Beer can be brewed in either a home setting or at a factory. Beer brewing in a factory is usually a much easier process for the people involved, which is mostly due to the fact that machines pretty much handle everything. No matter where the beer is being brewed at, the process is nearly identical at either place. Only at a home setting a person brewing there own beer has a much smaller set up than one will run into at a factory.
The first step in the brewing process is the mash. This process is one that will convert the starches in malted barley into fermentable sugars. Usually this process begins with crushing the malted barley to break up its kernels. This is done with rollers at a factory and is done in the home setting with various tools. The more the kernel of the barley is broken up, the more sugars that will be extracted from the grain. However, if the barley is broken up too much the husk that surrounds the kernel will get broken down which results in a stuck mash. If it is broken up properly, when the mash is finished the husk will form a sort of filter bed that will capture any solids from the liquid. After this process, these crushed grains will go through a pipe and into the mash lauter tun. This is an insulated vessel that encases a device that is known as a hydrator. This hydrator eliminates any dry spots in the mash. Any dry spots in the mash mean wasted sugars, so these grains remain in this particular vessel for at least an hour.
After the last couple steps of the mash are completed the next step is the boil. So, the liquid from the mash is put into a huge brew kettle at a factory or a smaller brew kettle at the home setting. At the beginning of the boil the hops will be added. These hops are then known as boiling hops and they will add bitterness to the beer. Depending on what type of beer is being brewed, more hops may be added at the end of the boil.