Any knowledge that makes us better brewers is worth a little mental discomfort. I, for one, have also become a better googler in the process lol! Especially with one of those "WTH did he just say?" moments. And since its free for us, but a advance chemistry course for actual students, I feel no need to complain about anything I am learning.... Point is, we are learning, for free.
I was brewing weekly (sometimes twice a week) for the first 5 weeks for the upcoming AHA Competition and found myself contemplating Alpha amylase smashing protein chains. Complex lipids making my yeast healthy and giving the foam retention to create that beautiful lacing as we down a glass of our finest. Terpines giving us that hoppy goodness balancing out the malty sweetness. Even while cleaning, I envisioned phospholipids lining up in the water making our task easier. Heck I even pictured Etoh metabolized as I enjoyed a brew. (actually that was not a pretty image). That may seem a little romanticized at a beer level but I actually do picture it in my head now. And to think on that molecular level is going to make me a better brewer.
At the very least this course makes us step back and think about what we are doing and the eventual outcome of our brewing actions. Yes it is hard for those of us without a chem background. Yes it takes time to understand some of the concepts (or most). That is the essence of being educated.
Hang in there Boyos... Its only 12 more weeks. We got this! Now back to that Etoh metabolizing image as we study Malting and Kilning...
