Spectrometer score - Now what?

**passedpawn** · 08-13-2010, 07:17 PM

I just worked a deal to trade a spare function generator for a USB spectrometer. Yoohoo.

Besides beer color and turbidity measurements, anyone have any other good beer-related ideas? Yeast counting? Maybe adding some trypan blue for yeast viability studies?

I'd also like to do some trub measurements (% fatty lipids, etc). Maybe this can be done with light... dunno.

**Cpt_Kirks** · 08-13-2010, 07:26 PM

The amount of facial redness of people drinking your beer?

Once you establish a baseline, it should be possible to get an estimate of ABV that way.

devilishprune · 08-13-2010, 08:41 PM

I was going to trade my spare particle accelerator for an spectrophotometer this weekend, but I decided that I would have to pass on that deal.

You can use it to determine the IBUs of your beer, on a more helpful note.

IndyTom · 08-13-2010, 09:05 PM

Somewhere I read a method using a Spec to determine alpha acids in hops.

**Randar** · 08-13-2010, 09:28 PM

You still need to get your hands on toluene or hexane in addition to alkaline methanol...

http://www.realbeer.com/hops/ASBC.html

**Randar** · 08-13-2010, 09:30 PM

BTW, most of these I have seen are in the $2000 range new. What brand/model is it?

**passedpawn** · 08-13-2010, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randar

You still need to get your hands on toluene or hexane in addition to alkaline methanol...

http://www.realbeer.com/hops/ASBC.html

That is EXACTLY the kind of thing I was looking for. Thank you. (funny, I already had that site bookmarked from quite a while ago)

Sawdustguy · 08-14-2010, 03:41 PM

Is it LED based? What wavelengths? Sounds like a pretty cool instrument to have.

Catt22 · 08-14-2010, 03:48 PM

With some creative programming to accompany that thing, it could be made into a flawless BJCP judge. Punch in the category and sub-category and turn it loose. Reliable scores every time. Hopefully it will not harbor any internal preferences for one style over another, but ya never know. The HAL 9000 BJCP certified beer judge robot. It's in our future; I just know it is.