Even though beer was already being brewed throughout history, there are many changes that took place during the industrial revolution. When the steam engine was introduced during 1698, beer industrialization was a reality. Additional innovations took place in the brewing procedures and many new introductions and inventions were made, such as the thermometer and later on the hydrometer.
Before the 18th century, malt was dried by placing it on top of fires that were made from straw, charcoal, and wood. Before all of this, none of the early mats were shielded properly from smoke included in the kilning procedure. This is why most beer had a smoky flavor to their taste. Evidence showed that brewers always tried to decrease the smokiness flavor of the beer. Even though malt that is dried by wood didn’t taste good, many London brewers used it because of its affordable cost and many customers expressed that the smokiness taste went after a couple of sips.
The hydrometer completely changed the way beer was manufactured. Before it was introduced, beers were usually brewed from single malts, amber ones from amber malts, and so on. When hydrometers were introduced, brewers were able to calculate yields from various malts. They found out that pale malt, even though it is more costly, led to material that is more fermentable than cheaper ones.
During 1817, Daniel Wheeler invented the drum roaster and this helped in the creation of dark and roasting malts, adding to the taste of porters. Its invention was a result of a British law during 1516 stopping the process of using any type of ingredients other than hops or malts. Louis Pasteur discovered yeast’s part in fermentation and this gave brewers new techniques to stop beer from becoming sour because of unwanted microorganisms and other important factors.