How is Beer Made?

As with wine, beer is created by fermentation – using yeast to convert sugar into alcohol. For most beers, the sugar comes from barley, but only once it has been ‘malted’. This technique allows the grains to germinate, which converts their starches into sugars, before the process is halted through roasting in a kiln. The grains are then milled to allow their sugars to be extracted by soaking in water at precise temperatures and times, known as ‘mashing’. Our recipes use ready mashed and processed ‘malt extracts’ which come in liquid (LME) or dried (DME) forms. We’ll also occasionally throw in a few speciality grains that will give you a basic experience of the mashing process.