TECHNIQUES
Main raw materials
water, malt, hop, yeast
TECHNIQUES
- Mashing
- Filtering
- Boiling
- Whirlpool
- Fermenting and ripening
- Separation, filtering
- Blending
- Carbonization and pasteurisation
- Bottling
1. Mashing
Malt is ground in a mill and mixed in a mash tub with hot, previously treated water. Mashing – treating the mix of ground malt and water according to appropriate temperature schedule – may start. During the mashing process the starch in the malt is saccharified resulting in maltose – disaccharide that can be fermented into alcohol with the help of yeast. During the mashing proteins are also fissioned by the agency of enzymes. Proteins have great importance for ready-made beer: they give beer its taste and colour, they can make it turbid and affect its preservation. Different substances are formed in the intermediate stage of the decomposition of proteins. These substances are important for the sake of beer’s aroma and flavour as well as for preservation. They are also important nutrients of yeasts.
2. Filtering
The mash is pumped over into a filtration kettle the bottom of which is covered with sieves; then it is left to stay so for some time and then the initial ferment (water from the mash) is removed. This is put to an intermediate container. The rest of the mass is washed with hot water which is also sent to the intermediate container. The mass left in the filtration boiler, so called brewers’ grains, is put into the brewers’ grains container and sold as forage.
3. Boiling
The hot liquid – ferment – is put into the brew kettle. The ferment is brought to boil. During boiling the proteins coagulate – the ferment becomes clear and achieves right density; the ferments fission. During boiling the hops are also added – bitter hop and aroma hop.
4. Whirlpool
At the end of boiling the ferment in the kettle is made to swirl by the use of pumps. The so-called fining process now starts. During the whirling motion of the liquid the crust and turbid in the liquid accumulate in the centre of the container (tea glass effect). The heavier particles accumulated in the centre settle to the bottom of the container and make it possible to separate the liquid from the crust. The solid part left in the kettle is put into the brewers’ grains.
5. Fermenting and ripening
Fined hot ferment is cooled, saturated with oxygen and put into the fermentation container. A necessary amount of yeast is then dosed into the ferment flow. Fermentation starts. After that the so-called green beer is cooled and yeast is separated. The yeast may be later used for recycling or utilization. This is followed by ripening and stabilisation process at minus degrees. During the fermentation process alcohol appears in the ferment and carbon dioxide, which partly dissolves also into the beer, is released. The final product of this process may already be called beer.
6. Separation, filtering
Stabilized beer is mixed with carbon dioxide and separated in the beer separator. It means that most of the yeast left in the beer is separated. Separated beer is filtrated.
7. Blending
Completely clear beer comes out of the filter and is then put into the post-filter and after that through the blender, where the contents of alcohol and carbon dioxide are checked and adjusted. From there the beer goes into ready-made beer tanks near the bottling department.
8. Carbonization and pasteurisation
Ready-made beer passes the carbonisator, where the content of carbon dioxide is checked one more time and corrected when necessary, and the pasteurisator, which guarantees microbiological purity of the beer.
9. Bottling
Before the bottling the washed bottles go through the control device that eliminates defective bottles. After bottling there will be labelling, laser marking and level check.
After that the output is being packaged, stored and sold.