About Beer

In the ancient civilisations of Babylon and Egypt, of which there are proofs of a flourishing brewing industry, beer was offered to the gods and was drunk by kings at important parties. The Egyptians believed that beer had therapeutic benefits and women, from the upper social classes, used it for cosmetic purposes, namely to make skin fresher and smoother and to cure various skin ailments. It was also around this time that the first code of law, which regulated beer sales, was created in Babylon: the Hammurabi Code, one of Humanity’s oldest texts, which stipulated a daily beer allowance for all workers and their families.

It was also in Egypt that archaeologists discovered the most ancient brewery, dating back to 5400 B.C. This brewery produced several types of beer, the characteristics of which were very different from the beverage which we know today: it was darker and stronger.

From 1000 A.D. beer becomes widely known and is drunk by the Celtic, Germanic and Scandinavian peoples. During the middle Ages, large scale beer production is spread throughout Europe by the monasteries in Switzerland and Germany, with new characteristics resulting from the addition of bitter and aromatic herbs, roots, flowers and wild berries. Around 1070 A.D. hops begin to be added.

Initially homemade, beer starts being produced by specialised artisans in the 7th century and continues until the 12th century. This is when beer brewing knows a strong expansion, with small breweries opening throughout Europe, and the emergence of the first Beer Brotherhoods.

In the 16th century, William IV of Bavaria edicts the Purity Law, stipulating the ingredients that could be used in beer production: barley, hops and water. By that time, 1516, yeast was not know yet – the fermentation was a “will of Gods”.

From the 18th century onwards, with the Industrial Revolution, beer is produced in large scale and its consumption is widespread. A century later, thanks to Louis Pasteur’s findings, the beer brewing process is improved. Pasteurisation enables beer to travel long distances and to have a greater duration. Thanks to the low fermentation process discovered in the 19th century, beer was now clearer, smoother and more lasting.

It was also in this century that beer brewing knew a greater boom, partly due to the work of Professor Emil Hansen from the Carlsberg Laboratory, who solved the problem of isolating the yeast responsible for fermentation, which was later improved by refrigerating devices that enabled to keep the fermentation tanks and storage basements at low temperatures all year round.

With the advance of technology, all techniques and procedures were modernised, and the modern brewer is an engineer who has all the technical and sanitary resources to elaborate a perfect product.

In Portugal, there are records of beer consumption since the 17th century, and there is a “Beer Patio” dating back to this period, in the parish of Conceição Nova in Lisbon. At the beginning of the 19th century there were already seven breweries and fizzy drinks factories in Oporto, to which was added the Trindade Brewery in Lisbon, in 1834, currently home to Cervejaria da Trindade. Many more breweries were built since then.

• Raw Materials
  Beer is a drink consisting of water, malt (germinated barley), hops (aromatic plant) and yeast, and is obtained through the natural fermentation of barley, whose sugar and that of the other ingredients is converted into alcohol.
  
  The different beer types correspond to the proportion of ingredients used in the respective brewing process. Portuguese legislation classifies this drink in three categories: ordinary beer – beers which contain a maximum of 4% v/v alcohol (32g/litre); special beer – beers which contain an alcohol level between 4% v/v and 6% v/v (40g to 48g/litre); and extra beer – beers which contain an alcohol level of 6% v/v or more, equivalent to a minimum of 48g/litre.
  
  Darker beers may be obtained from caramelised malt, which alters its aroma, taste and final aspect.
  
  Non-alcoholic beer has a very low alcohol level and cannot exceed 0.5 v/v of alcohol in its composition.
  
  Auburn beer is made from a mixture of different malts and a small percentage of caramel colouring to grant it its reddish tone, and its alcohol content is above 6% v/v.
  

• Brewing Process
  Regarding the brewing process, a distinction can be made between high fermentation beers - produced from a very disintegrated type of malt, where at the end of the process yeast rises to the tub’s surface (these beers are more appreciated in the British Isles and Belgium) and low fermentation beers, where yeast settles at the bottom of the tub (this is the most commonly sold beer around the World).
  
  1 - Malt Production
  Malt is the name given to a cereal grain, normally barley, which germinates over a limited period of time and is then dried so that it may be preserved over long periods. Malt, the main raw material for beer brewing, is rich in carbohydrates (starch), proteins, complex B vitamins and enzymes.
  
  In the malt preparation process, barley is submitted to the following operations: steeping, germination and dry kilning, which alter its physical and chemical properties.
   
  > Barley steeping
  After barley is cleaned and calibrated, it is placed in steeping tubs for a day. These tubs are equipped with a water recirculation system and submersed rings, through which air is inflated to avoid the grains from asphyxiating.
  During the soaking process, the grain’s humidity level increases from 12% to 45%, and the conditions for germination are thus created.
   
  > Barley germination
  After steeping, barley is sent to germination boxes where it stays for approximately 5 days. These boxes have a perforated bottom, enabling humidified air to circulate around the barley’s bed. There is also a device that rotates barley at regular intervals.
   
  > Malt drying
  When the modification process is deemed sufficient germination is interrupted, and malt is dried down to humidity levels of 4%.Kiln is performed in hot-houses with hot air circulating through the malt for approximately 18 hours.
  The drying temperature varies according to the desired malt quality. This temperature is strictly controlled to avoid maximum enzyme destruction.
   
  2 - Beer brewing
  In the Brew House, malt starch and maize grits are converted into fermentable sugars and dextrines. The reaction (starch sugars) can only occur in the presence of the enzymes formed during the germination of barley.
   
  > Wort production
  After adequately milled, malt is mixed with water in a mash tun. At the same time, in a kettle, maize is mixed with water and some malt, supplying the necessary enzymes required for its conversion, after which it is returned to the mashing tun where the saccharification process is concluded.
  The tun’s temperatures are then progressively increased in order to pass through the several enzymes optimum temperatures.
  After approximately 3 hours, the solid residues are separated in the filter and the must is placed in the boiling kettle, where it boils for an hour and a half. Hops are added whilst the solution is boiling, providing certain substances that undergo chemical reactions at high temperatures, granting beer its characteristic aroma and bitterness.
  
  Apart from the hop addition process, boiling promotes the wort’s sterilisation, protein coagulation and undesirable volatile compound elimination.
   
  > Clarification and cooling
  After boiling the wort, it is transferred to a rotapool tank where it rests for an hour. The proteins coagulated during the boiling process settle at the bottom of the rotapool and are then removed. The decanted wort is cooled down in a heat exchanger where it is circulated in counter current with cold water. The warm water is stored and used in the next productions.
   
  > Fermentation and storage
  In fermentation, the wort’s fermentable sugars are the nutrients required by a micro-organism called yeast. The cooled down and aerated wort is then inoculated with the yeast before being sent out to the fermentation tanks, where it remains for approximately 7 days, during which period there is a strict temperature control.
  
  After fermentation, the temperature is drastically lowered, causing the yeast to settle at the bottom of the tank, for later removal.
  
  Yeast converts fermentable sugars into alcohol, carbonic dioxide and calories whereas the wort gives rise to beer.
  
  Beer is then moved to the storage tanks where it is kept for 15 days, gradually improving its organoleptic characteristics and colloidal stability.
   
  > Beer filtering
  After storage, beer goes through two filters that grant it its characteristic transparency.
  
  Filtered beer is stored in tanks, and from here it goes to the packaging line, to be filled into bottles, cans and kegs.
  
• Beer and Health
  Beer is one of the most nutritious and less harmful alcoholic drinks, there being records of its therapeutic benefits from as early as the Egyptian civilisation, when it was used for cosmetic purposes. Women in Ancient Egypt used beer foam to make their skin fresher and smoother and to solve skin ailments. This is because beer contains phosphoric acid that promotes the growth and maintenance of healthy cell tissues.
  
  In Hippocrates’ Greece, beer was used as a diuretic and to lower fever, whereas Aretus of Cappadocia recommended it for diabetes and migraines.
  
  In the middle Ages, beer was considered as a stimulant to improve one’s humour and hops were known for their calming and appetite inducing properties.
  
  Recent studies have shown that beer has numerous health benefits resulting from the beneficial characteristics of this millenary drink. According to several scientific studies undertaken in the past few years, when drank in moderation – a quarter of a litre a day for women and half a litre for men – it may help to prevent certain illnesses, such as osteoporosis and myocardial infarct. Based on data collected by various researchers, it was concluded that the risk of a cardiac illness is considerably lower for those who drink the recommended beer amounts, that beer promotes good bone mineralization and that there is no relationship between moderate beer consumption and the increase of the waistline or body volume in general.
  
  Another beneficial effect of beer is in the relief of pain caused by physical exercise, which is due to two factors: the water content in beer helps to compensate dehydration, whilst its numerous mineral salts and nutrients restore the body’s acid-base balance.
  
  Beer is rich in folic acid and polyphenols which help to prevent cardio-vascular accidents, whereas hops are known for their bactericidal properties.
  
• Advices
  For an ideal tasting of beer there are some issues which must be taken into account, namely:
  
  - Beer bottles or cans must be kept in an upright position, in a cool place and away from direct sunlight, and should never be shaken;
  - Beer should not be stored for long periods and attention must be paid to its expiry date;
  - To cool down beer, it must be placed in the refrigerator and not in the freezer, as the temperature impact affects its flavour. One should avoid moving beer in and out of the refrigerator as in doing so it speeds up the product’s ageing process;
  - Beer’s ideal drinking temperature is between 4º and 6º;
  - The glass in which beer is served must be perfectly clean. Should you wish to freeze the glass, make sure that all ice crystals formed on the inside are removed prior to serving the drink;
  Beer should always be served with some foam, as the latter plays an important role in retaining its aroma and avoids the release of carbonic gas.
  

• Beer and Health
  Beer is one of the most nutritious and less harmful alcoholic drinks, there being records of its therapeutic benefits from as early as the Egyptian civilisation, when it was used for cosmetic purposes. Women in Ancient Egypt used beer foam to make their skin fresher and smoother and to solve skin ailments. This is because beer contains phosphoric acid that promotes the growth and maintenance of healthy cell tissues.
  In Hippocrates’ Greece, beer was used as a diuretic and to lower fever, whereas Aretus of Cappadocia recommended it for diabetes and migraines.
  
  In the middle Ages, beer was considered as a stimulant to improve one’s humour and hops were known for their calming and appetite inducing properties.
  
  Recent studies have shown that beer has numerous health benefits resulting from the beneficial characteristics of this millenary drink. According to several scientific studies undertaken in the past few years, when drank in moderation – a quarter of a litre a day for women and half a litre for men – it may help to prevent certain illnesses, such as osteoporosis and myocardial infarct. Based on data collected by various researchers, it was concluded that the risk of a cardiac illness is considerably lower for those who drink the recommended beer amounts, that beer promotes good bone mineralization and that there is no relationship between moderate beer consumption and the increase of the waistline or body volume in general.
  
  Another beneficial effect of beer is in the relief of pain caused by physical exercise, which is due to two factors: the water content in beer helps to compensate dehydration, whilst its numerous mineral salts and nutrients restore the body’s acid-base balance.
  
  Beer is rich in folic acid and polyphenols which help to prevent cardio-vascular accidents, whereas hops are known for their bactericidal properties.
  

• Advices
  For an ideal tasting of beer there are some issues which must be taken into account, namely:
  
  - Beer bottles or cans must be kept in an upright position, in a cool place and away from direct sunlight, and should never be shaken;
  - Beer should not be stored for long periods and attention must be paid to its expiry date;
  - To cool down beer, it must be placed in the refrigerator and not in the freezer, as the temperature impact affects its flavour. One should avoid moving beer in and out of the refrigerator as in doing so it speeds up the product’s ageing process;
  - Beer’s ideal drinking temperature is between 4º and 6º;
  - The glass in which beer is served must be perfectly clean. Should you wish to freeze the glass, make sure that all ice crystals formed on the inside are removed prior to serving the drink;
  Beer should always be served with some foam, as the latter plays an important role in retaining its aroma and avoids the release of carbonic gas.