James B. Beam Institute for Kentucky Spirits’ Post

We joke that Jeff Biegert may own the longest job title in New Belgium history: New Belgium Brewing Science Trainer & Consultant + CSU Fermentation Science & Technology Professor In Practice and Brewmaster. *deep breath* In other words, Jeff works at New Belgium as a technical consultant, but spends much of his time in his New Belgium-sponsored role at Colorado State University, where he teaches two 400-level brewing science classes and oversees the CSU Fermentation Science & Technology's Brew Kitchen & Innovation Hub. This project began in 2006, when a student suggested a land-grant university in one of the country’s biggest beer towns should have a brewing class. Soon after, microbiology professor Jack Avens kicked off the first brewing science course at CSU. The only problem? He needed equipment and an experienced brewer to teach the class. So, the University reached out to New Belgium and Odell Brewing Company for some help. Odell donated some equipment, and New Belgium, amid a lean year, donated a brewer. Thus was the birth of Jeff’s role, which he stepped into in 2012. A few years later, New Belgium and co-founder Kim Jordan each donated funds to build the research brewery and lab, which, with additional donations from a few other Colorado industry players, was completed in 2015. Since then, New Belgium has hired over 30 graduates from the program and seen many CSU FST alumni earn top-notch positions across the food & beverage industry. “One of New Belgium’s core values is to make world-class beer — to innovate and strive for continuous improvement. All that comes from learning, from being curious,” Jeff said. “Sometimes the beer doesn’t come out the way they expected. That’s part of the opportunity here, where students can make mistakes and learn from them. There are no failures, only learning opportunities."

[PDF] Brewing Science and Practice Dennis E. Briggs, Chris A. Boulton, Peter A. Brookes, Roger Stevens digsell https://lnkd.in/evYeG4PU Brewing is one of the oldest and most complex technologies in food and beverage processing. Its success depends on blending a sound understanding of the science involved with an equally clear grasp of the practicalities of production. Brewing: Science and Practice provides a comprehensive and authoritative guide to both aspects of the subject. After an initial overview of the brewing process, the book reviews malts, adjuncts, and enzymes. Chapters explain water, effluents, and wastes; detail the science and technology of mashing, including grist preparation; discuss hops and are followed by chapters on wort boiling, clarification, and aeration. Additional chapters present … Read More » https://lnkd.in/ebGzV9g3

What is the connection between Guinness beer and statistics? In its quest for quality control and consistency, the Guinness brewery employed a team of scientists who faced the challenge of interpreting data from small sample sizes. This was particularly relevant for ingredients like hops, where testing every single piece wasn't feasible. To address the uncertainty of whether a low sample average reflected the entire crop or just random variation, a Guinness statistician named William Sealy Gosset (who published under the pseudonym "Student") developed the t-test. This method allowed scientists to determine if a difference between a sample's average and a hypothesized value (like the ideal resin content) was statistically significant, revolutionizing how researchers across all scientific fields analyze data. This is a fantastic example of how a real-life problem changed science. https://lnkd.in/eZY-GPap #history #beer #mathematics #statistics #biotechnology #innovation #lifescience #research #science #sciencecommunication

Celebrating Innovators: Dr. Charlie Bamforth, the 'Pope of Foam' 🍺 In this edition of our Celebrating Innovators, we delve into the effervescent world of beer with Dr. Charlie Bamforth, fondly known as the 'Pope of Foam'. His remarkable journey in brewing science has transformed the way we understand and appreciate beer. 🔬 Biography: With a career spanning over four decades, Dr. Bamforth has been a beacon of knowledge in brewing science. Having served as a Professor of Malting and Brewing Sciences at the University of California, Davis, he has educated many of today's top brewers. His academic journey, industry experience, and significant tenure at Bass Brewery have made him a revered figure in the field. 🍻 Contribution to Beer Science: Dr. Bamforth's expertise lies in the chemistry of beer's most captivating feature: its foam. His extensive research on beer foam quality has revolutionized the brewing industry. He has delved into the intricacies of proteins, hop acids, and carbonation, uncovering how these elements interplay to create the perfect head on a beer. His work has enhanced the sensory pleasure of beer drinking and guided breweries in maintaining consistency and quality in their products. 🌍 Impact on the Food World: The implications of Dr. Bamforth's research extend beyond just aesthetics. His findings have been instrumental in helping breweries around the globe refine their processes, ensuring stability and longevity of beer foam. This has not only elevated the consumer experience but also contributed to sustainable practices in brewing. Through his books and numerous publications, Dr. Bamforth has democratized brewing knowledge, making it accessible to both industry professionals and home brewers. As we raise our glasses to Dr. Charlie Bamforth, we acknowledge the science and art behind every frothy sip. #FoodScience #BrewingScience #BeerInnovation #CharlieBamforth #PopeOfFoam #Brewing #Innovation

Better Butter II is now available for purchase thanks to the Babcock Dairy Store. Written by Robert Bradley, Ph.D, an Emeritus Professor in the UW-Madison Department of Food Science, this book covers all aspects of quality buttermaking. https://go.wisc.edu/so2pr3

Tomorrow I'll be moderating a joint American Society of Brewing Chemists (ASBC)/Master Brewers webinar by Austin Montgomery of Cornell University titled "Why can't we can it?"– Aluminum Can Corrosion in "Hard-to-Hold" Beverages. Beverage can liner failure and subsequent can corrosion can cause leaks that destroy pallets of product at a time through secondary corrosion, where the beverage then corrodes the exposed cans from the outside in, creating a cascade of failures. This destroys product and damages brands. I have seen this first hand in a production setting, and as a consultant, I regularly help breweries, co-packers, and contract can companies diagnose, test, and hopefully prevent these sorts of beverage can liner failures. Join Austin and I for a presentation of his research on can liners and what causes them to fail, as well as what I expect to be a lively Q&A. Anonymous questions will be allowed. Links are below. https://lnkd.in/gEcssFyB https://lnkd.in/gsc2NPWJ

More than pleased to have published the first issue of the 130th volume of the Journal of the Institute of Brewing. All papers are open access and without fees to authors or readers. This issue contains a review ‘Applications of diastatic Saccharomyces cerevisiae in brewing, distilling and biofuel production’ by John Nemenyi and colleagues. There are three original papers – ‘Barley variety interacts positively with floor malting to produce different malts and beers’ by Campbell Morrissy et al, ‘Untargeted metabolomic profiling of 100% malt beers versus those containing barley adjunct’ by Joanna York and colleagues and ‘Modelling of beer sensory staleness based on flavour instability parameters’ by Maciej Ditrych et al. These excellent contributions can be accessed and downloaded from https://lnkd.in/gW8pbH3F

How the Guinness Brewery Invented the Most Important Statistical Method in Science The most common test of statistical significance originated from the Guinness brewery. Here’s how it works Science... Ramsay Vehslage It was the birthplace of the t-test, one of the most important statistical techniques in all of science. When scientists declare their findings “statistically significant,” they very often use a t-test to make that determination. Amid the flurry of scientific energy, the team faced a persistent problem: interpreting its data in the face of small sample sizes. One challenge the brewers confronted involves hop flowers, essential ingredients in Guinness that impart a bitter flavor and act as a natural preservative. To assess the quality of hops, brewers measured the soft resin content in the plants. Let’s say they deemed 8 percent a good and typical value. Testing every flower in the crop wasn’t economically viable, however. So they did what any good scientist would do and tested random samples of flowers. His t-test allows us to make inferences in settings where we couldn’t before. https://lnkd.in/ehs6NVnA

Interesting work regarding both the gap in the drinks sector but also the gap in team/management training and education...

Ingredients: The Four Pillars of Great Beer Malt is the soul, hops the spice, yeast the spirit, and water the body of beer. —Prof. Dr. Anton Piendl, Weihenstephan Brewing Science and Beverage Technology Program, Technical University of Munich ~~~~ The most important part of making good beer is to fully clean and sanitize all of your equipment. The second most important part of making good beer is to understand, and always use, fresh high-quality ingredients. Know your raw materials, and you’ll forever have the upper hand when you brew.