A Toast to Science

Beer for credit? Not exactly. It's biochemistry. Water chemistry. Enzymes. Oxidation. Malting. Mashing. Fermentation. In other words: well, beer.

But beer as science. And as art, too: because "Chemistry of Brewing" educates not only the mind but also the palate.

Associate Professor of Chemistry (and home brewer) James Keller prepares the syllabus and grades the work. But the class is very much a hands-on student affair. Concocted in 2002 by a group of biochemistry and molecular biology majors, the quarter-unit course has always been an independent study, not a regular part of the curriculum. But it has become an institution in the science division, attracting about ten students--seniors only--every spring (along with the occasional faculty auditor).

The class meets on Friday afternoons for three hours. Each week, one of the students gives an in-depth presentation on the chemistry underlying either an aspect of the brewing process or a style of beer (alt, kölsch, porter, bock, mead ale, etc.). There are final research projects, as well as a field trip to a brewery in Columbus or Cleveland. And, of course, there's a lab component: the students brew two five-gallon batches of beer, first a "kit brew," then a more nuanced "all-grain." Both are shared at an open tasting in the science quad during Senior Week.

"Chemistry is an experimental science," says Keller. "It doesn't make sense until you get into the lab and play and tinker. The beauty of beer is its quick turnaround; in four to six weeks, a batch will be ready."

He enjoys watching the students--who find mostly "swill beer" at college parties--grow in sophistication. At a tasting on one of the field trips, a student recognized an unusual level of diacetyl (a compound that produces a buttery taste) in the product. Sure enough, the crestfallen brewer acknowledged that his hopback (a sealed chamber) had a leak.

"It's amazing how much the students learn," says Keller. He adds, "It's fun to watch them find a love for a beer style they never knew existed."