The Basics
Most beer is made from four ingredients; water, malt, hops and yeast.
Water
The obvious main ingredient of beer is water. In fact, for every litre of beer produced five litres are required for cleaning and cooloing in the brewery. Originally, a good water source was required to make reasonable beer, hence breweries were set up at or near permanent water sources. Today, most breweries use treated water from municipal supplies and add materials to adjust the hardness or softness of the water. For example, the term "Burtonize" water is to add gypsum salts.
Malt
Matl is the partially germinated roasted grain. It provides the alcohol, colour and much of the flavour of beer. Although barley is the predominant grain, wheat, maize, rice, rye, oats, sorghum and millet are also used. The first stage in malting is the soaking of the grain which precipitates germination. After about five days germination is terminated, which leads to the kilning process. Kilning is the drying of the germinated grain by the use of heat. The longer the kilning process the darker the beer (eg: pilsner through to stouts).
Hops
Hops are tall, climbing vine like plants that are distantly related to nettles and cannabis. Only the female flowers (cones) are used. Hops impart the spice, bitterness and aroma to beer. Whole hop cones are used, but in the mass-produced brew a compressed pellet is the most common form used.
Yeast
Yeast are living organisms that provide the catalyst to make beer. It feeds on the sugars in the malt, producing alcohol and carbon dioxide - two essential components of beer. There are thousands of yeast strains used, categorised into two groups; top and bottom fermenting. Top-fermenting yeasts are primarily used in ales and stouts, while bottom-fermenting are used in pilsner and lager styles.
"From man's sweat and God's love, Beer came into the world" - St Arnold, Patron Saint of Brewing
