The Brewing Process
Modern beer is brewed with hops. Beer can be traced back 5000 years to Mesopotamian writings describing daily rations of beer and bread to workers. The brewing process produces ethanol and carbonation from starch sugars in the wort.
To produce beer, barley passes malting. The malted barley is mashed, then it undergoes fermentation. Finally, the beer is packaged into kegs, bottles or cans.
Brewery Operations
At a brewery, the brewer makes beer by choosing ingredients, bottling, distributing and taste testing. Wort creation from malted grains and hops is the most difficult yet pivotal step. If not done properly, the beer is ruined. Some brewers allow natural carbonation before bottling.
Microbrewery Success
A microbrewery produces 15,000 barrels yearly, selling over 75% off-site. Success comes from visiting breweries to understand operations, problems and solutions. To start one takes funding models, unique techniques and overcoming hurdles.