'Scientific approach' - references

Mucco

Hi,

I'm thinking of getting into home brewing, but, as a pharmaceutical chemist, I am quite interested in the science and experimentation side of things. Does anyone know where I can get info on the purpose of each ingredient and process, especially from a (bio)chemical point of view?

Thanks,

M

rubadub

This site might interest you, it was created by a chemical engineer and he also was on a forum which was frequented by many engineers and has many quotes from posts on it.

It is about distilling which of course is illegal here without a licence. The site owner is from New Zealand where distillation is legal, it is also legal in a few countries in Europe. He has detailed posts on preparing washes (fermented brews to be distilled) which should give you tips on experimentation .

http://homedistiller.org/

the "preparing wash" menu will be of most interest.

noby

Try the Principles of brewing Science, by George Fix. You can get it here

Mucco

Thanks for the tips.

M

guildofevil

The Principles of brewing Science is one of the definitive works on brewing, but you are probably better off with a copy of John Palmer's How To Brew first. Fix assumes a very high level of understanding of the brewing process so, even with a scientific background, you will end up missing a lot of the basics. Palmer actually gets into a good bit of detail and does write from a scientific as well as a practical standpoint, so you will get a good grounding in enzyme activity, water chemistry, mash pH, etc.

Mucco

Here's a very chemistry oriented webinar on brewing for those interested:
http://acswebinars.org/bamforth

"Fancy a bubbly brew? Curious to know how chemistry affects the differences behind various beers? With over 1,500 professional breweries and many dedicated homebrewers, the United States is the world’s largest producer of this most popular alcoholic beverage. Join us with speaker Charles Bamforth, Professor of Food Science and Technology at UC Davis, to learn about everything from chemistry tips for making great brews to career options for chemical professionals in the beer industry. It’s all about the chemistry behind beer!"