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mashing
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Diagram showing the beer production process from barley to finished product, with labeled steps including malting, milling, mashing, brewing with hops, fermentation, maturation, filtration, pasteurization, and packaging into bottles, cans, or kegs.
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mashing

beverage production
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Diagram showing the beer production process from barley to finished product, with labeled steps including malting, milling, mashing, brewing with hops, fermentation, maturation, filtration, pasteurization, and packaging into bottles, cans, or kegs.
beer production process The process of beer production.

Mashing is a crucial step in producing beverages like beer and distilled spirits. Its primary purpose is to convert starches from grains into fermentable sugars. This process involves mixing grains with water in a vessel called a mash tun.12

The starches within the grain cells are broken down to allow them to be converted into sugars by enzymes, mainly amylase, which are present in malted barley. The temperature is carefully controlled during this process, typically between 62 to 72 °C (144 to 162 °F), to facilitate enzymatic action. The resulting sugary liquid is known as wort. Different grains and malts require specific temperature programs and techniques, such as infusion or decoction mashing, to optimize starch conversion.1324

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5 Britannica Sources
  1. distilled spirit - Mashing
  2. beer - Mixing the mash
  3. beer - Separating the wort
  4. beer - Germination
  5. distilled spirit - Milling and pressing

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