Click here to see a diagram of the process.

Did you ever wonder how beer is made? Hereford & Hops Microbrewery gives you a first-hand look into the brewing process.

 

The Brewing Process

 

1.      Malting the Grain

Grain is sprouted then dried in a kiln to produce malt. The grain is kilned at different temperatures, which then produces a variety of flavors that are found in the final beer.  

 

2.      Milling

Malt is lightly crushed lightly in the mill so as not to destroy the husks. Crushed malt, which is now called grist, is ready for the Mash Tun.

 

3.      Mash Tun

The grist is mixed with hot water in the mash tun, which now is called the mash. Natural enzymes found in the grain now convert the starches in the malt to fermentable and un-fermentable sugars.

 

4.      Lauter Tun

The Mash is heated and then is pumped from the mash tun to the Lauter Tun, before sparging and run-off into the Brew Kettle. The run-off of the sweet sugar solution is called wort.

 

5.      Brew Kettle

The sweet wort is collected in the Brew Kettle and once a determined volume is collected it is boiled. Hops are added during the boil to give the final beer hop bitterness, hop flavor and hop aroma. Once the boil is completed, the wort is whirlpooled in the kettle and the solids that formed during the boil now form a trub pile in the center of the kettle.

 

6.      Heat Exchange/Wort Chiller

Wort is cooled down by pumping it through a heat exchanger/wort chiller. From there it goes into a fermentor, into which the yeast has been added.

 

8.      Fermentation

During fermentation the yeast converts the fermentable sugars in the wort into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Fermentation and conditioning take place in the fermentor and lasts at least two weeks for ales and four weeks for lagers.

 

9.      Filtering

The beer is then filtered from the fermentor into the serving tank to remove yeast, hops and any protein haze.

10.     Serving Tanks

The carbonation level is checked and any adjustments are made. Once these are made the beer is ready to be served and for our customers to enjoy!