Free Online Beer Chemistry Course

[dstranger99]

Just finished the Fermentation quiz. I only missed one! Miracles do happen!

Wow, I was googling my arse off and still got 2 wrong !!..........

 

[POAS]

OK, here's where this course I believe comes in handy. I saw this article recently:

http://www.esquire.com/blogs/food-for-men/how-not-to-get-drunk?src=spr_FBPAGE&spr_id=1456_54817918

and was immediately skeptical. I didn't see anything in this course that indicated that yeast had any alcohol deyhydrogenase as the article claims. It seems to me that if this was the case, the yeast would break down the alcohol that they had created themselves.

Does anyone know if this article is accurate or not? Because of this course, I now know about how these type of proteins catalyze reactions, etc. and have a better understanding of how yeast and brewing works, so that when reading something like this, I can be a lot more informed than the average bear.

Any thoughts?


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[helibrewer]

Yes, brewers yeast can use the enzyme to break down alcohol.

"Brewer's yeast also has another alcohol dehydrogenase, ADH2, which evolved out of a duplicate version of the chromosome containing the ADH1 gene. ADH2 is used by the yeast to convert ethanol back into acetaldehyde, and it is expressed only when sugar concentration is low. Having these two enzymes allows yeast to produce alcohol when sugar is plentiful (and this alcohol then kills off competing microbes), and then continue with the oxidation of the alcohol once the sugar, and competition, is gone."


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[POAS]

OK, then, if that is the case, what happens with bottle conditioned beers? Why doesn't the yeast eventually get rid of all the alcohol in the bottle? Is it just because there's not enough yeast? I'm definitely no biologist, so please explain...


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[ClaudiusB]

OK, here's where this course I believe comes in handy. I saw this article recently:

http://www.esquire.com/blogs/food-for-men/how-not-to-get-drunk?src=spr_FBPAGE&spr_id=1456_54817918

and was immediately skeptical. I didn't see anything in this course that indicated that yeast had any alcohol deyhydrogenase as the article claims.

ADH is required to reduce Acetaldehyde into Ethanol as per course video.

 

[helibrewer]

ADH2 will catalyze the reverse reaction, ethanol to acetaldehyde.


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[POAS]

I still don't understand what the conditions are that prevent the yeast in a bottled conditioned beer from breaking down the alcohol.

 

[helibrewer]

I still don't understand what the conditions are that prevent the yeast in a bottled conditioned beer from breaking down the alcohol.

I've been trying to dig it out of the literature and what it seems to be is an alternate carbon source once glucose is gone. It is not a primary energy source and appears to be a means for the yeast to properly shutdown and go dormant once their glucose source is exhausted. Glucose inhibits the ADH2 enzyme.


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[dstranger99]

The most recent quiz is out, only 5 questions........The easiest one so far !!...........

 

[govner1]

I'm certain the final will make up for that !!!


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[Oginme]

I am not looking forward to the final. No time for it at this time of year. Can we extend the length of days by about 4 to 6 hours each?

 

[brandonhagen1]

I lost internet on my computer so dont know if i can even do it anymore

 

[dstranger99]

The "Finishing & Packaging" Test came out today, only 5 questions, pretty easy one. Not looking forward to the final though........

 

[Likefully]

Damn I am bummed I only discovered this thread today, I think I would have got at least two more questions right during the course if I had been part of the thread from the start of the course.

I need a miracle (or more accurately to get about 90%) in the final test to pass, but either way it has been a great experience and built a fabulous platform to learn from.

Anyone know how many people are still active (not just from HBT)? I know at the start there was something like 6800 enrolled and by about the 5th unit it was done to 1000 active. I am sure there has been even more drop out since then.

 

[mtnagel]

I need a miracle (or more accurately to get about 90%)

I do you know that?

 

[Likefully]

I do you know that?

The overview at the beginning explains how the grades are calculated. I can't remember exactly how the final exam is weighted against the sum of the assignments, it is either 50:50 or 60:40 and you have to get 70% overall to pass.

 

[satph]

There are 8 quizzes at 20 points each, plus the final at 100 points for a total of 260 possible points, you need 181 points to get a 70% and pass. The last email said the final is May 8 and 9.

They still haven't given me credit on the first quiz for "sequence". Not a huge deal, but you'd think they could get some sort of automated thing to run and fix it.

 

[mtnagel]

Thanks. I didn't recall the 260 points thing.

I need a 54.4 to pass

 

[Likefully]

Good luck all.

I just took the final exam. It is touch and go whether I got the badge...

I think if you have crunched the course so far you will sail through this one. The advice given in the last e-mail to go over past quizzes and assignments is very very very good!

 

[masskrug]

I just finished the final. I took a good 90 minutes and reviewed every question-D. Couple that with my abysmal quiz scores for a course score of 58%. I think I'll sell off my equipment and go drown my sorrows with a 12 pack of Natural Light. Damn chemistry.

 

[dstranger99]

Damn ! Just did the final, got 4 wrong..........25 questions........Good luck.......

 

[POAS]

Well, I took the final by mistake. Was going through the assignments to double check scores and see what I needed to pass and I hit the wrong button and I was in the final! I flunked it, but luckily I still ended up passing the course. I was going to study tonight and Friday, but I guess now I'm free to brew more beer!

 

[govner1]

FINISHED!


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[kuredood]

SCHOOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER!! I received a 16 on my final. What does that mean? An 80%?


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[coyote68]

Finished.

 

[Brews]

Finally finished. Not sure what happens now. I'm sure or at least pretty sure I passed. Celebrating with a nice home brew.

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[brewtus_]

Done. Overall, the course was challenging and rewarding. It's interesting how different it is when you're taking a class that you are actually wanting to learn or are interested in the subject matter versus a class where you're being forced to take it.

 

[kuredood]

How do you figure your final grade from the final exam? I got a 16?


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[Oginme]

I know each test was normalized to 20 points, and the scoring on the final seems to be scaled likewise. I am not sure if it is being weighted any differently from the rest of the tests. If they are all weighted equally, then the total of your scores divided by 180 would be your final percentage.

 

[CraptainWirtz]

Am I crazy?? Or is question 17 keyed incorrectly?