BEER PRODUCTION PROCESS

MANUFACTURE OF BARLEY MALT

Malting consists of obtaining a barley grain rich in enzymes and with an

endosperm structure that allows the enzymatic attack of starch. It consists of
seven stages in total, of which the following stand out for their greatest
importance: soaking, germination and drying.

Figure. Malting process flow chart. Source : http://www.jumo.se

Most breweries do not have a malting facility or, if they do, it is a completely
independent plant from the brewing facility. Therefore, only a brief description of
the malting process will be made, without going into much detail, since the
activity that is the reason for this project is beer manufacturing. Although, it is
important to know the malting process to understand what happens during the
making of beer.

Cleaning, grain selection and storage

Once the barley is accepted and delivered to the malthouse, it is separated from
coarse dirt, foreign grains, metal parts, stones, sand and dust. It is then
classified according to its size and analyzed before going to the storage tanks. It
is stored in silos for a minimum period of 6 to 8 weeks. During this period of
vegetative rest, the grain does not have the necessary conditions to germinate.

The soaking

Steeping is the stage of the malting process by which the grain is given the
moisture necessary for germination.
Water is necessary in germination to act as a vehicle for the substances that
flow through the endosperm to nourish the embryo. It is considered that the
theoretical final humidity that the grain must acquire during soaking is 45%;
However, it is a humidity that is difficult to achieve due to the slowness of the
final stage of water absorption, generally remaining above 40%.
During soaking, the barley grain, which is nothing more than a seed, lives and
therefore undergoes a series of transformations that we can summarize as:
Respiration , in which the grain consumes sugars from the endosperm and
releases water, carbon dioxide and heat.
Fermentation , the formation of undesirable substances caused by the lack of
oxygen occurs in the grain.
In addition, water acts as a solvent for some compounds in the grain, mainly the
husk: polyphenols and bitter resins.
A good soak must meet the following requirements:
The grain should not acquire strange flavors, so the water used will be drinking
water.
All grains must have been humidified to the same extent. It is known that the
degree of humidification depends on numerous factors, among which the variety
of barley stands out due to the difference in permeability of the pericarp, the
temperature, which when high increases the speed of water absorption, the size
of the grains according to which the grain
Small ones are moistened sooner, the protein content, which when high, makes
humidification difficult.
Fermentation processes must be avoided, therefore the accumulation of carbon
dioxide must be avoided and the oxygen necessary for respiration must be provided.
The development of microorganisms should not be facilitated, so the temperature
should be adjusted to the value at which, facilitating the absorption of water, it is not
very favorable to the development of microorganisms. Soaking is usually done at a
temperature between 15 and 20 °C.

Soaking technique

Fill:

Cleaned and sorted barley is transferred from storage silos to soaking tanks or tanks.
Filling of grain and water can be done simultaneously or not. Once the tank is filled,
water is overflowed to wash the barley, eliminating floating impurities.

Wet period:

With the tank full of barley, an air injection system is connected that prevents the
development of fermentations and the suffocation of the grain.

Dry period:

After the first part of the soaking, the water is emptied, this is what is called the dry
period. During this period, the carbon dioxide that is being formed is suctioned from
the bottom of the tank and the surface of the grain bed is sprayed with water.

Wet period:

Finally, fill the tank again with water and leave it for a few hours. This stage is used
by some maltsters to add certain products to the water; from antiseptics,
germination activators (such as hydrogen peroxide) to alkaline compounds (Na2CO3;
160 g/hl, NaOH: 35 g/hl, CaCO3: 10-20 g/hl) that accelerate the dissolution of hull
substances.
The end of soaking is detected by monitoring the humidity or simply by the
appearance of the grain. There are malthouses that prolong the soaking longer than
others; There are those that stop it in just 24 hours after starting the period to those
that stop it when the grain has a clearly visible rootlet (approximately 48 hours). The
duration of the next stage, germination, will be longer when the soaking has been
shorter and conversely, it will be shorter when the grain has already begun to
germinate during soaking.
Figure. Beginning of the malting process in which water is mixed with barley in the
steeping tank. Source: http://www.briess.com

Soaking equipment
The basic equipment is a cylindrical stainless steel tank with a truncated conical
bottom, which has the following accessories:
-Pressure air injectors at the bottom that allow a flow rate of 1.5 m3/h ton to be
introduced. The injectors must be strategically distributed to avoid dead zones.
A grate at the bottom that allows water to be emptied from the tub as well as carbon
dioxide aspiration during dry periods.
Overflows for washing barley.
Sprayers to add a little water to the surface grains in dry periods.
Pumping system that allows the emptying and transport of the barley to the
germination boxes, frequently done with water.

germination

A barley grain with sufficient humidity, with available oxygen and at the appropriate
temperature begins a period of active life with numerous morphological, chemical and
biological modifications, called germination.
Morphologically, germination is characterized by the following modifications:
The radicle develops, forming 3 or 5 rootlets.
The plumule pierces the testa, but not the outer glumels.
The epithelial cells become less transparent.
The cell walls of the endosperm that housed the starch granules dissolve as a result
of the action of hemicellulases, leaving the grain brittle and friable, and can be
crushed between the fingers. It is the so-called grain desegregation.
Biochemically the following modifications occur:
The embryo begins to secrete enzymes that diffuse through the endosperm. The
most characteristic enzyme of germination is hemicellulase, responsible for the
disaggregation of the endosperm structure. In addition, among other enzymes,
proteases, phytases, and amylases are formed, which will act to a greater extent in
later stages of the brewing process. The formation of enzymes in germination
depends on the variety of barley, humidity, temperature and aeration.
The hemicellulases must act until they completely break down the cells that contain
the starch, otherwise there would be unattacked areas whose extract would not be
usable.
Amylases are responsible for the breakdown of starch into fermentable sugars.
During germination its action is limited by low temperatures, splitting only 5% of the
starch. Barley grain already has inactive β -amylases, while α -amylases are formed
at this stage of germination.
Proteolytic enzymes act during germination, both proteases and peptases.
Germination is characterized by a significant dissolution of nitrogenous matter, much
more important than that produced when the must is manufactured. If the evolution
of nitrogenous materials during germination is analyzed, an increase in soluble
nitrogen is observed in the first days, from which point they are synthesized to the
same degree as they are consumed.
Other enzymes also act: lipases degrading part of the lipids, phytases producing
inositol and phosphorus, catalase, etc.
The energy necessary for the formation of enzymes comes from the consumption of
sugars and partly from some fats, specifically a quarter of the fats are degraded
during germination. This consumption of sugars and fats together with the roots
constitute the so-called malting losses, that is, weight losses (on a dry basis) of the
malt with respect to the barley. The sugar degradation processes are exothermic, so
the germinating barley bed tends to spontaneously increase its temperature.
Germination would continue until the growth of a new plant unless the process was
prevented by the maltster by modifying the conditions of the grain to prevent
continued growth. Indeed, when it is considered that the grain has acquired sufficient
enzymatic load and the endosperm is disaggregated, a reduction in humidity is
carried out through drying to stop germination. The further the germination has
progressed, the greater the losses produced in the process and therefore, the greater
the losses in extract from an industrial point of view.
Figure. Barley grains in the process of germination. Source :
http://www.lancasterfarming.com

Germination techniques
Germination occurs when the humidified grain is placed in an environment conducive
to the active life of the germ; that is, when it has air available and is at the
appropriate temperature.
For correct germination, the following will be taken into account:
In the grain there is a respiratory process and therefore a release of carbon dioxide.
Therefore, when the grains are in the germination box, the air will have to be
renewed, an operation that is carried out by blowing air from the bottom of the box.
The circulation of air taken from the environment through the grain bed would
produce superficial dehydration, therefore a correction of the air humidity must be
made.
Heat is released during germination, therefore it must be refrigerated to correct the
temperature of the grain bed. Warming would accelerate the germination process by
increasing the vital activity of the grain. In addition, there could be problems with the
development of microorganisms.
For all these reasons, for germination to reach a good end, the following is done:
The germination boxes are filled by homogeneously distributing the barley in a bed
between 0.7 and 1.5 m high. It must be taken into account that germination hollows
out the bed and produces an increase in the thickness of the barley. Air is injected
through the bottom of the box, which will have previously passed through a
refrigeration unit and water showers to saturate the air with humidity. In addition,
superficial showers are also applied from the
roof of the germination room to maintain humidity. When additives are used, they
are usually dosed taking advantage of these showers. Among the products that can
be added, gibberellic acid (0.1 – 0.2 mg/Kg) stands out as an activator of enzyme
formation. They can also add inhibitors of rootlet growth, to avoid losses, such as
potassium bromate (100-200 mg/kg). During germination there is a growth of
rootlets that, if the grains were kept at rest, would intertwine and weigh down the
bed. grain. To avoid this, the germinating barley is periodically stirred with
vertically arranged augers that advance slowly along the box, or even manually in
low-capacity malthouses. Once the appropriate degree of germination is reached,
the grain is dried.
Figure. Detail of the augers removing the sprouted barley grains. Source:
http://www.crispmalt.co

3.4. Drying

To dry the sprouted barley, hot air is circulated through it until reaching 5%
humidity in the grain, so not only is the humidity reduced, but changes in color,
flavor and aroma occur. of the malt.
Drying is done, therefore, for two purposes:

Stop germination.

Communicate to the malt the color, aroma and flavor appropriate to the type of
beer to be made; more or less dark, with aromas and flavors of toasted cereal.

The evolution of taste in the drying period is complex and is due to high
temperature reactions between enzymatic cleavage compounds.
Protein-----• Amino acid
Melanoidins
Starch-----• Sugar

Enzymatic cleavage begins at germination and continues actively in the early stages
of drying, as long as the temperature is moderate and humidity is still high. At this
moment amino acids and simple sugars will be formed, and when high
temperatures are reached at this same stage of drying, transformations into
melanoidins will occur and even, if the temperature is very high, caramelization of
the sugars will occur.
How the temperature and humidity of the grain develop during drying is decisive for
the quality of the malt. Some particular cases are:
If the malt is heated excessively while it is still wet, significant enzyme destruction
will occur. Enzymes in a dried medium are heat-resistant, they can withstand even
105 ºC, but if the humidity is high they are destroyed at lower temperatures (the
destruction temperature depends on the enzyme).
Under conditions of high humidity and temperature, gelation and hardening of the
starch will also occur, which is known as vitrification. Glassy grains have hardened
endosperm areas that are not useful in the brewing process. As a rule, the grain
temperature should not be increased above 50ºC if the humidity is greater than
10%.
If very pale malts are desired, excessive protelytic activity must be avoided. For
this reason, large air flows will be applied at low temperatures.
If dark malts are desired, it is advisable to apply the so-called fire stroke at the end
of the process, which consists of heating at a temperature of 100 ºC for a certain
time (1-2 hours) at the end of drying.

3.4.1. Drying stages

1st Phase: Drying phase at moderate temperature.
There is enzymatic activity. The heat received by the grain is used in the
evaporation of water.
Air temperature: 50-70 ºC; Malt temperature: 25-30 ºC
2nd Phase: Warm-up phase.
When the grain has less than 10% humidity, the diffusion of water is increasingly
difficult and part of the heat provided to the malt is used to increase its
temperature.
Malt temperature: 60-65 ºC
The air temperature increases and reaches a maximum value that depends on the
type of malt being manufactured.
Pale: 5 hours at 80 ºC
Black: 5 hours at 100-105 ºC
In this last heating, melanoidins are formed, characterized by their dark color,
having an acidic reaction and providing a characteristic aroma.
It is known that melanoidins formed with glycine and alanine are very colored,
while those formed with valine are very aromatic.

Figure. Barley malt roasted at different temperatures. Source :

http://www.vvrsaustralia.com.au

Root removal

Dry malt contains the germ and some impurities, and is also very hot.
The germ is very hygroscopic and when it absorbs a little moisture it gains elasticity
and is difficult to eliminate. Therefore, as soon as the malt is dried it must be
degerminated.
Degermination is done by friction in rotating equipment. 100 kg of malt produces 3
to 5 kg of rootlets. The rootlets are collected and sold as by-products, destined
mainly for the manufacture of baking yeast or for the biotechnology industry due to
their richness in enzymes.
Finally the malt is cleaned. For industrial malt, cleaning consists of removing glassy
grains or remains of small stones.

Storage of the barley malt

The malt is stored for at least 4 weeks in silos or barns. During this time the water
content increases slowly until reaching 4%-5%, producing important physical and
chemical changes in the endosperm. If processed immediately, the malt would
cause difficulties both in filtration and during fermentation. Being very hygroscopic,
the entry of humid air must be avoided. After the minimum storage time and after
the relevant tests that guarantee its quality, the barley malt is now suitable for
brewing beer.
MUST PRODUCTION

1- MALT GRINDING
2- MACERATION
3- GRAIN FILTRATION
4- GRAIN WASHING
5- MUST COOKING
6- MUST COOLING
7- YEAST INJECTION

Figure.
Flow diagram of the complete must manufacturing process. Source:
http://beertec.galeon.com/

The main process in beer manufacturing is the fermentation of the sugar

contained in the wort to obtain alcohol and carbon dioxide. To do this, it is
necessary to convert, with the help of the enzymes formed, the initially insoluble
components of malt, especially into fermentable sugars. This process will be
carried out in the brewhouse, obtaining the wort.

The malt is ground by the mill in a suitable way. This crushed malt is mixed with
water in a tank or mash tun, to obtain as much soluble extract as possible. Next,
this mixture is directed to the filtration tank or lauter tun , where the soluble
extracts of the must are separated from the insoluble substances or bagasse. The
wort is cooked with the hops in the cooking tank, giving the beer its bitter flavor.
In the whirlpool, the hot wort is freed from precipitated particles, the trub, and
cooled in a plate heat exchanger to the required fermentation temperature.

Cleaning and disinfection of equipment

In each cubic meter of air there are around 10,000 microorganisms that will
multiply even more in times of heat and humidity. Microorganisms that survive
the brewing process will contaminate the final product but are not pathogenic in
nature, that is, they cannot affect human health; Although, they will very
negatively affect the quality of the beer. It must be taken into account that some
factors such as pH, alcohol level, CO2 and bitterness of hops, among others,
inhibit the growth of most microorganisms.
The factory must always be well ventilated and the tanks and pipes must be dry
without allowing water to stagnate anywhere. Tanks that have been cleaned must
have all their doors (manhole) and valves open so that the remaining water can
dry out. All connecting pipes must be self-draining, that is, if all the valves are
open, the liquid that the pipe may have in any section or bend must be emptied
by gravity.
There are parts of the equipment that must be taken care of much more than
others. The plate exchanger is the most critical point of all the process equipment.
Bacteria multiply there easily because the liquids inside cannot be eliminated well.
The exchanger also accumulates a lot of dirt, facilitating the reproduction of
microorganisms.

Cleaning process
There are two different scenarios within the factory when it comes to cleaning. On
the one hand there is the brewing room (macerator – kettle, filter, whirlpool and
plate exchanger) and on the other the cylindroconical fermentation tanks and the
bottling plant. All tanks have a CIP cleaning sphere installed on top to perform
cleaning tasks. These will first be rinsed with a pressurized hose to remove dirt
and larger solid remains.

Figure. CIP cleaning sphere. Source: http://www.tiendainvia.com/

To clean the equipment, you will begin by using a 2% caustic soda solution
(NaOH) at a temperature of 80ºC, for a minimum time of 30 minutes (optimal
time 60 minutes) and recirculating at high pressure with a pump.
We will start with the maceration-cooking tank together with the heat exchanger.
It is very important to clean the heat exchanger in the opposite direction of flow
to which the wort has been transported. In this way, cleaning is much more
efficient, being able to drag even small particles deposited between the plates.
Next, once recirculation is complete, this same solution will be transferred to the
filter and the same process will be carried out. Before starting, the false bottom
must be dismantled and any remaining malt that may have been trapped must be
rinsed with a pressure hose. At the end, the cleaning solution is transferred to the
whirlpool and the process is repeated again.

After each cleaning, a flashlight should be used to check that everything is

perfectly clean. If it is not, the bends or access pipes to the tank through which
the solution has not been recirculated will have to be cleaned by hand. The
solution must be recirculated through all inlet and outlet pipes. Every bend, every
temperature sensor entrance, every manhole joint, etc. It must be carefully
cleaned.
Once you finish cleaning the whirlpool, the soda solution will have dropped in
temperature to about 50 or 60 degrees. This solution must be heated to just over
80ºC to clean the cylindroconical tanks. Fermenters are the most common source
of contamination. As they are refrigerated, the ideal is to disconnect the flow of
ice water from the tank in question, clean it by recirculating the already hot soda
solution and then allow the water in the cold jacket to return to room temperature
before connecting the flow of ice again. frozen water.
Fermentation tanks must be cleaned very carefully. The joints must be
disassembled each time and placed in a peracetic acid solution to eliminate the
yeast smell that they absorb little by little during fermentations. If they still smell
like yeast, you have to soak them again until the odors disappear. If the tanks
have any threads at the sampling point or at the temperature sensor access or
anywhere else, they must always be removed each time the tank is cleaned and
cleaned by hand with a brush. If this is not done, a few weeks will be enough for
the microorganisms to enter the thread and multiply with the heat and humidity.
It must be taken into account that the hoses must also be cleaned. If you have
several hoses, they can be placed in a line to clean them at the same time as the
kettle. These hoses must withstand vacuum and high temperatures in addition to
being food type. Many of them have bends between the plastic or rubber part of
the hose and the fitting. Microorganisms are also introduced there, so they have
to be dismantled often. It is possible to mount the fittings in a way that does not
allow any type of organism to enter using double pressure clamps. When the
hoses are not in use, they must always be hung from their central point so that
the water inside them drains to the ground and they are always dry. All valves
and fittings used during cooking, transferring and cleaning must be immersed in a
bath of peracetic acid solution and then left to dry on a clean table.
Once the cleaning is done with the soda solution, the ideal is to rinse by
recirculating clean water and then carry out the same process again with a
peracetic acid solution at 60 or 80ºC. The acid will serve to eliminate any
remaining soda that may have remained in the circuit or in the tanks. Peracetic
acid in solution does not need to be rinsed completely.
It must be taken into account that alkaline solutions are mostly used to clean
scale of any type; they also disinfect, but there are microorganisms that are
resistant. Acid solutions mostly do not clean scale, they only disinfect and there
are also other microorganisms that are resistant. The ideal is to clean first with
soda and then with acid always before/after each beer production. Never the other
way around.
Once the acid solution has been rinsed with water, the tanks must be left with all
their valves and doors open so that they can air out. Do not connect the cold
jackets of fermenters that are not going to be used immediately because the cold
will produce condensation if the doors are open and the humidity will be a new
culture of microorganisms.

Security measures
It is very important to be aware of the danger of using alkaline or acid solutions at
80 degrees of temperature and pressure. Any rupture of a hose or clamp will
produce an uncontrolled jet of very hot corrosive liquid. It is essential to always
wear protective glasses and gloves as well as appropriate clothing and footwear.
You have to be very careful and always stay as far away from pumps and hoses
that work at high temperatures with cleaning solutions.

Water treatment

The water used to make the must will come from the public network and must be
fresh, not stored for days. Active carbon filters will be used just before use. It is
very important to replace the activated carbon periodically, as well as follow the
instructions for cleaning it. These filters will mainly serve to eliminate chlorine and
organic compounds present in tap water. Water always contains a minimum of
dissolved oxygen. To eliminate this dissolved oxygen that would later favor hot
oxygenation, 5g of ascorbic acid powder will be added for each hectoliter of water.
This will react with oxygen and metabolize it, making it disappear as a reactant.

Water cannot have calcium deficiencies since it is an essential ion for the yeast to
carry out fermentation properly and settle at the end (avoiding turbidity). If it is
deficient in calcium, the resulting beer will have a yeasty flavor and will be
somewhat sweet.

To achieve a higher quality in the product, it will be necessary to add salts to the
water in small proportions depending on the recipe you want to make and the
quality of the tap water. To do this, first of all, a study of the network water will
be carried out based on the data provided by the corresponding entities, to know
the average parameters and whether they vary greatly depending on the different
seasons or in different years. The salts to be added will be calcium chloride (beers
with greater malt character), calcium sulfate (beers with greater hop character)
and phosphoric acid, to regulate the pH; all of them food grade.

The pH of the water used to wash the grain after mashing must be adjusted to
5.7, to avoid extracting unwanted substances from the malt that would contribute
harsh and unpleasant flavors.
 Process water treatment and storage equipment
Active carbon filters
An active carbon filter is available to dechlorinate and filter the tap water, which
will be used as an ingredient in the beer-making process. The coconut shell
activated carbon (filter material) should be changed periodically.

SEMI-INDUSTRIAL AUTOMATIC SERIES

• Fiberglass reinforced polyester bottle
• KERAMIS K67B1 valve for Ten automatic models (A)
Electronic chronometric programmer with LED display
Washing programming in hours and days
Potential-free auxiliary output connection for washing pump
Hydraulic distribution system with ceramic seals
Data retention in non-volatile memory
Automatic keypad lock
Multiple connection of equipment. interlock system
• Interior PVC hydraulic elements designed based on maximum flow
• Maximum water temperature: 45°C
• Working pressure up to 6 bar
• Power supply: 230-1 1 0V 50/60HZ

AM FLOW FILTRATION AREA max. (m'/h) c. ASSET VALVE MEASUR WEIG

MODEL CODE
CONNECTIONS m2 Liters MODEL EMENTS HT
WxBmm
0,0 8, KeramisK
A-530000 CA-85A 0.34 1" 3 5 67B1 582x214
kg
7.5
Figure. Active carbon filter with its technical characteristics. Source:
http://www.aquagan.com/
Hot water tank
The tank or storage tank for the water used for the process is a food-grade stainless
steel tank with a total capacity approximately 25% greater than the liters of beer
intended to be manufactured, that is, 1,250l in this case. It is covered by a layer of
insulating material to reduce temperature losses. It has a built-in electric resistance
to heat the filtered mains water up to 80ºC, and add it later during maceration and
washing the grain.

Figure. Tank equipped with electric resistance for water heating and thermally
insulated. Source : http://www.tiendainvia.com/

Malt milling

Barley malt must be ground to allow the enzymes it contains to act on its
components, breaking them down during maceration. Milling is a mechanical crushing
process, in which the husks must be carefully treated, since they are needed as filter
material for the must. It is important to mill the malt just before mixing it with the
water in the mash to avoid oxidation of the fatty acids.
Grinding can be done dry or wet. Since there are different grinding processes, there
are also different types of mills for this. In the case of a small brewery, the mills that
are usually installed operate dry and have two rollers. They are economical, compact
and durable mills with adequate capacity. On the contrary, there are some losses in
malt yield, although they are insignificant compared to the savings generated by this
type of mills. The grain, as it passes between the rollers, is crushed and hulled. The
rollers are commonly grooved to increase friction and roll in opposite directions from
each other. The capacity and efficiency of a mill depend on the length, diameter,
speed and spacing of the rollers. Crushing has two effects, compression and peeling
of the grain. Compression is related to the distance between the rollers, and peeling
or flaking depends on the speed
 of rotation thereof. Generally the distance between the two rollers should be 1mm,
in this way the shell is kept intact, although it is adjustable since it can vary
depending on the type of malt or cereal.
Below is an image showing different construction characteristics that two-roll mills
may have depending on their diameter or length:

Figure. Detail of different types of rollers. Source : http://www.krones.com/

Equipment for grinding barley malt
Firstly, the minimum necessary processing capacity that the malt mill must have will
be taken into account. For this, it is estimated that an average quantity of 200kg of
barley malt per batch will be necessary to prepare most recipes. In some recipes this
amount may be higher. The grinding time will be approximately 1 hour. In this case,
the malt bags will be transported and poured into the mash tun manually; In the
future, if production were to increase, transporting the ground grain to the
maceration tank using an auger would be studied. Wheels will be installed under the
supports to be able to easily transport it from one place to another.

Figure. Two-roll mill with a production of 200 kg/h.

Source: http://micro-cervecerías.cervezartesana.es/

The technical characteristics of the mill are the following:

Table 4. Technical characteristics of the mill. Source: http://micro-

breweras.cervezartesana.es/
 Technical characteristics
Power 1.5kW
RPM 950rpm
Production 200kg/h
Hopper 60kg
Dist. Rollers 0 - 2.6mm
Weight 119kg
Measures 420x620x4
00

Maceration

Maceration is the most important process in the manufacture of must. Here, the grind
and water are mixed together (macerated). The malt components thus enter solution
and, with the help of enzymes, are obtained as extracts. The transformations during
maceration are of decisive importance.

Purpose of maceration
Only a small part of the grinding components are soluble. But only soluble substances
can pass into beer. Therefore, it is necessary that the insoluble substances from the
grinding be converted into soluble substances during maceration. The substances that
enter solution are called extract.
Sugars, dextrins, mineral substances and certain proteins are soluble. Starch,
cellulose, a part of the high molecular weight proteins and other compounds that will
be part of the bagasse are insoluble.
It is important to get as much extract as possible for economic reasons. Therefore,
the purpose of maceration is the complete degradation of starch to obtain soluble
sugars and dextrins. The main amount of extract is achieved during maceration, due
to the activity of the enzymes, which must act at their optimal temperatures.

Properties of enzymes
The most important property of enzymes is their activity in the dissociation of
substrates. This activity depends on several factors:
Dependence of enzymatic activity on temperature
The activity of enzymes depends primarily on temperature. It increases with
increasing temperature and reaches a specific optimal value for each enzyme, at the
optimal temperature. At higher temperatures, rapidly increasing inactivation occurs
due to a unfolding of the three-dimensional structure of the enzyme (denaturation).
The inactivation and elimination of enzymatic activity is greater the further up the
optimal temperature is exceeded. Enzymes also work at a lower temperature, but
then noticeably slower. Below is a graph showing how the speed of the reaction
varies depending on the temperature at which the enzyme works.
 Temperature

Figure. Effect of temperature on the reaction rate.

Source: http://www.ehu.eus/

The typical enzymatic activity for a given temperature is not modifiable. While, at low
temperatures, the activity is conserved almost unlimitedly, it decreases rapidly with
time, with increasing temperature. (Figure ).
Dependence of enzymatic activity on pH value
Since the three-dimensional structure of enzymes also changes depending on the pH
value, this results in a dependence of the enzymatic activity on the pH value.
Enzymatic activity reaches an optimal value with a pH value, which is specific for
each enzyme, and decreases with higher and lower pH values.
The influence of the pH value on enzymatic activity is generally not as great as the
influence of temperature.
The substance degradation processes important for the brewer are:
Starch degradation
dβ -glucan degradation
The degradation of albuminoid substances

Starch degradation
The most important component of beer is the alcohol formed during the fermentation
of sugars. It is therefore necessary that starch is degraded predominantly to maltose.
Apart from this, intermediate products, limit dextrins, are always formed, which are
not fermented.
Starch must be completely degraded to sugars and borderline dextrins not colorable
with iodine. Complete degradation to that state of normal reaction to iodine is
necessary for economic reasons. Furthermore, traces of undegraded starch cause
“starch clouding” in the beer.
Starch degradation occurs in three stages, the order of which cannot be modified, but
which merge one into the other:
The thickening
Liquefaction
Saccharification.
The thickening
In hot, aqueous solution, a large amount of water is incorporated by the starch
molecules. In this way, an increase in volume takes place, which causes the starch
grains, tightly bound together, to swell and finally burst. A viscous (thick) solution is
formed; The degree of viscosity depends on the amount of water incorporated and
differs between different types of cereals. Thus, for example, rice starch swells much
more than malt starch. This process, in which no degradation of the substance takes
place, is called pasting. It is an important part of daily food preparation (for example
cooking custard, thickening soup or sauce).
Since the pasted starch is no longer bound in the solid starch grains, the enzymes
contained in the liquid can act directly on it. On the contrary, the degradation of
starch without paste lasts several days.
Clumping refers to the swelling and bursting action of starch grains in hot, aqueous
solution. The starch molecules released in this viscous solution are much better
attacked by amylases than unglued starch.
The thickening temperatures differ for each type of cereal:
Malt and barley starches harden in the presence of amylases at 60 ºC, while, for
example, rice starch hardens at temperatures of 80 to 85 ºC.
Liquefaction
The long chains of starch, formed by glucose residues (amylose and amylopectin),
are broken very quickly by α -amysales into smaller chains (Figure. Starch
degradation during maceration. Source: http://www.revistamash.com/. Because of
this, the viscosity of the pasted temper decreases very quickly. β -Amylase is only
capable of slowly degrading long chains from the non-reducing end, so degradation
by this enzyme alone would take days.
Thus, liquefaction is understood as the decrease in the viscosity of the pasted starch
by α -amylase.
The saccharification
α -Amylase progressively breaks the amylose and amylopectin chains until dextrins
with 7 to 12 glucose residues are obtained. β -Amylase dissociates two residues
(maltose) from the terminal groups of the new chains formed (Figure. Starch
degradation during maceration. Source: http://www.revistamash.com/. With this, α -
amylase also forms two terminal chains with each dissociation, which can be attacked
by β -
 amylase, by dissociating maltose. Due to the different length of the chains, other
sugars are formed, apart from maltose, such as glucose and maltotriose. In all cases,
the degradation of substances stops 2 to 3 glucose residues before the 1,6 bonds of
amylopectin, since these 1,6 bonds cannot be cleaved by α -amylase or β -amylase .
These limit dextrins are always present in a normal wort, although an excess of them
will cause cloudiness of the final beer.
The following figure shows these processes:

Figure. Starch degradation during maceration. Source :

http://www.revistamash.com/

Thus, amylases degrade starch in the following way:

α –amylase breaks down long starch chains to smaller dextrins. It acts optimally at
temperatures of 72 to 75ºC and is destroyed quickly at 80ºC. The optimal pH value is
between 5.6 and 5.8.
β -Amylase cleaves maltose from the unreduced chain ends, but glucose and
maltotriose are also formed. It acts optimally at temperatures of 60 to 65ºC and is
very sensitive to higher temperatures, being inactive at 700C. The optimal pH value
is 5.4 to 5.5.

It is important to control the degradation of starch, since if its degradation is not

achieved it causes cloudiness in the beer. In a usual mashing process, it can be
expected that approximately 65% of the sugars that enter solution are composed of
maltose, approximately 18% of maltotriose and equal percentages of sucrose,
glucose and fructose. Control of starch degradation is carried out by means of
tincture of iodine. The test is called the iodine test and is always carried out with the
cooled wort sample. The iodine solution produces a blue to red coloration with starch
and major dextrins, while all the sugars and minor dextrins no longer cause a
coloration in the iodine tincture, the result being a yellow-brown color. The
degradation of starch molecules to the normal reaction state to iodine is called
saccharification.
Next, the differences that exist between the different products of starch degradation
will be described, in relation to their fermentability by brewer's yeast:
Limit dextrins: They are not fermented
Maltotriose: It is fermented by all top-fermenting yeast strains, at which point all the
maltose is fermented. That is, during the maturation process.
Maltose: These disaccharides are rapidly fermented by the
yeast (main fermentation sugar).
Glucose: It is the first to be used by yeast (sugar at the beginning of fermentation).
The percentage fraction of fermentable sugars in the total must extract determines
the limiting attenuation. By means of limit attenuation, the alcoholic content of the
beer is established and thus the character of the beer is decisively influenced.
The proportion of fermentable sugars is determined by the variable activity of the
enzymes. The composition of the wort depends largely on the maceration, influencing
both the development of the fermentation and the quality of the beer. The factors
with the greatest influence on starch degradation are:
Temperature during maceration
Mashing at temperatures of 62 to 64ºC produces the highest possible maltose
content and the highest limit attenuation. Musts rich in maltose ferment more quickly
and keep the yeast in suspension for longer.
Mashing at temperatures of 72 to 75ºC produces beers rich in dextrins with low limit
attenuation.
Figure. Optimum temperatures of the enzymes (α-amylase and β-amylase),
percentage of fermentable sugars and percentage of dextrins in 1 h of maceration.
Source: http://brewmasters.com.mx/

The influence of maceration temperatures is extremely great, so that during

maceration rests are always maintained at the optimal temperatures of the enzymes.
Maceration duration
Enzymes do not act uniformly during the maceration process. Two stages are
distinguished in the activity of time-dependent enzymes:
The maximum enzymatic activity is reached after 10 to 20 minutes. The maximum
enzymatic activity is greater at temperatures between 62 to 64ºC than at 67 to 68ºC.
After 40 to 60 minutes, the enzyme activity first decreases rapidly, but the reduction
in activity decreases continuously.
From this it is concluded that the influence of maceration temperatures can only be
considered in relation to the duration of maceration. The maceration process lasts
between 60 and 90 minutes.
Maceration pH value
As has been seen, the activity of enzymes depends on the pH value. The optimal pH
range is 5.4 to 5.6 in maceration, for both amylases, increasing the extract content
since more fermentable sugars are formed and the limit attenuation increases.
Filling value (Ratio kg water: kg malt)
The paste is the relationship between kg or liters of water: kg of barley malt from the
first wort. In mashings with a higher proportion of kg of malt, the enzymes are better
protected from too rapid thermal inactivation. In this way, the amount of fermentable
sugars increases and thus the limit attenuation. But it should be noted that this
influence of paste concentrations on starch degradation is less than the influence of
the other factors. The most common filling values are 2.5:1 to 3:1. Concentrations of
2:1 would delay the filtration process.
The degradation of β -glucan
The higher molecular weight β -glucans were mostly degraded during malting. They
are contained in the hemicelluloses of the cells of barley and malt grains. During
maceration, they can be degraded between 45 and 50ºC by endo- β -glucanase
enzymes. β -Glucans are like gums that can make the filtration of the mash difficult,
hence the importance of buying a barley malt in which they have been correctly
degraded. To do this, it is essential to request a complete analysis of the malt to be
purchased in order to choose a quality malt that facilitates the brewing process and
guarantees the quality of the beer. Malthouses control the degradation of β -glucans
by controlling the friability of the malt grains and the viscosity of the wort produced
in the laboratory.

The degradation of albuminoid substances

During the cooking of the must, all high molecular weight proteins are precipitated,
except in small quantities. Only degradation products reach the beer that are
absolutely necessary for the propagation of the yeast and rapid fermentation.
The manipulation of enzymatic degradation of proteins has two objectives:
Eliminate excess proteins to prevent cloudiness from forming in the final beer.
Maintain proteins to ensure that the final beer has body and stable foam.
At temperatures of 45 to 55ºC, degradation products of low molecular weight
proteins are formed, especially peptides and amino acids. Although prolonged rest at
this temperature range always produces poor foam.
At temperatures of 60 to 70ºC, more high molecular weight degradation products are
formed, which are responsible for the stability of the foam. The positive proteins for
foam formation are those that come from the hordein and glutelin fraction.
Generally, small breweries begin macerations at 60ºC since by not filtering the
product to eliminate the yeast, they are beers with natural turbidity and the fact that
the proteins cause some turbidity is not important. An excess of protein will not cause
instability of the beer's flavor in the long term because microbreweries operate in
local markets, selling beer in a shorter amount of time than a large industry. The
excess of these proteins will help the beers have body and creamy foam that will
differentiate them from these industrial-type beers. Finally, whether there is a
greater or lesser amount of protein will depend on the amount initially contained in
the malt.
Although, it must be taken into account that when the distribution reaches long
distances and even the product begins to be exported, regardless of the size of the
brewery, it would be advisable to carry out a rest stage in the maceration of
approximately 50ºC, between 10 -20 minutes.
This graph shows the behavior of the temperature during the course of a maceration,
in which the β -glucans are degraded first (45ºC), proteins second (52ºC), starch
third with the enzymes β -amylase (63ºC) and α -amylase (72ºC), ending the
maceration at 78ºC.
Figure. Temperature ranges of action of the main enzymes during a maceration.
Source: http://brewmasters.com.mx/

Maceration process
Although we have already seen the different purposes of maceration and the way to
achieve them, a short summary will be made of the conditions under which
maceration must be carried out to obtain a quality first must.
The first step is to mix the ground malt with the treated water inside the mash tank.
It must be done in such a way that the water and the grinding are mixed intimately
with each other and without lumps forming. To do this, the agitator will rotate at low
revolutions. If lumps are detected, they must be “broken” with the paddle manually.
It is important at this point to avoid the inclusion of oxygen along with the incoming
malt.
Once everything is mixed, the pH must be adjusted to a value always greater than
5.2. To acidify the mixture, phosphoric acid will be added in very small quantities,
checking the pH until the target pH is reached. It must be taken into account that
malts acidify the wort, with special malts being the ones that produce the greatest
variation, so caution must be taken with the amount added. Below is a graph with the
optimal temperature and pH values of the different enzymes responsible for
maceration:
Figure. Table of optimal pH and temperature values of the different enzymes in
he process of maceration. Fountain :
http://www.cervezadeargentina.com.ar/

Once the pH has been adjusted, the maceration process begins in which the
temperature of the mixture must be increased until reaching the optimal
temperatures of the enzymes that you want to allow to act, as well as maintaining
the rest times at that temperature.
There are multiple different temperature scales depending on beer styles and tastes.
You should not macerate for more than 120 minutes or increase the temperatures of
the different scales or stages by more than 1ºC per minute. The agitator must rotate
constantly but without creating a whirlpool. Taking into account the beer styles that
are to be developed in the facilities described here (high fermentation beers); that
will be distributed throughout the peninsula and that in a few years it is intended to
export part of the production, the following maceration stages will be carried out:

1st stage: Temperature between 50 and 55ºC for 10-20 minutes to metabolize
proteins.
2nd stage: Temperature of 66ºC (68ºC if you want a sweeter or more bodied beer)
for 30 minutes.
3rd stage: Temperature of 72ºC for 30 minutes and at the end it is increased to 780C
to facilitate filtration with the lowest density of the wort.
Figure. Maceration graph associated with the recipes to be prepared by the
equipment installed in this project. Source: Beer Smith 2.0 Software.

Once the temperature step has been completed, the entire mixture will be transferred
to the filter tank or lauter tun .

Equipment for maceration and cooking of must

Maceration tank - cooking

The maceration tank will be the same one that will be used for the cooking process.
The capacity will be 35% greater than the amount of beer you want to obtain per
brewed batch. In this case, the maceration tank will have a volume of 1375l and will
be made of food grade stainless steel (304 or 316). The bottom will be conical (15º).
It will have a top opening (manhole) and different valves for the entry and exit of the
wort. At the top you will have an inlet connected to a CIP cleaning sphere.
It will consist of an insulated jacket through which steam will circulate up to 3 bars of
pressure (steam at 130-140ºC), to regulate the temperature during the stages of
maceration until the cooking process is carried out. A PT-100 temperature probe will
measure the temperature of the wort and a PLC will be responsible for controlling the
steam flow, making it possible to program different recipes with different
temperature scales depending on the profile you want to achieve.
You will have an agitator that is as long as possible with two blades that do not touch
the bottom or the walls of the tank. The electric motor should have around 1/2
horsepower, a 100:1 gearbox and a VFD ( Variable Frequency Drive ) speed
controller.
Figure. Maceration tank – cooking. Source : http://ingenieriacervecera.weebly.com/

steam boiler

It will be necessary to provide heat for the maceration and cooking processes. To do
this, steam will be administered at 3 bars of pressure (140ºC) to increase the
temperature in the escalations and at 1.5 bars of pressure (130ºC) to maintain
boiling. The steam flow rate to be provided for a 1000l production process will be 100
kg/h.

Figure. steam boiler 100kg/h of production. n:

http://www.calderasnaves.com/
Centrifugal pumps

Two centrifugal pumps will be needed both for transferring the wort during the
manufacturing process and for cleaning the equipment. They are pumps for high flow
rates (18,000 l/h) with a high working pressure (8 bars). Its flow is regulated by the
frequency converter. All components that are in contact with the wort are made of
food-grade stainless steel and can withstand temperatures of up to 120ºC because
they have Viton gaskets.

Figure. Centrifugal pumps for transferring liquids. Source :

http://inviashop.invia1912.com/

Must filtration

At the end of the maceration process, an aqueous mixture of dissolved and

undissolved substances is obtained. The aqueous solution of the extracts is called
must, while the undissolved parts are called bagasse. Bagasse is mainly composed of
the husks, embryos and other substances that did not enter solution during
maceration. Only the wort is used to make beer, which is why it must be separated
from the bagasse. This filtering operation is carried out in the filter tank.
When filtering the must, the extract must be recovered, if possible completely. The
bagasse shells play the role of filter material. Therefore, it is essential that a correct
grain grinding process is carried out, without breaking the shell.
The wort filtration process occurs in two phases, which occur separately, one after
the other:

Filtration of the first wort

Bagasse washing (or sparging)

Filtering of the first must

The must that drains from the bagasse is called the first must. Although this extract
remains contained. This extract must be recovered to obtain a more optimal
performance. For this reason, the bagasse is washed with hot water to extract the
soluble extract, after the first must has been discharged.
The first wort must have an extract content of 4 to 6% higher than the beer to be
brewed, since washing for extraction dilutes the wort more and more.

To filter the wort, it is recirculated by removing it through the lower valve and
reentering it through the upper part of the tank. Its clarity is controlled through a
sight glass placed just behind the pump that recirculates the wort.
Figure. Sight glass in the filter tank. Source : http://forum.northernbrewer.com/

Bagasse washing
The extract retained by the bagasse is extracted by washing with hot water. This
process is called irrigation or grain washing. This more diluted wort is also called
secondary wort.
As seen (section 4.2 Water treatment), the pH of the washing water must be 5.8 to
avoid the extraction of unwanted substances (tannins and bitter compounds from the
peel, silicic acid...). To reduce the pH of the wash water, food grade phosphoric acid
is commonly added.
The temperature of the washing water must be 78ºC, since α -amylase is destroyed
at 80ºC and is needed to transform the undissolved starch remaining in the bagasse.
The water will be added in two or three batches and the total amount to be added will
be the same in liters as the must obtained after the first filtration (first must).

Wort filtration process

First, the filtration tank is filled with dechlorinated water at 78ºC just above the
filtration grate and the mixture from the maceration tank begins to be transferred.
Once the transfer from the macerator to the filtration tank is finished, the wort begins
to be recirculated from the lower outlet (under the filter grate) through the pump to
the upper part of the tank. The clarity of the wort will be controlled through the sight
glass and recirculation will end when the wort is clear. This operation takes
approximately 45 minutes in total. The recirculation speed will be 20 l/min during the
first 2 minutes to drag the thickest parts that have slipped below the filter grid,
becoming 10 l/min for the rest of the process. This speed should not be changed or
the wort will become cloudy again and you will have to start over.
While the wort is recirculated, the mash tank should be cleaned with pressurized
water to remove any solids or scale. When the wort begins to come out with sufficient
clarity, it must be transferred again to the maceration tank, which from that moment
on will become the cooking tank, through the lower valve to avoid splashing and
oxygenation. The speed at which the wort must be transferred is the same as the
recirculation speed.
When the malt appears above the surface of the wort, the washing water (filtered
water with a pH of 5.7) should be added two or three times. About 600l have to be
added for a production of 1000l. During filtration you have to rotate the knives of
from time to time to avoid that the must
circulate only in certain areas. Turning the blades will cloud the filtered wort and
there will be to recirculate again for about 5 minutes
approximately. The entire filtration process will take between 2 and 3 hours.
Filtering will end when all the wort has been transferred to the brewing tank.

Wort filtration equipment (lauter tun)

The filtration tank is a tank with a larger diameter in relation to the height and with a
capacity of approximately 80% of the total liters that are intended to be produced,
that is, 800l. The floor is flat and has a lower exit in the center. It has a removable
false bottom, formed by triangular rods in the shape of a “v”. This way it is very
difficult for the filter to become clogged, reducing filtering time. This false bottom is
made up of several pieces to facilitate disassembly when cleaning.

Figure. Detail of the construction of the false bottom with triangular rods.
Fountain :
http://maestroscerveceroshispanoparlantes.blogspot.com.es/

It will also have an agitator made up of hanging blades that allow the filter grain bed
to be “cut” uniformly. The electric motor will have a 100:1 reduction and a frequency
converter will be available to regulate the speed (rpm) of the agitator. It has a top
opening and a side opening at the height of the sieve to be able to remove the grain
once the process is finished.
filtering process as well as dismantling and removing the false bottom for cleaning.
Also includes a CIP cleaning ball on top.
Figure. View of the interior of the tank through the side opening, the false bottom
and the agitator formed by “blades” can be seen. Source : http://pinpicsnow.com/

Cooking

The must obtained is cooked between 60 and 90 minutes. During this time different
hop additions are made. By adding the hops while the wort boils, it transfers bitter
and aromatic components, as the insoluble α -acids are isomerized into soluble iso- α
-acids. At the same time albuminoid substances are precipitated.
During the cooking of the must the following especially important processes occur:
Dissolution and transformation of hop components
Formation and precipitation of proteins and polyphenols
water evaporation
Must sterilization
Destruction of all enzymes
Reduction of must pH
Evaporation of unwanted aromatic substances

Figure. Adding hop cones to the brew tank. Source : http://kettlehouse.com/

The components of hops in cooking

The most important components of hops in beer manufacturing are: resins or bitter
compounds, essential oils and tannins.
Resins or bitter compounds are the most important components since they give beer
its characteristic bitter flavor. α -Acids are completely insoluble in cold must. In the
cooking wort, changes occur in the structure of the α -acids called isomerization. The
iso compounds that are formed are much more soluble than these original
compounds.
Only one third of the total α -acids added with hops during cooking are isomerized.
The yield of isohumulone in cooking and consequently the bitterness of the beer
essentially depend on:
The nature of isohumulone
The different components of α -acids are isomerized with different intensities.
Cohumulone gives the best yields of isohumulone. Using hop varieties with a higher
proportion of cohumulone results in greater bitterness in the beer with a smaller
amount of hops.
Cooking duration
The longer the cooking lasts, the greater the yield of isohumulone. Most of the α -
acids are isomerized at the beginning of cooking, with the yield growing more and
more slowly as the cooking duration increases. After 1 h of cooking, most of the
bitter compounds are isomerized.
pH value
A higher pH value always results in better isomerization, but the bitterness obtained
at a lower pH is always considered more balanced and finer.
Precipitation of isohumulones with cooking trub
A considerable part of the isohumulone is absorbed by the cooking trub (precipitated
waste substances).
The degree of crushing of hops
Grinding (hops into pellets) increases the extraction speed and thus the yield of bitter
compounds.
The essential oils of hops are very volatile, even more so the longer the wort boils in
their presence. Therefore, depending on the aromatic profile that you want to add to
the beer, hops will be added at one time or another. If you want to retain these
essential oils to give their aromas to the beer, the aromatic hops should be added
between the last 15-20 minutes before pumping the hot wort.
Hop polyphenols are soluble in water and immediately enter solution. These hop
polyphenols include anthocyanogens, tannins and catechins. They have an essential
participation in flocculation. Polyphenols contribute to the body and bitterness of
beer, although the bitterness they provide is not highly desired. Anthocyanogens can
endanger the stability of the beer since they polymerize with high intensity in the
subsequent development of the beer.

Polymerization of compounds formed by polyphenols and

albuminoid substances
Proteins (albuminoid substances) are related in beer to foam, turbidity formation and
yeast nutrition. They have a great affinity with polyphenols (tannins) to form
compounds that precipitate.
The flocs formed in the wort during cooking are known as cooking trub. The
brewmaster must try to precipitate all of these compounds. Precipitation is favored
by:

A longer cooking duration (90 minutes is appropriate)

Intensive movement during cooking favors the reaction between proteins and
polyphenols.

A low pH value (5.2 is the optimal value).

Some tannin and protein degradation compounds remain in solution during wort
cooking and precipitate during wort cooling as cold trub. These compounds have a
high molecular weight and are potential foam formers. For this reason, it is
interesting not to precipitate all these proteins to improve retention and foam
formation, but it must be taken into account that the risk of turbidity is higher.
water evaporation
The water evaporation rate is between 5-10% during the cooking process. The more
it evaporates, the more it has been able to water in the filtration stage, increasing
performance. But it is not worth cooking longer for an increase in yield since energy
costs are greater than the gain in extract.
Since only water evaporates, the extract content in the must must increase. The
concentration of wort at the beginning of fermentation is known as original wort
concentration.

Must sterilization
Along with the malt dust, many bacteria and molds enter during mashing and if they
are not destroyed, they make the beer sour or can modify its flavor. During the
cooking of the must, all the microorganisms contained in it are destroyed and it is
sterilized. It is the last moment when working with the sterilized product. From now
on, the greatest biological precautions must be taken.

Destruction of enzymes
Due to the cooking of the must, the few enzymes still present are completely
destroyed. In this way, a subsequent uncontrolled modification of the must
composition is not possible. In the event that some modification of the wort must be
made, the malt infusion must be added later to completely degrade the starch to the
normal reaction state to iodine or to fermentable sugars.

pH drop
The wort is slightly acidified, because the melanoidins formed during cooking are
acidic and because the hops also contribute some acid. The optimal pH value during
wort cooking is between 5.0-5.2.
Many important processes proceed better or faster with a lower pH value, such as:
Precipitation of compounds formed by proteins and polyphenols
The increase in must coloration is minimized
Finest and noblest hop bitterness
Greater difficulty for unwanted microorganisms to develop
Evaporation of unwanted aromatic substances
A series of more or less volatile aromatic substances are contained in the wort, which
in part do not have a good influence on the aroma of the beer. In order to establish
an optimal aromatic profile, it is necessary to remove these unwanted aromatic
substances from the must. These unwanted aromatic substances include, apart from
dimethyl sulfide (DMS), also fat breakdown products, such as hexanal, some Strecker
aldehydes, such as 2-methylbutanal, which is an indicator of poor flavor stability, and
Maillard products, such as furfural.
The primary control is directed toward thermal dissociation of the DMS precursor and
purging of free DMS, which can otherwise leave vegetable-flavored aromas in the
beer. Exhaustive dissociation of the precursor and purge of free DMS must be
achieved during malting, since insufficient purge of DMS caused during malt
manufacturing cannot be repaired during brewing. It is therefore important that the
DMS precursor content in the malt is not greater than 5mg/kg of malt.
Increasing the cooking duration boosts the thermal dissociation of the DMS precursor,
S-methylmethionine, and purges free DMS. In the case of a shortening of the cooking
duration, a post-formation of free DMS appears after the end of cooking.
Special attention should be paid to purging any subsequently formed free DMS. This
is necessary to obtain a good foam in the beer and good flavor stability. To do this,
the evaporation efficiency must be good to avoid atypical flavors in both fresh beer
and mature beer.
Another good measure to adopt is to refrigerate the wort before the Whirlpool, at a
temperature of approximately 85ºC, to avoid the formation of free DMS due to
thermal dissociation. This is achieved by installing a plate heat exchanger between
the outlet of the cooking tank and the inlet to the Whirlpool.
Also during fermentation, free DMS is still separated with the fermentation gases.
Essentially though, the DMS content of the wort at the beginning of fermentation is
found again in the finished beer.
Below is a graph showing the washing or purification of S-methylmethionine and DMS
in the cooking and fermentation processes in minutes (cooking) and in hours
(fermentation).
Figure. Evaporation of unwanted aromatic substances during cooking and
fermentation. Source: http://www.picobrewery.com/

Hop Addition
During the cooking of the wort, the hops are added and allowed to boil with the wort,
producing the isomerization of the α -acids, giving bitterness to the beer. Depending
on the amount of hops, the density of the wort and the time it boils, a greater or
lesser bitterness will be obtained or even some of its volatile aromas will be retained.
Bitterness is expressed in bitterness units IBU (International Bitterness Unit), in
which 1 IBU is equivalent to 1 mg of α -acids per liter of beer. Each style of beer has
a certain range of IBU values. Below are typical bitterness unit values in different
beer styles:
20 IBU Wheat beers 20
- 25 IBU Bock type beers
20 - 25 IBU caramelized beers,
märzenbier... 23 - 30 IBU Lager beers
non-industrial
30 - 40 IBU standard beers
Pilsen 35 - 60 IBU beers
Stout type
The bitterness value can be estimated approximately, using the following empirical
formula:

IBU's = (Wh · AA% · Uaa)/(Vw ·1.34)

(2)

Where:
W h : Weight of hops in grams
AA%: Percentage of α-
acids/100
U aa : Fraction of α -acids that are isomerized into iso- α -acids (depends on the
cooking time, the density of the wort, as well as the intensity of the boiling, etc.)
Vw: Volume after boiling in liters
The value of 1.34 is a parameter that corresponds to the utilization factor
Next, a graph shows how the wort boiling time is affected by adding hops:

Figure. Characteristics that hops contribute to the wort depending on the boiling
time. Source: http://www.revistamash.com.ar/

It is observed that as the hops boil longer in the wort, the bitterness is pronounced;
while, the less time it is boiling, the greater the flavor and aroma that remains in the
wort.
Another graph shows how bitterness is perceived in IBU's in the finished beer,
depending on the density of the wort after boiling:
Figure. Beer profile according to the density of the wort at the end of cooking
depending on the bitterness units (IBU). Source :
https://cervezomicon.wordpress.com

It is observed that it is essential to take into account the density of the wort at the
end of the boil in order to more accurately estimate what the final profile given by the
hops to the beer will be.

Wort cooking process

As the wort enters the kettle, it begins to heat up so that it begins to boil just as the
filtration ends. As soon as the wort reaches a temperature above 85ºC, the first
addition of hops can be made. Some aromatic hops can be added at this time, this
technique is known as First Wort Hopping , since by not boiling the wort yet, some of
the aromatic components of the wort will bind with other molecules and will not
volatilize when the brewing begins. cooking.
The boil will last 90 minutes and should be vigorous. In this way, a large part of the
cloudiness caused by proteins and polyphenols is eliminated. To add bitterness, hops
with high levels of α -acids will generally be used and boiled for at least 60 minutes.
To add hop flavor, it should be added between 20 and 5 minutes before the end of
the boil. If you want to enhance the aroma, you have to add hops with a high content
of essential oils between 5 and 0 minutes before the end of the boil.

Wort cooking equipment

The cooking tank or tank is the same as the one used for maceration. If you want to
cook twice a day, it would be enough to add another macerator tank - kettle to be
able to start the second preparation in just 2 hours of difference from the first.

Energy consumption during wort cooking

Cooking the wort is the process in which the greatest amount of energy is consumed
in all of the manufacturing of the wort. Therefore, it is important to design a system
that is as efficient as possible, reducing heat losses to the environment as much as
possible.
Commercial fuels have the following approximate heating values:
Gas natural: 9,02
kWh/m Diesel: 10.18
3

kW/l
Propane: 14.08 kW/kg
Pellets: 5.81 kW/kg
An energy efficiency of 80% is estimated in the brewhouse.
When the wort is entered into the cooking tank, its temperature is approximately
78ºC. To heat it up to 100ºC, approximately 3 kWh/hl = 10.5 MJ are required.
If the wort is boiled for 90 minutes at 100ºC, thereby achieving a total evaporation of
12%, approximately 14 kWh (12,000 kcal) is required for every 1hl of hot wort.

Hot Trub Filtering

The hot wort is pumped to the Whirlpool or centrifuge. Oxygen introduction during
pumping must be avoided at all costs. To do this, a purge with water will be carried
out on all the hoses and components that are in the path of the wort. As seen
previously, a plate cooler is placed to lower the temperature of the wort to 85ºC
during the journey to the whirlpool.
At this time, the solids present with the wort (hop residues and protein and
polyphenol polymers) must be eliminated. The whirlpool is a cylindrical container
without interior parts, into which the wort is introduced tangentially by pumping. In
this way, a rotating flow is produced in the container that causes the hot trub to
settle forming a cone in the center of the container. Finally the wort is extracted
laterally, leaving the trub cone in the center of the container. This process, known as
centrifugation, will take
Approximately 45 minutes. The transfer will last 30 minutes but at that time you
must wait another 15 minutes so that the particles that are still in suspension settle
little by little. If these solids were transferred along with the wort to the fermentation
tanks, the quality of the beer would be seriously negatively affected.
Figure. Principle of operation of a whirlpool. Source : http://www.hofbraupcb.com/

Once the decanting time has elapsed, the wort will begin to drain from the tank with
the pump towards the heat exchanger. It is important not to drag solids with the
wort. The first two liters that come out of the whirlpool should be discarded as they
are probably cloudy. As the racking progresses, the pumping speed must be reduced
to prevent part of the solids accumulated in the central cone from mixing with the
outgoing wort.
Centrifuge equipment
The whirlpool or centrifuge is a stainless steel tank, preferably insulated, with a flat
bottom. Its diameter is at least twice its height. It has a tangential inlet valve located
at a height of 1/3 of the total height of the tank. The outlet valve is located on the
side of the bottom of the tank. It is provided with a CIP cleaning sphere on the top.

Figure. Centrifuge or whirlpool tank. Fountain :

http://www.kinnek.com/

Wort cooling

Since yeast can only ferment at low temperatures, hot wort must be cooled as
quickly as possible. During this process, the initially bright wort becomes cloudy, due
to the formation of cold trub that must be separated. For rapid fermentation, air must
be optimally supplied to the yeast, only when it is at a low temperature, otherwise
the wort would oxidize, meaning a significant loss of quality of the final beer.
Wort cooling and aeration process
The wort that comes out of the side of the whirlpool, now clean, must be cooled from
the 85ºC at which it is located to the fermentation temperature (20ºC for ales and
12ºC for lagers) in less than 45 minutes. To do this, it will be circulated through a
two-phase plate exchanger. Mains water will be used (temperature between 8 and
20ºC) throughout the first phase, which will allow the wort to be cooled to
approximately 25-35ºC and water from a glycol water cooler will be used
(temperature of 0ºC) to reach the optimal temperature. of fermentation. The circuit
between the wort and the cooling water will work in countercurrent to obtain a much
higher performance.
The water from the network will come out of the other end of the exchanger at a
temperature of approximately 60ºC, once the heat exchange has been carried out. It
will be stored in a warehouse for later use in cleaning and disinfecting equipment.
At this point, with the wort already cooled to fermentation temperature, it is very
important to aerate it. This is achieved through a stainless steel diffuser installed at
the outlet of the plate exchanger, using an air compressor and a 0.2 micron air filter.
It is important that the air comes into contact with the wort in the form of small
bubbles, hence the need for a diffuser.

Equipment for cooling and aerating the wort

A removable stainless steel plate exchanger will be installed to cool the wort. It will
consist of two phases, to provide more efficient cooling.

Figure. Two-phase plate exchanger. Fountain :

http://www.inoxpa.es/

To aerate the wort, a diffusion stone will be installed as is at the outlet of the
exchanger and connected to an air compressor. The air will be previously filtered
before being added to the wort. Generally, a sight glass will be placed just after the
diffuser to be able to observe the formation of micro bubbles when the wort is
oxygenated.

Figure. Stainless steel diffuser for wort aeration.

Source: http://www.brewandgrow.com/
BEER MANUFACTURING

Figure. Flow chart of the beer manufacturing process.

Source: http://beertec.galeon.com/

To transform wort into beer, the sugars contained in the wort must be
fermented, by yeast enzymes, to ethanol and carbon dioxide.
Fermentation byproducts are formed in this process, which substantially
influence the flavor, smell and other valuable properties of the beer. The
formation and partial degradation of these secondary products are closely
linked to the yeast metabolism and can only be considered in connection with
the latter. The fermentation and maturation of beer occur in many breweries,
according to the so-called classic processes, in the fermentation cellar and in
the maturation cellar. Fermentation and maturation are carried out in
cylindroconical tanks.
 Transformations during fermentation and maturation

The most important process is the fermentation of the sugars contained in the
must to ethanol and carbon dioxide by the yeast. Reactions in fermentation can
be divided into main fermentation reactions and ripening reactions, but the
reactions overlap each other. It is therefore necessary to consider the
fermentation and maturation reactions as a continuous process.
A special role is played in this by the fact that, due to the metabolism of the
yeast, secondary products are formed during fermentation and that some of
them are partially degraded again. These by-products of fermentation decisively
determine, together with the hop components, the flavor and aroma of the
beer. Therefore, it is particularly important to know how they are formed and
how they degrade.

Yeast
The light brown yeast dough is made up of many millions of individual yeast
cells, which lead a life of their own completely independently of each other.
They acquired this life of their own through development that lasted billions of
generations and is stored in their genes.
What the yeast should do is not determined by the brewmaster, but rather he
must manage the factors that regulate the work of the yeast. It should not be
forgotten that the interests of the yeast cell are of a totally different type from
those of the brewer: while the brewer is particularly interested in the final
products alcohol and CO 2 , precisely the latter are cellular poisons, which he
must get rid of again. the yeast cell, excreting them. For the yeast cell, only the
gain is important. energy, to be able to live and form new cellular substance,
under the reception of nutrients.
In this way, optimal values for brewing can only be achieved if optimal
conditions for the yeast cell are also created. Added to this is that the quality of
the beer is decisively influenced by the yeast and its metabolic products.
The processes in yeast during fermentation and maturation are described in a
brief summary below.
After the start of fermentation, the yeast cell must first become accustomed to
its new environment, which in the first instance has an effect
shocking about it: another temperature, another pH value, high concentration of
sugars, etc. For a few hours it excretes amino acids and nucleotides, but soon
reabsorbs some. The higher the temperature, the more is excreted. But the
getting used to it only lasts a short time in total. But before it comes into more
intimate contact with the new environment, the yeast cell first takes up stored
reserve substances, which supply it with the first energy.
But, due to the over-enriched supply of fermentable sugars in the wort, the yeast
cell then quickly begins the breakdown of the sugar. Since oxygen is also
absorbed from the dissolved air, respiration begins simultaneously, which leads to
a great gain of energy in the mitochondria, which are the energy centers of the
cell.
Because of this push of energy, it is possible for the yeast to not only begin
fermentation, but simultaneously form new cellular substance and propagate by
budding. From the must it takes the material necessary for the formation of new
cellular substances. The brewer must only ensure that the necessary constituent
elements are present in the wort, for example:
Amino acids for the formation of new cellular substances (although, yeast can
synthesize its own amino acids without problems also from other nitrogen
sources).
Phosphates for the bond in ATP (adenosine triphosphate) and in the double
layer of phospholipids of the cell membrane (plasmalerna) and membranes inside
the cell.
Fatty acids for the formation of cell membranes.
Sugar for the constitution of reserve carbohydrates.
Salts and trace elements (for example zinc).
Sufficient oxygen for respiration and a series of transformations .
Most of these substances are almost always present in sufficient quantity or can
be synthesized by the yeast itself. But in the case of deficiency of some of the
substances, disturbances in fermentation may occur. The brewer must consider
this when modifying his raw materials or when he replaces part of his charge with
adjuncts (unmalted) or with sugar, which for example does not provide amino
acids or salts.
In this extremely active phase for the yeast cell, in which many nutrients are still
present in the wort in the form of fermentable sugars, the yeast forms a store of
reserve carbohydrates (glycogen and trehalose), in order to have a reserve for
energy gain, in the case of nutrient deficiency.
This logarithmic phase is the most important section of fermentation, in which the
must flavor disappears and the essential qualitative parameters of the future beer
are established through a very differentiated metabolism of the yeast.
As soon as the supplied oxygen has been consumed by respiration, the yeast
must again restrict its energy administration entirely to anaerobic glycolysis and
must live with a minimal energy gain, due to the fermentation of sugar to alcohol
and CO 2 .
The logarithmic phase slowly comes to an end, since the supply of fermentable
sugars has decreased sharply, eventually leaving almost nothing left to ferment.
Fermentation is complete. The yeast begins to flocculate, the propagation has
stopped and alcohol and CO2 progressively hinder, like cellular poisons, the yeast
cell. Since the turbulence in the tank during the intensive main fermentation has
decreased or completely ended, the yeast cells slowly descend to the bottom,
where they can be harvested. Now comes a bad period for the yeast, because
there begins to be a deficiency in the energy supply, and it must make use of its
own reserves.
Even with the low temperature of cold storage, the yeast needs, in a very
reduced way, energy to maintain its vital processes. It begins with the breakdown
of reserve carbohydrates and other substances and excretes more and more
metabolic products. Eventually, the yeast cell may die. The released digestion
enzymes then begin to dissolve the inside of the cell, the cell wall is damaged and
the cellular contents of the dissolving cell (in autolysis) pass into the beer. In this
way, foam and flavor are substantially affected, the pH value in the beer is
increased, and the substances that enter solution are welcome nutrient media for
contaminants. Therefore, the brewmaster must take care of the yeast harvest on
time and repeatedly. But even with a yeast harvest on time, the brewer must
continue to take care of the yeast. It must be stored cold and in such a way that
it can develop its activities in a new fermentation as soon as possible.
It is very important to create optimal conditions for the yeast so that it can carry
out fermentation correctly and achieve optimal results in the quality of the beer.

Yeast metabolism
Knowledge of yeast metabolism is of fundamental importance for the
brewmaster, since it is a factor that decisively influences the quality of the brew.
The most important points are:
The fermentation of sugars and the metabolism of carbohydrates.
Protein metabolism.
sugar fermentation
Yeast is the only living being, which is capable of replacing energy-intensive
respiration with fermentation. It must now be clarified what the particularity of
alcoholic fermentation consists of and what the energy relations are like.
Alcoholic fermentation as anaerobic glycolysis
Like all other living beings, the yeast cell requires energy for all the processes
dependent on it, for example:
The formation of new cellular substances.
The absorption and assimilation of substances from the environment.
The degradation and excretion of unnecessary or harmful compounds.
The transport of substances within the cell.
Most living beings obtain their necessary energy through respiration. The
process begins with the degradation of glucose in the cytoplasm (cytosol)
(Figure. Scheme of alcoholic fermentation, according to Embden-Meyerhof-
Parnas. Source: Wolfgang Kunze. Technology for brewers and maltsters. In
this, after a series of complicated intermediate stages, pyruvate (pyruvic acid)
is formed, which is finally transformed into ethanol (alcohol) and CO 2 .
 Figure. Scheme of alcoholic fermentation, according to Embden-Meyerhof-
Parnas. Source: Wolfgang Kunze. Technology for brewers and maltsters.

In glycolysis, glucose is first combined with phosphorus (phosphorylated). This

happens by receiving a phosphorus atom from ATP (adenosine triphosphate)
and transforming the latter into ADP (adenosine diphosphate) (1). Glucose-6-
phosphate is formed, which is then transformed into fructose-6-phosphate (2),
with the help of glucose-phosphate isomerase. Next, a new phosphorylation
occurs by passing another P atom of ATP by 6-phosphofructokinase. Fructose-
1,6-bisphosphate (3) is formed.

A dissociation into two isomeric triose phosphates then occurs by fructose

bisphosphate aldolase (4). The glycerol- and glyceron-3-phosphate (5) formed
is now reduced by glyceral-3-phosphate dehydrogenase to 2 molecules of 1,3-
bisphosphoglycerate (6) and at the same time a hydrogen ion is linked by NAD.
Then a double dephosphorylation occurs, by phosphoglyceratokinase, to two
phosphoglycerate molecules (7). In this, phosphorus is bound again twice by
converting ADP into ATP (in 1 and in 3) and is thereby supplied to the cycle
again.

Through phosphoglycerate mutase (8), 3-phosphoglycerate is converted into 2-

phosphoglycerate and transferred by phosphopyruvate hydratase (9) to
phosphoenolpyruvate. Pyruvatokinase ultimately converts the two molecules of
phosphoenolpyruvate into two molecules of pyruvate (pyruvic acid) (10). In the
conversion of two ADP molecules into ATP, which takes place in this, the only
amount of energy (2 x 30.5 kJ) available to the organism during glycolysis is
released.

While pyruvate continues to be degraded during respiration, it is separated in

alcoholic fermentation (anaerobic glycolysis), by pyruvate decarboxylase (11),
into CO2 and ethanal (acetaldehyde). Ethanal is then converted by alcohol
dehydrogenase (under the necessary presence of zinc) to ethanol (ethyl alcohol)
(12), where NADH 2 gives up its stored hydrogen ion, again being NAD.
For conversions, a molecule of hydrogen must be transferred (see conversions
6+12). For such reduction processes, transfer through the compound
nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) has been imposed in nature, which
prevents the release of dangerous hydrogen gas. The curves with the names NAD
NADH2 allude to this. Looking closely at the ATP/ADP yield, the ATP/ADP
conversion from reaction steps 1 + 3 and step 7 is converted again. In this way
an uninterrupted cycle is formed. The energy gain itself takes place in stage 10
with a double dephosphorylation and a double conversion of ADP ATP.

The conversion of glucose into 2 pyruvates, through 10 intermediate steps, is

called glycolysis. It takes place in all cells of plants, animals and humans.
Subsequently, pyruvate is carried here to the mitochondria and degraded
(consumed by respiration) completely, through the citric acid cycle and the
respiration chain, in many intermediate stages to CO 2 and H 2 0, with enormous
energy gain (36 ATP/mol), Yeast is the only living being that, under certain
circumstances, such as the absence of air, can switch to alcoholic fermentation,
starting from pyruvate:
Respiration 36 ATP

Glucose—• pyruvate
2ATP alcoholic fermentation
In the absence of oxygen, yeast is able to ferment pyruvate. However, in the
presence of oxygen, fermentation is strongly restricted or completely prevented
(Pasteur effect). If, on the other hand, sugar is present in concentrations greater
than 0.1 g/l, the respiration enzyme complex itself is inhibited and at the same
time partial fermentation occurs (Crabtree effect).
In summary, alcoholic fermentation is expressed according to the Gay-Lussac
formula:

C 6 H 12 O 6
—►2C 2 H 5 OH + 2 CO 2

ΔG =-230 kJ

If the products formed are quantitatively calculated according to their atomic

mass, the following relationships result:
From 1 mole of glucose = 180g, 92 g of alcohol and 88 g of CO2 are formed
during alcoholic fermentation. That is, the sugar is separated into almost equal
parts by mass of alcohol and CO2. In this, the volumetric portion of carbon
dioxide is incomparably larger than that of alcohol, since the gases have a
substantially lower density.
Energy gain during fermentation
ATP, which is found in all living beings, is composed of the base purine (here
adenine), a sugar residue with five carbon atoms (here ribose) and three
phosphate residues.

PHOSPHATE
GROUP

Figure. Chemical structure of a ATP molecule. Fountain :

http://www.lookfordiagnosis.com/

The bond between the extreme and middle phosphorus atoms is particularly
energy-rich. If this bond is broken, adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and phosphate
are formed, but also 30.5 kJ per mole of ATP:
ATP ADP + P + 30.5kJ/mol
Remaining available to the body, as energy.
Conversely , the same amount of energy is naturally required to convert ADP
back into ATP. With this, ATP becomes a kind of "monetary unit of energy", which
all animal and plant cells know how to use. ATP becomes the direct provider of
energy for the large number of energy-dependent processes. The process must
take place per permanently. Storage of large "energy bombs" is not possible. If
the supply of glucose or other substances that can be metabolized is stopped, no
more energy can be gained, and eventually the cell dies.
In all more developed living beings, pyruvate (pyruvic acid) formed in the
cytoplasm is then transported to the "power plants" of the cell, the mitochondria,
where, in contact with oxygen, it is completely degraded to CO2 and water. and
consumed by respiration. The energy gain produced in this is 38 ATP/mol of
glucose, considerably greater than in glycolysis. Therefore, in the case of oxygen
supply, the yeast immediately switches to respiration, which is energetically
richer and which is enabled by its mitochondria.

protein metabolism
The yeast cell is composed of 35 to 60% (of the dry matter) of proteins. For the
formation of new cellular substances, it therefore requires many sources of
nitrogen, which are present in the must in the form of amino acids.
These amino acids are absorbed by the yeast in a certain sequence, which
however cannot be influenced by the brewer. Only low molecular weight amino
acids, with up to four carbon atoms, are absorbed. For yeast, the free NH 2
group, the amino group, is important here, which it extracts and uses for the
formation of the cell's own proteins (FAN). In this, a higher alcohol is formed
from the amino acid by deamination (extraction and rearrangement of the amino
group), decarboxylation (extraction of CO 2 ) and reduction (extraction of
oxygen), which is again excreted (Ehrlich mechanism) as a product. secondary
fermentation. The representation of this transformation is shown below, with the
R (radical) being a chain of variable length (CH 2 ) n +H.

amino acid NH2 or

R-CH-cf +12CO
BOH
deamination

a-ketoacid O .0
RCc +NH OH decarboxylation

aldehyde EITHER
Rc( +CO2
h
reduction
high alcohol
R-CH,- OH

Figure. Formation of a higher alcohol due to the formation of

yeast's own proteins. Source: Wolfgang Kunze. Technology
for brewers and maltsters.

A measure for a good supply of amino acids is a content of 200 to 230 mg/l of
free α-aminonitrogen (FAN). This value is always reached in musts from well-
modified malts. The musts that are a product of the co The use of adjuncts or
sugar requires control in this regard (a greater protein rest during maceration is
recommended). The absorption of amino acids from the wort occurs through the
pore proteins of the cell wall. They are first accumulated and enriched in an
external pool. Subsequently, the amino acids are taken, as required, to an
internal pool, which has a constant size. Here the conversion (transamination)
and the incorporation of the cell's own proteins then occur.
Carbohydrate metabolism
The yeast absorbs the monosaccharides (glucose and fructose) and disaccharides
(maltose and sucrose) contained in the must, as well as the trisaccharide
maltotriose, and ferments them in that order. It can be assumed that
approximately 98% of the sugars are fermented and only 2% are consumed by
respiration.
The glycogen (reserve carbohydrate) present in the yeast cell is used before the
start of fermentation by the yeast cell, as a primary source of energy. That is why
the glycogen content decreases considerably in the first ten to twelve hours and
then increases again. With the course of fermentation, the content can increase
to approximately 30% yeast dry matter. During the
storage of the yeast, the glycogen content decreases considerably derably, and all
the more so the warmer and longer the yeast is stored. In the case of cold storage of
the yeast, the glycogen content is largely maintained. This is of great importance for
the maintenance of fermentative activity.
Reserve carbohydrates, especially glycogen, are of great importance for yeast. The
yeast cell can metabolize these reserve substances as soon as the external supply of
nutrients has ended. In this way, she is able to meet her energy requirements and
maintain basic metabolic functions. This corresponds in particular to the situation at
the end of the cold storage phase in the tank and the storage of the yeast until the
next start of fermentation.

Fermentation secondary products

During fermentation, a series of metabolism products are passed by the yeast into
the beer. Some of these products react with each other or change in quantity and
composition. These secondary fermentation products have a decisive influence on the
quality of the developing beer. For this reason, yeast metabolism and the formation
and degradation of secondary fermentation products must be considered together. If
the secondary fermentation products are still treated separately, this must be seen
especially from the perspective that the brewer must try to maintain their content
within an optimal limit, through appropriate technological measures .
The byproducts that are formed in fermentation are the following:
Diacetyl
Aldehydes
Higher alcohols
Esters
Sulfur compounds
can be classified as:
Substances of bouquet of green beer (diacetyl, aldehydes,
sulfur compounds)
These give the beer an impure taste and smell, young, immature, inharmonious and
in high concentration they negatively affect the quality of the beer. They can be
extracted again from the beer during the development of fermentation and
maturation by biochemical means. This is the objective of beer maturation.
Bouquet substances (higher alcohols, esters)
These essentially determine the aroma of the beer and their presence is, under
certain concentration ranges, a precondition for a quality beer. Unlike the bouquet
substances of green beer, the bouquet substances cannot be extracted again from
the beer by technological means.
Diacetyl
Diacetyl is the most important green beer bouquet substance. By exceeding the
perceptibility index, it gives the beer an impure, sweet, even unpleasant flavor, which
in high concentration is responsible for the buttery aroma. Since pentadione also acts
in the same way, but with a considerably higher perceptibility index, these
substances are called vicinal diketones, since both diketone substances are treated
with adjacent ketonic groups .
The degradation of these vicinal diketones develops during the beer maturation
process in parallel with other maturation processes and is therefore considered today
as an essential criterion (indicator substances) for the degree of maturation of a beer.
Aldehydes (carbonyls)
The most important aldehyde is acetaldehyde, which is formed as a normal
intermediate product during alcoholic fermentation. Acetaldehyde is excreted by the
yeast during the first three days in green beer. It is responsible for the “green” flavor
of young beer, which is also called cava or musty flavor.
During the fermentation process, the concentration of acetaldehyde decreases due to
degradation. Thus, the green beer flavor continually decreases. In green beer the
acetaldehyde content is approximately 20 to 40 mg/l, decreasing to values below 8 to
10 mg/l in the finished beer.
Higher alcohols
Higher alcohols or “fusel oils” belong to the bouquet substances. Approximately 80%
of these are formed during the main fermentation. In the maturation phase, only a
small increase occurs. The higher alcohols formed can no longer be reduced by
technological measures. Therefore, the adjustment of the concentration of higher
alcohols must be carried out during fermentation by means of control.
Esters
Esters are the most important bouquet substances in beer and essentially determine
the aroma of the beer. However, very high concentrations of esters can also give
beer an unpleasant, bitter and fruity taste. Esters are formed during fermentation by
esterification of fatty acids and to a lesser extent, by the esterification of higher
alcohols.
Its concentration increases mainly in the intensive phase of fermentation. In the
maturation phase, it depends on secondary fermentation (maltotriose) and can reach
up to a doubling of the amount of esters in the case of prolonged secondary
fermentation.
More than 60 different esters have been found in beer, of which only about 6 are of
major importance for the flavor properties of beer: ethyl acetate, isoamylacetate,
isobutyl acetate, β -phenylacetate, ethylcaproate and ethylcaprylate.
Top-fermented beers (ale) have up to 80 mg of esters/l; while those of low
fermentation (lager) have up to 60 mg of esters/l.
Sulfur compounds
Due to the metabolism of yeast, volatile sulfur compounds such as H 2 S, mercaptan
and other compounds are formed. By exceeding their perceptibility index, they give
the beer an immature and young flavor.

Other processes and transformations

Apart from the formation of byproducts, a series of other processes and
transformations occur during fermentation:

• Change in protein composition (Leads to autolysis)

• Decrease in pH value (pH between 4.2 and 4.4 in the finished beer)
• Change in redox properties of beer (increase in reducing force)
 • Lightening of the beer color (Lightens up to 3 EBC units)
• Precipitation of bitter compounds and tannins
• CO2 dissolution in beer
• Beer clarification (yeast flocculation)
Fermentation and maturation process

This part of the process is also called cold, due to the temperature of the wort that
leaves the cooler and goes through the aeration system, heading to the fermenter
where fermentation occurs. All the mistakes made during the wort production process
will begin to be noticed from now on. It is a critical moment since the must can be
affected by any type of contamination if the equipment has not been properly cleaned
and sterilized. It is very important to control the ideal fermentation and maturation
temperatures from this moment on to obtain a quality product.
The yeast will be introduced into the fermentation tank at the beginning of filling the
tank. The yeast can be freeze-dried (it must be previously hydrated) or liquid.
Whenever possible, liquid yeast will be used since it is of higher quality.
It is essential that fermentation be fast and powerful at the right temperature. The
higher the fermentation temperature, the more powerful it will be, but unwanted
aromas will be produced. If, on the other hand, fermentation takes a while to start,
the few microorganisms that have sneaked in will have the opportunity to multiply
and change the aroma and flavor profile of the beer with the available nutrients and
the absence of alcohol.

Once the fermenter is completely filled with the wort at the appropriate temperature,
it must be controlled quite precisely that the temperature is always at the optimal
level. In lager-type beers (low fermentation), with yeast in good condition it should
ferment a plate degree per day; while in ale beers (high fermentation) they can
ferment up to 4 degrees per day. If these times are longer, it is very possible that the
cells remain in suspension, providing a yeast flavor that will not be possible to
eliminate. This will also occur if water with calcium levels below 50 ppm is used.
Hops can be added during fermentation in the fermenter, metabolizing a part of the
essential oils with the fermenting wort, providing aroma to the beer.
Before completing the fermentation, a pressure relief valve must be adjusted to allow
the pressure to be calibrated to a certain level so that the remaining CO 2 can escape.
In this way, the tank can be closed so that the last fermentable sugars (between 1
and 1.5 degrees plate) produce the CO 2 that will finally be dissolved in the beer,
adjusting the desired level of carbonation. It can also be carbonated with food grade
CO 2 bottles through stainless steel diffusion stones installed in the tanks.
When the fermentation is finished, the yeast must be eliminated through the lower
valve of the cylindroconical fermenter. This should be done in several batches
(approximately 20); You have to eliminate the yeast, let it settle again, eliminate it
again and continue repeating the process until the beer comes out with almost no
yeast. If the yeast is not eliminated, it will begin to authorize itself, producing
unwanted aromas and flavors. The beer will have no dissolved oxygen except for free
radicals that have bonded to other molecules during the production of the wort. If
any racking is carried out at this point or during bottling some air comes into contact
with the beer, it would oxidize in a matter of days or weeks, especially the fruity hop
aromas. An oxidized beer does not have the same freshness and drinkability as a
high-quality beer.
The temperature of the beer is lowered to 14ºC in the case of dry brewing. hopping
(addition of hops during fermentation for 3-5 days) or until the ripening temperature
(between 0 and -1.5ºC depending on the alcohol percentage). It must be taken into
account that depending on the temperature at which the beer is, it will contain more
or less dissolved CO 2 .
The maturation process can last between a week and three months depending on the
style of beer that is made. During this process, the proteins that were formed by the
application of cold will decant. If the beer is still cloudy at the end of maturation, it
will mean that there is a problem with contamination or excess polyphenols.
As soon as the beer's maturation is finished, it must be bottled. To carry out the
transfer to the bottling plant, it is important to purge the CO 2 in an empty tank and
with water in the transfer hoses. The transfer will be carried out by pushing with CO 2
from a food grade cylinder.
Fermentation equipment and
maturation
Cylindroconical tanks
In this type of tank it is possible to carry out the fermentation process and the
maturation process in the same tank, taking up less space. They are stainless steel
tanks with a cylindrical shape but at the bottom they have a cone with an inclination
of 60º. It is essential that they have a cooling jacket and a PT-100 temperature probe
that allow controlling fermentation temperatures based on a PID. They must be
isobaric, and withstand pressures of at least 3 bars. They have different inlet and
outlet valves and a manhole located either in the upper part or on the side of the
cylinder. They will have a CIP cleaning sphere at the top. Initially, 3 fermenters with
a useful capacity of 1000l (1300l in total) will be installed. When demand increases, it
will be enough to purchase more fermenters.

Figure. Fermenters cylindroconical isobaric.

Fountain :
http://ingenieriacervecera.weebly.com/

Temperature control equipment

A team will be installed compact for temperature control of
fermentation and maturation, with control capacity of up to 4 cylindroconical tanks.
The team consists of a bomb of recirculation and a
compressor that cools glycol water, also includes an electrical resistance to heat the
refrigerant fluid for times of the year when it is necessary to provide heat to carry out
fermentation. Some solenoid valves will be
responsible for opening and closing depending on the temperature inside the tanks.
Figure. Hot/cold equipment to control the temperature of cylindroconical tanks.
Source: http://www.tiendainvia.com/

beer packaging

Bottle labeling
The packaging line will begin, labeling the empty 33cl beer bottles. These bottles will
not have any previous use, so they will only be rinsed before filling. The fact that we
start with the labeling is because when packaging the beer cold (0-1ºC) condensation
will occur on the bottle, making it impossible for it to stick. The labels, supplied on
reels, must be waterproof to prevent them from deteriorating during the process.

Beer bottling
The packaging of beer must occur in such a way that the properties are maintained
permanently and completely. Beer is a drink characterized by having a high CO2
content, which must remain intact until it reaches the consumer. In addition, it is
vulnerable to microorganisms. Therefore, the bottles must be rinsed with water at
high temperatures.
Counter-pressure fillers are used to fill beer bottles. The operation of these fillers is
as follows:
First, a sweep is carried out with CO 2 from a cylinder, to eliminate the oxygen
contained in the air in the bottle. Beer is very sensitive to any trace of O 2 . There is a
pressure valve that lets the air out until little by little only CO 2 comes out. The
pressure reached in the bottle is approximately 2 bars.
From this moment on, CO 2 stops entering the bottle and it begins to fill with beer. To
do this, the beer coming from the cylindroconical tank must be at a pressure greater
than 2 bars so that it can be transported by pressure difference to the bottle. It must
be taken into account that part of the carbonation in the beer will be lost during the
filling process, therefore, it is advisable that the beer
contain more dissolved CO 2 than desired to compensate for these losses.
Counter pressure fillers are used for packaging all beverages containing CO 2 . If
drinks containing CO 2 were bottled under normal pressure, they would begin to foam
immediately and no bottles would be able to be filled.
Packaging temperature
When cleaning bottles, they reach very high temperatures. After a hot spray of
rinsing the bottles, they should be cooled with sterile water to approximately 10ºC. In
this way, the bottles have a temperature of 12-15ºC at the time of packaging.
Beer is bottled cold (0-1ºC). To do this, the bottles are cooled with fresh water
between 12 and 13ºC, the bottles can be cooled to approximately 15ºC, before the
filling process. The smaller the temperature difference between the two, the lower
the risk of foaming during filling.

Bottle capping
To cork the bottles, 26mm crown caps are used. The bottles will be capped just after
being filled, to prevent the intrusion of oxygen, the loss of carbonation or the entry of
bacteria or microorganisms.

Equipment used in packaging

In the first instance, semi-automatic packaging equipment will be installed, which will
lengthen packaging times. The ideal would be to install automatic equipment that
practically does not require labor and speeds up the process. This is done this way for
two reasons:
To avoid excessive disbursement at the beginning of the activity.
To have simpler equipment, with less tendency to breakdowns so that, when
automatic equipment is installed and there is a breakdown, this machinery is
available that allows bottling tasks to continue.
The equipment installed in this first phase is shown below:
Isobaric bottle filler: It operates manually to enter bottles and has a capacity for 4
bottles and an approximate production of 900 bottles/hour or 300l/h.
Figure. Filler of bottles isobaric. Source :
http://www.decavi.com/

Pneumatic capper: Operates with a push button. It has a small container

where the plugs are stored. Its production is approximately 1000 bottles/hour.

Figure. Pneumatic crown cap capper. Fountain: http://micro-

breweries.cervezartesana.es/

Semi-automatic labeling machine: It has a sensor that detects the bottle

when it is in the appropriate position and performs the labeling action. Its
approximate production is 900 bottles/hour.

Figure. Labeling machine semi-automatic. Fountain: http://micro-

breweries.cervezartesana.es/