Brewing Process and Techniques Quiz

Brewing Process and Techniques

• β-amylase operates optimally at 62°C, producing mostly maltose and glucose, resulting in a very fermentable wort and "crisp" beer.
• α-amylase functions best at 67°C, producing mostly dextrins, creating a more complex and "heavier" tasting wort with less alcohol in the final beer.
• Mash-out involves heating the wort to 78°C to inactivate the enzymes, while a "β-glucan rest or protein rest" at 48-52°C allows for better efficiency of mashing, although it's not commonly conducted due to improved malting technology.
• Mash stages involve breakdown of cell wall structure, protein and starch, with specific enzymes and their activity ranges at different temperatures.
• Ideal mashing temperature is between 65°C – 68°C, where beta amylase and alpha amylase enzymes are most effective in converting starches into fermentable sugars.
• A German festival beer recipe involves specific ingredients, hop additions, original gravity, fermentation, and maturing instructions.
• For mashing, the ideal pH is 5.2 - 5.5, with implications for fermentation and tannin extraction.
• A mash tun vessel is described as isothermal, suitable for well-modified malt and small operations, with lower brewhouse extracts compared to lauter tuns or mash filters.
• The MCV, a modern approach, is fitted with heating, mixing facility, and can be linked to other vessels for separation, allowing use of less well-modified malt.
• Assessment of starch conversion at the end of mashing can be done using an iodine test.
• Wort separation methods include mash tun, lauter tun, and mash filter, with specific steps and control mechanisms for each.
• Lautering involves flooding the false floor with water, transferring converted mash, recirculating cloudy wort, and controlling run-off and pressure.

Brewing Process Overview

• Green beer is matured to develop the final flavor before packaging.
• Grain handling in breweries involves temperature control and storage of malt and cereal adjunct at the correct moisture level.
• Methods of particle removal from grain include screening, dressing, de-stoning, and separation of metal using magnets.
• Risk mitigation in malt mills includes the use of magnets, stone separators, explosion doors, and safety systems of work.
• Four-roll mills control the flow of malt, crack open the malt, and separate fine particles and husks.
• Six-roll mills are used for less well-modified malts and involve conditioning the malt with steam or warm water before milling.
• Wet mills are used for lager production and involve pre-steeping the husk in water before milling.
• Hammer mills, used with a mash filter, produce a very fine grind for rapid extraction of sugars from particles.
• The quality of the grist (crushed malt) significantly affects brewhouse performance, with both too coarse and too fine grist affecting extract efficiency.
• Mashing involves wetting the ground malt and adjuncts, allowing starch to be converted to sugars, and biochemical changes such as breaking down cell wall components and converting starch to sugars.
• Enzyme activity during mashing involves the release of α & β amylases from the aleurone layer in the grain, breaking down glycosidic bonds to produce smaller sugars.
• The goal of the mash step is to enable starch conversion to fermentable sugars like maltose and glucose, as well as polysaccharides (dextrins) for mouthfeel and body of the beer.