The brewing process

Steps in the brewing process

1. Malt

Grains can't be processed directly from the fields at the brewery. They must first be malted in a malting facility. This process involves four steps: cleaning, soaking, germination, and kilning (drying). Malt is caramelized or roasted to vary the flavor. Light malts are used for blond beers, and additional dark malts are added for dark beers.

2. Crushed malt

At the beginning of the brewing day, the malt is crushed. Crusting involves crushing the malt grains to release the starch while leaving the husks (husks) intact. This crushing is done in a crusher with two rollers between which the grains are crushed.

3. DUMPING THE MALT

Once the brewing water in the brew kettle has reached the correct temperature, the crushed malt is poured into the kettle. This mash is then heated in stages. During this process, the starch is converted into different types of sugars. The different temperatures are necessary because enzymes are active at different temperatures. These enzymes convert starch into fermentable sugars. The fermentable sugars are converted into alcohol by the yeast cells, while the unfermentable sugars remain as a sweetener in the beer.

4. FILTRATION OF THE BATTER

The mash is filtered in the lauter tun. The husks of the malt grains form the filter bed. The wort (sugary liquid) in the mash sinks through this bed and is collected. Simultaneously, the filter bed is sprayed with fresh brewing water to wash out any remaining sugars. The amount of sugar in the wort determines the alcohol content of the final beer. Therefore, the brewmaster monitors the sugar concentration. Filtration is stopped when the desired sugar concentration is reached.

5. BEER IN THE MAKING

All the liquid that has passed through the filter is pumped directly into the boil kettle. Then the boiling process can begin. This liquid is called "wort."

6. SELECTING AND ADDING HOPS

There are various hop varieties, of which only the female hops are used. Each hop variety has its own unique character. By adding these in varying proportions, the brewmaster can give each specialty beer its characteristic aroma and flavor. The hops used are compressed into pellets, large granules, which are easy to store and measure.

The wort pumped to the brew kettle is brought back to a boil. During the boil, the brewmaster adds the various hop varieties: at the beginning of the boil for bitterness and at the end for aroma.

7. BOILING THE WORT

After adding the hops, the brew is brought to a boil. The boiling process releases bitter compounds that dissolve in the beer. Furthermore, the heating sterilizes the beer and flocculates the proteins that would otherwise cause significant cloudiness.

8. TOP-FERMENTED BEER

Once the wort has boiled, it's cooled, aerated with sterile air, and pumped into a fermentation tank. Then the yeast is added, bringing the brewery to life. Most of our beers are top-fermented. Top-fermented beers have more fruity aromas and mature relatively quickly. Exceptions in our brewing process are our dry-hopped pilsner and bock beer; these are bottom-fermented beers. Bottom-fermenting produces beers with a more neutral aroma and flavor. Bottom-fermenting occurs at a lower temperature than top-fermenting and takes longer.

Fermentation takes place at room temperature. The various yeast strains give Hoop's beers their characteristic flavor. After fermentation, lagering takes place. This is at approximately 0 degrees Celsius and lasts 2 to 3 weeks. This is where the right flavors are released and unwanted off-flavors disappear. Lagering is under pressure and takes place in the same tanks as the fermentation. That's why they're called yeast/lager tanks.

9. FILLING THE BOTTLES

On the bottling line, clean, pressurized bottles are filled with beer, sealed with a crown cap, and then labeled. The spine label is also coded with the expiration date. This process is only partially automated. Manpower is still essential!

10. FINAL INSPECTION OF THE BEER PROCESS

Throughout the brewing process, our brewers take samples of the beer for analysis. This ensures that the beer meets all our standards. As a final check, the brewing team tastes the beer emerging from the bottling room. Only when the beer passes this test is it allowed to leave our brewery.