JOHN51277
Well-Known Member
Was sitting here smokin a cigar thinking.... Has anyone ever boiled wort in a microwave? Call me crazy!
Since microwaves change the molecular structure of food (a good reason to not use them), I would think this might be a problem for the yeast and the overall product. Plus, radiated beer just doesn't sound appetizing..to me at least...
Almost feel like I'm being trolled here but I have a hard time letting these types of things pass.
Microwaves work by exciting water molecules by passing electro-magnetic radiation (oooooo, scary word) through substances at the 2.4 Ghz frequency. This causes the water molecules to exude heat energy and cook the food in the microwave. Microwaves do not "alter" food at the molecular level and there is no substantive scientific evidence to back up any of the claims bandied about on the interwebs. This article does a good job of summarizing most of the claims that exist out there today:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0813/is_3_32/ai_n13664949/
For genuine scientific answers to microwave related questions you can check out this site run by a physicist from the University of Virginia, he posts lots of tidbits on this topic amongst others: www.howeverythingworks.org
Almost feel like I'm being trolled here but I have a hard time letting these types of things pass.
Microwaves work by exciting water molecules by passing electro-magnetic radiation (oooooo, scary word) through substances at the 2.4 Ghz frequency. This causes the water molecules to exude heat energy and cook the food in the microwave. Microwaves do not "alter" food at the molecular level and there is no substantive scientific evidence to back up any of the claims bandied about on the interwebs. This article does a good job of summarizing most of the claims that exist out there today:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0813/is_3_32/ai_n13664949/
For genuine scientific answers to microwave related questions you can check out this site run by a physicist from the University of Virginia, he posts lots of tidbits on this topic amongst others: www.howeverythingworks.org
it's not "just a source of heat"...cooking food in a microwave is a violent, very high frequency process which has very different effects than conventional stove-top cooking...it destroys health benefits of food to the point of having negative/degenerative effects in the body, etc, etc...look into it instead being so quick to call it crap...
I have used the microwave for starters before, works quite well.
I have used the microwave for starters before, works quite well.
As I was browsing that physicist's site I found this article on the potential hazard of boiling water in the microwave: http://www.howeverythingworks.org/page1.php?QNum=1576. I'd not consider this a call to alarm over using the microwave for this purpose but it's interesting reading and probably good information to keep in mind. Of course I've boiled water in the microwave for numerous purposes without anything more than a mild scalding due to my carelessness.
As I was browsing that physicist's site I found this article on the potential hazard of boiling water in the microwave: http://www.howeverythingworks.org/page1.php?QNum=1576. I'd not consider this a call to alarm over using the microwave for this purpose but it's interesting reading and probably good information to keep in mind. Of course I've boiled water in the microwave for numerous purposes without anything more than a mild scalding due to my carelessness.
super heating is a very hard phenomenon to create on accident. you need basically pure distilled water with almost no impurities to super heat it. the sugars dissolved in the water will provide more than ample surfaces for boiling to occur.
That's good to know, thanks!
myth busters actually had a whole segment about this. you can probably find it on youtube if you're interested.
i take my health seriously, so i'd rather be safe than sorry...there is enough info and research on the subject to have steered me away from using microwaves...much of the info i've come across is contained in this rather comprehensive article...just a small snippet, discussing what an independent, non-profit group called Powerwatch has found:
For the record, when I make tea at work in a glass cup with regular NJ tap water (and who knows what's in that mess ), it superheats every time I forget to put a straw in the glass.super heating is a very hard phenomenon to create on accident. you need basically pure distilled water with almost no impurities to super heat it. the sugars dissolved in the water will provide more than ample surfaces for boiling to occur.
super heating is a very hard phenomenon to create on accident. you need basically pure distilled water with almost no impurities to super heat it. the sugars dissolved in the water will provide more than ample surfaces for boiling to occur.
i take my health seriously, so i'd rather be safe than sorry...
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