Dive Into The Brewing, Fermentation & Packaging Of Craft Beer

It is an understatement to call beer the life of the party. From American sitcoms to Indian shows, the alcoholic beverage is showcased as the golden nectar over which people bond. There might be countless people who became friends over sharing a pint of beer or poured their hearts out to a random stranger with whom they shared a pitcher.

Beer is like an icebreaker at a gathering if you are feeling awkward. It helps you be carefree without incoordination, slurred speech, and behavioural changes that are a result of intoxication by other strong alcohols. This International Beer Day, to be celebrated on August 2, 2024, Slurrp will acquaint you with craft beer. It is ranked among the most popular alcoholic drinks in Indian bars and breweries. 

To bring you insight into the brewing, fermentation, and packaging processes of craft beer, Slurrp connected with experts in the industry - Suman Bharti, Founder of Reflex Bar Brewery and Dining; Abhijeet Salvi, Head Brewer, Royal Oak; Manish Ajay Limbachia, Finance And Operations Head at Rolling Mills; Ishwaraj Singh Bhatia, COO and Co-Founder, Simba.

What Is Craft Beer?

Explaining craft beer, Ishwaraj Singh Bhatia said, “It is a term used to describe beer produced by small and independent breweries that focus on flavour, quality, and brewing techniques over mass producing a batch.” Hence, craft beer is often prepared in small batches using a creative and unique approach to brewing. 

Manish Ajay Limbachia added that the breweries making craft beer try to create interesting flavour profiles that can help them set apart from mass producers of the beverage. Taking it up a notch, Suman Bharti explained, “Craft beer represents a blend of traditional brewing artistry and modern innovation. This unique combination continues to drive the craft beer movement forward, constantly surprising and delighting beer enthusiasts worldwide with new and exciting flavour experiences.”

Flavours Of Craft Beer

Suman Bharti explained that the foundation of craft beer stands on four ingredients - hops, malted grains, yeast, and water. “Malted grains, primarily barley, provide fermentable sugars and contribute to the beer's character. Hops add bitterness, flavour, and aroma, with a wide variety of hop strains available. Water, often overlooked, plays a crucial role in taste development. Yeast is responsible for fermentation as it produces varying flavours and aromas depending on the strain used,” she added.

Explaining it further, Ishwaraj Singh Bhatia shared an example. A pale ale might use a specific variety of hops to play with the citrus notes. On the other hand, a stout could include roasted barley to achieve strong coffee-life flavours.

Since craft beer is prepared in small batches with unique flavours, many breweries also prepare seasonal batches using local ingredients. Diving deeper into the flavour profile, Abhijeet Salvi added further, “Most microbreweries use local ingredients like rice, corn, millet, fruits, and spices. Seasonal special craft beer can flaunt flavours of mango, kokum, and even cucumber.”

Also Read: Experts Share The Rising Trend And Popularity Of The Spirit In Punjab

How Craft Beer Is Brewed And Fermented?

Manish Ajay Limbachia shared insights into how craft beer is made. It starts with soaking barley for the germination to begin and drying it in a kiln. The enzymes developed from this process convert starch into fermentable sugar. If the breweries use malted barley, they skip this step.

In the next step, malt is combined with hot water to create a mash. When enzymes convert starch into sugar, a sweet liquid called wort is released and boiled. 

In the third step, hops are added at different stages to balance flavours and infuse the drink with aroma. In this process, the wort is also sterilised. In the fourth stage, the boiled wort is cooled and transferred to a vessel in which yeast is added for the fermentation to begin. 

When yeast consumes sugar, alcohol and carbon dioxide are released. The fermentation takes place in two stages - the first one takes a couple of weeks and the second one is optional and can take a few weeks or even months depending on the complexity of flavours that the brewer wants in the drink. Once happy with the batch, the beer is packed.

Packaging Of Craft Beer

“During the packaging process,” Ishwaraj Singh Bhatia said, “ the beery may be filtered to remove solids and carbonated to achieve the desired frizziness. The beverage is bottled, canned or kegged in a hygienic environment to prevent contamination and maintain the quality and freshness.”

But it’s not just packaging, breweries also need to be cautious about the storage of the beverage. Suman Bharti shared that after labelling the bottles and cans, the beer is stored in cool and dark spaces so that it does not spoil and remains fresh. The shelf life of craft beer is short, probably a few months especially a batch that is unfiltered or unpasteurised. 

Craft Beer Industry Trends

Speaking about the industry trends, Suman Bharti said, “The trend of experimenting and crafting new flavours is rapidly growing. More breweries are coming forward to harvest local ingredients like fruits, herbs, and grains that give a boost to farmers and minimise the impact on the environment.”

Ishwaraj Singh Bhatia added that breweries are also experimenting with techniques and unconventional ingredients. “This includes barrel ageing with local wood, using wild yeasts to develop complex and region-specific flavours. The personalisation of craft beer is helping breweries establish their distinct identities.”

This International Beer Day, you must head out exploring local breweries and batches of craft beer they have been creating. There is nothing like a freshly brewed batch with customised notes and flavours of local fruits, grains, and herbs.