Is brewing an art or a science?

There need not be any dichotomy between science and art. The confluence of gifts that allows scientific innovation and artistic creation are often present at once and are the same. The Muse works on both sides of the brain.

 

Both...semantics...

 

Absolutely true. Can't tell you how many times I have had a processing problem end up being caused by variability in the fruit. Usually the incoming is close enough to the average, but every once in while it isn't. The solutions are often completely counterintuitive and sometimes opposite accepted learning....then it's more like voodoo! We use other words, but will keep in the generally PG atmosphere... Point being the dividing line between art and science when dealing with an agricultural product is a big, wide, fuzzy gray one!

Cheers!

 

One analog I'm fond of is the tree line on a topogrphical map. Looks nice and clean on paper, but on the ground there's no line and if you stand where it is supposed to be and look uphill from there you will see more and more open spaces but still places with trees and if you look downhill from where you stand you will see more and more trees but still some open spaces. :-)

 

both. making a recipe and things done after the boil is a creative process but the brewing and fermentation process is highly scientific.

 

its not one or the other, its both

 

That's how brewing originated, as well as all of chemistry. Remember, magic is the precursor to science.

 

I'm chiming in, agreeing with the others.
You're chiming in, second-guessing people's actions? :-)

 

It's An art, it's a science. No, it's an art and a science.

 

It's both and I wish we had an artist or a scientist in NY!! #localbeerdesert

 

The non smart ass answer:

The creativity comes in the recipe formulation. Once you begin the brew, science is the king.
Once the beer is ready, evaluation is in order. Is it what you wanted?
Yes? Carry on.
No? Back to the drawing board for another round of art (aka trying to figure out how to get the idea in your mind into the world).

 

If you ever get a chance to brew on your own or with some buddies-- you'll quickly find out there is a strong science of chemistry behind brewing just like any culinary art, but there is also an aspect of art knowing how to take that science and creatively apply those ideas/rules to makes something new or explore what is possible. So unfortunately it is a bit of both making all the more harder to master. You can brew with just science and most would argue that is exactly what macro is-- brewing a consistent replication of the same recipe resulting in the identical same end result every time, but once you add the art you bring the passion that makes bold brews and expounds upon what is possible.

 

It's both. But less of an art than it was now that there are so many devices to help. Back in the day the brewer would taste the grain and squeeze some hops between his fingers.From this he would know how to adjust his recipe. We now have temperature controlles fermenters , hydrometers, refractometers and so on.So science is more to the fore.

 

It's a trade. Art it most certainly isn't.

 

There is a great discussion on pages 239 – 240 where the headbrewer of Bear Republic (Richard Norgrove) mentions how he makes a consistent beer of Racer 5 IPA given that hops vary with the location they are grown, the particular year’s crop, and other variables. His last quote is revealing: “So, how do I make Racer taste the same when hops change? That’s what makes it craft.”

So, maybe the answer is an equation? Science + Art = Craft.

Cheers!

 

Can it not be both?

 

Doh! I forgot to mention: For the Love of Hops by Stan Hieronymus in my above post.

 

It can and is, and the thread should have ended on page 1 (so i'll reply to keep it going ...).

 

The concept for a new beer is art
making that concept come to fruition is science