Beer Fermentation in a nutshell - The Key to Brewing Great Beers
There are tons of chemical reactions, so called "Beer Fermentation" and thanks to them, we have beer.
Even though you are a big fan of beer, I’m sure you sometimes find it difficult when you are being asked how the beer is made or what it’s made of. In that case, Beer Fridge will tell you facts about beer brewing technology so that you can sound like a genius the next time you go on a brewery tour with your friends or at least to ensure that you are no longer just ordering Heineken at the bar.
Regarding beer brewing, one of the most indispensable steps, though the technologies had been changed throughout the time, is the fermentation process.
A deeper insight of the beer fermentation process
As the old brewers’ saying goes:” Brewers make wort. Yeast makes beer.”
To clarify, fermentation is the magical metabolic process by which the yeast converts maltose (C12H22O11) and maltotriose (C18H32O16) in algae into carbon dioxide (CO2) and ethyl alcohol to give the beer alcohol concentration and carbonation. The fermentation begins when the cooled wort is transferred to the fermentation vessel and the yeast is added.
Pretty boring right?
You thought the brewer made the beer, but in reality yeast is the real hero. Yeast will be busy reproducing until they have enough “accomplices” to deal with the feast which is the glucose in front of them. When they start eating, they break down sugars into alcohol, carbon dioxide, and other flavoring compounds. It can take days or even weeks until the food vanishes and all the energy is consumed. Eventually, the yeast needs a good nap.
Sounds like quite the yeast party, huh?
However, keep in mind that the process is paralleled. Technically, the stage of reproduction is simultaneous across the process of alcohol generation.
So, how the timeframe affects the taste of beers
The answer is nobody knows. In fact, the moment you pitch the yeast, they are the boss and the ones who decide how long it will last. However, brewing technologies have been innovated and human beings can control the fermentation tempo. One of the most ubiquitous methods to accelerate the process is to control the temperature.
Most craft beers are fermented in wooden buckets to ensure a high quality of moisture and temperature which create a favorable environment for the yeast to grow and produce alcohol.
Nowadays, due to the large consumption of beer production and its users, the process is far more emphasized than it used to be. Indeed, temperature control is bound to affect both qualities of final products and fermentation time.
To be concise, the cooler the temperature, the slower the yeast will work, and the warmer the faster.
The common rule is that the hotter the fermentation process - especially outside of the stated temperature range of the yeast - the more likely you are to produce undesirable flavors and unwanted attributes in beer. If you use cool temperatures - especially outside of the yeast's stated temperature range - you may sometimes suffer from stagnation, extended time frames, or challenges than fermentation at normal levels. There are some famous beers with cool temperature fermentation such as wheat beer and Saison beer.
Estimating the fermentation temperatures
Technically, the fermentation is exothermic, it will produce more heat during the peak time. If the process is planned in a 15 degrees Celsius ambient lab, the temperature will reach 22.2 degrees Celsius. Additionally, the rules can be different based on the beer’s style.
To sum up, notwithstanding that the fermentation process has been innovated in many facets from the technologies and methods to the amount of ingredients, over the time, the taste of beer has been captivating people from all walks of life. At Beer Fridge, we are proud to provide you with a wide variety of choices for the cool and hot fermentation craft beers such as Hoegaarden Wheat Beer, Bira 91 Indian Pale Ale, and so on. You should stop by our shop with the below address or let us deliver to your home by ordering online now via beerfridge.vn/shop. We can’t wait to see and share more interesting beer stories with you.
Beer Fridge shop locations:
Saigon: 67 Nguyễn Cừ Thảo Điền, Quận 2, Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh
Hanoi: Lô 15A Trung Yên 3, Trung Hoà, Cầu Giấy, Hà Nội
