| INTRODUCTION
TO BREWING
Brewing
has been practiced and perfected over the millennia
throughout the world. There are records of a simple
beer being produced and consumed in ancient Egypt.
The art of brewing has been refined through the
centuries. Brewing, as we know it today developed
mainly in Central and Western Europe where many
regional styles of beer have evolved.
Whatever style of beer, they are manufactured
by essentially the same process using similar
ingredients. There is no universal definition
of beer but it is generally accepted that beer
is made from a malted cereal, hops and water.
In some countries it was necessary to
make laws to protect the purity of brewing ingredients.
In Kinsale we brew according to the German purity
law “Reinheitsgebot”. Duke William
IV introduced this law to Bavaria in 1516, which
only allows the brewer to use hops, water and
malt in the making of beer.
The craft of brewing was passed on through generations
of brewers and from master to student. Developments
during the 19th century lead to a better understanding
of the brewing and fermentation of beer. Here
is where craft and science meet to bring a consistently
good product to the consumer.
INGREDIENTS
There are only four ingredients
used in the making of beer in the brewery in Kinsale.
These are:
1. Malt
2. Hops
3. Water
4. Yeast
1.
Malt
Malt is germinated barley.
Malt provides all the sugar utilised by yeast
to make the beer.
2.
Hops
Hops are the female flower
of the hop plant (hop cones). These are added
to give beer its traditional bitter flavour. Hops
also add to the aroma of the beer.
3.
Water
Water makes up approximately
95 % of the final beer and is therefore a vital
ingredient in the brewing process. A good supply
of water is essential for making good beer. It
is used to extract and dilute the soluble material
from the malt and the hops during brewing.
4.
Yeast
Yeast
is not really an ingredient. It is a living organism.
This vital piece of the jigsaw has a large part
to play in flavour development, as well as alcohol
production. It is essential that the yeast used
in fermentation of the beer is pure. This purity
is ensured through very careful selection and
handling of the yeast in the brewery.
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