed by filtration. The result is a flavored drink, with a taste similar to that of beer, but without bubbles and alcohol. Pleasantness on the palate is then conferred by the subsequent fermentation step, which gives the drink a certain alcohol content by adding selected microbial starters belonging to the Saccharomiceae family. The previous heating and boiling processes also have the purpose of inactivating microorganisms. possibly present in the must, which can give rise, in this phase, to secondary fermentations, thus altering the taste of the beer; thanks to these steps, therefore, the fermentation process is regulated only by the selected microbial strain.

Fermentation generally takes place in large silos, equipped with a heating jacket to keep the temperature constant; unlike those used for wine, these large cylindrical containers must be perfectly sealed (to keep dissolved the CO2 formed spontaneously during the fermentation process). The fermentation of the must, initially tumultuous, can be of two types: high (15-20 ° C for 3 or 4 days; high because in these conditions the yeast strains tend to reach the surface) or low (5-8 ° C for 10-12 days, during which the stumps tend to settle on the bottom). From this moment on, all the passages of the beer must be done in adiabatic conditions, in order to maintain the same pressures in the various containers (steel barrels equipped with air vent valves). In these barrels a slow fermentation continues, followed by filtration or centrifugation operations, packaging and ultimately pasteurization. This last step has the purpose of blocking the fermentation process and inactivating the enzymes of the microbial strains, which otherwise would continue to operate unwanted transformations on the product.

Alterations in beer are the result of technological errors, therefore of incorrect preparation procedures:

• Clouding (incorrect filtration, development of unwanted microorganisms, imperfect pasteurization)
• STRONG APPEARANCE (development of microorganisms of the genus Pediococcus, again due to incorrect pasteurization)
• LACTIC FERMENTATION (presence of microorganisms escaped from pasteurization)
• Sour Taste (type of hops used in the preparation of beer or the use of water that is too soft).

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