Bradley Gagnon

CEP 818
11/5/11
Embodied Thinking in Beer and Brewing
Embodied thinking is a cognitive tool that is oIten taken Ior granted. While it has been
said many times that 'The Mind and Body are One, it also cannot be overstated. When thinking
about perceptions, Iocus is placed on the visible and audible, but perceiving a subject through the
sense oI touch, or through the body, is also important. Beyond perception through the sense oI
touch, the body can not only passively experience the physical, but also actively emulate it,
wherein the experience becomes one in which the physical nature oI the subject is recreated by
the observer. In this way, the observer can attempt to 'become the subject, so as to gain a new
perspective, and deeper understanding.
In the case oI brewing beer, a 'deeper understanding oI the main ingredient can be had
by Iully 'immersing oneselI in the subject matter. The main ingredient is not barley, but water.
Water is overlooked as an ingredient in beer because it is so simple and common, like the air we
breathe. However, it should not be neglected, as it is capable oI making or breaking a good
product. A Sake Brewer had two breweries, but one always produced superior Sake to that oI
the other. First the brew masters were switched, but the results did not change. Everything was
tried, until the entire breweries were dismantled and moved to one another`s locations, but the
results were the same. It was not until barrels and barrels oI water were carted Irom the good
brewery to the bad that the problem was solved. Had the brewer Iully appreciated the
importance oI water, much trouble could have been avoided. This example shows how
embodied thinking impacts my subject matter, and how important it can be.
In order to embody the aquatic aspect oI beer, beyond the common and obvious act oI
drinking it, immersion is essential. For this reason, underwater video has been chosen to present
the act oI immersing oneselI into beer`s main ingredient while simultaneously consuming it.
During this immersion into the subject matter, the experience will serve to give the observer the
opportunity to Ieel like the water used in brewing, and to accentuate characteristics that are
critical to brewing, such as chlorination, temperature, and dissolved solids. Each oI these
characteristics (and many more) must be taken into account, instead oI taken Ior granted. By
embodying the water through immersion and the act oI swimming, Iloating, and drinking,
lessons about water`s characteristics and importance can be conveyed, and hopeIully never
Iorgotten.