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 rst but was eventually
successfully championed by Louis Pasteur. Accurate measurement of temperature and specic gravity were developed in the
brewing industry as well as industrial-scale culturing of
microorganisms, the concept of pH, and the statistical method
Students 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 46. Details of the brewing process are described
in Chapters 710. 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 1315 discuss
foam and haze, packaging, and stability. The nal 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 avor 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
specied 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.

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 books 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,
2014 American Chemical Society and
Division of Chemical Education, Inc.

AUTHOR INFORMATION

Corresponding Author

*E-mail: buntrock16@roadrunner.com.
Published: August 15, 2014
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dx.doi.org/10.1021/ed500582x | J. Chem. Educ. 2014, 91, 15111512

Journal of Chemical Education

Book and Media Review

Notes

The authors declare no competing nancial interest.

1512

dx.doi.org/10.1021/ed500582x | J. Chem. Educ. 2014, 91, 15111512