The idea, not surprisingly, came from a student. “Why don’t you teach a chemistry class about beer?” the student asked chemistry professor Jason Overby. After giving it some thought, Overby conceded it was a good suggestion. And so the Science of Brewing – Chemistry 183 – was born.
This fall, Overby offered the course for the third time. Predictably enough, enrollment reached maximum capacity very quickly, with students eager to apply lessons from previous chemistry courses to their favorite adult beverage. To Overby’s satisfaction, by the end of the semester many students had developed an interest in home brewing. One student even became an intern at Charleston’s
Holy City Brewing (cofounded by Sean Nemitz ’09 and Chris Brown ’05).
No matter his expertise as a chemist, Overby says there are some things about beermaking that cannot be taught.
“For all of the science that is present, there is still a very strong component of brewing being an art form,” says Overby. “Brewing is truly one part science and one part art.”
