Science of Beer - Orlando Science Center

Science of Beer
What's New
Jan 16, 2023
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Making a delicious beer is more than just mixing barley, hops, water, and yeast!
The brew must undergo a series of biochemical reactions to convert barley to fermentable sugars. It also takes time for yeast to live and multiply so they can convert those sugars to alcohol.
Let's talk science.
Our friends at Deadwords Brewing recently taught us about some of the chemical reactions that take place during the brewing process. For example, the water that goes into their beer undergoes a process called reverse osmosis, which removes impurities, minerals, and just about everything else! This makes their starting point more consistent, so that all their batches of beer taste the same.
The reverse osmosis process also allows the Deadwords brewers to program specific levels of minerals, nitrates and nitrites, and other compounds in the water. They keep formulas for different water around the world, so they can program in the desired formula and replicate any water from throughout the world – or history! For example, the water used in Germany for brewing beer is different than the water used in China. If Deadwords wants to brew a German beer, they simply input the formula accordingly, and voila! German water for German beer!
Types of Beer
There are two overarching categories of beer: ale and lager. Ale is fermented at a higher temperature using a warmth-preferring yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), which is called top fermentation. It has a more hoppy flavor to it and a higher alcohol content (4% - 5%). The fermentation and maturation processes are both relatively short. Stouts, porters, and IPAs are all created using variations of the ale brewing process.
Lager, on the other hand, is fermented at a lower temperature using cooler weather yeast (Saccaromyces pastorianus). This is known as bottom fermentation, and both this process and the maturation process for lagers is relatively longer than that of ales. They have less of the hops at the forefront, and a generally lower alcohol content (3.2% - 4%). Pilsners and dark lagers are also created using variations of this process.
A Little History
The first fermented beverage on record, known as kui, was brewed in China c. 7000 BCE. This concoction, however, was created using rice water. For this reason, most historians do not recognize the invention of beer until c. 4000 BCE in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iran), when the Sumerians created the first beverage using the brewing process we recognize today. Sumer is known as the first modern civilization, and the people loved beer so much, it was a daily dietary staple!
For much of history, beer was brewed primarily by women. In Sumer, beer was originally brewed by the priestesses of Ninkasi. Brewing then became part of meal preparation for the common woman. And the Sumerian women were not alone; as the practice of brewing spread across borders and empires, women continued to be the main brew masters in places like Egypt and the Celtic lands of Northern Europe.
During the Medieval period, monks mastered the art of brewing what they called “liquid bread” using a scientifically sequenced process. The beverage was created with an eye towards nutrition; the monks needed some sort of nutritious and good tasting beverage that they could drink during periods of fasting.
Though today's accepted process of brewing was created in Mesopotamia, the art was perfected by the Germans. Between 800 BCE and 1516 CE, the Germans slowly refined the brewing process, eventually instituting the Reinheitsgebot (purity law), which limited the accepted ingredients for beer to water, barley, hops and, later, yeast.
Raise a Glass to a Good Cause
Join Orlando Science Center on Saturday, January 21, 2023 for the second annual Science on Tap fundraiser. Tickets support our mission to inspire science learning for life. Stop by to learn more about the science behind your favorite brews, challenge your friends to a cornhole tournament, and sample beers from over 35 of Central Florida's favorite breweries!
Orlando Science Center is supported by United Arts of Central Florida, funded in part by Orange County Government through the Arts & Cultural Affairs Program, and sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the City of Orlando, and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture. Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin including limited English proficiency, in programs or activities receiving Federal financial assistance. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibits discrimination based on disability in programs or activities receiving Federal financial Assistance, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in public accommodations. To learn more, please contact our Section 504 / ADA / LEP Coordinator, Debra Gordon at dgordon@osc.org.
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