Editing Homebrewing (section)

==Brewing process==
{{Main|Brewing}}
The principles behind the process of homebrewing beer are similar to commercial [[brewing]]. A hopped [[wort (brewing)|wort]] is produced and yeast pitched into the wort to stimulate [[Beer fermentation|fermentation]]. The complexity of the process is mostly determined by the approach used to manufacture the wort; by far the simplest method is kit brewing.

[[File:Homebrew Malt Extract.jpg|thumb|215px|Homebrewing [[malt]] extracts: liquid in a can and [[Spray drying|spray dried]]]]

=== Mashing ===

Mashing is the step required to convert starch in the grains into sugar by utilizing natural enzymes. This step varies depending on the skill of the home brewer.

==== Beginners ====

For extract brewing, the mashing has been done by the supplier of the malt extract. No mashing is required for the home brewer in this instance.

==== Intermediate brewers ====

A partial mash differs from an extract brew in that the extract remains enzymatically active.<ref name="Colby7January2014">{{cite web|last1=Colby|first1=Chris|title=Why Partial Mash? (Mashing vs. Steeping)|url=http://beerandwinejournal.com/mash-vs-steep/|website=Beer & Wine Journal|access-date=11 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150328234344/http://beerandwinejournal.com/mash-vs-steep/|archive-date=28 March 2015|date=7 January 2014}}</ref> Unlike dead malts where some of the starch has been converted to sugar via the action of heat and the natural enzymes have been destroyed, wheat and unmalted extracts need the help of enzymes to convert their starches into sugars.{{citation needed|date=March 2011}}

The next step up from extract brewing is to use a diastatically active malt extract to convert starches from other beer adjuncts such as flaked and torrified barleys, flaked and torrified wheat, wheat flour, and flaked oats into [[fermented syrup]]. These extracts are currently only available in the canned form. Unmalted barleys and wheats can add extra "body" to a finished beer.{{citation needed|date=March 2011}}

==== Advanced brewers ====

Advanced homebrewers forgo the use of concentrated extract and instead convert starch into sugars from the grains themselves<ref>{{cite web |url=http://brewconductor.com/brewing/all-grain-and-partial-mash-brewing/understanding-all-grain-and-partial-mash-brewing/ |title=All-grain Brewing |access-date=18 June 2016}}</ref> in a process often referred to as all grain brewing.<ref>{{cite web |title=All Grain Brewing Chemistry |url=http://www.brewallgrain.com/about.htm |publisher=BrewAllGrain.com |access-date=6 September 2011 |archive-date=21 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190221060153/http://www.brewallgrain.com/about.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> Although considered an advanced method, all grain brewing is easily achievable by beginners and with rudimentary equipment, especially when using the BIAB method. 

In all grain brewing the wort is made by making a mash from crushed [[malt]]ed [[barley]] (or alternative grain adjuncts such as unmalted barley, [[wheat]], [[oats]], [[maize|corn]] or [[rye]]) and hot water. This requires a vessel known as a [[mash tun]], which is often insulated, or can be done in a single brewing vessel if the homebrewer is using the BIAB method. 

In one procedure popular with homebrewers called the "Infusion Mash", milled grains are combined in the tun and hot water is added. Before being combined with the grains, the water is heated to a temperature that is hotter than the desired temperature for enzymatic activity. The reason the water is heated is to compensate for the fact that the grain are cooler than the desired temperature.<ref>{{cite web |title=Calculating Strike Water Temperature For Mashing - Home Brew Answers |url=http://homebrewanswers.com/document/calculating-strike-water-temperature-for-mashing/|website = Home Brew Answers |access-date=18 February 2016 |language=en-GB}}</ref>

The grains are infused with yet hotter water to rinse more sugars from the mash in a process known as [[Sparging (beer)|sparging]]. There are two types of sparging. Fly sparging and batch sparging. Fly sparging involves rinsing the grain bed by adding small amounts of hot water to the top while draining equal amounts from the bottom. Batch sparging involves adding all or most of your sparge water at one time to the grain bed and slowly draining it from the bottom. The sparging process will also stop any further enzymatic activity if much hotter water is used; conversely the mash may be heated to around {{convert|80|C|F}} to end such activity prior to placing it in the lauter-tun, and to prevent cooler grain from lowering the sparge water temperature to a lower than desirable figure.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

==== Boiling the wort ====
Whether the homebrewer chooses to [[Mashing|mash]] their own grains or chooses to purchase malt extracts, the homebrewer will then need to boil the liquid and add hops. The length of time the wort boils with the hops varies depending on the [[Beer style|style of beer]], but is usually 60–90 minutes.

Hops are added at different times during the boil, depending on the desired result. Hops added at the beginning of the boil contribute bitterness, hops added in the last thirty minutes contribute flavor. Hops added in the last few minutes or even after the end of the boil contribute both flavor and hop aroma. These hop additions are generally referred to as bittering, flavor, and aroma additions respectively.

[[Finings]] such as [[Chondrus crispus|Irish moss]], a form of seaweed, gelatin, and others can be added in the final 15–30 minutes of the boil to help prevent haze in the resulting beer.

==== Cooling the wort ====
The primary reason to cool the wort is to get the wort to the proper temperature for healthy yeast propagation. Other benefits of rapidly cooling of the wort include "locking in" hop flavor and aroma, aiding in the production of "cold break" where haze-producing proteins coagulate ultimately resulting in a clearer beer, slowing the production of dimethyl sulfide (DMS), and hindering the growth of wort contamination by pitching yeast as soon as possible.

Many homebrewers use an inexpensive wort chiller called an "immersion chiller." These resemble the "worms" used in distilleries consisting of a coiled length of copper or stainless steel tubing (typically 50 feet in length) with an inlet and outlet connection.  The inlet is attached to a source of cool water such as a sink faucet. The immersion chiller is inserted into the hot wort then cool water pumped is through the coil where a heat exchange occurs thus lowering the temperature of the wort.

Many homebrewers also use a "counterflow chiller." This device consists of a tube of copper or stainless steel tubing nested inside a larger diameter length of tube. It resembles an immersion chiller but works more like plate chiller in that hot wort is circulated through the inner tube and cool water is passed through the outer tube counter to the direction of the hot wort, thereby cooling the wort quickly.

Some homebrewers use the 'no-chill' approach. It is a water-conserving technique, depending on the ambient temperature being lower to cool the hot wort. After the boil the hot wort is racked into a fitting fermenter. After placing the cap or the lid, the fermenter is tumbled slightly to let the hot wort sanitise all internal surfaces. It then will be left alone (often overnight) until it has reached pitching temperatures, what may take up to the best part of a day. Contamination should not be an issue since near-boiling wort is a very effective sanitiser. Where the desired outcome is to capture wild yeast from the air, some homebrewers leave the wort to cool in a broad, uncovered container, typically called a [[coolship]].

==== Fermentation ====
Once the wort has cooled to a temperature that is friendly to yeast, the yeast is "pitched" into the wort and allowed to ferment. It is at this point that 'wort" becomes "beer." Primary fermentation in homebrewing takes place in large glass or plastic [[carboy]]s or food-grade plastic buckets, nearly always sealed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://brewconductor.com/brewing/ingredients/yeast-fermentation/ |title=The Fermentation Process |access-date=18 June 2016}}</ref> When sealed, the fermenter is stoppered with a [[fermentation lock]], which allows the [[carbon dioxide]] gas produced to vent, while preventing other gasses and particles from entering. Recent innovations in [[nanotechnology]] have enabled a [[fermentation lock]] called the Sterilock to also prevent bacteria, wild yeasts and other potential harmful fungi reaching the fermenter although in some beer styles known as [[Sour beer|Sour Beer]], bacteria or wild yeasts are desirable to obtain the sour characteristics. During this time, temperatures should be kept at optimum temperature for the particular yeast strain being used. For [[ale]] this temperature is usually {{convert|18|-|24|C|F}};
<ref name="HowtoBrew3rd">
{{cite book
|last=Palmer
|first=John J.
|title=How to Brew
|year=2006
|isbn=0-937381-88-8
|location=Colorado
|publisher=Brewers Publications
|edition=3rd}}
</ref><ref name="YeastGuide">
{{cite book
|last=White
|first=Chris
|title=Yeast: The Practical Guide to Beer Fermentation
|year=2010
|isbn=978-0-937381-96-0
|location=Colorado
|publisher=Brewers Publications
|author2=Zainasheff, Jamil}}
</ref><ref name="Whitelabs">
{{cite web
 |url=http://www.whitelabs.com/beer/homebrew_strains.html
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061109034405/http://www.whitelabs.com/beer/homebrew_strains.html
 |url-status=dead
 |archive-date=9 November 2006
 |title=White Labs 
 |access-date=28 August 2011
}} 
</ref> for [[lager]] it is usually much colder, around {{convert|10|C|F}}.<ref name="HowtoBrew3rd" /><ref name="YeastGuide" /><ref name="Whitelabs" /> A vigorous fermentation then takes place, usually starting within twelve hours and continuing over the next few days. During this stage, the fermentable sugars ([[maltose]], [[glucose]], and [[sucrose]]) are consumed by the yeast, while [[ethanol]] and [[carbon dioxide]] are produced as byproducts by the yeast. A layer of sediment, the [[Lees (fermentation)|lees]] or "trub", appears at the bottom of the fermenter, composed of heavy fats, proteins and inactive yeast. This yeast is sometimes reused in subsequent batches.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.howtohomebrewbeers.com/2018/04/how-to-re-use-yeast-from-trub-after.html|title=How to HomeBrew}}</ref> Often, the brew is moved to a second fermenting vessel after primary fermentation called a secondary fermenter. This secondary fermentation process is often utilized by more advanced home brewers to enhance flavor. While not required, it is generally practiced by home brewers who wish to age or clarify their beer by removing it from the sediment left behind by primary fermentation, often through the addition of isinglass, colloidal silicon dioxide, or spakolloid.<ref name="HowtoBrew3rd" /> In addition to using two different fermenting containers, some home brewers may choose to only use one container in which primary and secondary fermentation take place. This container is usually referred to as a uni-tank.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://byo.com/hops/item/524-cylindroconical-fermenters-advanced-brewing|title=Cylindroconical Fermenters}}</ref> Uni-tanks are usually conical in shape, and can be made from plastic, glass, or stainless steel.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://conicalfermentor.com/ |title=Home |website=conicalfermentor.com}}</ref> A popular plastic conical for homebrewing is FastFerment, while a popular stainless steel conical fermenter for homebrewers is The Blichmann Fermenator.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/brewing/brewing-equipment/fermenting-equipment/conical-fermenters|title = Plastic & Stainless Steel Conical Fermenters}}</ref>

==== Carbonation ====
Upon conclusion of fermentation, the beer is carbonated before it is consumed. This is typically done in one of two ways; force carbonation in a [[keg]] using compressed carbon dioxide, or bottle carbonation with priming sugar.<ref name=HowtoBrew3rd /> Any bottle that is able to withstand the pressure of carbonation can be used, such as used beer bottles, [[flip-top]] bottles with rubber stoppers such as [[Grolsch]], or even plastic bottles such as soda bottles, provided they are properly sanitised. Priming briefly reactivates the yeast that remains in the bottle, carbonating the brew.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.meheen.com/beer-and-wine-bottling-processes/ | title=Beer and Wine Bottling Processes | publisher=Meheen | access-date=18 June 2014}}</ref> Homebrewed beers and lagers are typically unfiltered<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.dummies.com/store/product/Homebrewing-For-Dummies-2nd-Edition.productCd-0470230622,navId-322504,descCd-tableOfContents.html |title=Homebrewing For Dummies, 2nd ed. |access-date=25 March 2011 |archive-date=7 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307202049/http://www.dummies.com/store/product/Homebrewing-For-Dummies-2nd-Edition.productCd-0470230622,navId-322504,descCd-tableOfContents.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> (filtering improves visual appearance of the product, but complicates carbonation). Bottled beer becomes clear quicker than kegged beer, since the yeast does not have as far to descend.<ref name="Berry">
{{cite book
 | last = Berry
 | first = C. J. J.
 | author-link = Cyril Berry
 | title = Home Brewed Beers and Stouts
 | publisher = The Amateur Winemaker
 | year = 1973
 | location = Andover, Hampshire
 | pages = 63–64
 }}</ref>
[[File:Anderson Valley Brewing Company - November 2022 - Sarah Stierch 24.webm|thumb|Anderson Valley Brewing Company. Sarah Stierch]]
[[File:Anderson Valley Brewing Company - November 2022 - Sarah Stierch 26.webm|thumb|Anderson Valley Brewing Company. Sarah Stierch]]
[[File:Beer-bottling.webm|thumb|A video of the homebrewing bottling process: after primary fermentation, the brewers add additional sugar for producing carbonation, transfer the beer to clean bottles, and seal the bottles with [[crown cap]]s. (''3 minutes 8 seconds'')]]

In homebrewing, adding priming sugar, [[malt]] extract, or carbonation tablets at bottling time to beer that has had its fermentable sugar content totally consumed is the safest approach to carbonation. Exceeding recommended levels of priming sugar for a given recipe can result in exploding bottles (aka "bottle bombs"), as is using inappropriate bottles or improper capping methods. Beer may also be force-carbonated using a keg and special bottling equipment so that the carbonation level can be carefully controlled. Carbonation is often achieved with approximately {{convert|4|oz|g}} of corn sugar boiled in 2 cups (500 mL) of water then cooled and added to a typical {{convert|5|usgal|L|adj=on}} batch before bottling.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Palmer|first1=John|title=How to Brew|date=2006|publisher=Brewers Publications|location=Colorado|isbn=0-937381-88-8|page=111|edition=3rd}}</ref>