one-day course brewing beer

venue: Gorgie City Farm, Edinburgh

The course is run by Roddy Beveridge (believe it or not), and includes brewing theory, with plenty of practical work as well.

ingredients

Malted barley & various adjuncts: how barley is malted by starting the process of germination and then stopped, by heating, so that it retains the starch.  The heating happens to varying degrees which leads to wide colour variations between different types of malted barley to produce beers of different colours. Various other adjuncts that may be used to provide particular flavours e.g. wheat, oats, rye, sugar, rice.

Hops: why hops are so necessary to the process for preservation and a bitterness that cuts through the sweetness of the malt and creates a stupendous drink.

Water: the component parts of water that are of most interest to the brewer; what water companies add that we then need to remove!

Yeast: definition and evolution.  Varieties of yeast available, where to find it and how to keep it in a condition to allow it to work its wonders.

processes

Cleanliness: the importance of sanitisation.

Mashing: the amalyse enzyme and the importance of the conversion of starch into sugar; various types of sugar along with their fermentability.

Sparging: retrieving as much glucose as possible from the grains within the mash by means of constantly reintroducing water; ways in which this can be done relatively cheaply.

Boiling: once the sugary liquid (wort) is in the boiler, we need to achieve a good rolling boil for sterility, and to achieve a good utilisation of the various acids within the hops, thereby imparting something that will counteract the relative sweetness of the malted barley and provide a good final balance within the finished product.

Fermentation: the need for a controlled environment and potential problems if it's not. How to accurately assess the progress of fermentation; the chemistry of fermentation and its by-products.

Packaging & Conditioning: differences between and appropriateness of bottle and cask conditioning.  How to achieve condition in the beer - that magical fizz!

dates: see 'book online' below

more on brewing beer