Wine Making | Beer Brewing

Beer is practically a staple in social drinking in many countries around the world today. It has been described as a “social tool” because it promotes socialization bonds when used in moderation. Beer is said to be the third most popular beverage around the world, following water and tea. It is served in restaurants, bars, pubs, social events, parties, and festivals. It is served in celebrations as much as it has proven to be a good companion in times of problems and misery.

Beer brewing entails the fermentation and brewing of starches or sugar. Starches are the byproducts of cereals such as barley, rice, wheat, and corn. The dawn of the Industrial Revolution gave way to the mass production and distribution of beer. Today, beer brewing is among the most lucrative enterprises worldwide.

Beer is said to be the oldest brewed beverage in human history. Traces of the earliest beer brewing activities date back to as early as the sixth millennium B.C. Ancient Iran and Egypt were regarded as the earliest beer producers, followed by Babylon, ancient Rome, and ancient Greece. Experts suggest that the fermentation process could also have made possible the simultaneous discovery of beer or beer-like brews in many parts of the world.

Ancient Sumerian writings mentioned beer such as in a prayer to the goddess Ninkasi. “The Hymn to Ninkasi” is believed to have been some kind of recipe for making beer as few of the Sumerians were literate. Beer brewing is closely associated to the invention of bread, making it an important milestone in agricultural development. Some observers even go as far as claiming that the discovery of beer and bread are the pillars of human civilization.

Chemical tests showed that pottery jars from Mesopotamia (Iran today) show evidence of beer fermentation. A 4,000-year-old Sumerian tablet reportedly depicted people drinking a brewed beverage from a common bowl using straws.

Early Eurasian and North African civilizations, including Egypt, actively participated in beer brewing. There have also been beer citations during biblical times such as in the story of Noah and the ark and the time of King Saul and King David.

Ancient Rome also enjoyed beer way before wine replaced the beverage as the alcoholic drink of choice. They are said to have learned the art of beer brewing from the Greeks, who in turn, learned it from the Egyptians. The Romans called beer “cerevisia” which is a Celtic term. Eventually, the Romans started regarding beer as a drink of the Barbarians.

The Middle Ages saw all social classes enjoying the alcoholic beverage and engaging in beer brewing. Beer rose to popularity the most in Eastern Europe, where grapes, which are used for producing wine, are difficult to grow. Beer became a staple for every meal by the Late Middle Ages especially for the lower classes.

Eventually, manufacturers started using hops, the female flower cones of the hop plant, wherein the bitter taste of beer is attributed. Before the use of hops, herbs, fruit, and honey were used to mix with beer. Hops enabled the better preservation of beer and it helped balance the ingredients. Monks were said to have actively participated in making and selling beer.

Beer is regarded as the first alcoholic beverage ever produced, dating back to as early as the sixth millennium B.C. The discovery of beer is considered to be a major event in the development of agriculture through the centuries. Closely related to the discovery of bread, beer is made from the fermentation of sugar or starch in cereal products.

Chinese history referred to some kind of brewed beverage they called “kui” 5,000 years ago. A 4,000-year-old Mesopotamian clay tablet referred to women as “master brewers.” Women also played an important role in beer brewing in Babylon. Most of them had been priestesses who used the alcoholic drink for religious rites.

Hammurabi, the sixth king of Babylon, included beer control in his laws, more popularly known as the Code of Hammurabi. The Babylonians produced various types of beer – red, dark, pale, three-fold, and so on. Historians claimed that royalty used a golden straw to sip their drink. In Israel, beer is believed to have been available as early as the time of King Saul and Kind David as shown by several mugs found at Tel Isdar in the 1960s

The pharaohs of ancient Egypt drank beer regularly some 5,000 years ago. It was a staple for the noblemen as well as the peasants. Even the dead were given the alcoholic drink to take with them in their “journey to the next life.” The beverage was also used as a medicinal prescription. Beer was mentioned in the Book of the Dead and depicted in ancient hieroglyphics. Isis was the Egyptian people’s patroness of beer brewing. A keg of beer is supposedly the proper gift from anyone who asks for the hand of a pharaoh’s daughter.

It is believed that the Greeks learned brewing from the Egyptians. Great Greek writers such as Sophocles, Xenophon, and Herodotus often mentioned beer in their works. In turn, it was the Greeks who passed on the knowledge to the ancient Romans. Julius Caesar himself is known to have offered his officers a beer toast upon crossing the River Rubicon in 49 B.C. The Romans taught European barbarians how to brew yeasts, as scholars said.

History shows that Christian monasteries produced and sold beer. Monks are said to have engaged into the undertaking as a means to fund the needs of pilgrims and travelers. The likes of Saint Augustine of Hippo, Saint Luke the Evangelist, and Saint Nicholas of Myra (Santa Claus) were deemed as patrons of brewing. Germany’s Saint Columbian is also associated with beer.

Christian ruler, Emperor Charlemagne promoted beer as part of a moderate diet. Arthurian legends mentioned a brewed beverage called “bragget” as being served to the Knights of the Round Table. Women were also known as brew masters throughout medieval times, when the drink was regarded as a “food-drink.”

Beer and ale are closely associated in present times. Their difference is that ale is mainly produced from malt. Hops were added as a main ingredient in Flanders, giving it a bitter taste and making it better preserved compared to ale.

Is a one step wine making machine right for you? Traditionally wine making is an all hands on process. From picking the grapes off the vine to placing the cork in the bottle, lots of people enjoy having full control of every step. The reason for this is that control is necessary in wine making. When you have precise control over every step of the wine making process you can dictate the final flavor of the wine. But what about the one step beer brewing machines that make awesome beer? Well, wine is different and you can’t pour a package in a keg and walk away. Wine making is more involved.

However, there still are wine making machines but they are not a one step solution. There are separate wine making machines for each and every step of the process.

The wine making process:

1) Grapes can be removed from the vine via hand or machine – harvesting machine.

2) The grapes are then chopped or crushed – traditionally by foot, this is now done in large quantities by a separate machine.

3) Preparation for fermentation – this is hands on as it can make or break your batch.

4) Fermentation round 1 – kicking the wine off takes the perfect environment; climate controlling machines are perfect for this stage.

5) Fermentation round 2 – this is where the alcohol is developed and machines are best used to transfer the wine from one container to another.

6) Bottling the wine – bottling machines make this process easier, much easier.

Long and short of the story, there is no one step wine making machine. But the wine making industry has a variety of machines available to help make the entire process easier and more enjoyable. If there is a step in the wine making process that you don’t like, find a machine to aid you. But remember, if a machine made the whole batch could you still be so proud passing out bottles as gifts to friends?

Welcome, and thank-you for taking the time to visit my website.  I have always had an interest in wine, beer and making my own.  As I uncover everything there is to know about wine and beer I will keep recored here.  I am a very analytical person so I will be starting from the very beginning, as you can see my post on The History of Wine.  Over the next week I will be touching on:

The Social Aspects of Wine

The Social Aspects of Beer

The History of Beer

The History of Beer Brewing

The History of Wine Making

If you have any feedback, or would like to request information on a specific wine or beer topic please let me know.

~Cheers

Wine Making, the ancient art or the ancient science; depends on who you ask. For over 5000 years wine making has played a part in shaping the history of the world. It is commonly agreed that the origins of wine making started in the Middle East, between the fertile regions of the Nile and the Persian Gulf. Accident or not, the discovery of wine has been a part of almost every culture since the beginning of time. The wine making process spread through the growth in population. Villages became cities, putting pressure on the demand for product. As nations and empires came and went the wine making process spread throughout the world.

In ancient Egypt wine making quickly developed into its own industry. Weaving itself into ceremonies, the wine making process was routinely recorded on the walls of tombs and caves. Cultivated and created through hard labour wine was enjoyed from the peasants to the pharaohs. Within the arid climate, wine skins were the most common means to keep the wine until consumption.

When the Roman Empire influenced the Middle East, wine instantly became fused to their culture. Wine became so common within the Roman Empire that it was pretty much considered part of their diet. The Romans have been credited with planting most of the vineyards found in Western Europe today. This precious business of wine making also saw many technological improvements at the hands of the Romans. In fact they are the ones who originally started using barrels and bottles to store and transport their wine. It was through the Catholic Church that the wine industry and wine culture survived the fall of the Roman Empire.

Today’s modern wine culture models that of the Greeks. You can still find vineyards in Greece today growing the same plants that were harvested many centuries ago. Theophrastas is the oldest known author to document the complete wine making process. Even the Greek gods were told to have enjoyed the wine that was produced.

Wine is the fermented juice of grapes. Most wine is specifically created from the Vitis Vinifera species of grape. The different varieties of the species come in different sizes, shapes, color, juice amounts, have different ripening times and different disease resistances. Common names of the varieties are Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Beer Machine is a self-contained, single-step brewer that makes brewing your own fresh premium naturally made beer as easy as brewing coffee. The idea is simple: after the simple one time assembly, you can make any of dozens of international or domestic styled beers in just seven to ten days. Included with your Beer Machine, you’ll get your first 28 12oz servings of heavenly brew that you can tap direct from The Beer Machine and keep right in your fridge.

The Beer Machine 2000 features a brand-new custom made precision pressure gauge that measures the volume of CO-2 gas inside The Beer Machine so you have the knowledge and power to alter the amount of carbonation in your beer during and after brewing. In addition, to allowing you to better control your brewing you can control the serving process. Knowing the amount of pressure inside The Beer Machine allows you to pour your beer with exactly the “beerhead” you desire. Also you can customize the two extra beer tap handles that come with the model 2000. Display the name of your brew or the Brewmaster!

Currently there are two different models available The Beer Machine 2000 and The Brewery 2006. The Brewery 2006 system takes the ultimate brewing machine, The Beer Machine 2000, and gives you the capability to bottle your brew with a special attachment so your beer never is exposed to the outside air before it reaches your mouth. The Brewry 2006 comes with 6 PET reuseable bottles and caps.

“Received your beer machine 10 days ago. Just poured my first couple of drafts of my first attempt at EVER making my own beer. Your claims of outstanding beer are incredibly true!!! Took me just minutes to make my first batch and it was fantastic!!! Definitely will be telling my friends about you product” Chris Adams Bear, Delaware

“Well I didn’t think it was possible for the Beermachine to produce the same quality beer that I enjoy to drink. Well I was wrong. I’m enjoying a glass of Canadian Red right now. HMMM HMMM GOOD.”
Vern, Racine, WI

With a Coopers Microbrewery Kit and a little imagination, you can design your own ‘hand-crafted’ beer. The Coopers Brewery, Australia’s only family-owned and operated brewery, has spent decades perfecting the art and craft of making beer at home. Now, this expertise, once only available to Aussies, is yours to enjoy.

You can now experience what Australian beer lovers have known for years, delicious beer made at home from your very own Coopers Brewery Micro Brewery Kit. In an age where smaller is better, Coopers is well ahead of the game. Forget laptop computers and miniature cell phones, the Coopers Brewery has managed to squeeze an entire brewery into a box no bigger than the average picnic cooler. Imagine, everything you need to brew your own tasty beer. The Coopers Brewery Micro Brewery Kit includes everything you need from PET bottles and caps to all the ingredients for your first batch. Don’t be fooled by cheap imitations; only Coopers gives you a kit that produces 50 12oz bottles of great brewery-fresh beer. The Coopers Brewery Micro Brewery Kit is the most popular beermaking kit in the world because it is fast, easy, simply the Best.

Imagine the joy of sharing your specially brewed beer with your mates.

‘We are now in the brewing industry’… So wrote Thomas Cooper to his brother John in England, after establishing his brewing business in the new colony of South Australia in 1862. It was, indeed, a matter-of-fact announcement of a very bold decision to turn his back on a secure job as a stone mason. South Australia was only 26 years old, times were tough in the brewing industry with a number of large, highly competitive breweries already established. But Thomas Cooper was a born entrepreneur with barrels of energy, purpose and vision.

He discovered his talent as a brewer by accident when his wife asked him to brew up a batch of ale from an old family recipe to help cure an illness. Word quickly spread and he soon found himself brewing the now world-famous Coopers Sparkling Ale and Extra Stout for a growing band of loyal customers.

Home brewing could not be simpler. So goes the history of Cooper’s Brewery. Coopers are not only the makers of world famous beer but they are also one of the few breweries that manufacture beer kits. Coopers Australian beer kits are recognized the world over for there quality and distinct character.

In 1998, Mr.Beer® was founded with a single goal in mind: to produce and market the world’s easiest to use home brewing systems and supplies. To date MR.BEER® has sold over 600,000 brewing kits, 4 million cans of malt extract, and is proud to serve over 100,000 repeat customers — making it the most popular home brewing system in the world.

Not just a producer of brew kits, MR.BEER® also sells its own unique refill packs. Each of the 16 different beer mixes are produced from a unique blend of malts and hops. Our ingredients run the gamut from the traditional pale malt and ubiquitous galena hops to expertly roasted crystal malts and rare Nelson Sauvin hops.

Our International Series beer mixes focus on reproducing classic styles from around the world. Whether you thirst for a rich and robust Irish Stout or a delicate Bavarian Wheat beer, MR.BEER® has you covered. Our American Series mixes re-create the most popular styles in the states, and each includes an additional dose of fragrant hops added to every can to increase the hop flavor and aroma.

MR.BEER® malt extracts, combined with either a pouch of Booster or unhopped malt extract make two gallons of delicious beer. By varying our selection of base ingredients, we have provided you with the ability to create a nearly infinite variety of beers to suit every palate.

In addition to that, MR.BEER® offers an extensive line of hops, specialized yeast strains, recipes, books, brewing accessories and beer apparel, making it easier than ever for you to brew your beer, your way.

For quality reasons all our malts are made from the finest quality barley and wheat grown in the fertile soils of New Zealand. These grains are harvested before being taken into a state of the art malting house where they are sprouted to activate the grain’s natural enzymes, then dried and kilned. Then, in our fully modern brewing facility on beautiful South Island NZ, the grains are cracked open and heated with water to bring out their natural sweetness. This mashing process produces a rich, sweet liquid, which is then separated from the grain, and boiled with premium hops to produce wort with perfect color and malt flavor, as well as a complementary bitterness. Excess water is then removed and the concentrated malt extract is promptly canned exclusively for MR.BEER®.