Questions tagged [chemistry]
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26 questions
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Toxic compounds, weirder situation then usual, much weirder
Ok so I'm making some hard alcohol from a sugar-wash. I used too little yeast and fermentation ended up halting at like 7% ABV, it then stood around for like a week and a half till I got the new yeast....
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Could mechanical blending denature amylase enzymes?
I am trying to break down the starches in a certain variety of oats in the most efficient way possible. I have to break the whole oats down after cooking, so they are finer particles for the amylases (...
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What is ageing in terms of chemical bonds?
I'd like to know in terms of chemical bonds, what ageing actually means. It should also explain the "smoothness" of a finely aged wine.
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I got a strong, chemical-vinegary smell when I opened the plastic fermentation bucket I use to store all my brewing stuff. Is it still safe to use?
Essentially what the title says. I use that bucket to store all the measurement equipment, hydrometer, etc. but also yeast nutrient, stabilisers and chemical sanitisers. The smell that came out from ...
- 325
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Microbial interactions: biotransformations and food/drink science
I am looking for a good, in-depth source on biotransformations (think food science). For example, fermenting black tea and sugar with wild yeast and bacteria (kombucha):
Wild yeast ferment sucrose ...
- 297
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Salt additions to the glass
So here's my predicament: I've realized that my city water has low Chloride levels compared to the sulfates (i.e. the sulfate/chloride ratio is higher than ideal). Reading that this might be the case, ...
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Star San ate my spoon - can it still be used?
In a nutshell: moved, Star San bottle broke, got on a bunch of supplies including my stainless steel spoon. Now the spoon is rough where the sanitizer spilled and slightly discolored.
The spoon was ...
- 143
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Which beers brew quickest, and why?
Which 2-3 types of beer generally take the shortest time to brew from start (very first step with all ingredients) to finish (drinking), and what makes them take so little time?
I want to understand ...
- 175
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Does force chilling have the same effect as regular chilling as far as carbonation absorption is concerned?
I have a "Maytag Handy Chiller" - it's a great kitchen tool for chilling a bottle of wine in a few minutes which works buy circulating ice water over a bottle ( and optionally rotating it too ) to get ...
- 508
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Brewing with rainwater / tank water
I'm lucky enough to have beautiful New Zealand rainwater to brew with. But, what are the considerations in terms of mineral content? Is rainwater close to distilled water?
Having gone through the ...
- 279
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Best way to estimate remaining fermentable sugars?
This question is kind of for the chemists here, but I'm open to any ideas.
In this question Denny Conn, who is far more experienced than me, asserted that a beer is likely finished fermenting, ...
- 3,020
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How do I translate my water supply's "Total Hardness" to Mg and Ca or "Effective Hardness"?
My water supply comes through San Diego's Miramar treatment plant, and here's the data sheet. Here's the relevant part:
Units Avg Range
Total Hardness ppm 214 ...
- 232
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Why does overly acidic wort result in thin mouthfeel?
Various sources (such as this and this) discuss how excessively low wort pH (for example, from dark specialty grains) can result in a thin beer, even when extract brewing.
I've been unable to find ...
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Could someone provide info. about brewing salts?
I have been reading a lot about home brewing. I'm planning actually to build an electronic 5 gallon brewery. Could anyone provide a short explanation when (mashing, boiling ?!), why and how much to ...
- 195
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Wort Color and pH strips
Does a dark and roasty wort effect the ability to read the color change strips. I am not talking about how dark grains effect pH, I get that. I simply mean the color of stout wort vs. pilsner wort. ...
- 36.2k
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Chemical characteristics of taste
I know this is probably a quirky question for this forum, but here goes. I'm getting into home brewing, and today I stumbled a cross the website for American Society for Brewing Chemists (ASBC) http://...
user6340
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Good Brewing Chemistry Books [closed]
I feel like I should learn more about the chemistry involved in brewing. Can anybody recommend some good books for learning about brewing chemistry and how it relates to brew outcomes?
I'd prefer ...
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Salty Starter. From Gypsum?
I'm using gypsum for the first time in an IPA I will be brewing in a few days. Today I was making the starter and thought:
Since it's a hopped starter, why not add a pinch of gypsum?
In the end I ...
- 817
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What water profile should be used for a Maibock?
I have been using Martin Brungard's Bru'n Water spreadsheet to build up my water profiles from distilled water. This has worked very well for the dozen or so ales I've made. This weekend, I'll be ...
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Water quality and its contribution to off-flavors
I have a copy of my city water quality report in hand and, with no particular reason other to than to understand how water quality can affect the taste of beer, would like to know where I can find ...
- 1,152
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When using campden tablets to dechlorinate water, how much sulfite makes it into the final beer?
I have a friend who is allergic to sulfites in wine, so he sticks to drinking beer. I use campden tablets to dechlorinate my water, at a rate of one tablet per 10 gallons. How much sulfite makes it ...
- 3,266
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What causes "rush" carbonation when adding sugar?
I've just been playing with some treatments for an undercarbonated batch in bottles. The beer is slightly carbonated, it bubbles up a little when poured, just builds no head & dissipates ...
- 3,077
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Brewing at Altitude
How does high altitude affect brewing chemistry? Up here in Denver (5280') or even higher in the mountains (some towns in Colorado are 9000' and higher), water does different things. In Denver, water ...
- 5,170
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What effect does the alkalinity of wort have on the fermentation cycle in beer brewing?
What effect does the alkalinity of wort have on the fermentation cycle in beer brewing?
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When should you measure and adjust mash pH?
I am getting ready for my first all-grain batch. I got a copy of my township's water report and sat down to use it in conjunction with the graphs in How to Brew to determine what colors of beer I can ...
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Using math to hit exact spice level
This is a question that will combine your knowledge of food, chemistry, and beer.
Spiciness is measured in Scoville Units. Basically:
In Scoville's method, an alcohol
extract of the capsaicin ...
- 5,170