How beer is made
Heineken beers are brewed using solely water, barley, hops and yeast. The barley is malted (soaked to initiate a natural geminating process), ground, mixed with water and then heated. Step by step, the temperature increases so that the starch in the malted barley is converted into sugars. After the solids have been filtered out, the result is 'wort' (malt sugars), which is then brought to the boil. During the boiling process the brewers add the hops. Using only the female flowers of the hops plant gives beer its characteristic bitter taste and improves its storability.
After the wort has been boiled, the next step is fermentation. First, the wort has to be cooled down to 8 degrees Celsius. Yeast is added to the wort and the process of converting the sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide can then begin. This takes place in special fermentation tanks, where the beer remains for 7 days.
The result is 'young beer' which, when cooled down to freezing point, is pumped into storage cellars for post-fermentation. One of the aims of this storage is to improve the beer's taste and clarity, and help it keep longer. Once storage is completed, the remaining step is filtration, after which a superb-tasting, bright and clear beer is filled into bottles, can or kegs. Filling and bottling are automatic processes to ensure completely hygienic conditions.