Carbon dioxide

In 10,000 B. C. E a farmer sampled water in which bread had been sitting for an extended period. This sample that he drank brought forth a discovery and the birth of a new beverage to our civilization. The beverage that he drank was the first form of beer. The bread in the water had broken down over time and gone through a process called "fermentation" that caused a reaction with the water. This allowed the new beverage of beer to evolve. Over time beer has become the world's oldest and highest consumed form of alcohol in our society where it has stimulated socialization.

Since beer's first discovery the way it has been made or "brewed" has been significantly modified. The process that it is currently used involves several steps so that each beer is consistent in taste and full of flavor while containing the four basic ingredients of barley, hops, yeast and water. The first step in the brewing beer is to soak barely grains in a tank of water for several days monash college moodle. Each day the water is drained and cycled so that fresh can be mixed in with the grain. After the several days have passed the water is then drained and the grain is transferred to shallow tanks.

Here in these tanks the barely will be stirred vigorously to promote germination. When germination occurs in barely, enzymes are released such as malt diastase. Malt diastase plays an crucial role in the brewing process. It converts the grain into a form of sugar that will be used in the fermentation process which will occur later in brewing. Once the germination process is complete usually after one week, the barely which is now called malt, is roasted in a high temperature oven. This roasting stops the germination process of the malt.

The variance in temperature and length of roasting determines the color and the flavor of the brew. This is what causes the differences between the types of beer on our current market. After the roasting is complete the malt is ready to go on with the next step of production where it will be converted into mash. Mash is produced by crushing the barely grains. This is achieved by iron rollers that press the malt flat in a shallow bin. After being pressed it is then transferred into a large copper or stainless steel tank.

This large tank is often referred to as the "tun. " In this tun the malt is mixed with warm water until it acquires a thick consistency. This produces the "mash. " When the mash is produced it remains in the tun where it is mixed and heated slowly to a temperature of one hundred seventy degrees. The heat causes the enzymes that were mentioned earlier to fully break down into simple sugars. After the decomposing of all the enzymes, the malt then stops being stirred and remains in the tank. This allows any solids to sink to the bottom of the tun.

The next step in the process is to drain the liquid mash out of tun. The liquid is drained from the bottom beneath the solids rather than the top so that the solids act as a filter for the liquid. While the liquid is draining a small amount of hot water is poured through the tun to aid this filtering process. Once all the draining is complete the liquid is no longer called mash but given the name "wort. " Now that wort has been achieved the next process can occur. Wort is transferred into large copper kettles where it will be boiled at high temperatures.

The boiling of wort is a crucial step as it sterilizes the liquid killing any bacteria that may have formed during any of the previous processes. Once boiled for a long period of time another ingredient is added to the wort called "hops. " Hops are flowering plants that produce a small cone when bloomed. This small cone is what is used in the beer production process. When boiled with the wort it adds a slight bitter taste to the beer that's being made. After being added to the wort boiling must remain for an extended length of time to ensure any bacteria from the hops are also destroyed.

Once complete the wort will then move onto the next step: "fermentation. " Fermentation is the process of converting sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. For this to be achieved in the brewing process the wort must move on from the boiling kettle to a large steel holding tank. In the holding tank yeast will be added into the wort to start the fermentation process. Over time the yeast that was added will consume the sugars of the wort and produce carbon dioxide which will rise from the liquid. What remains in the liquid after this transformation is called alcohol.

Now that alcohol is produced the liquid is finally beer. Even though the liquid is considered beer the process of brewing is not completely finished. To ensure that the beer is safe for drinking pasteurization must take place. Pasteurization consists of boiling the mixture one last time. This not only kills bacteria produced but the yeast mixed in the wort as well. If not boiled the yeast would continue to grow and produce more alcohol. Boiling eliminates this and allows the brewer to control the alcohol level of the beer creating a more consistent beverage.

After being boiled a second time, the beer is finally consumable and poured into bottles for storage. This lengthy process is what creates the beer we consume today. Without beer our society would be greatly different. Beer has allowed us to socially change with the addition of parties and common games such as beer pong. It's allowed us to express ourselves in many ways over time. It's hard to believe that all of these changes resulted from simply a farmer who had a little bread and water.