Do you consider brewing more an Art or a Science?

Do you consider brewing more an Art or a Science?

Making beer is a science.

Designing a recipe is an art!

Neither. Brewing is a craft.

Science is a certain process for finding certain knowledge, the knowledge so found, or the study of that knowledge. "Art" and "craft" have very similar meanings and applications, but "craft" more connotes producing something useful, while "art" more connotes producing aesthetic or entertaining works (as opposed to useful). Of course, there are elements of art in your finest craftsmanship, and every fine craftsman understands the science of his craft.


TL

+1 to TexLaw.

Brewing is a craft. Science describes the why, art determines the how. A true craftsman understands both.

Understanding how the process of brewing unfolds is science. Using that science to make a beer your drinkers will really enjoy is art.

Alchemy is more like it.

I am an engineer, so naturally I love to dig deep into the science behind it. It's amazing how even after doing a lot of reading online, I read some of the great books like 'designing great beers' and there is a TON more info, far too much for me digest all at once by any means - it's great.

But, there's definitely a lot of art to the recipe formulation - developing a vision for a beer, what characteristics you want to achieve, and developing a real 'feel' for how to achieve them. It's not something you can pick up from reading a book - you need experience, which means brewing and drinking lots of beer - and I think we can all agree that that isn't a problem

Glibbidy said:

Alchemy is more like it.

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Widmer's primary hops are called Alchemy. It is actually a blend that they are constantly adjusting based on availability.

Id have to say its me time

+1 to TexLaw's answer.

I voted art - although I agree with TexLaw on the craft aspect. I voted art because I feel that somebody with a scientific knowledge of zymology can create a technically great beer, but it takes the artful use of available ingredients to create something truly special.

Neither can be forsaken though - it takes both.

For me, it's both. I love exercising the creative muscle when designing anything beer related - from recipes to brew gear. I equally enjoy incorporating engineering, physics, chemistry, math, electronics, etc.

It's MAGIC!

At least that's what I tell people now when they ask how I make beer.

Really though it's both. As a mad scientist I enjoy the passion of the art of being diabolical, and the science of technique.

Denny's Evil Concoctions said:

It's MAGIC!

At least that's what I tell people now when they ask how I make beer.

Really though it's both. As a mad scientist I enjoy the passion of the art of being diabolical, and the science of technique.

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What the fork is that thing? Some kind of demented swan trying to fly?

It's a stick figure metal headbanger. yeesh..

Kinda like :rockin:

It is OK to think either way.

To me, strict adherence to style or recipe are worthless. So I am more of an art kind of guy.

While it is not OK to just throw a buch of random stuff together, take no notes, and hope that it turns out OK......, neither is it OK to be so anally afraid to deviate from a recipe, or from a certain style, that you don't enjoy the beer if it doesn't turn out exactly like SNPA or whatever you were shooting for.

I am a fan of calculated experimentation, and use of unknown ingredients. That may cound more like science, but it is art to me.

Denny's Evil Concoctions said:

It's a stick figure metal headbanger. yeesh..

Linda like :rockin:

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Oh, I see it now! Duh!

Thanks!

Definitely both. I see it also in lab work. There is a definite craft to it. I've seen people who have all the knowledge, but just lack a certain knack to get experiments to work well. It is hard to identify, it is just little things. I really can only describe it as a knack. One thing that definitely helps is patience. As sure way to ruin an experiment (or a beer ) is to rush through it. Often in science what will happen is yes you will still get results, but because one wasn't careful in their set up, the results will be uninterpretable (you'll have beer, it just won't be great)

I call it a science only because when people see my brewing rig for the first time I tell them it's basically a chemsitry set for big kids!!

let's just say i enjoy the art more than the science.

I'll vote +1 for TL. There is science, and there is art, but the combo of the two makes something beautiful:rockin:

The most important part of brewing is to create an isolated colony of just one type of fungus...namely whatever yeast you are using. This is organic chemistry plain and simple which would make it a science.

Of a more secondary nature, the environment you create...your wort and what fungus you use...your yeast will greatly affect the taste of the finished product which could be considered an art.

I think historically speaking a blend of art and science is usually considered a craft.

Just my 2 cents.

Hedghog

i can't vote because my option isn't there. I say its 50/50 science and art.

if you can make a great recipe, but can't execute the brew day, you failed at the science.

if you can brew fine, but can't produce a decent recipe...you failed at the art.

that said, I think its slightly easier to learn the basic science/mechanics of brewing, while recipe formulation requires some 'talent' and definitely experience (just like painting, or sculpting)

malkore said:

i can't vote because my option isn't there. I say its 50/50 science and art.

if you can make a great recipe, but can't execute the brew day, you failed at the science.

if you can brew fine, but can't produce a decent recipe...you failed at the art.

that said, I think its slightly easier to learn the basic science/mechanics of brewing, while recipe formulation requires some 'talent' and definitely experience (just like painting, or sculpting)

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I couldn't have said it any better!

Making Beer is a Science. (Hence the techy, mechanical types)

Making Wine is an Art. (Tends to draw IMHO non-technical peeps)

Good question... I say mostly science, or as beautifully described by Texlaw, craft.

The reason for my science vote is that trying different blends and ingredients to customize your brew is still using the scientific method... experimentation is a science-based activity. Craft is the step of recipe generation, based upon a known science. Crafting a beer is changing the ingredients or blends to change the characteristics of the brew that the brewer has envisioned.

I think the art is in the design of the label. Although I am a friggen' engineer... so I could be wrong!

After reading that crap I just typed, I need another beer.

Eric

It is BOTH. That's what drew me to this in the first place. This shouldn't be one against the other. It's like music. There are lots of mathematics and theory behind it, and the more you know, the better you can create. But when you focus too much on mathematics and theory, you lose the art. Brewing without science is blind art (like slapping paint on a wall and calling it art). Brewing without art is too scientific.

All these questions we have... attenuation, head retention, bitterness, infections, sanitization, etc.... it's all science. And knowing how and why these things occur makes us better artists. You could fit an array of science into brewing... microbiology, physics, mathematics, chemistry, etc. The more we understand these (without being too caught up in them), the better artists we are. To me, brewing science leads to brewing art.