The beer brewing industry is a very lucrative industry, due to the high demand for beers across the world. There is a large market for beer brewing. The brewing of beer has existed for centuries, and there are fresh beers that are peculiar to certain locations. However, one thing that remains constant is the beer brewing process involved, as mentioned by Direct Air.
The beer brewing process
The process of brewing beer is broken into 6 simple steps. From these steps, you will have a general idea of how beer is brewed.
Malting
This is the first procedure for beer brewing. It is the process in which the grains undergo to become malted. This is the process that involves changing, drying, steeping, fluidising and allowing the barley to germinate till it becomes malt.
Mashing
This step involves converting the starch that resulted from the malt into sugar, which can ferment. The now malted grain is mixed with hot water in a container to create a mash-like cereal. A step involved in the mashing process is called lautering, where you separate the sugar-generated liquid from the grains.
Boiling
At this stage, this is where the wort (sugar-generated liquid) is placed in a brew kettle to boil. This process makes chemical reactions take place, as well as the elimination of germs and bacteria.
Fermenting
The fermentation stage is where yeast is added to the brew. The wort from the malt can now, for the first time, be referred to as beer. Carbon dioxide can be present in the beer through the fermentation process.
Conditioning
Conditioning is the stage whereby the beer is left to sit for several weeks, months, or even years. The beer is, however, poured into a different container to avoid debris and dead yeast from forming in it.
Filtering
Filtering is essential to give the beer a clearer appearance, and also to give the beer a consistent flavour. This also helps to rid the beer of any leftover particles which might affect the quality of the beer.
The next and final thing to do is to package the beer in the containers you want it to be; whether beer mugs or bottles, whichever.
5 potential challenges you may face in the beer brewing process
Mistakes happen every time, but some, however, may not be easy to fix. This happens just as well in the beer brewing industry. If you are already in the beer brewing industry or considering going into it, you might face challenges along the way, and below are some of the most common ones:
Shipping And Supply
Well, except you intend to create and sell your brewed beer within your community, this is one potential challenge you might encounter. This is soon becoming a global problem for many manufacturers, even those outside of the beer brewing industry.
The shortage of supply chain affects not just the distribution of processed beer, but also the procurement of vital raw materials for the production of beer.
Skilled And Dedicated Employees
Scouting for someone/people who are not just skilled in the art of beer brewing, but are also committed to the job might pose a little difficulty. This doesn’t mean they don’t exist. You may just need to go over and beyond to find them. However, this challenge may be combated by putting an effective training process in place for your employees.
Finance And Funding
The aspect of finance and funding has led to the untimely death of a lot of organisations across several industries, including the beer brewing industry.
Acquisition of factory and quality equipment, hiring of skilled and unskilled workers, and other expenditures all required a lot of funds for the brewery to see the light of day. This challenge is more pronounced by global inflation, which has affected several organisations.
Creating Awareness
As with any business type, you would need to make a lot of noise and create a lot of awareness about it. You would need an aggressive marketing strategy and equally ruthless willpower to implement those strategies.
Finding Your Place
Finding and establishing your place in the hearts and minds of your potential customers may take some time. This is because you will have to face already established competitors who have probably been in the game for a long time and etched their names in the minds of the people.
You can overcome this challenge by coming up with a unique value proposition that will set you apart from others in the industry.
Conclusion
These are valid concerns as to the potential challenges you might face in the beer brewing business. However, that shouldn’t discourage you from entering the industry once you have the right knowledge and expertise in the field.
Finding ways to overcome them and soar despite them is what will put you on the path to success.
