Freshly Brewed According to the Bavarian Reinheitsgebot.

Malting and Grinding

Malt is prepared for beer production at a malting plant. Malt goes through several stages: soaking, germinating, pre-drying and drying. First, grain is cleaned and soaked in water. Through the increase in moisture, grain begins to slowly germinate. After the germination process and through gentle drying, the grain’s moisture content is reduced. At this point, it will be heated (kiln-dried). The longer the grain is heated, the more intense the color of the malt will become, ultimately affecting the color of the beer as well. Once kilning is complete, the grains are now termed malt. Finally, the kernels are separated and malt is ready to be used for beer production.

Before beer preparation can begin, malt must be milled. For this purpose, malt is put into a grinding mill and crushed so that the grains break apart. It is very important during this grinding stage that the husks (kernel casings) are not damaged, as these will be needed later in the lautering process.

Mashing and Lautering

The process of mashing combines milled grain with our pristine brewing water. At this point the starch from the grain is released. Known as mash, it will then be heated through more stages, breaking down the starch in the grain into sugars. Finally, lautering of the mash begins. During this process the solid and insoluble parts of the spent grain are separated from the liquid wort.

Mash is first transferred to a lauter tun. After a few minutes a natural filter is formed, which helps separate the clear liquid from the solid matter. The remaining extract from the spent grain is rinsed off with ~78-degree (Celsius) hot water. The remaining spent grain can then be used as animal feed.

Wort Boiling and Whirlpool

The wort obtained from mashing and lautering will be boiled in a brew kettle. During this time hops are added, thereby determining the taste of the beer. The first hops dosage is responsible for its bitterness, the last addition of hops in the process gives beer its aroma. By boiling the wort, the strength of the beer is determined and measured as original wort. The original wort content is the extract contained in the wort, which was dissolved from the malt. The amount of original wort determines the alcohol content and the type beer in the fermentation process (i.e., lager, or Bock beer).

Fermentation and Lagering

The finished brew is cooled to the desired fermentation temperature. Then, through aerating with sterile air and adding yeast, it begins to ferment. The yeast converts the malt sugars during fermentation into alcohol and carbon dioxide. After the main fermentation is complete, the young beer is pumped into storage tanks where it can still mature and undergo secondary fermentation over time. The main fermentation process for bottom-fermented beer, like our Paulaner lager, lasts five to seven days; for top-fermented beer, like our Hefe-Weissbier, three to four days.