BEER PRODUCTION BY FERMENTATION PROCESS: A REVIEW

Abstract

Beer is an age-old alcoholic, recreational beverage popular worldwide. It is produced by the process of brewing which involves the enzymatic fermentation of the mixture of water, starch, and hops by yeast in a specific condition. Production of beer from cereal grains involved several steps including grain treatment, malting, mashing, lautering, filtration, fermentation, maturation, finishing, and packaging. The brewing process has a marked effect on the quality, taste, aroma, consistency and alcoholic content. Several types of beers with distinct characteristics can be produced by varying the brewing conditions and yeast flora. Apart from psychoactive affects beer can have several medicinal benefits when consumed in moderation. This review presents a detailed understanding of the several steps for enhancing the brewing process for commercial beer production with desirable quality and flavour. The review also highlights current research progress in the innovative methods and techniques adapted for the cost-effective production of beer, including key advances, potential applications and limitations. Therefore, keeping in view the demands of beer in human daily life, there is an extensive need to commercialize these processes by developing and optimizing novel strategies for cost-effective beer production.