When it comes to beer, brewing is the process of taking grain or fruit and allowing it to ferment for a period of time, letting the sugars to turn to alcohol. Beer can either be made using the grains themselves, or the extracts of those grains. The basic procedures that go into making both commercial and home brewed beer are pretty much the same.

The Process

The first step in making home brewed beer is the mashing stage. In this step, all of the grains are crushed and steeped in water, forming an extract. The "mash" is then held at a constant temperature, which pulls some of the enzymes and starches out of the grains. These starches are then converted into sugars that will eventually become alcohol.

The second step is called sparging. At this point, fresh water is added to the mash so that any sugar remaining in it will dissolve. It is also at this point that the mixture is now called wort – a dark, sugar laden liquid that is the basis of all beers.

After the sparging is complete and all the sugars are dissolved, the wort is boiled. During this stage, any additional ingredients are added to the mixture. Hops are usually a staple for beer, but other ingredients can be added as well. Many home brewers will add their own touches and twists to any recipe they're following, so that each home brewed beer they make has a different and unique flavor. This process also kills off any bacteria or other microorganisms that may be floating about in the wort, and also evaporates some of the excess water.

Next, the mixture is placed in a large glass jar or vat, and yeast is added to the wort. This mixture is then allowed to ferment for several days. During the fermentation process, which can last anywhere from 7 to 14 days or longer, sediment and other materials will settle to the bottom of the container. Once the initial fermentation is complete, many brewers will pour the beer off into another fermentation vat or jar and allow the beer to ferment again.Packaging the beer is the final stage in making beer. It is here that the final product is placed in bottles and capped.

Carbonation

You may be wondering how the carbonation gets into home brewed beer. For most beer lovers, carbonation is a necessity. No one likes drinking flat beer. Home brewed beer usually has some carbonation when it's done, but not usually enough. When you're making beer at home, there are a couple of ways to get the carbonation into the brew.

The first, and most daunting, is forced carbonation. This means that carbon dioxide is forced into the bottles just before the bottle is capped. Unfortunately, this can also be a difficult, and potentially hazardous, method of carbonation.

A much simpler method of introducing carbon dioxide into home brewed beer is to allow it to ferment longer. The fermentation action of the yeast produces carbon dioxide as a byproduct. The longer you allow your beer to age and ferment, the more carbon dioxide, and therefore the more carbonation, your beer will have.

Another method of carbonating your home brew is to add a little bit of unfermented wort to each bottle of brewed and fermented beer as they are being capped. It is wise to be cautious with this method, however, as adding too much wort can create too much carbon dioxide. If the pressure within the bottle becomes too great, it will explode.