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Brewing
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{{short description|Process in beer production}} {{About|the brewing of beer|other uses|Brewing (disambiguation)}} {{Redirect|Brewer}}{{About|2=the chemical details on the conversion of sugars into ethanol by fermentation|3=Ethanol fermentation}}{{See also|Brewing methods|Homebrewing}} {{pp|small=yes}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}} [[File:The Brewer designed and engraved in the Sixteenth. Century by J Amman.png|right|thumb|A 16th-century brewery]] '''Brewing''' is the production of [[beer]] by [[steeping]] a [[starch]] source (commonly [[cereal]] grains, the most popular of which is [[barley]])<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ga4MYyZq-RMC&pg=PA236|page=236|author=Evan Evans|title=The Oxford Companion to Beer|publisher=Oxford University Press|date=2011|isbn=9780195367133|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191223055227/https://books.google.com/books?id=Ga4MYyZq-RMC&pg=PA236|archive-date=23 December 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> in water and [[#Fermenting|fermenting]] the resulting sweet liquid with [[Yeast#Beer|yeast]]. It may be done in a [[brewery]] by a commercial brewer, at home by a [[homebrewer]], or communally.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uWXcajHd3W0C&pg=PA111|title=Encyclopaedia of Brewing|page=111|author=Chris Boulton|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|date=20 May 2013|isbn=9781118598122|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160521101002/https://books.google.com/books?id=uWXcajHd3W0C&pg=PA111|archive-date=21 May 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Brewing has taken place since around the 6th millennium BC, and archaeological evidence suggests that emerging civilizations, including [[ancient Egypt]],<ref name="Arnold" /> [[China]],<ref name=China/> and [[Mesopotamia]], brewed beer.<ref name="Hartman">{{cite journal|author1=Louis F Hartman |author2=A. L. Oppenheim |name-list-style=amp |date=December 1950 |title=On Beer and Brewing Techniques in Ancient Mesopotamia |journal=Journal of the American Oriental Society |volume=10|issue=Supplement }}</ref> Since the nineteenth century the [[#brewing industry|brewing industry]] has been part of most western economies. The basic ingredients of beer are water and a [[Fermentation|fermentable]] starch source such as [[malted barley]]. Most beer is fermented with a [[brewer's yeast]] and flavoured with [[hops]].<ref name="alabev.com"/> Less widely used starch sources include [[millet]], [[sorghum]] and [[cassava]].<ref name="BeerHunter.com"/> Secondary sources ([[adjuncts]]), such as maize (corn), rice, or sugar, may also be used, sometimes to reduce cost, or to add a feature, such as adding wheat to aid in retaining the foamy head of the beer.<ref name="beer-brewing.com"/> The most common starch source is ground cereal or "grist" β the proportion of the starch or cereal ingredients in a beer recipe may be called grist, grain bill, or simply [[mash ingredients]].<ref name="grist" /> Steps in the brewing process include [[malting]], [[Mill (grinding)|milling]], [[#Mashing|mashing]], [[#Lautering|lautering]], [[#Boiling|boiling]], [[#Fermenting|fermenting]], [[#Conditioning|conditioning]], [[#Filtering|filtering]], and [[#Packaging|packaging]]. There are three main fermentation methods: [[#Warm fermenting|warm]], [[#Cool fermenting|cool]] and [[#Spontaneous fermentation|spontaneous]]. Fermentation may take place in an open or closed fermenting vessel; a secondary fermentation may also occur in the [[#Cask conditioning|cask]] or [[#Bottle conditioning|bottle]]. There are several additional [[brewing methods]], such as [[Brewing methods#Burtonisation|Burtonisation]], [[Brewing methods#Double dropping|double dropping]], and [[Brewing methods#Yorkshire Square|Yorkshire Square]], as well as post-fermentation treatment such as [[#Filtering|filtering]], and [[Barrel-aged beer|barrel-ageing]].
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