Brewing Chemistry

The Spark of Beer

By John Holl Published November 2011, Volume 32, Number 5 0 Comments | Post a Comment

Unless it asserts itself by, say, fizzing up your nose or aggressively dancing on your tongue, it can be easy to forget about carbonation in beer. Sure, when light filters through a glass and highlights the tiny bubbles as they appear at the bottom it offers a visual moment of enjoyment as they flitter to the surface. Carbonation is the spark of beer; it delivers aroma while effectively stirring it as you drink. It contributes to mouthfeel and its existence (or lack of) can help to establish a brew in its proper category. Read More…

How Not to Brew

By Randy Mosher Published September 2003, Volume 24, Number 4 1 Comment | Post a Comment

I was talking to one of our newer brew club members a few weeks ago. He and his pals have been brewing like crazy fools (in the good sense), and they’ve really been trying to upgrade their beers in terms of recipes and techniques. For the most part, they’re making headway. But a taste of their newest brew revealed an unwelcome acidity, and the conversation turned to cleaning techniques. The next batch will reveal whether we’ve solved their problem.

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