History of brewing

Brewing is the processes preparing beverages through steeping a starch source in water and then fermenting with yeast. The brewer begins with malted barley or another grain cereal. Malted barley is dried, sprouted or geminated barley which the brewer grinds and then heats with warm water.

Scientific and archaeological evidence, researchers strongly believe that beer was first produced in the late fourth millennium BC by the Sumerian in Southern Babylonia.

The world’s oldest recipe, written on Sumerian clay tablets is for the making beer. A number of vats also found and one of the vats contained a number of small bowls, which are said to have been used for brewing purposes. 

Brewing practices had spread to Rome during Caesar’s reign and into other parts of Europe. Brewing flourished in Egypt until the end of the eight century AD when Muslim Arabs invaded the region and the art of brewing had spread far beyond the confines of the Middle East.

A major leap forward in brewing came in the 11th century when hops were introduced to beer in Europe. Hops gave beer a more satisfying flavor. Hops have certain antibacterial qualities and with hops beer will last longer than the ancient beers.

All the beer brewed in the seventeenth century used top fermenting yeast. During the second half of the nineteenth century European breweries were experiencing a transitional phase from which the modern brewing industry emerged.

The Danish scientist Dr Emil Chr. Hansen’s method for pure cultivation of yeast, in 1883 applied for the first time at the Carlsberg brewery in Copenhagen.
History of brewing