Talk:Brewing

Focus areas
I have created a page /Focus areas/ to get some corodination as to
 * What needs to be done
 * Who is all involved
 * Who needs help

This may not quite be the right way of doing it... but bold editing is what I am trying at the moment - bit of the blind leading from the front Andbrew.downes (talk) 09:13, 11 November 2009 (UTC)

This was the origninal text as an introduction: Brewing is the making of beer. Grain (most commonly barley) is allowed to sprout. Enzymes are produced within the grain which can convert starch into sugars. The sprouting is stopped by heating the grain (a process known as malting). Malted grain can be stored until needed. When the brewing process takes place, the malted grain is cracked or milled to allow access to the starchy interior and then soaked in warm water. The enzymes then turn the starch into sugar, and the resultant thin sweet liquid (known as wort) is drained off the spent grain. The wort is then boiled, usually with the addition of plant-based flavour modifiers. Boiling has the effect of sanitising the wort, and concentrating the sugars present because the volume is reduced as water is evaporated off. After cooling the wort, yeast is added and fermentation takes place: the yeast converts sugars to alcohol and carbon dioxide. The result is an alcoholic drink generically known as beer. Many subtleties and variations on the brewing process exist. I am planning on changing the text into a more 'introduction' style of text and drawing the reader in. Elfich 15:48, 10 April 2006 (UTC)

How would people feel about expanding this book to include home production of other fermented beverages such as wine, mead, and cider?

Re: Expanding to wine, mead, or cider
Wine mead and cider differ from beer in several aspects. I wouldn't think integrating their production with the beer making text would be useful, but seperate sections might be a good idea. Also, the production of these other beverages is not refered to as "brewing," so I don't think that this wikibook is obliged to discuss them based on the title. However, mentioning the basic processes couldn't hurt much, but each of them deserve their own book, IMHO. --Schusselig 02:51, 11 July 2007 (UTC)

Forwards
I've added a pair of forwards; to the student and to the instructor, with the hope of encouraging this book in the direction of becoming more of a text book than it currently is. I was trying to provide some guidance that a person wishing to learn how to brew (or teach) could follow through the book and become enamored with the process without reorganizing the book. I think it's important for a new brewer to start with an extract beer first, due to the smaller amount of initial investment required and also to the shorter period of time and in depth knowledge required to get that first batch consumed. This is probably due to the way I learned to brew myself; learning from my oldest brother who is still an extract only brewer and then later from reading books such as the Joy of Home Brewing whose organization begins with extract only, extract with grain adjuncts, and then finally with all-grain. While Mr. Papazian's books remain treasured parts of my library, I can't help but hate finding parts of the same material in three seperate parts of the book. I did not have anything to do with the initial organisation of this book, but I feel it can result in a more concise and usable book, provided a decent guide to encourage new comers. Perhaps a wikiversity class on brewing may be in order to fufill the need I see, but I believe that a simple guide would be sufficient while a class would better accomplish such goals live and in person. But I've digressed a bit...

So, I shall now state a goal for myself and any other author, with regard to this book; to write in a manner encouraging to potential brewers while still providing a complete work. Uh, that's kind of vague, but it's the best I have right now. Maybe I'll try again later..... --Schusselig 21:33, 26 July 2007 (UTC)