Brewing a Scientific Masterpiece
Brains are separated into two hemispheres: left and right. The right is used primarily for imagination, creativity, feelings, and arts. On the contrary, the left is used for logic, facts, linear thinking, mathematics ,and science. Although very different, the two hemispheres work together to help humans function in day to day activities. Just like the brain combines these two processing parts, homebrewing does as well in a balanced combination of art and science. Homebrewing has been around thousands of years before being commercialized as beer has been brewed domestically on a small scale since its advent. Homebrewing, which is simply brewing beer at home, is considered a leisure activity that has been rising in popularity. Leisure activities are considered activities or hobbies that people voluntarily spend time participating in that is away from stress, a synonym for leisure activities is down time activities. “There is a trend to do things more locally. You don’t get any more local than doing it at home” (Holl, page 1). This personal, local feeling could be a driving factor in the growing interest in homebrewing and the motivation that drives people. Along with describing it as a leisure activity in his thesis, Murray also states, "Brewing beer is a propitious blend of art and science” (Murray, page 10). This being said, can homebrewers be seen as artists and scientists in a way? It is not common to see art and science combined in many activities and that could possibly be the reasoning as to why it has become such an appealing hobby over the years leading to an expansion of the homebrewing discourse community. As a engineer and painter, a hobby that combined my two favorite subjects, art and science, interested me greatly. This raised the question: is this what also draws people to homebrew? There are many different motivating factors and emotions that draw people from all over the world to participate in the homebrewing community. From mothers, to teachers, to dancers, to the President of the United States, homebrewing is an activity that can appeal to anyone from anywhere.
Most people participate in serious leisure activities or hobbies to allows them to escape the worries and stress that life can often bring. Exploring different activities allows one to experience many motivations, emotions, and satisfactions that come with it. When asked what motivates one to brew, Cameron, a 28 years old bartender at University of Beer, replied, “Making great beer and seeing the looks on others faces when they try my beer motivated me.” This is a common motivating factor that often drives people to participate in homebrewing. People often get more pleasure from others seeing, trying, or hearing their work than they do from themselves observing it. When I paint, I assess the beauty and quality of my painting based off of others opinions and reactions to it, not my own. This is translatted over into brewing. Like Cameron, I like to see others reactions to my beer to feel good about it. I think it is almost human nature to have that yearning for others approval and appraisal. Other factors could be wanting to make cheaper and better quality beer, or to experience first hand the process of brewing and the emotions that accompany it. There are a range of emotions that homebrewing can bring out. These can include happiness, frustration, impatience, and peace. Cameron explained, “I have many focusing problems, but when I am brewing beer I am at peace. I guess it is like my yoga.” Being the daughter of a yoga instructor, I know it is focused on spiritual development to obtain self awareness of one’s mind and body. Homebrewing can excite a similar experience, just as cooking or baking does for others. Brewing beer can put one in a zen type of mood where everything is quiet, peaceful, and you just focus on your beer. Everyone has their own homebrewing experiences; Matt, a 22 year old fourth year at UC Davis, said, “I don’t really feel any emotions when brewing, I just go step by step to brew a good batch.” My homebrewing experience has been one of joy and focus, that allowed me to gain more control of my anxiety disorder. Not only the end product of a great craft beer to enjoy motivates people to homebrew, it can also be the feelings that the process elicits.
Art and science are not combined in many hobbies or activities; the two do not often come in contact with one another. “For example, cooking through technique, creativity, experimentation, and serendipity is a form of craft. On the other hand, baking is formulaic and chemistry driven; in baking, precision and exactitude are the performance hallmarks for this endeavor” (Murray, page 11). The science in the homebrewing process is seen through the precise timing, temperatures, fermentation, feeding the yeasts sugar to make alcohol, and much more; this can be compared to the left side of the brain that is logic, math, and analytical thinking. Right side of the brain, or the art is seen through the choice of ingredients and methods. Every brewer stands out from one another based on the yeasts, hops, grains, beer being brewed, taste, bottling, and brewing methods; this allows room for more creativity and imagination. One person may prefer to use a more floral tasting hop and others may prefer using chocolate grains to bring forth a slight chocolate taste. Brewers have the freedom to decide what they want to brew and there are endless combinations and possibilities. “You do need a good palate to make good beer — you can't just ferment your favorite foods” (Mann page 1). One has to have a good sense of taste to be able to understand the ingredients and how they will come together in the end to make a great beer. Cameron made a blueberry IPA that recently won a homebrewing competition. The decision to add blueberry juice to an IPA before bottling is not a decision many would have made, but it resulted in an amazing craft beer. Art without science or science without art during the brewing process would not result in a good beer. When asked if they view themselves as artists or scientists all interviewees said no, but when examining their methods and style of brewing beer, it was clear that they all had their own creativity or art style when brewing which made them reconsider their answer after I pointed that out. Cameron described his brewing process as “whatever is in the kitchen”, he continued to say, “I would see what yeasts I have and then build an entire recipe around that.” Cameron would be considered a more intermediate brewer because of this factor because he is able to know what to add together from scraps of ingredients to make something great. Similarly, a great baker is able to make a pie from whatever they find in their kitchen without following a precise recipe. Matt said he “finds a recipe, go buys the ingredients for it, and follows it step by step.” As your experience increases, you begin to get a better understanding of the ingredients, their properties, and when and where to add them to get an amazing resulting craft brew. According to NPR podcast, Talk of the Nation, “The steps in the brewing process — malting, mashing and fermentation — seem simple enough, but the process requires careful supervision and tightly controlled conditions.” The ingredients, timing, and the temperature are all crucial to brewing a good beer, showing that chemistry in brewing beer is critical as well.
My interest in this discourse community sparked from the science and art behind it. Is this combination what also draws others to this hobby? Cameron got started in homebrewing from his friend who invited him to homebrew one day eight years ago. Kyle, a 22 year old fourth year at UC Davis, began his beer brewing journey when he was 13 with his dad who was a former homebrewer. Even starting at such a young age, Kyle is still not an expert, showing the difficulty and intriguing challenge that keeps brewers motivated to create a great beer. Being introduced to beer and brewing at such a young age has really shaped Kyle into the homebrewer he is today. He knows a lot about what ingredients and methods can be combined to get specific tastes, which is a hard skill to master in this activity, Matt started brewing beer alone due to his passion and love for beer leading him curious to know how it is made. “The measurement of motivation and emotion will offer insight into the depth of self-identification and actualization that result from involvement in this serious leisure activity” (Murray, page 1). After reading the article claiming homebrewing to be a major leisure activity, it made me question if those who participate in homebrewing are the type to also participate in other leisure. All those who were interviewed do participate in other serious leisure activities. Matt and Kyle play soccer for a division 1 team, go on backcountry skiing and backpacking trips, skateboard, and garden as well as brewing. Cameron snowboards, wakeboards, and cooks intricate meals. From an online survey completed for Murray’s thesis, he found that most people that do participate in homebrewing also participate in other serious leisure activities and hobbies. After researching, I found that someone has to have a good commitment and drive to stick to the activity of homebrewing. With each batch taking an average of six weeks, it is a time consuming hobby. In addition, no one brews a good craft beer on the first try, or the second or tenth for that matter. It takes a lot of time to get a feel for the ingredients and precise methods. That being said, the types of people that are involved in this community are ones that are driven and motivated. I believe this is why most are engaged in other serious activities because they enjoy the challenge and joy it can bring as experience and skill increases. Backcountry skiing, division 1 soccer, and cooking are not easy hobbies to master or even participate in. This leads me to assume that the people that homebrew like to take on a challenge on their mind, time, and body.
After researching the homebrewing discourse community, it was concluded that homebrewing is a serious leisure activity that involves a combination of art and science. The art and science of homebrewing are seen in every aspect from the process, methods, fermentation, to the ingredients. It allows the left and right hemispheres of the brain to work together to use creativity, logic, math, and science. This rare combination of art and science is not seen in many other activities. This is one factor that has made homebrewing so popular. Other factors that motivate people to homebrew include the emotions it can bring, the satisfaction of others enjoying their beer, curiosity of the process, and more. It was observed that majority of the members that participated in this serious leisure activity also participated in other serious activities or hobbies. This can be a result of the satisfaction such serious hobbies can elicit with their challenges to learn and conquer them. The homebrewing community is a large and growing discourse community that can be found in every corner fo the world because lets be honest, who doesn’t love beer!
Most people participate in serious leisure activities or hobbies to allows them to escape the worries and stress that life can often bring. Exploring different activities allows one to experience many motivations, emotions, and satisfactions that come with it. When asked what motivates one to brew, Cameron, a 28 years old bartender at University of Beer, replied, “Making great beer and seeing the looks on others faces when they try my beer motivated me.” This is a common motivating factor that often drives people to participate in homebrewing. People often get more pleasure from others seeing, trying, or hearing their work than they do from themselves observing it. When I paint, I assess the beauty and quality of my painting based off of others opinions and reactions to it, not my own. This is translatted over into brewing. Like Cameron, I like to see others reactions to my beer to feel good about it. I think it is almost human nature to have that yearning for others approval and appraisal. Other factors could be wanting to make cheaper and better quality beer, or to experience first hand the process of brewing and the emotions that accompany it. There are a range of emotions that homebrewing can bring out. These can include happiness, frustration, impatience, and peace. Cameron explained, “I have many focusing problems, but when I am brewing beer I am at peace. I guess it is like my yoga.” Being the daughter of a yoga instructor, I know it is focused on spiritual development to obtain self awareness of one’s mind and body. Homebrewing can excite a similar experience, just as cooking or baking does for others. Brewing beer can put one in a zen type of mood where everything is quiet, peaceful, and you just focus on your beer. Everyone has their own homebrewing experiences; Matt, a 22 year old fourth year at UC Davis, said, “I don’t really feel any emotions when brewing, I just go step by step to brew a good batch.” My homebrewing experience has been one of joy and focus, that allowed me to gain more control of my anxiety disorder. Not only the end product of a great craft beer to enjoy motivates people to homebrew, it can also be the feelings that the process elicits.
Art and science are not combined in many hobbies or activities; the two do not often come in contact with one another. “For example, cooking through technique, creativity, experimentation, and serendipity is a form of craft. On the other hand, baking is formulaic and chemistry driven; in baking, precision and exactitude are the performance hallmarks for this endeavor” (Murray, page 11). The science in the homebrewing process is seen through the precise timing, temperatures, fermentation, feeding the yeasts sugar to make alcohol, and much more; this can be compared to the left side of the brain that is logic, math, and analytical thinking. Right side of the brain, or the art is seen through the choice of ingredients and methods. Every brewer stands out from one another based on the yeasts, hops, grains, beer being brewed, taste, bottling, and brewing methods; this allows room for more creativity and imagination. One person may prefer to use a more floral tasting hop and others may prefer using chocolate grains to bring forth a slight chocolate taste. Brewers have the freedom to decide what they want to brew and there are endless combinations and possibilities. “You do need a good palate to make good beer — you can't just ferment your favorite foods” (Mann page 1). One has to have a good sense of taste to be able to understand the ingredients and how they will come together in the end to make a great beer. Cameron made a blueberry IPA that recently won a homebrewing competition. The decision to add blueberry juice to an IPA before bottling is not a decision many would have made, but it resulted in an amazing craft beer. Art without science or science without art during the brewing process would not result in a good beer. When asked if they view themselves as artists or scientists all interviewees said no, but when examining their methods and style of brewing beer, it was clear that they all had their own creativity or art style when brewing which made them reconsider their answer after I pointed that out. Cameron described his brewing process as “whatever is in the kitchen”, he continued to say, “I would see what yeasts I have and then build an entire recipe around that.” Cameron would be considered a more intermediate brewer because of this factor because he is able to know what to add together from scraps of ingredients to make something great. Similarly, a great baker is able to make a pie from whatever they find in their kitchen without following a precise recipe. Matt said he “finds a recipe, go buys the ingredients for it, and follows it step by step.” As your experience increases, you begin to get a better understanding of the ingredients, their properties, and when and where to add them to get an amazing resulting craft brew. According to NPR podcast, Talk of the Nation, “The steps in the brewing process — malting, mashing and fermentation — seem simple enough, but the process requires careful supervision and tightly controlled conditions.” The ingredients, timing, and the temperature are all crucial to brewing a good beer, showing that chemistry in brewing beer is critical as well.
My interest in this discourse community sparked from the science and art behind it. Is this combination what also draws others to this hobby? Cameron got started in homebrewing from his friend who invited him to homebrew one day eight years ago. Kyle, a 22 year old fourth year at UC Davis, began his beer brewing journey when he was 13 with his dad who was a former homebrewer. Even starting at such a young age, Kyle is still not an expert, showing the difficulty and intriguing challenge that keeps brewers motivated to create a great beer. Being introduced to beer and brewing at such a young age has really shaped Kyle into the homebrewer he is today. He knows a lot about what ingredients and methods can be combined to get specific tastes, which is a hard skill to master in this activity, Matt started brewing beer alone due to his passion and love for beer leading him curious to know how it is made. “The measurement of motivation and emotion will offer insight into the depth of self-identification and actualization that result from involvement in this serious leisure activity” (Murray, page 1). After reading the article claiming homebrewing to be a major leisure activity, it made me question if those who participate in homebrewing are the type to also participate in other leisure. All those who were interviewed do participate in other serious leisure activities. Matt and Kyle play soccer for a division 1 team, go on backcountry skiing and backpacking trips, skateboard, and garden as well as brewing. Cameron snowboards, wakeboards, and cooks intricate meals. From an online survey completed for Murray’s thesis, he found that most people that do participate in homebrewing also participate in other serious leisure activities and hobbies. After researching, I found that someone has to have a good commitment and drive to stick to the activity of homebrewing. With each batch taking an average of six weeks, it is a time consuming hobby. In addition, no one brews a good craft beer on the first try, or the second or tenth for that matter. It takes a lot of time to get a feel for the ingredients and precise methods. That being said, the types of people that are involved in this community are ones that are driven and motivated. I believe this is why most are engaged in other serious activities because they enjoy the challenge and joy it can bring as experience and skill increases. Backcountry skiing, division 1 soccer, and cooking are not easy hobbies to master or even participate in. This leads me to assume that the people that homebrew like to take on a challenge on their mind, time, and body.
After researching the homebrewing discourse community, it was concluded that homebrewing is a serious leisure activity that involves a combination of art and science. The art and science of homebrewing are seen in every aspect from the process, methods, fermentation, to the ingredients. It allows the left and right hemispheres of the brain to work together to use creativity, logic, math, and science. This rare combination of art and science is not seen in many other activities. This is one factor that has made homebrewing so popular. Other factors that motivate people to homebrew include the emotions it can bring, the satisfaction of others enjoying their beer, curiosity of the process, and more. It was observed that majority of the members that participated in this serious leisure activity also participated in other serious activities or hobbies. This can be a result of the satisfaction such serious hobbies can elicit with their challenges to learn and conquer them. The homebrewing community is a large and growing discourse community that can be found in every corner fo the world because lets be honest, who doesn’t love beer!
References
Bland, Alastair. “Why Aren’t There More People Of Color In Craft Brewing?”, 2013.
Holl, John. “Need a Six-Pack? Hit the Basement.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 22 June 2011, www.nytimes.com/2011/06/23/garden/home-brewing-need-a-beer-hit-the-basement.html.
Mann, Sehvilla. “Aspiring Craft Brewers Hit The Books To Pick Up Science Chops.” NPR, NPR, 8 Apr. 2015, www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/04/08/396860667/aspiring-craft-brewers-hit-the-books-to-get-science-chops.
Murray, W. Douglas. “Home Brewing and Serious Leisure: An Empirical Evaluation”, 2009.
“New American Homebrewers Association Survey Details Demographics and Production of Homebrewers.” Brewers Association, Brewers Association, 2 Aug. 2017, www.brewersassociation.org/press-releases/new-american-homebrewers-association-survey-details-demographics-and-production-of-homebrewers/.
“The Science Of Making Great Beer.” NPR, NPR, 16 May 2008, www.npr.org/2008/05/16/90517078/the-science-of-making-great-beer.
Holl, John. “Need a Six-Pack? Hit the Basement.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 22 June 2011, www.nytimes.com/2011/06/23/garden/home-brewing-need-a-beer-hit-the-basement.html.
Mann, Sehvilla. “Aspiring Craft Brewers Hit The Books To Pick Up Science Chops.” NPR, NPR, 8 Apr. 2015, www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/04/08/396860667/aspiring-craft-brewers-hit-the-books-to-get-science-chops.
Murray, W. Douglas. “Home Brewing and Serious Leisure: An Empirical Evaluation”, 2009.
“New American Homebrewers Association Survey Details Demographics and Production of Homebrewers.” Brewers Association, Brewers Association, 2 Aug. 2017, www.brewersassociation.org/press-releases/new-american-homebrewers-association-survey-details-demographics-and-production-of-homebrewers/.
“The Science Of Making Great Beer.” NPR, NPR, 16 May 2008, www.npr.org/2008/05/16/90517078/the-science-of-making-great-beer.