The scientific method

[of mice and gods]

It's definitely a step in the right direction.

Also, relating to m44. Here's a comparo with WLP001, US05, BRY-97 and M44.

http://www.rebelbrewer.com/blog/yeast-experiment-american-session/

 

[verysupple]

I totally agree with the comments about not reinventing the wheel. By all means we need to survey the literature and make sure we're asking a question that remains open.

It's interesting to see the old rivalries and prejudices among different fields of science emerge in such a far flung forum. You have to keep in mind the kind of resources available to scientists doing public research in lower profile fields, including food science. I think the rigour is high, though to a physicist it might seem extremely empirical, or to a medical researcher, irrelevant. What matters is the integrity of the process.

In my own field, you can definitely get published by just manipulating a variable and turning the crank, but you'll still be seen as an irrelevant failure, because nobody will read your papers. I'd imagine the same drive for relevance and novelty exists in every area of science.

You are absolutely right. Peer reviewed is peer reviewed, no field is more rigorous than another. Manipulating a variable and turning the crank yields much sought after knowledge and is by no means a waste of scientific resources. And yes, in certain fields that sort of process will give you no credit / a bad name and it is expected that you investigate all the possibilities in a single paper. But in others it's perfectly acceptable to publish numerous papers investigating a single variable (which is mainly due to the politics and economics of scientific research, but that's a different rant that nobody here will be interested in). All fields are different which is what makes science so interesting (Well, at least to me the bureaucracy and politics is still interesting. I suspect it will become wearisome with time.).

Mainly my little jab was because that sort of publishing strategy isn't tolerated in my field and we're jealous of those in fields where it is. For instance my friend published 10 papers during her PhD in psychology which only took her 18 months (admittedly she's exceptionally tallented), while in my field (medical physics) you'll be lucky to publish three or four papers in three years of a PhD.

In the end, good science is good science and I don't think anyone here is too concerned with impact factors and publication rates, so we can probably design a decent experiment and publish the results. The worst that can happen is we get rejected. We're not getting paid for this so as far as I'm concerned, if that happens, no big whoop.

 

[Greg.L]

So you're thinking "why should I do training in food science when I have a degree in medical physics"? It's all science right, how hard can it be? Becoming an expert is so easy these days with the internet.

3 or 4 papers over the course of a PHD is a lot, any more than that and you can't be putting much work into each paper. Your friend must be very tallented.

 

[carpedaym]

This is an interesting, pseudo-scientific read, for those curious about mash temps, ph and more: http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Effects_of_mash_parameters_on_fermentability_and_efficiency_in_single_infusion_mashing

One thing I'm still trying to grasp as a new brewer is hop aroma: ko vs whirlpool vs hop stands (at various temps during cooling) vs cube vs dry vs French-press/hop-tea.

What is the most efficient addition for hop aroma; subjective differences; (and as a cheap skate, how to get the most bang for your hop buck)

 

[pcmfisher]

I think the use of FWK would be a good idea as a base for doing experiments that involve methods post mashing etc. Just one way of removing variable in wort as all the kits would come from a control batch.

You think FWK do not vary?

If they are from the same batch and stored the same, maybe.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

One would asume you would use FWK's from the same batch, otherwise it would be pointless to use it as a control.

 

[GalBrew]

You would probably get a more consistent wort from a commercial extract can than a FWK. I would be happier to use that as a standard wort. The only issues you would then have is the water used to dilute them. Could use a cheap bottled water perhaps? Should be a good base for experimentation.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

How can an extract tin be more consistant than FWK's from the same batch ? Cans are going to have the same problems with regard to age,storage temps etc. How can you garantee that your cans are from the same batch, especially if you involve brewers from different states. At least with a FWK you could ask a brewery ( like ESB or Bachus ) to provide kits from the same batch. You could possibly do it with tins, but getting a set from the batch would require sourcing them from a supplier that had enough stock from a single production run.

Yes. It is splitting hairs.

 

[GalBrew]

While i would rather drink a beer made from a FWK. I would bet on the process consistency of Coopers for a tin of goo over the small batch FWK producers any day.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

One thing you can do with a FWK is spec a recipie rather than just accept whats in the tin.

 

[GalBrew]

Yeah, I agree. I quite like to use them myself now and then and jazz them up. I was just thinking in terms of a national experiment, a tin of coopers goo diluted in fratelle water, could be a good cheap way to standardise things.

 

[GalBrew]

Also true that a tin of goo is no good for any grain related questions. I guess it depends on the question you want to ask. Interesting ideas....

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

We seem to be getting ahead of the queastion.

 

[schrodinger]

I'm not working this week, so between setting up my new kegerator (which I infer is being dragged northwest by camels at 3 kph from Tamworth, where it was sighted in Toll's warehouse over 4 days ago) brewing a batch, and cursing our nearly-useless evaporative cooler while it's 41 degrees outside, I plan to spend some time looking at the primary literature to sharpen a question for our experiment. Keep the ideas coming.

Happy Festivus, Joyous Kwanzaa and so forth. Ducatiboy and other Pastafarians, Happy Holiday.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

May the sauce be with you.