How to Brew Beer

Lets take a look at the ingredients in more detail:

Water
The significance of good water must not be overlooked in the beer making process - considering that it can be up to 95% of the beer by mass! Many classic beers have been produced over the years with wonderful claims about the water source from which the beer has been made as many natural sources of water contain many minerals that aid the beer making process.

Such in-depth water-sourcing is not usually neccessary nowadays. Many excellent beers are being made from tap water and the general rule of thumb seems to be "If it tastes good, then it's fine for brewing beer!"

Although, on that note, many authorities add ingredients such as chlorine to their water which may adversly affect the quality of taste. Do not fear, however, as chlorine can easily be removed from water through boiling.

In addition, the water hardness plays a significant part in the process. Hard waters are more predominantly used for beer brewing. Generally, the harder the water, the darker the beer.

Malt Barley
Malt barely contains the highest amount of fermentable sugar and is, therefore, essential to beer brewing. The quality of the grain is of paramount importance. A good quality grain is generally packed with flour and has a thin shell. Today, many breweries use powdered or instant barley malt to aid the speed at which it ferments.

Yeast
Yeast is essential to the fermentation process. The yeast absorbs the sugar in the wort and releases ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide. This provides the beer's necessary alcohol content and carbonation.

There are two main types of yeast used in the making of beer:
Ale Yeast
Top fermenting yeast is so called because it rises to the top of the wort during the fermentation process usually at warmer temperatures somewhere in the region of 70 F (21 C).
Lager Yeast
Usually bottom fermenting and prefer lower temperatures of around 50 F (10 C).