Brewing and Spirits Technology

BEER- Economic indicators and legislation. Raw materials used in brewing. Structure of the barley grain. Enzymic modification and biochemical changes occurring during germination. Characteristics and production of the main classes of malts used in brewing. Milling of malt and wort production (mashing). Water quality (source, ionic composition, treatments). Principal mashing methods and mashing biochemistry (starch conversion, proteolysis..). Hops: processing and forms used in brewing, specifications and introductory hop chemistry. Wort boiling, clarification and cooling. Brewing yeast management and fermentation. Brewing yeast taxonomy and biochemistry. Biological and chemical processes that contribute to the maturation of beer. Formation of non-biological hazes and stabilisation against non-biological haze. Clarification and filtration. Bottling. Sensory analysis of beer. SPIRITS - Distillation principles. The properties of ethanol-water mixture. Batch and continuous distillation. Processing of grappa, Cognac, brandy, whisky, rum, gin and vodka.