Everyone must have seen TV commercials for beer, with fields of grain rolling to the horizon. In addition, the soothing voice of the lecturer informing us about the real natural beer that was made of barley and spring water. Usually, however, this ends the television introduction to brewing without explaining how grains turn into beer, which in the Czech Republic is even called "tekutý chléb" or liquid bread.

The magical transformation of grain into liquid bread begins with a process called mashing, which is the first step in brewing beer. Mashing at home is usually carried out in a large pot, about 30-40 liters, which in our home brewery is the equivalent of a huge mash-brewing vat, which is the heart of a professional brewery. In order to understand what happens during the 60 minutes of keeping the crushed grain in hot water, we must go back to the stage of grain processing known as malting.

Freshly harvested barley or wheat is not yet ready to make beer. This grain is sometimes used, but it is only an addition to the production of certain styles of beer. To make beer from it, it first goes to the malt house. There it is soaked and then sprouted.

At this point, we use the forces of life to help us prepare our favorite drink. In order for the seed to sprout, changes occur under the influence of water, enabling the nourishment of the young plant in the first stage of growth.

Enzymes are created that break down the protein and starch contained in the grain into simpler ingredients that provide energy to the young plant. In the mashing process, they are activated and convert the starch into sugars. Appropriate groups of enzymes are run at different temperature ranges. By regulating the temperature of the mash, we achieve various effects, noticeable in the finished beer. The two most important enzymes in the mashing process are alpha-amylase and beta-amylase. By stimulating beta amylase at 60-65 ° C, we obtain simple sugars from starch, fermenting to alcohol. The longer the mashing time at this temperature, the stronger and drier the beer will be. Alpha-amylase is activated at 72-75 ° C, breaks down starch into non-fermentable sugars (dextrins). They affect the malt flavor of beer, the characteristic notes of cookie-grain or caramel. By focusing more on mashing at these temperatures, we will get less alcohol in the finished beer, but a fuller malt flavor and noticeable sweetness.

 

By increasing the temperature of the mash to 80 ° C we permanently stop the activity of enzymes in the malt. That is why it is so important not to heat the mash too quickly to this temperature, as this will prevent further starch decomposition and it will not be possible to complete the mash.

The process usually takes about 60 minutes, during which time all the malt starch is usually broken down into sugars. After mashing is finished, filter the mash and obtain a clean wort. During filtration, we add hot water to the mash, which rinses out the remaining sugars. blasting.

Finally, we get a clean, sweet wort. The amount of sugar dissolved in it is measured with a hydrometer, i.e. a glass float with a scale. The most frequently used scale for measuring wort density in Poland is Balling degrees, abbreviated BLG. In simple terms, it is a percentage of the amount of sugar in the water. One hundred grams of sugar dissolved in 1L of water will give a solution density of 10BLG. The higher the reading value, the more alcohol will be produced in the finished beer. On average, the beers are around 10-12 ° BLG, which is around 4-5.5% alcohol.

Higher density characterizes already strong beer styles. For example, in the Baltic porter, this value fluctuates around 19-22 ° BLG. Boil the finished wort for about 60 minutes with hops, which gives off the aromas and bitterness.

Then separate the hops, cool the wort to a temperature no higher than 20-25 ° C and add the brewer's yeast.

This is the mash brewing process. It is a small-scale representation of what is done in all those breweries that brew real, honest beer. By gaining experience, we can brew virtually any existing style of beer.

The taste that is achieved often exceeds what breweries, even the craft ones, offer us. This is due to the fact that, while brewing on a small, home scale, we can afford to use raw materials in unlimited quantities and combinations. A craft brewery always has to calculate in terms of the final beer price. At home, we can afford a higher expenditure on raw materials, and it will not burden our pocket significantly. However, it is not the financial aspect that usually determines whether we brew beer at home. Self-made IPA, Stout or Pils gives such joy and satisfaction that we will not buy in any store.