All posts by Will Deutschman

I'm a college professor with expertise in biochemistry who gave up doing 'hardcore' biochemistry for brewing science research a few years back. Now I study yeast metabolism and sugar mobilization in malt. Working with students, we have been able to present our findings at professional conferences like the World Brewing Congress and American Society of Brewing Chemists annual meetings. Introducing students to the science behind beer is one of my favorite things to do in the world. Outside of my "professional" life, I'm a BJCP certified judge, I bike and ski everywhere at every chance I get, and after a day of that, love chilling on the couch with my 2 dogs and 1 cat. I also salve my need for intellectual challenge by designing and building fun brewing related projects, the best of which is my 100% solar powered brewing setup. #NerdAlert.

Retraining the Brain to Fight Alcoholism using Naltrexone and the Sinclair Method

Debate & Commentary 1 Comment

Part 3 of a 3 part series Read the complete story of Will’s Journey to overcome alcohol addiction without completely giving it up. This post is one part of a three part story centered around my realization that, as a member of the craft beer community, I had a problem with alcohol and I needed to change my course before things got worse than they already were. If you have not read part 1, I would encourage you to, as there is some important context…

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My Experiences with the Sinclair Method and Naltrexone to Reduce My Alcohol Consumption

Debate & Commentary 9 Comments

Part 2 of a 3 part series Read the complete series of Will’s Journey to overcome alcohol addiction without completely giving it up. In a previous part of this series, I told you about the process by which I came to realize that I had a problem with alcohol, as well as some of the things that kept me from addressing that problem sooner than I did. In this part of the series, I want to share with you my process of learning about naltrexone…

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An open letter from a craft beer enthusiast, a sporadic beer blog contributor, a brewing science scholar, a beer judge… and an alcoholic

Debate & Commentary 5 Comments

Part 1 of a 3 part series Read the complete story of Will’s Journey to overcome alcohol addiction without completely giving it up. Let’s just start with the obligatory statement: Hello, my name is Will and I’m an alcoholic. It took me a long time to be able to say that to myself, and an even longer time to see a path forward for myself after making that admission. Why did it take so long? I’m sure it’s never easy for anyone who has to…

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Build Your Own Counter-pressure Bottle Filler! UPDATED

DIY, Home Brewing 4 Comments

UPDATE 10/19/18: Added a line schematic (below) to help with DIY assembly. Of late, I have been bottling a lot of beer for friends. That probably has something to do with the fact that I have been running a serial repitch experiment at work that is turning out 30 gallons of beer every couple of weeks. Now, I have a strong liver and all, but… there’s no way I can deal with that much volume. And, while the beer is free, I still can’t bring…

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The lazy, hazy days of summer (beers).

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Or: Why those tasty, tasty New England IPAs are legit cloudy – mostly. There has been a surge lately in the number of beers being sold that are, how shall we say it…. less than clear in their visual appearance. For some styles, this is, of course, historically accurate and fully appropriate. Think Bavarian hefeweizen, or Belgian wit. For most other styles, a hazy beer is considered a fault and a mark of an improperly crafted beer. Of late, it seems that idea is being thrown…

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Why is There Beer Raining From My Ceiling?

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What causes a beer to “Gusher”? by Will Deutschman We’ve all had the experience: You open a bottle of that beer you have been cherishing – saving for just the right moment – and an instant after you pop the cap, your only thought is, “Why is it raining beer from my ceiling right now???” credit: Research Gate http://tinyurl.com/l2ygt9h  OK. Perhaps you have been lucky enough to not have that experience. But, in a milder form, have you ever opened a bottle and had it…

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Who put the cardboard in my beer? Aging and oxidation of Beer

Debate & Commentary 2 Comments

Who put the cardboard in my beer? Aging and oxidation of beer. by Will Deutschman Check out Will’s article on the Myth of the 100+ IBU IPA There has been much talk lately of cellaring beer. Some are for it, enjoying collecting treasures to savor slowly over the years. Some do it so they can have ‘vertical tastings’ of different vintages of the same brew. Some do it accidentally because beers get ‘lost’ in the basement. (The author sheepishly raises his hand here.) And, of…

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The myth of the 100+ IBU IPA

Debate & Commentary 17 Comments

The myth of the 100+ IBU IPA by Will Deutschman Check out Will’s article on Beer Aging and Oxidation (tastes like cardboard) We are a country that is all agog about IPAs right now. Regular IPAs has become the norm. No brewery worth its salt is without one, and for the craft beer consumer it has very nearly become the Bud Lite of the day. Now it seems people compete to stand at the top of the heap of the biggest, baddest, hoppiest IPA out there.…

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