Before it leaves the brewhouse, wort has to be cooled to fermentation temperature. Bitburger Brewery’s answer to this? A stave. Hot wort flows across one side of the plates, cold brewing water runs across the other. The heat exchange cools the brew to below 10°C. This is important when it comes to adding yeast – because at higher temperatures it wouldn’t produce the optimal Bitburger beer taste. The plate cooling system has two distinct advantages: it prevents the wort becoming contaminated and it saves precious energy – something that has always been high on Bitburger Brewery's list of priorities.
Only at this point is the special Bitburger yeast added. This kicks off the fermentation process, converting sugars to alcohol and carbon dioxide at 10-11°C and lasting around 5-7 days. During the fermentation process, the temperature and the decomposition of the extract are constantly monitored. Once the fermentation process has been completed, Bitburger is given additional time to mature. It is enriched with carbon dioxide while fermentation by-products decompose at the same time. After fermenting and maturing for two weeks, Bitburger finally leaves the tank.