Beer 101 - Basics of the Brewing Process

I've been drinking beer for a while now but only recently did I really start thinking about how it is actually made. I'm going to be brewing my first batch of homebrew fairly soon (I'm starting with a Nut Brown), so I've trying to take in as much as possible about how beer is brewed.

It's really a pretty basic overall process. Plants are made of complex carbohydrates, which can be broken down into sugars, which are simple carbohydrates. Under the right conditions, yeast consumes the sugars and the byproducts of the chemical reaction are carbon dioxide and alcohol.

The main grain for brewing is barley but other grains such as wheat and rice can also be used. The process that extracts the usable sugars from the grains is a topic for another day but the main idea is to convert the complex carbs to sugars. The sugars are then mixed with water (creating what is called the wort) and boiled. The boiling kills bacteria so that only the yeast will be able to attack the sugars. Once the wort has been properly boiled, it needs to be quickly cooled to a temperature that is advantageous for whatever type of yeast is being used, generally between 60 and 70 degrees F. The yeast is added and the fermentation begins. Usually some extra sugars are added for carbonation purposes. Wait a couple of weeks and you will have drinkable beer.

There is a lot more to each step than I just mentioned but I will probably get into each of them at a later date. But if you want more information right now you can check out this website;
http://www.howtobrew.com/sitemap.html

On the music front, if you get a chance, put Bob Schneider on your playlist. His latest album is Lovely Creatures. I saw him live about a year ago and it was an extremely entertaining show. The trumpet player did the entire set in a bunny suit. Just how they roll. He is a talented musician with a distinctive voice but his strength is his songwriting. His lyrics are clever and meaningful and he always tells a compelling story. Give him a listen. And let me know what you think. Comments are always welcome.