Trust me I'm a chemist.

[CoryTheBeerChemist]

Guys and Gals,

My name is Cory, I am a TTB certified chemist in Michigan and wanted to jump in here to let people know that I'm available as a resource for all your testing needs, if so required. I can test anything from ABV on beer, wine, or distilled spirits, to Hops (alpha, beta, cohum/colup, Hops Storage Index, essential oil profiles, etc) and literally anything in-between, doesn't even have to be alcohol related. The instrumentation I have allows me to test for just about anything. So if you're curious about some analysis feel free to shoot me something. I'll post my email at the bottom if you'd like to get in touch with me quicker. I also have started doing some research on Xanthohumol and have developed a way to quantitate it within hops. If you are a grower or know a grower, they should know about his compound and it's worth a few minutes on the google. Other than that, let me know if I can help any of you with some analysis. I can shoot you a quote and any other necessary information. I'm joining to help further my knowledge, so I'll be reading through some of the other posts in my free time (if such a thing exists).

Cheers,

CV

CBchemistry at aatestlabs dot com <-- not sure if actually writing your email is allowed, so sorry for the cryptology. If it is, copy and paste, [email protected]

 

[passedpawn]

[moved to general brewing where it'll get a lot more attention; @CoryTheBeerChemist, note that we have a Beer Science topic here that will attract a lot of attention to. I'll move it there if you like, just send me a msg]

 

[CoryTheBeerChemist]

I'm new here, you would know better than I would. I appreciate the help, thank you.

 

[passedpawn]

Do you use a UV spectrometer for IBU assay?

 

[Kent88]

Neat. I can think of an ingredient that I have used that I'd like to see if it makes a difference in the final product.

But first, how do we know that you're a real chemist, and that you aren't just trying to score free beer that people want tested, and a little cash for "lab analysis"? Have your lab services been around for a while and you're just now advertising through HBT? Can you tell us about your service's credentials?

I'll make a suggestion. If you want to show that you're invested in this, become a forum supporter. And this is coming from someone unaffiliated with site management, and from someone who isn't planning on paying to be supporter/subscriber.

 

[passedpawn]

I've been using steam distillation for separating the oil out of hops. I saved the hydrosol from that (as well as the oil). But I'm hesitant to use either as I don't really know the constituents. Thoughts?

 

[CoryTheBeerChemist]

indeed we do, we have a Perkin Elmer UV-VIS, we use the TTB method for IBU's.

 

[CoryTheBeerChemist]

well it depends on what you're looking for, if you have an idea I can run it on our GC-MS which scans the compounds across a known database and can identify all possibilities of its makeup. We could use this to narrow down what the ingredient is/was. As far as credentials or that I'm not just a person looking to essentially con, you can visit our website, aatestlabs.com I understand in today's world skepticism is about as necessary as breathing.

Due to the work and commitment I've given to the alcohol, brewers, vitner, and hops community we've developed quite a reputation over the past couple of years. Feel free to contact just about any hops company in Michigan and ask them if they know of alliance analytical, I can assure you they will.

Do you have an idea as to what you used before?

 

[CoryTheBeerChemist]

I've been using steam distillation for separating the oil out of hops. I saved the hydrosol from that (as well as the oil). But I'm hesitant to use either as I don't really know the constituents. Thoughts?

When I do a distillation of hops, I need at least 0.2 mLs of oil. But if I have that I can tell you the breakdown of your oils by a GC method. Basically all of your important compounds (caryophyllene, humulene, farnesene, myrcene, etc). I've only analyzed the oil, never the hydrosol, haven't met a grower or brewer who have been interested in anything other than the oil analysis, so I do what is asked, ya know? It's a relatively quick process after the 6 hour distillation.

 

[passedpawn]

So the elephant in the room: what's it cost? Turnaround time?

Three examples:

1. I send you a hop bud(s), you tell me the IBU's.
2. I send you beer, you tell me the IBUs.
3. I send you some hop oil (i've done the distallation), you tell me IBUs. And, you tell me the terpene content.

 

[Nebraskan]

We also have a Perkin Elmer UV Spectrometer at the lab at the winery I work at. Our one lab guy, Dave, was with a Pfizer for a number of years. I just ordered
Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA), 20 mg/mL, Amresco
that he needed for testing the unit. Stuff is not cheap!! $50.05 at VWR for the 1 ml of this substance, but he only needs to use a very small portion of it.