Real-Life Communication -- Solution
Here's how you might explain the brewing process for your brochure:
"Fermentation
is the process by which yeast converts grain sugars into equal parts of alcohol
and carbon dioxide. The yeast cells are micro-organisms that give us food
items such as bread, wine and beer. The yeast cells actually consume the grain
sugars. As they consume the sugars in the malt-sugar solution (which has already
been boiled), they produce equal amounts of alcohol and carbon dioxide.
"So
the amount of sugar present determines the alcohol content, or the percentage
of alcohol in the beer. In brews where only malt (a substance made from barley
grains that have been germinated and then dried) is used, all the alcohol
comes from maltose, the malt sugar.
"But when a lighter-bodied, less
malty beer is desired, or to get a particular flavor, any grains or grain
sugars besides malt are added to beer -- to supplement the malt.
"Normally
at least 70 percent of the sugars in your wort will come from the malt, and
no more than 30 percent from the other grains."
According
to brewmaster Mike Kelly, "Communication is always very important."
Giving
tours to the public is just one example of how brewmasters use their communication
skills.
"A lot of people want to talk to the brewmaster,
so being able to communicate with the public is important," says Kelly. "And
obviously you need to be able to communicate with the suppliers effectively,
and with some ingredients we have contracts, so you have to be able to get
through those and communicate effectively."