Boil Science

[HopOnHops]

Is there anything else going on during the boil besides isomerization of the alpha acids in hops and condensing of the wort?

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Maillard reactions?

 

[user 4295]

Pasteurization, oxygen driven off, dimethyl sulfide production.

 

[944play]

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/wiki/index.php/Boiling_the_Wort

Boiling the wort serves many purposes, including:

To sanitize the wort via high temperatures;
To extract alpha acids from the hops, which lend bitterness to the finished beer;
To extract flavor and aroma from hops as well as from other ingredients such as herbs and spices or fruit;
To drive off unwanted volatile compounds;
To coagulate unwanted proteins;
To boil off water, thus concentrating the wort and increasing gravity

 

[SPLASTiK]

Pretty good overview: http://www.byo.com/stories/techniques/article/indices/13-boiling/1682-wort-boiling-homebrew-science