Book and Media Review pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Review of The Chemistry of Beer Robert E. Buntrock*,† and Jason Bolton‡ †
Buntrock Associates, Orono, Maine 04473, United States University of Maine Cooperative Extension, University of Maine, Orono, Maine 04469, United States
‡
hops have been used for over a thousand years to further preserve easily spoiled beers. Beer has contributed much to chemistry and biology both historically and in methodology. The concept of yeast as a living organism was controversial at first but was eventually successfully championed by Louis Pasteur. Accurate measurement of temperature and specific gravity were developed in the brewing industry as well as industrial-scale culturing of microorganisms, the concept of pH, and the statistical method Student’s t-test. Prohibition and regulation of beer are also discussed in the Introduction as well as the prestige of beer and the role of beer in society. Chapter 2 describes beer and the brewing process including the ingredients, beer as food, and the details of industrial processing. Chemistry topics essential to brewing are described in Chapter 3, including measurements. Water, organic chemistry, and sugars and starches are described in more detail in Chapters 4−6. Details of the brewing process are described in Chapters 7−10. The chemistry of taste and aroma are discussed in Chapter 11, and the chemistry of the various styles of beer is considered in Chapter 12. Chapters 13−15 discuss foam and haze, packaging, and stability. The final chapter describes in detail home brewing including safety, processes, bottling, and recipes. A glossary and index conclude the book. The reviewers consider this to be a unique book that concentrates on the basic science. However, prospective brewers will better understand the material with more of a background in the sciences. More material on lipids, addition of simple sugars, and the flavor components such as fusel alcohols is needed. The importance of the role of Pasteur could use elaboration. The historical background is good but unfortunately ceases before the interesting brewing developments that occurred during the Industrial Revolution. The chapters on processing are informative, but the scale of operations is not specified in most of the material. Although targeted to the general public and not intended to be a complete text on brewing, the book could be used as such or could be a valuable preview before reading one of the cited texts. Each chapter concludes with references to supplementary material as well as study questions. A responsible attitude toward and use of alcoholic beverages is stressed. The Chemistry of Beer is recommended for the general public interested in brewingincluding home brewingas well as college students and their professors interested in the subject.
The Chemistry of Beer: The Science in the Suds, by Roger Barth. John Wiley & Sons: Hoboken, NJ, 2013. xviii + 330 pp. ISBN 978-1118674970 (paper). $39.95.
T
he art of brewing beer is also a science and much of the science is chemistry. Considering the rapid rise in popularity of craft and home brewing, we felt a review of The Chemistry of Beer would be of interest to readers of this Journal. R.E.B. is a semi-retired chemist and writer and J.B. is an Extension Professor in Food Science who teaches a course on brewing and is a home brewer. The book’s author is a professor of chemistry at West Chester University, West Chester, Pennsylvania, and in addition, teaches a course on the chemistry of beer.
Cover image provided by John Wiley & Sons and reproduced with permission.
The history of beer and brewing begins with the dawn of civilization. Pottery discovered in Iran, dating from 3500 B.C.E., has chemical residues indicating its use in brewing. Some of the earliest Sumerian cuneiform tablets dating from 3000 B.C.E. refer to the drinking of beer. Through conquest and commerce, brewing spread throughout the Middle East. Brewing may have been independently invented and developed in Europe. The tradition was perpetuated in monasteries in the Middle Ages and more modern processes involving hops were developed about the same time. Once beer was commercialized, it became subject to taxation and regulation that persists to the present. Beer and brewing have spread throughout the world, and beer is one of the most popular beverages in many countries. Many forms of starch and carbohydrates necessary for the production of sugar for brewing have been and are used. Originating with bread (still used in parts of the world), now wheat, barley, corn, sorghum, rice, honey, and manioc are used. Although the brewing process typically produces a safe product, © XXXX American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.
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AUTHOR INFORMATION
Corresponding Author
*E-mail:
[email protected].
A
dx.doi.org/10.1021/ed500582x | J. Chem. Educ. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX
Journal of Chemical Education
Book and Media Review
Notes
The authors declare no competing financial interest.
B
dx.doi.org/10.1021/ed500582x | J. Chem. Educ. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX
