The Science of Beer, from Bacteria to Brews

The next time you down a stein of suds or a bottle of craft beer, consider the effort that went into making the bubbly beverage. And not just by the brewers who made it, but the industrious bacteria swimming within it.

In this video, PBS explains how yeast, tiny microbes like saccharomyces,  cerevisiae, and brettanomyces aid fermentation. And although it may sound dry, it’s straight-up fascinating. ”I think that brewing and the beer-making process is the ultimate intersection of [science and art],” explains brewer Averie Swanson of Jester King Brewery in Austin, Texas.

Although many commercial breweries tend to work with single lab-cultivated strains of yeast, Swanson prefers to use mixed cultures comprising many different types of microbes. The result is often delicious, but a brewer never really knows with certainty how they’ll interact with one another.

"That’s the exciting part," she said, although she believes that this diversity ultimately contributes a “more interesting aroma and flavor profile to our beer.”

Watch the entire video to get a sense of how various microbes create your favorite beer. Who knew science could be so tasty?