• Characteristics

• Types
• History
• Technology
 Characteristics
• Fermented slightly alcoholic beverage made from malted
grain, water and hops using brewer's yeast (Saccharomyces
cerevisiae).
• The most consumed alcoholic beverage in the Czech Republic,
Czechs hold the record in the amount of its consumption (avg.
160 liters per capita annually).
• one of the Czech symbols, since 2008 is the name Czech Beer
protected by EU geographic indication mark.
 Chemicals
• ethylalcohol (cca 4–105 g/l)
• A significant share of quality water - hydration
• carbohydrates, proteins, bitter substances of hops, polyphenolic
compounds, carbon dioxide, vitamins and minerals
• Minerals: potassium and sodium, which are at a favorable ratio,
chloride, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and silicon
• Vitamins: Group B - thiamin (3% of daily consumption per liter of
beer), riboflavin (20%), pyridoxine (31%), niacin (45%) and folic
acid (52%) and more ...
• Flavonoids from hops and grain - therapeutic and preventive
antioxidant effect
• favorable effects of beer on the human body can occur when
consumed moderately, the negative effects of alcohol do not outweigh
 History of beer in ancient ages
• Mesopotamia is the cradle of beer. Sumerians, Akkad, Babylonians and
Assyrians here grew crops in thousands of years BC
• Beer discovered accidentally - the storage of grain in clay jars. When mixing
with water and fermentation occurred which resulted in the water with a
pleasant intoxicating taste.
• Drink prepared specifically Sumerians of barley bread and malt was called
Kash, the Babylonians called it Shikarum.
• The old Egyptians used different types of barley and wheat for brewing,
from which they produced malt.
• In Mesopotamia or Egypt they did not use hops, replacing it with green
mustard or sezame.
• In the antiquity clear predominance of wine (Greece,Rome) and Mead
(Gaul).
• Vikings and Germanic tribes also produced beer, instead of hops they used
oak bark and bitter herbs.
 History of beer in ancient ages

Statuette of a
Beer drinking in Babylonia chubby Brewer
served in the
funerary
Egyptian beer equipment to
ensure a supply
production of beer in the
(production jugs, The wooden statue of an afterlife
Egyptian servant of the
inserting loaves into Imprint of a sealing roller from the Middle Kingdom (2055-
1650 BC) Carrying a
vats, pouring liquid time of Sargon Akkadian (around
container with beer in her
through a sieve to 2340 BC) Depicting beer drinking right hand

fermentation) by straws in Assyria

 History of beer in our domain
• The first evidence of beer brewing and growing hops is the foundation
charter of king Vratislav II. (1088)
• In the 12th century and before, anyone had the right to brew beer in our
domain. Women cooked it in every household. Besides drinking, beer was
used to preparing various dishes such as soups, sauces and porridge.
• Since the 13th Century the royal cities received a number of privileges,
including the right to brew beer (the brewing right) and mile right
(monopoly on brewing and selling goods incl. beer in the range of 1 mile; 7-
10 kms in the perimeter of the city fortification).
• Brewers’ guilds found in the late Middle Ages oversaw the quality of the
beer and unlike in the neighboring countries saw to that the beer was brewed
only by properly trained brewers.
• In the 14th to 16th Century several types of breweries developed incl. lordly,
municipal (the common property of citizens) and monastic breweries less
susceptible to the effects of political and economic changes.
 History of beer in our domain

Image of tavern Medieval tavern

Brewer from keeper in the
Nuremberg second half of
brewing beer, the 15th Century.
circa. 1425

Monastic
brewery
 Medieval beer
• Medieval beer differed from the modern one considerably. Initially, it was
a relatively thin, underfermented mash.
• It was not considered a drink, but rather food. Up to date in Czech we
know the phrase “get sat by beer”.
• The cheapest was s.c. white beer (Weiss, Weizen Bier) which was prepared
not only from barley malt, but mainly from wheat malt.
• As the quality the prepared beer grew, the importance of barley malt
increased.
• Records of the brewery in Louny say that while in 1581 there was still
55% of wheaten beer, in 1609 already in 92% prevailed barley.
 Modern history
• A fundamental reform towards the establishment of modern beer took place in the 18th
Century.
• The Czech master brewer František Ondřej Poupě had great influence
– designed a number of new facilities
– persuaded brewers to use only barley malt
– adjusted dosing of malts - the emergence of today's colors of lagers
– founded a brewing school in Brno which was probably the first of its kind in Europe
• AD 1842 the municipal brewery in Pilsen was established
– produced exclusively bottom-fermented beers
– good quality and considerable popularity in the area
– all breweries gradually introduced this technology of production
• In the mid-19th century a Golden Age of Czech brewing emerged. The
favorable development was supported by the following factors:
– optimal conditions for the cultivation of malting barley and hops
– focus of the engineering industry on the production of malting and brewing equipment
– high level of education of brewing experts
• At the beginning of 20th Cent. brewing concentrated into large industrial breweries, tiny
breweries disappeared. Beer was exported around the world.
• WWII. caused havoc in the brewing industry. Many smaller breweries ended their activities.
After 1945 brewing and malting industries were nationalized and centrally managed.
• During the communist era breweries were scarcely upgraded due to the lack of finances. Yet
they produced enough beer for the domestic market and for export.
• After 1989 most breweries were privatized, many disappeared, foreign capital entered into
some.
 Modern history

František Ondrej Poupe

Municipal brewery in Pilsen

Monastic brewery in a picture from 19th Cnt.

 Beer styles
• Bottom fermented beers - fermentation takes place at temperatures ranging from 8-14°C.
Fermentation is carried out by Saccharomyces Cerevisiae subsp. Uvarum.
– Pilsner - pale lager with a hoppy flavor that is served chilled to a temperature of 7-9 °C
– Bock - strong lager served in stoneware mugs. It is served at a temperature of 9 °C
– Märzen - moderate lager with malt aroma. It is served at a temperature of 9 °C. Commonly served
in the Oktoberfest Beer Festival.
– Beers of Bavarian type
• Top fermented beers – come to existence at temperatures around 17-23 °C using
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae subsp. Cerevisiae or using spontaneous fermentation due to
bacteria and other yeasts. It is used to produce all wheat beers. In the history they were
sometimes contamined by negative bacteria from the environment. Today this
fermentation can be performed in an artificial atmosphere.
– Trappist - is a strong wheaten beer originally from Belgium and the Netherlands, where it was
prepared by trapist monks. It is not stored refrigerated.
– Stout - it is a dense dark beer, which is produced mainly in Britain. Often served uncooled.
– Porter - a deep dark beer, which originated in London. The taste is mature, while it is served
chilled to a temperature of 13 °C
– Ale - very fruity aroma due to rapid fermentation and supplying different kinds of yeast, originally
non-hopped beer.
– Wheat beer - at least one third of the extract of wheat or wheat malt. It is characterized by bright
color, high saturation and rich foam. Sold mostly unfiltered.
• Spontaneously fermented beers – the only available fermentation method in history – the
wort ferments with cultures in the air and what is left in the barrels after the previous
batch. Nowadays, these beers are most widespread in Belgium and in some parts of France
and the Netherlands.
– Lambic - originally from Belgium, its taste reminds Chardonnay or dry vermouth
– Gueuze, Kriek, Frambozen, Faro
 Beer styles

Anchor Bock Duvel Pale Ale (Belgium) Lindemans Pêche Lambic

Edelweiss - Weizenbier

Pitfields London Porter

Pilsner Urquell Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Märzen
 Ingredience: Water
• the most important basic raw material. To 1 liter of beer 4-8 times more
water is consumed in production. Its use directly affects the product
quality. Breweries should be built in places where sources of quality water,
especially groundwater wells are available.

Budweiser Budvar
– the Artesian well
 Ingredience: Malt
• It is made from cultivated species of grain, mostly barley or wheat or less
frequently rye. The used type of malt affects the taste of resulting beer, its color and
flavor.
• Distinguished types: light and dark malt (Pilsen and Bavaria type) - by the color
and the special malts (caramel, dark, diastatic etc.).
• For the production of beer we use barley grain, called caryopsis, consisting of
packaging, embryonic germ and endosperm.
• As for barley we focus mainly on its germination, uniformity of variety and protein
content.
• Preparation of malt is divided in several stages:
– soaking: 3 days in soft water, grains absorb water up to a content of 45% by weight.
– layout in the part called the threshing floor of the malthouse in a layer of 10-15 cm and
starting germination. The grain is turned several times. Germination of grain ends when
the germ is approximately ¾ of the length of the grain. In this stage the product is called
a green malt.
– Kilning - drying first at 35, then 50 and 60 °C, the final stage takes place with continuous
ventilation, temperature varies between 75-80 °C in the case of pale malt. Dark malt is dried
at temperatures up to 200 °C. Quality barley malt usually contains 62-65% starch in dry
matter.
 Malt

Malt and hop pellets

Kiln
Caramel and pale malt
 Ingredience: Hops
• One of the basic raw materials, which gives beer its characteristic bitter
taste due to the content of hop resins and hop aroma due to the essential
oils. For the preparation of beer female cones are used, mostly processed
on the so-called hop products. These are the pellets prepared from the
cones after drying, crushing, removal of the coarse portion and the
subsequent compression.
• For the production of traditional Czech lagers the hop variety called Saaz is
used. It is reportedly the highest-quality hops worldwide. It belongs to a
group of fine aromatic hops.
• Bohemian and Moravian hops are grown in the three main areas:
– Žatec (Saaz)
– Úštěc
– Tršice
• Hop cones are chemically complex, the most valuable substances are
Alpha-acids known as humulones, Beta-acids known as lupulones and co-
humulones

humulone and lupulone

 Hops

Hop museum in Saaz

Hop harvest
Hop Cone
 Ingredience: Brewer´s yeasts
• eucaryotic monocellular microorganisms used in brewery,
winery and other food processing industries
• Saccharomyces Cerevisiae, subspecies Cerevisiae are used
for top fermentation
– fermentation proceeds at a temperature of about 17-22°C, during fermentation
yeast remain afloat
• Saccharomyces cerevisiae, subspecies Uvarum
Carlsbergensis (named in honor of their discoverer Emil
Christian Hansen of Danish Carlsberg ) are used for the
bottom fermentation
– fermentation at a temperature of 5-13°C, the yeasts sediment during
fermentation
Brewer´s yeasts

Cultivation vat of the

Bohemia Regent brewery

Growing in aerobic
and anaerobic
environment
 Brewhouse: Mashing
• First, malt is ground and mixed with water at. With increasing temperature, due to
the enzymes, the starch from the grain is converted into fermentable sugars
which are dissolved. This procedure is performed in a mash mixer in the
brewhouse.
• Depending on the country of origin different methods are used:
– In Western Europe the common method is called infusion and it is similar to
preparing tea. Within 1 to 3 hours the malt is subjected to a temperature of
about 65-68 °C.
– In Central Europe the prevalent method is decoction which is also more
complicated and suitable for less resolved malts. The result is a solution in
which there is more consistent conversion of starch to sugars and protein.
• pumping of the batch from the mash mixer into a separate container, a mash pan,
where this part is treated with several activation temperatures and it will cause a
disruption of starchy formations, allowing better access of enzymes to the starch
molecules after re-mixing with colder parts.
• When mashing (infusion and decoction) there are certain delays at temperatures vital
for conversions. 40 °C is acidifying temp., 50 °C is peptonizing temp, 62 °C is the
lower saccharificating or beta-amylase temp. And 72 °C is the higher
saccharificating or alpha-amylase temp.
 Brewhouse: Mashing

mash pan

mash mixer
 Brewhouse: Lauter tun
• The result of mashing (wort with pulp) is pumped into a lauter
tun. In the initial phase the coarse particles – grain husk –
cover the penetrated bottom of the tun and the clear sweet
wort is filtered through this layer.
• remaining usable shares retained in the spent grain are
extracted by additional washing or spraying with hot water.
The sweet wort is filtered in a modern facility called the mash
filter.
Straining in a lauter tun

Detail of a lauter tun

 Wort brewing and whirlpooling
• process in which the wort is brought to boil for 60-90 minutes. At
this time, an important raw material is added to obtain a flavor -
hops.
• depending on the type of beer, hops can be added in its natural form
of cones, pellets or in the form of liquid extract.
• Hops may be added to brewed beer more than once, usually 3-times
in the brewhouse but it may be „dry hopped“ during the
fermentation fore more aroma (specific in IPAs)
• By brewing sweet wort with hops for 1-2 hours (depending on the
type of beer) hopped wort comes to existence.
• During wort brewing due to precipitation of the so called tannins
there occurs flocculation of proteins and hop residues.
• The hopped wort is then pumped into the wirlpool mixer. The hop
residues and other impurities settle to the center ground (by
gravitation and centripetal powers) and the hopped wort gets pure.
Wort brewing and whirlpooling

Wort boiling Measurring of the amount of

kettle hopped wort

The Whirlpool jet in the

hopped whirlpool mixer
wort
 (Main) Fermentation
• The wort is cooled to the fermentation temperature, aerated and the brewer
´s yeasts are added in the ratio 200:1.
• The main fermentation takes place at a temperature of 8-10 °C (bottom
yeasts) in large containers called cylindro-conical tanks (CKT)
• yeasts convert most of the sugars into ethylalcohol and carbon dioxide
(there some residual extract remains)
C6 H12O6  2C2 H 5OH  2CO2
• it is necessary to periodically check the stadium of fermentation, the whole
process is controlled by temperature control (cooling)
• after 6-14 days of fermentation the young beer is cooled down, the
fermentation sludges are removed from its surface and it is stored to
fermentation tanks in the lager cellars
• yeast deposited on the bottom of the tub are thoroughly washed and if they
have the same properties, they can be reused
– one culture can be repeatedly used up to 5-7 times, each time increasing the
risk of unwanted mutations of yeast and fermentation products. Once they are
useless and discarded, a new culture from the yeast deposit (deep hypothermic
environment) is taken and multiplied
• earlier and today in small breweries an open fermentation vat is used in the
fermenting cellar
 (Main) Fermentation

CK tanks Sampling of young beer Open fermenting

 Maturation and filtration
• young beer comes into cellars and is stored for maturation in lager tanks
• lagering tanks - horizontally lying cylindrical containers with a capacity of
60-630hl in refrigerated storage cellar
• the beer matures, gets clear and carbonated, naturally resulting from
fermentation
• maturation takes according to the type of beer from several days to several
months and it is carried out at a temperature of 2 °C and a pressure of 0.10
and 0.15 MPa.
• Adequately long natural maturation is necessary to create a full
"rounded" taste good drinkability, nice relish and thick durable foam.
• Smaller part of the finished beer is directly kegged and bottled, it is called
unfiltered - yeast beer, which excels in taste, nutritional content and health
beneficial substances, but has a limited shelf life.
• Most beer is filtered on the bergmeal or a membrane filter, therefore it does
not contain brewer's yeast
Maturation and filtration

Lager tanks
bergmeal
filter

lager cellars
 Kegging and bottling
• filtered and unfiltered beer is bottled (0.3 liters and 0.5 liter
bottles), kegged in stainless steel kegs (20 liters, 30 liters, 50
liters) or stored in beer cans (0.3 liters and 0.5 liters and 5
liters) isobarically, in a counterpressure as well as during
filtration
• The entire process takes place observing very strict purity
requirements
• some manufacturers don´t pasteurize their beer, it retains its
original taste profile, but most breweries package it
pasteurized, thus prolonging its shelf life and reduce storage
condition requirements
Kegging and bottling
 Labeling of beer
• by Decree no. 335/1997 producers must indicate the name of the
beer and type/category (eg. a lager beer), alcoholic strength and
color type (whether it is pale, semi-dark or dark beer).
• the exact original wort extract is not required to be indicated (if a
producer decides so, he must comply with the given number)
• In the Czech Republic the original wort extract is reflected by
indicating beer category (eg. bartender, lager), which is also
compulsory.
• Examples of proper categories:
– light beer (lower than 8% EPM)
– bartender/draft beer (8-10% EPM)
– lager (11-12% EPM) – sometimes the proper 12% EPM is called premium
lager
– special beer (13 a více % EPM)
– porter (dark with 19+ % EPM)
Main beer producers in the CR
 Minibreweries
• divided into two basic groups by the difference in fermentation:

– Separate fermentation process with primary fermentation taking

place in two separate locations, the first one is in an open
fermenting vat where the beer ferments without pressure, and after
leaving approximately 3-5 % of the residual extract it is moved to
lager tanks, where it finishes under pressure up to 0,15MPa for
about 30 days (10° beer) or more than 45 days (12% beer).
– Fermentation process using overpressured cylindro-conical tanks
also occurs in two phases, but in a single container. Primary
fermentation takes place under slight pressure 0.02-0.03 MPa,
which is regulated by damming fitting. The secondary fermentation
takes place in the same container, but the pressure is increased to
0.05 to 0,18 MPa.
Minibreweries
 Homebrewing – home beer
• simplest method involves a canned "kit" containing liquid or powder
extract and brewer's yeast (for this purpose it can be purchased separately
or cultivated from "live" beer)
• The purchased extract is processed in the same way as in the brewery.
After brewing they would normally start the fermentation. Here, the
process is interrupted and a special technology is used to dry the wort.
Adding an apropriate ammount of water has the effect of returning the
prefab to the state where the original wort would be.
– extract mixed in a pot with the appropriate amount of water
– amount of water determines the resulting strength of beer
– for higher alcohol content you need to add sugar
– add yeast to ferment for five days, then pour into bottles or a keg and let rest for at least 10
days
• Home brewery equipment
– It is technically unique device for home preparation of beer.
– You can both prepare beer from wort extracts, or "honestly" prepared from malt and hops.
– Home brewery is a closed container that protects your beer from contagion by foreign yeasts
and also serves as a cask from which you can directly tap own beer tap.
• Motivation for brewing at home: Domestic beer is:
– CHEAP – a pint of draft lager for a few pence
– SIMPLE – preparing of a batch when takes few hours
– FAST – the first taste in 10 days already
– ORIGINAL – possibility to combine different products and try different yeasts
– NATURAL – in home beer there are all the vitamins and beneficial substances preserved
Home brewery equipment
 …and a few last ideas!

Let´s
If there was
drink as
no beer, how
long as
could we
we are
drink to our
alive, we
health!
can
hardly do
after
death!

autor: Mgr. Aleš Molek

technická spolupráce: Bc. Petr Kosáček
odborná spolupráce: Ing. Ivan Dufek
Zdroje: Kosař a kol., Technologie výroby sladu a piva, Výzkumný ústav pivovarský a sladařský, 2000
Wikipedia: http://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pivo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer