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Overall, the brewing process is generally the same expect for a few differences among the breweries. First off, the most important variation depends on the size of the brewery. For instance, a larger brewery (ex: Ayinger) will rely on machines and computers primarily to control the brew process. Yet a smaller one (ex: Bayerischer Bahnhof) will rely on manual labor, also known as brew masters. The process begins with getting the barely malt ready, or in other terms making the malt produce starch and enzymes.  Then a mash is made, which is crushed, prepared malt (grist) combined with water that is heated at different temperatures at different times in order to activate various enzymes. The mash is then put into a container with a false bottom, so the liquid can be separated from the barley husks. An interesting note is that some facilities use copper kettles, while others (mostly the modernized, industrial breweries) use stainless steel. Then the wort is made, which is basically adding hops (hop pellets or hop extract) to the mash and heating it. After an hour or so, the wort is quickly cooled (as to prevent other unwanted organisms from growing). Once in the fermenting tank, the yeast is added. And then the yeast eats the sugar and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide. A lot of this fermentation takes place in huge tanks. Then the beer travels through pipes to maturation tanks. After maturation, the beer is filtered through Diamacious Earth to collect all the yeast cells.