1

Beer

Chemistry, Process, Technology, Breweries, Economy, and Health

Tyler Turcotte

Jake Frost Mike Johnson Rachel LePine

Jon Bunie

University of New Hampshire at Manchester

Manchester, New Hampshire, USA 03103

2

Table of Contents Abstract ..................................................................................................................................................................... 4

Malt ........................................................................................................................................................................ 6

Sugars .................................................................................................................................................................... 7

Water ...................................................................................................................................................................... 7

Hops ....................................................................................................................................................................... 8

Yeast ...................................................................................................................................................................... 9

What is Yeast ................................................................................................................................................. 9

Yeast Types ................................................................................................................................................. 10

Yeast Forms ................................................................................................................................................ 10

Gelatin Finings ................................................................................................................................................ 11

Other Flavoring Techniques......................................................................................................................... 11

Nuts ................................................................................................................................................................ 11

Unusual Ingredients ................................................................................................................................... 11

How beer is made ................................................................................................................................................ 13

Home-Brewing ................................................................................................................................................. 13

Micro-Brewery ................................................................................................................................................. 16

Large Breweries ............................................................................................................................................... 19

Technology ............................................................................................................................................................ 23

Home Breweries .............................................................................................................................................. 23

Micro-Breweries .............................................................................................................................................. 25

Macro-Breweries ............................................................................................................................................. 27

Types of Breweries ............................................................................................................................................ 28

Home Breweries .............................................................................................................................................. 28

Micro Breweries .............................................................................................................................................. 29

Brew Pubs ......................................................................................................................................................... 30

Craft Breweries ................................................................................................................................................ 32

Economical ............................................................................................................................................................ 33

Value of Distribution .................................................................................................................................... 33

Direct and Indirect effects ......................................................................................................................... 34

Advantages of Distributors ........................................................................................................................ 34

Effects ..................................................................................................................................................................... 35

Positive .............................................................................................................................................................. 35

Negative ............................................................................................................................................................ 36

3

REFERENCES ..................................................................................................................................................... 38

APPENDIX A: Glossary ................................................................................................................................. 38

APPENDIX B: Work Cited ........................................................................................................................... 39

4

Abstract

Chemistry is an integral part of the beer manufacturing process. The recipe for a great tasting

beer includes a very specific set of ingredients plus additional flavoring aspects. The most vital

ingredients in beer are the malt, sugars, water, hops, and yeast. Malt, or malt extract, is the dried

sugars extracted from malted barley. Beer contains several types of sugars such as glucose, sucrose,

fructose, as well as a few others. Water is the primary ingredient in beer and its chemistry has a

significant effect on the beer’s taste. The key flavoring ingredient in beer, hops, are cone shaped

strobilus available on several continents. Finally, the alcohol content in beer is a product of the

effects of yeast.

The process of making beer don’t change dramatically from home brewing to large scale

brewing; the only thing that changes is the equipment used and the amount of product needed. In this

document, you will understand the different machines and devices that are used at these different

level breweries. You will also get a better understanding of the steps that have to be done right to get

that delicious beer that we all desire.

Technology used in brewing is also fairly similar between the disciplines since the process is

similar. The size and quality of the equipment is the major difference between home brewing, micro

brewing and macro brewing. There is also an increase in the amount of automation used in the

different sizes of breweries.

A brewery is a building or establishment for brewing beer or other malt liquors. The diversity

of size in breweries is matched by the diversity of process, degrees of automation, and kinds of beer

produced in breweries. The brewing and distribution of beer can be done in many different ways and

sizes. Home breweries, brew pubs, micro-breweries, and macro breweries are the four main types

discussed, ranging from smallest to largest in production.

5

The distribution system involving the beer making process has a large impact on the sales

and variety of choices. In this section of the document, you will be reading about the distribution

process. The distribution process allows for the necessary procedures to continue while keeping

breweries and retailers separate. By keeping them separate, it keeps the amount of transactions

and movement of the product to a minimum.

The effects of consuming beer can be both positive and negative to your body. Drinking

one to two drinks a day can have a positive effect on the body that will be laid out within the

document. By consuming more than the adequate amount of beer, your risks for the negative

side effects start to multiply and happen almost simultaneously.

6

Ingredients and Chemistry of Beer

In general, all beers are made the same. This includes home brewed beer, craft or microbrew

beer, and commercially manufactured beer. The basic ingredients include water, hops, yeast, and

barley.

Malt

Home brewed beer is typically made from a malt. It comes pre-made as a malt extract and

sold in stores as a kit for home brewing. Malt extract is the concentrated and/or dried sugars

extracted from malted barley. This is the same ingredient used in everyday items such as malted

milk, breakfast cereals, baking additives, and pet foods. The grade of the barley is essential to

making beer. Malt is made from the highest grade barley.

To make malt, the barley is soaked and drained to initialize the germination of the plant from

the seed. The germination process activates enzymes that convert its starch reserves and proteins into

sugars and amino acids to be used by the brewer. When the seed starts to sprout, the grain is dried to

stop the enzymes until the brewer is ready to use the grain. There are many different types of malts

which add its own distinctive flavor and aroma to the beer. These include lager malts, pale malts,

Vienna malts, Munich malts, toasted malts, roasted malts, and chocolate malts.

When the brewer is ready to make the beer, the malted barley is crushed and soaked in hot

water to activate the enzymes and convert the barley’s starch reserves into the fermentable sugar

solution known as wort. Beer is made when the wort is boiled with hops and fermented with yeast.

To make the extract that the home brewers use, the wort is evaporated instead of fermented. The

extract may consist of a single malt or a combination depending on which style of beer is desired.

7

Sugars

Table 1

Sugar Typical Percentage in Wort

Maltose 45%

Maltotriose 14%

Glucose 8%

Sucrose 6%

Fructose 2%

Unfermentable dextrins 25%

A beer wort* consists of different types of sugars. The primary sugar is maltose, which is

made of two glucose molecules. The amounts of each type of sugar in a typical wort is shown in

Table 1. Yeast is used in the fermentation of these sugars. It first breaks down the sucrose into is

glucose and fructose components. The yeast then consumes the glucose, fructose, maltose, and

Maltotriose in that order. It then ferments each sugar in different ways.

Water

A large percentage of beer is water and the type of water is very important for brewing beer.

The most popular brewing waters are the soft water of Pilsen, the hard water of Burton, Midlands,

and pure Rocky Mountain spring water. The minerals in the water affect the starch conversion of the

mash. For a home brewer, if the local water tastes good, the beer should taste good as well. If the

water doesn’t taste good or doesn’t have a good aroma, it can be treated to enhance the flavor of the

beer and provide the minerals necessary for good fermentation.

The amount of ions in the water supply can be provided by the local water report. For the

purpose of home brewing, the water should contain 50-150 parts per million (ppm) of calcium which

is essential to biochemical reactions during fermentation. It should contain 10-30 ppm of magnesium

8

which is also a vital yeast nutrient but high levers taste

sour or bitter. It should contain 0-250 ppm of bicarbonate

to maintain the alkalinity of the water. 0-150 ppm of

sodium and 0-250 ppm of Chloride is necessary in the

water and acts like salt to accentuate the malt flavor.

Sulfate is used in the water to accentuate the hop

bitterness to make it seem drier and crisper. 50-150 ppm is

necessary and concentrations over 400 ppm make the beer

unpleasant.

Hops

The main flavor ingredient when brewing beer is the hop. See figure 1. It is the cone shaped

strobiles growing on a vine native to the temperate regions of North America, Europe, and Asia. This

particular species has both male and female plants. The female produces the cones used in the

brewing process.

The bases of the hops contain a lupulin gland

which has the essential oils and resins necessary for

brewing beer. See figure 2. The main purpose of a hop

was originally a natural preservative, but is now a main

flavoring component. The bitterness of the hops

counteracts the sweetness of the malt sugars and makes

for a refreshing beverage.

Figure 1

Figure 2

9

What causes a hop to provide the bittering taste in the beer are known as alpha acid

humulone resins. These resins are not soluble in water and must be isomerized in boiling water to

release the bitterness. The longer the boiler, the greater the isomerization and the bitterer tasting it

makes the beer.

While the bitterness comes from the alpha acid resins, the flavor comes from the oils

produced by the hop. These oils are Myrcene, Linalol, Graniol, Limonene, and Terpineol. The

heavier aromatic elements of the hop are Humulene, Caryophyllene, and Farnesene. They produce

aromas commonly characterized as “noble.” The hops used for flavoring and the hops used for

aromatics are usually two separate plants. However, there are a few species used as “dual-purpose”

hops, which provide both the flavor and the aroma in the beer.

Each type of hop contains a certain level of alpha acids depending on whether it is used for

flavor or used for aroma. The hops used for their flavoring characteristics typically contain about

10% of their weight in alpha acids while the aromatic hops contain about 5% of their weight. The

amount of time the hop is boiled has the largest influence on how bitter a hop addition makes the

beer. If no time is specified, it is common to boil bittering hops for an hour and aroma or finishing

hops for the last 10 to 15 minutes.

Yeast

What is Yeast

Yeast is a microorganism and a type of fungus. They are unusual in that they can survive and

grow with oxygen or without oxygen. Most microorganisms can either do one or the other.

Fermentation is a process that happens when yeast is oxygen deprived. The yeast cells convert

simple sugars such as glucose and maltose and produce carbon dioxide and alcohol as primary waste

10

products. Other products of fermentation include ester, which are responsible for a fruity essence in

beer, and phenols create a spicy flavor. Ketones such as diacetyl can produce the desired butterscotch

flavor in pale ales, scotch ales, and stouts but can leave a raunchy tone due to oxidation as the beer

ages.

Yeast Types

Different strains of yeast produce different proportions of carbon dioxide and alcohol.

Baker's yeast is a blend of several strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae chosen for their flavor and

ability to make carbon dioxide, which causes bread to rise. Brewer's yeast is made of strains chosen

for their alcohol-producing ability and tends to have a bitter flavor. Brewer's yeast is considered an

inactive yeast while baker's yeast is an active yeast. In active yeasts the yeast cells are alive, whereas

they are not alive in inactive yeasts, like brewer's yeast.

The two main types of brewer’s yeast are lager and ale. In the case of the lager yeast, the

fermentation process takes place at the bottom of the fermenter, while in an ale yeast; the

fermentation process takes place at the top of the fermenter. One other difference between the two

types of yeast is the temperature at which the yeast is dormant. The ale yeast needs warmer

fermentation temperatures, around fifty-five degrees Fahrenheit as the lager yeast is more easily

dormant at temperatures around forty degrees Fahrenheit. However, certain types of beer, such as the

California common beer, are produced using lager yeast at ale temperatures, around sixty to seventy

degrees Fahrenheit.

Yeast Forms There are two different forms of yeast, dry and liquid. Dry yeast has been

dehydrated for storability. Dry yeast packets have a lot of viable yeast cells and have an

extended storage life. Although the dry yeast is known to produce a better quality beer,

11

there is a fewer number of strains due to the dehydration process. Commercial breweries

are known for using liquid yeast because there is a larger variety of strains and they

typically don’t need to worry about storage life.

Gelatin Finings

This fining* is derived from the hooves of horses and cows. The gelatin has a positive charge

that will attract suspended yeast. Dissolved and prepared gelatin is added 1-2 weeks before bottling

the beer. Prepare the gelatin by adding 1 tablespoon to 1 pint of cold water and gently heat until

dissolved. Some brewers use seaweed extracts such as agars, carrageenans and alginates instead of

gelatin finings to make their beer vegan friendly.

Other Flavoring Techniques

There are many different flavors that can be introduced during the brewing process that can

make any beer unique. For example, in Kentucky, they produce beer in Kentucky Bourbon barrels to

have vivid flavors of caramel, vanilla, and toffee. In Vermont, maple syrup is introduced into the

beer using maple liqueur barrels. Hawaiians will add local flavors of coconut, pineapple, mango,

Maui onion, and passion fruit into their fresh brewed beverages.

Nuts

Another common flavoring additive for beer is nuts. Oregon is known for introducing

hazelnuts into their breweries. Italian beers are likely to contain chestnut powder due to its

predominance in Mediterranean cuisine.

Unusual Ingredients

1. Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout

12

“What began as an April Fool’s joke, has turned into “the ballsiest canned beer in the

world,” as the brewers use bull testicles as the special ingredient.”

Pearl Necklace Oyster Stout - Brewed with local oysters

Southern Pecan Nut Brown - Whole roasted pecans are used like grain

Orange Wheat - An unfiltered beer brewed with local oranges.

13

How beer is made

Beer looks very simple and easy to make when you are casually drink it at the bar or on

the couch. But the reality is that beer is much more complicated then it seems, and it takes a lot

longer to make then just the pour out of the tap. For every beer made, there is a specific process

with different types of equipment to get the end result that everyone enjoys. The three types of

breweries will all have different equipment and processes in which they make their beer, but the

basic concepts are the same.

Home-Brewing

Home brewing is a beginning to be a catchy subject in today’s society. More and more

people are making their own beer, but the ways that make it are not the same as the micro-

breweries or the macro-breweries. Home-brewers usually don’t have the money to buy

expensive equipment, so they have to make beer in a different way using old and new

technologies at the same time.

Things Needed 5-15 Gallon cooking pot

Burner/ Stove top.

Plastic/ Glass fermentation jug

Thermostat

Strainer

Keg

Ingredients

Bottles/ Caps

Hydrometer

Measuring cups

The first step to making beer in a home is to have a good clean source of water to make

the mash. The water will have to be heated up to 104-170 °F in a cooking pot eventually adding

14

barely and other grains to make mash. This is a very important step as it controls the amount of

alcohol that will be produced in the beer. When barely is added to the hot water it breaks down

into sugar; this is the sugar that gets eaten by yeast to produce the alcohol. When all of the sugar

is out of the grain, the mash is ready to go through a strainer to get rid of the grains husks. The

mash step is where most all of the color comes from. Once all of the husk and debris is removed

from the mash, the liquid is now called wort.

The wort can now be put on the heated on the stove to so spices and hops can be added.

This is where the flavor of the beer comes from as well as the rest of the color. The wort should

be boiled between 50-120 minutes so that it sterilizes the liquid as well as breaking down the

enzymes that broke down the grains. The boiling water also releases the aromas of the hops into

the work allowing the full bodied flavor of the beer. After the wort is heated for the desired

time, it will have to be taken off the stove and allowed to cool before the next step which is

filtration.

Filtration of the wort is important so that all of the proteins and hops will be removed

from the liquid. Many home-brewers use a stainless steel hop filter to remove most of the

particles. After it has gone through this filter it will head into the fermentation jug where yeast

will be added to start making the final product. Depending on the yeast that you put in will

control where that fermentation will have to take place. For example, lager yeast tends to like

colder temperature as well as 1 month fermentation where ale likes a warmer temperature and

only needs about seven to twelve days of fermentation. After the yeast is added, the liquid will

say isolated to let the yeast do what it does best which is turning all of the sugar into alcohol.

15

When the yeast becomes dead (after the fermentation time), it will settle at to bottom of the jug.

Cooling encourages the yeast to sink helping speed up this process. This cooling process is

called conditioning and helps make the beer smoother to drink. If you were to drink the beer

now, it would have the flavor of an unfiltered beer but would have no carbonization.

Conditioning takes place after the fermentation period and allows the body of the beer to

be smoother and more pronounced. It also adds carbonization into the beer forming the taste that

everyone knows. Home-brewers can do this step two different ways,

1) The first way is to drain out as much of the yeast that is sitting at

the bottom of the tank as possible before agitating the liquid too much.

This is so that the yeast particles don’t float back up into the liquid and a

better product will come out after filtering. Next, the liquid from the

fermentation jug will have to be bottled and a small about of sugar will

have to be added before the cap goes on. This sugar re-activates some of

the yeast still inside the liquid creating a small amount of alcohol and the

𝐶𝑂2(carbondiozide). This process takes about another two weeks to

become fully conditioned. The 𝐶𝑂2 is forced into the liquid because the

cap is causing it to be under pressure. This 𝐶𝑂2 added into the liquid

now is called beer for the first time and can be enjoyed.

2) The second way that home-brewers condition their beer starts out

like there first way, they drain out as much of the yeast that is sitting at

the bottom of the tank as possible before agitating the liquid too much.

This is so that the yeast particles don’t float back up into the liquid and a

16

better product will come out after filtering. Next, the liquid from the

fermentation jug will have to be bottled but instead of adding sugar, they

inject 𝐶𝑂2 from a can to get the desired carbonation. The bottles are then

caped and let to sit for another two weeks for best results. When the 𝐶𝑂2

is injected into the liquid, it can now be called beer.

Conditioning is a major part of what the final product taste like. For the first option, if the beer is

not left long enough the beer will be flat and have a rougher finish. For the second option, right

after the 𝐶𝑂2 is pushed into the beer you can drink it but it will not be as smooth as if you let it

condition for the recommended two weeks. These two weeks can make or break a beer.

Micro-Brewery

Micro-brewing is starting to make a comeback in today’s society and differs from home-

brewing by the equipment used. Although the main processes remains the same, the different

tactics and equipment used makes a more reliable. One of the tours that we went on was at One

Love Brewery located in Dover NH; and they were kind enough to give us their procedure for

how they make beer.

The Equipment Needed Grain Crusher

Grist Case

Grist Tanks/ Mash Tun

Lauter Tun

Wort Kettle

Whirlpool

Wort Chiller

Fermentation Tank

Conditioning Tank

Ingredients

17

At One Love Brewery the micro-brewing process starts off with 50 lb. bags of grain.

This grain is called Two Row Pale Malt* and is imported from Canada, Germany, and Michigan.

The Two Row Pale Malt is stored in a room that is both temperature and humidity controlled.

This keeps the malt at a desirable consistency and allows it to be stored longer. When it is time

to start making beer, the malt bags are cut into and dumped into a Grain Crusher. This machine

crushes the malt into tiny pieces allowing the sugars to be separated away from the grain husks.

The crushed malt then takes a trip up an auger to the Grist Case where it is held for around a day

before it is used. This is a triangular storage box that hangs above the Grist Tank or Mash Tun

so the crushed malt can easily be added to the next step.

When it is time to add the malt into the Grist Tank, the bottom hatch of the Grist Case is

opened allowing a certain amount of crushed malt to enter. 160 °F water is added into the grist

tank and is allowed to boil for two to three hours depending on the type of beer being made.

This boiling absorbs all of the sugars present and also gives the color of the beer. The grist tank

has a false bottom which allows the water in the tank (now called wort) to drain out the bottom

to be transfer to the next step. The false bottom also acts like a filter only allowing the wort to

drain though. This will be done a few times with the same malt to get the most flavor out of the

grain. As Michael Snyder (the owner) said

“Think of the grist tank as a coffee maker. You add the coffee grounds

into the filter and then run hot water over it to get the flavor out of the coffee

beans. Well if you use the same grounds to make 3 pots of coffee, the stronger pot

will be the first pot and the weakest will be the last. We then take these 3 pots of

coffee and put them together to get a full flavored brew”.

18

This process makes the liquid look like beer, but it doesn’t contain any alcohol or hops yet. The

wort is then moved onto the Lauter Tun, Wort Kettle and Whirlpool tank. This is one tank that

does all three of these steps due to space and a budget of the brewery.

Now that the wort is in the Lauter Tun, it is checked to see if it has enough sugar to move

on. One Love Brewery does this by tasting a sample of the wort as well as compares the color to

a table. When the wort gets approval, it is heated back up to boiling temp and hopes are now

added; this part of the process is the Wort Kettle. The wort is boiled for 90 minutes where hops

can be added at different time to get different tastes and aromas. When hops are added at the

beginning of the boil, taste is created. And when hopes are added at the end, aromas are added.

Once the 90 minutes are up for the boil, the hops have to be removed from the wort using a

Whirlpool. There are two nozzles angled at 30 degrees inside the tank pumping the wort to spin

it in a vortex. This vortex makes the heavier hops go to the middle (also known as TRUB*) the

liquid wort stays on the outside. As this happens the liquid wort gets sucked out of the tank and

gets put though a heat exchanger. The left over TRUB is sent to local farmers to feed their

livestock.

The heat exchanger brings the 212 °F wort down to 60 °F in a few seconds. This is an

important step as it makes the proteins clump together so that they fall out of solution before it

reaches the fermentation tank. Also when the proteins fall out of solution, it makes for a clearer

beer that doesn’t look so foggy. The heat exchanger also has a tube where the wort can be seen

to show what it looks like. After the wort passes though the heat exchanger, it goes into the

fermentation tanks where brewer’s yeast is added. The yeast that is added will sit in the beer for

1-3 weeks at 65 °F depending on the type of beer being made. During that time, the yeast will

eat the sugars produced by the Grist Tank and produce alcohol as a bi-product. After the 1-3

19

weeks, most of the yeast will have dies and sunk to the bottom of the fermentation tank. Since

no filter will be used to get the remaining yeast out the beer, a seaweed extract is added. This

seaweed extract is negatively charged and attaches to the positively charged yeast partials.

When this happens this sinks to the bottom of the tanks leaving a fairly clean brew. At this point

the liquid can now be called beer. It has the flavor, aroma, alcohol, and color but still is missing

one thing which is carbonization. To get this carbonation the bottom of the fermentation tank

has to be opened to drain all of the yeast. The clean beer can now be moved into the

conditioning tanks.

The conditioning tanks are in a refrigerator that stays around 42 °F. Here, One love

brewery forces the 𝐶𝑂2 into the top of the tank forcing it down into the beer. This method is

called assistic 𝐶𝑂2 pressure. They prefer this method over the other way which is to put the 𝐶𝑂2

in the bottom of the tank and aerate it up though the beer. This aeration releases the aromas of

the beer giving the drinker a less full body taste and smell. It sits inside the conditioning tanks

for 2 weeks before it is connected straight to the taps at the 7th Settlement restaurant. There is

now bottling here and the only way to take home their beer is by a growler*.

Large Breweries

The large Breweries have all of the same tools and equipment that the micro-breweries have

but they have it on a much larger scale. A tour to the Budweiser plant will show the mass amount of

beer that they make in a day which is 13,698,630 gallons for all of their plants. This turns out to be

around 5 billion gallons of beer a year. The process for one of these plants starts the same way that a

micro-breweries do and that is with clean filtered water.

Figures 3-7 were all taken at the Redhook brewery in Portsmouth NH.

20

The Equipment Needed Mash Tun

Lauter Tun

Wort Kettle

Whirlpool

Wort Chiller

Fermentation Tank

Conditioning Tank

Ingredients

Lab Equipment

Filter

Micro-brewing starts off by passing the water it uses though a

professional grade filtration system to get any contaminates present out

such as chlorine and bacteria. This water is then put into the Mash tun

(Figure 3) which is similar to the pot on the stove. The Mash tun then

heats up the water so that the barely and grains can be put in. The water

gets heated up to different stages at different times of the boil so that the

starches in the grain can turn into sugars. The temperature ranges from

104 °F to 170 °F during this process. The amount of sugar converted

from the starches is a direct correlation to the amount of alcohol in the end product. The mash

process takes about 2-3 hour and will give you most of the color in the beer at the end.

When the mash is all done cooking, it will be transferred into the Lauter tun (Figure 4)

though a set of filters. These filters will allow the newly formed liquid to go through with some

Figure 3

21

particles still levitate. The head brewer can take a look and sample of

this liquid at this point to see if it is a worthy batch. If this liquid

passes inspection, it will start its process in the Lauter tun. The Lauter

tun is a large tank that separated the rest of the floating particles out of

the liquid. It does this by using a false bottom to catch these particles.

After this stage, the liquid is now called wort and has the color of beer

but doesn’t have the alcohol, carbonation, or flavor yet. The wort then moves onto the wort

kettle to get cooked with hops.

The Wort kettle (Figure 5) is where the wort gets heated back

up to boiling point where hopes and spices are now added to get the

flavor of beer. The boiling excretes the flavors from the spices added

into the wort. This wort after a nice soak of a few hour needs to be

cooled using a wort chiller. This wort chiller cools the boiling liquid

quick to preserve the flavors that have been added. The temperature

goes from 203 °F to 68 °F in a matter of a few minutes. This cooling rate of change is a lot more

efficient than one that you would find at a home-brewers place. This chilled wort is now

pumped into the whirlpool to separate the hops and spices from the wort.

Figure 5

Figure 4

22

The whirlpool (Figure 6) is a tank that will separate the solids from the

liquid to prepare the wort for fermentation process. The wort inside the tank

will spin creating a vortex effect. This will make the solids clump together

in the center of the tank as the rest of the liquid is pumped out and put into

the proper fermentation tanks. These fermentation tanks are quite large but

are very small compared to the macro-breweries.

The fermentation tank (Figure 7) is where the wort goes to get the alcohol content. At

this point the wort looks and smells like beer but no alcohol or carbonation is in the liquid yet.

Yeast is added to start the process of making alcohol. This wort is then left inside these tanks for

7-30 days depending on the type of beer being made. After the desired amount of days

fermenting, the beer is now considered to be beer although no

carbonation is in it still. This is where the brewer can add sugar to let

natural carbonation occur or inject the beer with 𝐶𝑂2. Bottling will

take place after all the beer is carbonated and ready for the consumer.

The bottling line is a major mechanical engineering

achievement with so many moving parts working together. Bottles

are brought into the plant in boxes on pallets. These pallets are then put into a machine that

removes the bottles from the boxes and places them on a conveyor line. The bottles then move

though the stations, first getting cleaned and sanitized. After they are sterol, they move down the

line to get filled and caped. This station moves very fast and can fill around 10,000 bottles a

day. The filled bottles then move to the wash station where the excess beer is washed off. They

Figure 7

Figure 6

23

then gather on a wide portion of the track to allow the bottles to cool down and dry from the

wash. It is important that they are cool and dry so that the labels will be able to stick to the

bottles, which is the next step. At this point the bottles have beer in them and they have a label

to show what is in them. From here they are then but in boxes and then on pallets to be stored in

a large fridge. The beer will stay in the fridge until it is ready to be shipped to retailers.

Technology

Home Breweries

Homebrew technology is the most basic type of brewing. Many home brewers choose to

purchase premade malt so that they do not need a malt mill, which will be discussed later. Home

brewers use a large pot called a brew pot on a stove, fairly simple thermometer, and a timer for

their mash and boil into wort.

Simple brew pots are just large kitchen pots. More advanced brew pots feature a built in

thermometer, as well as a drain on the bottom of the pot for transferring the wort to the

fermentation bucket while minimizing risks of contamination.

Home brewers use a wort chiller to cool their wort at a controlled rate. Controlled cooling

makes the beer more clear and reduces chances of contamination. The most basic chiller is filling

the sink with cold water and placing the brew pot into it to cool. There are a few other ways to

cool wort in a more controlled manner however. Simple wort chillers are a copper tube wrapped

in a coil. The home brewer attaches a one end of the tube to a cold water source, such as their

sink faucet. The other end features a return line to the drain in the sink. This simple type of

chiller is placed inside the pot after boiling. More elaborate wort chillers use an opposing-flow

type heat exchanger. In this system, the cold water flow remains the same. The hot wort and cold

24

water run in opposite directions, in separate tubes or chambers which share a wall for

conduction.

A 5 to 20 gallon bucket with a cover is generally used as a fermenter. The cover has a

few features that make it special. It has a one way valve called an air lock to allow air to escape

during fermentation. Some fermentation buckets also have a blow-off valve which consists of a

large tube running from the cover to a container of distilled water. The end of the tube is

submerged in the water to prevent contaminants from entering the fermenter. This blow off tube

allows foam to escape safely, to prevent it from clogging the air lock. When the air lock gets

clogged by foam, the fermenter pressurizes and the cover can pop off, creating a spray of beer

foam.

Home brewers use a hydrometer, which measures the specific gravity of a liquid.

Knowing specific gravity or relative density at the start of the fermentation process allows

the brewer to determine when the fermentation process is done. It also allows them to calculate

the percentage of alcohol per volume.

Larger scale home brewers will make stainless tanks as fermenters which can feature the

air lock, blow off valve, and a drain on the bottom of the tank. This drain lets the brewer transfer

their beer into a bottling container or bucket without contaminating the brew. Bucket brewers use

an auto-starting siphon to transfer the fermentation bucket to the bottling bucket without

contamination. Home brewers tend to prefer larger bottles (20 oz.) to speed up their bottling

process. There are many different style cappers that home brewers can purchase to cap their

bottles. Some home brewers bottle their beer in old soda kegs called Cornelius kegs. They

typically use phosphoric acid to sanitize their equipment. All of the equipment through the

process is sanitized.

25

Many resources are available online. Homebrewtalk.com is a good community forum

with loads of information about home brewing. There are also online brewing calculators that are

fast and easy resources for calculating gravity points, IBU’s* and percent alcohol per volume.

Micro-Breweries

Micro-breweries use similar technologies to home breweries, since the process is quite

similar. The technologies serve the same purpose but are a bit bigger and more advanced. Micro-

breweries use a grain crusher or malt mill to grind the grain that they purchase. Many micro-

breweries use an auger to transport their malt from the malt mill into their grist case. An auger is

a motor driven screw inside a tube that can be used in many applications of transporting raw

materials upward. The grist case is typically made of stainless steel and has a conical shape to

guide the malt into the grist tank or mash tun. The grist case features a door on the bottom of the

cone that can be opened to let the malt out into the mash tun.

The mash tun is made of stainless steel and features one or more heating elements, for

boiling the wort. There are temperature sensors to provide feedback to a programmable logic

controller. The controller adjusts the temperatures of the heating elements according the

feedback it receives from the temperature sensors. The controller can also run the boil for set

amounts of time, which gives makes the process easier for the brewers. The mash tun features a

false bottom, which allows the brewers to screen the malt from the wort as the wort is being

transferred to the Lauter tun. The mash tun has a valve that lets the brewer easily transfer the

wort to the Lauter tun.

The Lauter tun is also made of stainless steel. Since microbreweries are so small, often

times their Lauter tun needs to perform multiple functions. It has to be used as a wort kettle, so it

26

features heating elements as well as temperature sensors that communicate with the controller

mentioned in the mash tun paragraph. The Lauter tun also typically features a whirlpool. The

whirlpool uses a pump to draw wort from the sides of the bottom of the tank and force it back

into the sides of the top of the tank at a thirty degree angle to a tangent line of the outside of the

tank. The Lauter tun also has a sanitization cleanout for easy removal of the TRUB. Some

microbreweries use pressure sensors at the top and bottom of the tank as feedback for the

whirlpool pump control system, and integrate it into their controller, but this is not always worth

the extra cost for micro-breweries. Finally, the Lauter tun has a valve to let the wort out into the

fermentation tank.

During the transfer to the fermentation tank, the wort is cooled using a wort chiller. This

is typically a water-to-water heat exchanger where cold water is used to take the take the heat

from the wort. As mentioned earlier, the chiller cools the wort from boiling to around 60 degrees

very quickly.

The fermentation tank is stainless and features a blow off valve and an air lock just like

the home brewers use for pressure relief. It can have temperature sensors as well as pressure

sensors if the microbrewery wants to collect that sort of data on their beer. Brewers use

hydrometers to determine when it is time to transfer to the conditioning tanks. Some micro-

brewers use spectrometers, which help them analyze the color and clarity of their beer.

Again, both the fermentation tank and conditioning tanks feature valves to make the

transfer between tanks easy. The conditioning tanks are where the beer goes for carbonation.

Micro-breweries sometimes do a partial carbonation in the conditioning tanks, so the tank

features a carbon dioxide system that pressurizes the tanks during conditioning to add

27

carbonation to the beer. These tanks feature an output to a tap for serving or bottling the finished

beer.

The wort tun, Lauter tun, and fermentation tanks feature a conical bottom to allow for

easy cleanout. The tanks for a small brewery or brewpub are generally around four or five feet in

diameter, and are about six to eight feet tall. A batch of beer is around 50 gallons. Larger micro-

breweries have up to 1300-gallon batches so the tanks are much larger. Many micro-breweries

don’t keg or bottle their beer and only sell growlers from a brewpub. Other micro-breweries do

keg and bottle their beers and sell it in grocery stores in their local area or through various co-

ops.

For sanitization, different microbreweries go different directions. One Love Brewery uses

halogenated acid, which is an iodine solution that breaks down in vinegar, which makes it

environmentally safe. Passivation is caused by an acid wash, which means the sanitizing solution

removes free iron particles that are hanging out on the surface of the tanks, which ultimately

improves the lifespan of the tanks. Other breweries can choose harsher chemicals, but the

process for cleaning remains the same. Micro-brewers have lots of experience and education in

brewing and usually develop their own spreadsheets for quantities of ingredients and boil times

for their beers.

Macro-Breweries

Macro-breweries or large breweries have similar tanks to a micro-brewery, with slight

differences. Where automated control of the tanks was optional with the micro-brewery, it is

mandatory for the macro brewery so their tanks must have several temperature sensors as well as

pressure sensors. They can also have hydrometer and spectrometer sensors for checking on the

beer and knowing when to transfer it without having to take it from the tank. The tanks are much

28

larger than the tanks the micro-breweries use. They also have a wort kettle, Lauter tun, and

whirlpool as three separate tanks where many microbreweries just use one tank for those three

operations. In addition to having more sensors, the tanks also feature insulation to help prevent

heat loss during boiling operations.

Macro-breweries have very extravagant bottling processes. They use automated

machines that clean the bottles and fill them very quickly. Bottle handling machines are very

impressive to see. Many macro-breweries also have a fleet of trucks for delivery, which can be

another feat of technology and organization in itself.

Types of Breweries

In order for someone to consume a nice cold beer it must first be brewed. This process is

done in what they call a brewery. A brewery is a building or establishment for brewing beer or

other malt liquors. The diversity of size in breweries is matched by the diversity of process,

degrees of automation, and kinds of beer produced in breweries.

Home Breweries

Home Brewing is where it all began. It is defined as the brewing of beer, wine, sake,

mead, cider, perry and other beverages through fermentation. This would be on a small scale as a

hobby for personal consumption, free distribution at social gatherings, amateur brewing

competitions or other non-commercial reasons. Home brewing has been around for thousands of

years. Americas brewing landscape began to change by the late 1970s. On the shelves and in the

bars mostly consisted of light lager, leaving the imported beer slightly out of the picture. These

29

Low calorie light beers soon began to drive and shape the growth and nature of the American

beer industry. This began the increase in home brewing. Activity inspired beer enthusiasts were

starting their own small companies, intending to reintroduce the public to more flavor and to the

traditions of beer. A home brewery usually will brew just for the love and passion behind making

and enjoying there own beer. At times it is possible for one to at most, break even with the

expenses of brewing. With help from John Palmer, as seen in the Figure 8, the home brewing is

reasonably inexpensive and almost anyone could give it a try.

Figure 8

Micro Breweries

A microbrewery is a limited production brewery, typically only producing specialty beers

and often selling its products only locally. Much of today’s most fascinating beers come from

these breweries. Today there are approximately 426 microbreweries in the United States, loosing

and gaining many of them every year. These microbreweries are mainly different from the larger

brewing facilities because they only produce a fraction of beer a year. Microbreweries can turn

out 15,000 or fewer barrels a year each holding approximately 31 gallons of beer. What these

30

companies lack in quantity they make up for in quality. Microbreweries for the most part make

more than one kind of beer. The main theme of beer brewed in microbreweries still revolves

around five basic types. Lager is a type of beer that originated in Germany. It contains a

relatively small amount of hops and is aged from approximately six weeks to six months to allow

for sedimentation. In summation this is a light-bodied beer, which is fermented in a closed vessel

using yeasts that sink to the bottom of the brew. Pilsner is a light, golden lager having a very

strong flavor of the hops. It is said to have a flowery aroma with a dry finish. Ale is a type of

beer that is fermented in an open vessel using yeasts that will rise to the top of the brew. This

type is darker, heavier, and bitterer than the average beer. Porter is made from unmated roasted

barley. It is bittersweet ale made by drying at a high temperature. The final main theme is a Stout

beer. This is a very dark, rich brew that is made with highly roasted malts. It almost has a

hoppier, maltier flavor.

Brew Pubs

As microbreweries kept growing, brewpubs

were born. A restaurant-brewery that sells 25% or

more of its beer on site is called a Brewpub, as seen

in figure 9.

Figure 9

31

These casual eating-places, where a small amount of beer was brewed on the premises,

were slowly transformed into three categories.

1. First there are the places that brew their own beer on the premises of the restaurant or

pub.

2.The type is where the actual pub or restaurant is owned and operated by a separate

microbrewery.

3.Lastly the owner of the restaurant or pub gets their beer from a local microbrewery,

rather than having their own.

When Brewpubs have their own small scale microbrewery, a trained brew master will

make small batches of fresh beers for in house consumption or limited commercial distribution.

These brew master’s work within the confines of the pub-style restaurant in order to provide

customers with unique beers on tap. The majority of beers brewed among these brewpubs may or

may not be named after the brew master. The brewer could use his mood at the time of brewing,

his pets, or his family in the naming of beers. This naming can possibly be the greatest exertion

of creativity in a brewer’s working life. The brewpub brew masters also typically have a lively

seasonal schedule that can change the entire spectrum of beer styles. Throughout the year it can

be expected to find imperial stouts and barley wines in the winter. In the summer a kolsch and

wheat ales can be found, and of course almost a mandatory Octoberfest in September. It is

possible to also see a maibock in the springtime, which is a very strong lager that is traditionally

brewed in the fall and aged through the winter for consumption in the spring.

32

Craft Breweries

Craft Breweries are similar to microbreweries, but they are slightly larger in size. A craft

brewery brews no more than 2 million gallons of beer per year and is also owned independently.

The craft beer is a beer that is brewed in batches with the finest quality ingredients. This is done

on a limited basis or may be a seasonal brew. A craft brewery has a set limitation on the

techniques of their beer production. These craft breweries beer must contain at least 50 percent

traditional malt, instead of all oats, barley and wheat. A large percentage of these beers are

European style such as ales, stouts and porters. One of the most well-known craft brewers is the

makes of Samuel Adams; The Boston Brewing Company.

Macro Breweries

Macro brewery is the final category of brewing. A microbrewery is a large national or

international brewery that produces and distributes sizeable amount of beer. This name refers to

the most commercial and popular beers like those made by Anheuser-Buch. A macro brew mass-

produces beer made in very large quantities. This is sold for generally a cheaper price and is

made for distribution in stores nationwide. These macro breweries tend to produce beers with

much less taste compared to the microbreweries. These beers are not as rich and full as the

smaller breweries because mainly of the mass production that is made. There is such a large

variety of beer consumers that purchase their beers that the breweries must produce a generic

beer that everyone will enjoy. With their production quantity so high, the taste will also be

slightly less because of the cost to brew. The production costs are increased exponentially

compared to smaller breweries in which cheaper ingredients must be used to keep the production

costs as low as possible. In return to the beer being slightly duller than others, and also produced

33

with cheaper ingredients, the overall costs will be less for the public. This low cost seems to

make the beer that much more popular for distribution.

Economical

Value of Distribution

Distributors allow for adequate pricing, high efficiency, high profits and a large

selection for the consumer. They provide over 130,000 full time jobs with benefits, along

with part-time and seasonal jobs. With the multiplier effect, this produces more than

345,000 jobs in the US. The multiplier effect is described as an increase in spending that

causes a substantial increase in profit that is much greater than the initial spending

amount. With the multiplier effect, distribution contributes to large investments. It is also

used for capital assets in warehousing and equipment. Distribution helps with the local

economy such as taxes, fees, and consumer spending by limiting the amount of transactions

for a shipment of beer. Limiting the amount of transactions helps to keep the prices lower

for the intended stock. Distribution factors for $10.3 billion in federal, local and state taxes

which is funding for 400 million hours of public school teachers or 400,000 miles of

highway maintenance for the year.

Distributors also provide logistics and expertise with the beer making

process. They have the opportunity to experiment with natural resources and sustainable

solutions to make the process more environmentally friendly.

34

Direct and Indirect effects Distribution directly affects jobs, payroll and output that are created by the

individual distributor. The number of full time jobs in each center plays a role in the

economy by giving thousands of jobs. The estimated value of these jobs is about 130,000

jobs throughout 3,300 distributor establishments. This accounts for $10 billion in salaries,

as well as $22 billion in production.

Advantages of Distributors Distributors allow for fair pricing of the

product. For this to happen, fewer transactions are

required as explained above. In Figure 10, separate

interactions between the breweries and retailers

take place within each delivery period. Interactions

include separate ordering, billing, marketing,

transporting and merchandising. With a distributor,

only 15 transactions take place; without the distributor, the number of interactions

dramatically increases to 75. With this type of system, it wouldn’t be possible for smaller

more local breweries to get their product out.

Choices for the different types of beer would be

limited if a brewery didn’t rely on a distribution

center. Figure 11 shows how it works with a

distributor. With the help of a distributor, each

brewery and retailer only has to deal with one

Figure 10

Figure 11

35

process which helps with efficiency and cost. They also deal with the tax collection and the

licensing fees.

A distribution system allows for a large variety of product and easy access to

multiple brands throughout different retailers. This minimizes the negotiation between

suppliers and retailers about the cost. Craft brewers are then enabled to get their product

out to areas they wouldn’t usually be able to. The craft brewers then have a chance to

promote their product and expand their market by contributing to in-store tastings.

A distribution center has access to refrigeration of the product which allows for transport

to expanded markets. Damage during shipment is also covered by the distribution

center. Being responsible for the shipment and damages keeps the initial retailer’s cost low

so they can focus on producing more product. Available refrigeration during transport

allows for inventory and space to be controlled. Refrigeration is helpful to keep the shelves

stocked with fresh inventory which ensures high quality of the product. Also, having the

ability to move stock more frequently helps with regulating it and allows for adequate

inventory of a product.

Effects

Effects

Positive

Growing up, people constantly hear about the negative effects of alcohol and are

pushed into your brain to be something that will scare you into not drinking. However,

there can be many positive effects that accompany moderate beer consumption. Keep in

mind, one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men are the most you

36

should consume to keep a healthy lifestyle. Beer, when consumed in moderation, helps

with stronger bones. It contains high levels of silicon which promotes bone

health. However, drinking more than two drinks a day has the exact negative effect,

causing an increased risk for fractures. A stronger heart is also a positive effect because of

the raised levels of HDL. HDL is the “good” cholesterol that helps your arteries from getting

clogged and also helps by preventing blood clots. Preventing blood clots lowers the risk of

stroke by allowing the blood to flow from the heart to the neck and brain. Beer

consumption aides in kidney health; the risk of kidney stones had dropped by 40 percent

based on the assumption that beer’s high water content keeps the kidneys working.

Alzheimer’s disease along with dementia had been lowered by about 20 percent

compared to non-drinkers. Older women who had one drink a day have been tested to be

about 18 months below their actual age compared to mental skills of non-drinkers.

Beer can also be used in cooking. Beer used as a marinade for steak was found to

eliminate up to 70 percent of HCAs. HCAs are heterocyclic amines which are produced

when the meat is cooked at high temperatures. HCAs are found to be mutagenic and are

linked to the formation of cancer cells. They form when amino proteins, creatine and

sugars react with high temperatures. Studies suggest that the sugars from the beer help

block HCAs from forming. It is also high in vitamin B6, B12 and folic acid which contribute

to the chemicals that transmit signals to the brain as well as the DNA makeup in your cells.

Negative

When consuming more than the recommended amount of beer per day, negative

effects becomes more prominent. Short term effects include disturbed sleep, heartburn,

stress, memory loss and impaired judgment. Although the previous short term effects

37

don’t seem like a problem, they can have a long term effect. Increased consumption can

cause brain damage as well as mental health problems like depression and anxiety. Other

long term effects include weight gain, bad skin, high blood pressure, liver disease and

cancer. When drinking in excess, most symptoms tend to happen together. Someone who

drinks in excess over long periods of time usually obtains most of these long term side

effects as well as short term.

With heavy drinking, you run the risk of alcohol poisoning. With alcohol poisoning,

you run the risk of being put into a life-threatening situation such as vomiting and

blackouts. When you are brought to an emergency room, there are many different steps

the nurses and doctors have to take; the different types of processes can take up a lot of

time and money.

38

REFERENCES

APPENDIX A: Glossary

2 Row Pale Malt- Is one of the more common types of malted grain. It is grown in a few parts

of the world including the upper USA, Germany, and Canada.

TRUB - Is the name for hop waste after it has been taken out of the wort.

IBU’s- A measurement of bitterness.

Growler- Is a Glass Jug that contains 66 fl oz of beer. It is used to buy beer out of a tap which usually means that it is not sold in stores.

Wort - The liquid extracted from the mashing process during

the brewing of beer or whisky. Wort contains the sugars that will be fermented by the brewing yeast to produce alcohol.

Fining - a substance used for clarifying liquid, esp. beer or wine. HDL- High density lipoprotein - a type of cholesterol involved in aiding memory

function. HCA- Cause changes in DNA that may increase the risk of cancer

39

APPENDIX B: Work Cited

"5 Gallon Kegging Systems | Midwest Supplies." 5 Gallon Kegging Systems | Midwest

Supplies. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2014.

"Alcohol and Your Health." Drinkaware.co.uk. Drinkaware, Mar. 2014. Web. 1 Apr. 2014.

B, Katie. "Beer: 5 Benefits and 5 Disadvantages." HubPages.com. HubPages, 24 May 2008.

Web. 01 Apr. 2014.

"Beer Brewing Process." How Beer Is Made: The Brewing Process. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar.

2014.

"Brewing Process - Brewery Equipment." Brewing Process - Brewery Equipment. N.p., n.d.

Web. 15 Mar. 2014.

Bowker, K. (2013, August 28). Bringing local flavors to your pint. Retrieved from

http://www.craftbeer.com/craft-beer-muses/bringing-local-flavors-to-your-pint

Fahrendorf, Teri Fahrendorf. "Efficient Grain Handling Systems." N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Mar.

2014. <http://www.terifahrendorf.com/Grain-Handling-Systems.pdf>.

Fried, Eunice. ""American Microbreweries", Small, Local Breweries "American

Microbreweries", Small, Local Breweries, Brew Pubs Popular with Beer Lovers Seeking

More Flavor, Variety. Story by Wine Writer Eunice Fried; Travel Article from Travel

Classics. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Apr. 2014. <http://www.travelclassics.com/library/american_microbreweries.shtml>.

40

"How Can I Make My Beer Clearer or Brighter?" Www.midwestsupplies.com. N.p., n.d. Web.

31 Mar. 2014. <http://www.midwestsupplies.com/media/pdf-

printouts/clear_brighten_beer.pdf>.

Latham, William, and Kenneth Lewis. "America's Beer Distributors." NBWA.org. National Beer

Wholesalers Association, 2013. Web. 1 Apr. 2014.

"Microbrewery Equipment." , Pub Brewery Equipment, Bottling Plants, Kegging Lines. N.p.,

n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2014. <http://www.brewplants.com/>.

"Midwest Supplies Home Brewing & Winemaking." - Homebrewing and Winemaking. N.p.,

n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.

National Cancer Institute. "Chemicals in Meat Cooked at High Temperatures." Cancer.gov.

National Cancer Institute, 15 Oct. 2010. Web. 01 Apr. 2014.

"One Love Brewery Tour." Personal interview. 8 Mar. 2014.

Palmer, J. (2006). How to brew. Boulder, CO: Brewers Publications.

"The Portsmouth Brewery: Beermaking, Step by Step." The Portsmouth Brewery:

Beermaking, Step by Step. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.

"The Seaweed Site: Information on Marine Algae." The Seaweed Site. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar.

2014.

"Redhook Tour." Personal interview. 22 Feb. 2014.

WiseGEEK. N.p., 4 Mar. 2013. Web. 4 Apr. 2014. <http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-

macrobrew.htm>.

How To Brew. John Palmer, 2 Feb. 2008. Web. 4 Mar. 2014.

41

<http://www.howtobrew.com/equipment.html>.

"ProBrewer.com: An Online Resource Serving The Beer Industry." ProBrewer.com: An

Online Resource Serving The Beer Industry. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.

<http://www.probrewer.com/>.

Samsa, Ashley L. "6 Health Benefits of Drinking Beer." Care2.com. Care2, 16 Mar. 2013. Web.

01 Apr. 2014.