Brewing the King of Beers

Source: Katie Bryan / Kurtis Productions Anheuser-Busch holds the top two selling beer brands in the world. In order to produce the large amount of beer demanded by consumers Anheuser-Busch has an extensive bottling plant that runs as a well oiled machine manufacturing 1,350 bottles of beer per a minute.

Source: Katie Bryan / Kurtis Productions Everyday at 3pm Budweiser comes in from each of its 12 breweries around the United States for an official taste testing by the St. Louis brew masters. They check for consistency of taste among the breweries to ensure that Budweiser will taste the same - no matter which brewery it comes from.

Moving at lightening speed, this packaging plant in St. Louis, Missouri,  manufactures 1,350 bottles of beer per a minute.  It takes less than two hours to bottle and case beer from start to finish.

Inside the brewery is a large command center where computers monitor the brewing process. Brew masters also test the beer every step of the way.

It’s all in the recipe!  Budweiser’s core formula is over 130 years old.   It’s a blend of barley malt (the soul of the beer), brewers rice, yeast, water and hops the spice of the beer. The result is a crisp tasting American lager.

Anheuser-Busch has been using the beechwood chip technique since the late 1800s.  The beach wood aging process allows more interaction between the beer and the yeast.  Beechwood Chips used for Budweiser are cooked and tasted before use in lagering! It takes approximately 30 days to brew a Budweiser.

The Light test is one of several quality assurance checks Budweiser goes through in the bottling plant. Once bottled the beer is placed up against the light. Any mistake in the Great American Lager will show immediately.

Anheuser Busch's 12 U.S. breweries sold 104.4 million barrels of beer in the United States in 2007.  That's helped make Anheuser-Busch the largest brewer in the US.  Anheuser-Busch's portfolio includes more than 100 brands.