How beer is made
Four humble ingredients, a lot of patience and a little microbiology. Work through the course in order, or jump to what makes you curious.
- 01
The Four Ingredients
Water, malt, hops and yeast — meet the tiny cast behind every beer on Earth.
Beginner3 min - 02
Malt & Malting
How barley becomes malt, why base malts do the heavy lifting, and how specialty malts paint colour and flavour.
Beginner4 min - 03
Hops: Bitterness, Aroma & Varieties
Alpha acids, essential oils and a tour of the hop varieties behind your favourite pale ales and lagers.
Intermediate4 min - 04
Yeast & Fermentation
Meet the microscopic workhorse that turns sweet wort into beer, and learn why ale and lager yeasts behave so differently.
Intermediate3 min - 05
Water Chemistry
Why Pilsen's soft water, Burton's hard water and Dublin's alkaline water gave rise to some of the world's most famous beers.
Advanced4 min - 06
The Brew Day, Step by Step
From milling grain to pitching yeast: a walkthrough of the six core stages every all-grain brew day follows.
Intermediate4 min - 07
Your First Homebrew: Equipment & a Simple Pale Ale Extract Recipe
The gear you actually need, plus an easy, forgiving extract pale ale recipe to get your first batch bubbling.
Beginner4 min - 08
Bottling, Kegging & Carbonation
How beer gets its sparkle, how to prime bottles safely, and when it's worth graduating to a keg.
Intermediate4 min - 09
How to Taste Beer Like a Pro
Look, smell, taste, feel and finish — a simple method for tasting beer, plus how to spot common off-flavours.
Beginner3 min - 10
Pouring, Glassware & Serving Temperature
The right pour, the right glass and the right temperature can make a good beer taste great.
Beginner4 min - 11
All-Grain Brewing & Mash Science
Why a few degrees in the mash tun decide whether your beer finishes crisp and dry or rich and chewy: enzymes, temperature rests and conversion, explained.
Advanced5 min - 12
Hop Chemistry & IBU Math
What actually happens to hop acids in a boiling kettle, what an IBU really measures, and how to estimate bitterness with a worked Tinseth example.
Advanced5 min - 13
Brewing Sour & Wild Beer at Home
From two-day kettle sours to year-long funky fermentations: how to brew tart and wild beers at home without souring everything else you make.
Advanced4 min - 14
Kveik & Farmhouse Yeasts
Meet the Norwegian farmhouse yeasts that love a sauna, ferment in a day or two and shrug off heat that would stress ordinary ale yeast.
Intermediate4 min - 15
How Non-Alcoholic Beer Is Made
Take the alcohol out, or never let it in? The two big routes to non-alcoholic beer, what the labels legally mean, and why NA beer needs extra care.
Intermediate4 min - 16
Storing, Cellaring & Freshness
Why most beer should be drunk fresh, which rare styles get better with age, and how light, heat and oxygen quietly ruin a good pint.
Beginner4 min