Free open course on the chemistry of beer

[Crofty]

Exam is back open to be taken.

I found it quite challenging in some of the deeper chemistry items. How did everyone else do? I walked away with 15/20

15 for me too! :beer:

 

[r055c0]

13.3 for me, completely ballsed up a brewing one I should have known, a couple of the chem ones I felt like I understood but just didn't know the right words to put into the sentences.

 

[beermeupscotty]

Still studying here... Although I've been introduced to the concepts before, this shit is heavy! I feel for anyone who hasn't done any of the organic chemistry before.

So tempting to chug back a few while reading through it but I really don't think it'd help me with the chemistry stuff! Tea and chocolate are taking priority as my study aids.

Really bringing back memories of crams for uni-days...

 

[beermeupscotty]

It's good that the course is thorough - and it's good mental exercise (and revision) - but it's a little frustrating to be going so deep with the chemistry when most of us will never use it, unless we become research chemists for commercial breweries, or something.

I guess it deepens our knowledge and understanding of what's going on in that mysterious vessel, and that's what it's all about. Might be tough to hold onto all of this largely-theoretical intel though once we finish the course...

 

[r055c0]

Yeah, I get the feeling this course is more aimed at teaching chemisrty students about brewing than teaching brewers about chemistry. Impresses the crap outta my mum though

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

I got 15 as well. I dont want to be a whinger as it is free and all but I googled two of the questions I got wrong after the test (the ones were you have to write a word) and I am pretty sure I got them right? When will they post the answers ? It might just be that he was looking for a different word though. For one I put in "order" but it could have been "sequence"? The other one though how was it not enzyme? unless there is an American spelling?

Apart from that I am loving the course so far! I just wished the videos would go on for ever! Even the chemistry stuff was really interesting starting to put all those words that you hear thrown about into context.

 

[sp0rk]

I put in sequence and still got it wrong...

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

Well there goes that theory

Maybe I just dont know what I am talking about

 

[Parks]

I put in sequence and still got it wrong...

Me too.

 

[Crofty]

Just a thought guys, but it's Probably best not to discuss your answers on an open forum, unless the exam period is over. (Ignore this comment if it is indeed over)

Prof. Morvant is aware that a lot of us are on this forum.

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

I think it would be pretty safe to give wrong answers though?

 

[TSMill]

It was interesting, but not sure I saw anything in the first element that is going to help me on a practical level. I kind of feel like the dumb kid in year 9 maths asking "when am I going to use algebra in real life????" but I'm thinking I might be the first course dropout. WIll have a crack at one more unit and see.

 

[shaunous]

It was interesting, but not sure I saw anything in the first element that is going to help me on a practical level. I kind of feel like the dumb kid in year 9 maths asking "when am I going to use algebra in real life????" but I'm thinking I might be the first course dropout. WIll have a crack at one more unit and see.

I havent watched a single video yet, so your doing better than me.

Are we all reading extra texts, or do the video's get you through?

 

[beermeupscotty]

I havent watched a single video yet, so your doing better than me.

Are we all reading extra texts, or do the video's get you through?

The chemistry is basically not covered in the videos, and nor is much of the history. I've been going through the chemistry texts for the last 3 days - lots of information...

 

[shaunous]

The chemistry is basically not covered in the videos, and nor is much of the history. I've been going through the chemistry texts for the last 3 days - lots of information...

Damn, i dont have time to be reading endless info, this first coupla weeks anyway. might have to just watch the vids and have a stab at the quiz and try and make up with better results later on.

 

[Crofty]

I've been reading the info provided and watching the vids....

Might have to go through the vids on the basic chemistry course they had up previously to get my head round the chem stuff though.

Never learnt chemistry.

 

[beermeupscotty]

Damn, i dont have time to be reading endless info, this first coupla weeks anyway. might have to just watch the vids and have a stab at the quiz and try and make up with better results later on.

I'm probably going a bit overboard with my note-taking but yes there's a lot there. Remember that the quiz is probably closely related to the 'Learning Outcomes', so take a peek at those and tailor your late study to meet as many of those as you can.

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

I read the chemistry texts most of them were only a 20minute read pretty heavy but reinforced by the videos. ( the texts are more pure chemistry were as the videos seem to always be linked back to beer).

All in all though I really enjoy it and the quality of the teaching is about 100 times better than when I went to uni.

As for the test I read in his forums they dont kick you out if you dont do them or fail them all. For us "non credit" students they are really just to tell us how much we have understood.

EDIT: I just remembered I did learn something. Maltose is two glucoses joined together AND dextrose is the same thing as glucose (different name) where as table sugar or sucrose is a glucose and a fructose. Long story short I now know why you should bulk prime with dextrose! Man I will be a damn beer chemist before you know it.

Something else I learnt from one of the videos at sam adams was that they add a different yeast after five days! I have never heard of that before!

 

[GalBrew]

I've got to wonder though, how being familiar with the structure of a prostaglandin is relevant to brewing (got it right though).

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

prostawho? Does he own a brewery?