Bradley Gagnon

Patterns oI Beer

CEP 818
10/5/11
UseIul Patterns in Beer and Brewing
Many patterns exist in the process oI brewing and eventually drinking beer. Some
patterns are small, and their repetition and overlapping organization through time creates a large
and complex pattern that completes 'The Big Picture. This large and complex pattern that
involves several steps and smaller patterns is overwhelming when Iirst witnessed. However, by
compartmentalizing certain aspects oI 'The Big Picture into their smaller individual patterns,
each part oI the whole can be Iully explained, experienced, and understood.
One example oI this type oI repetitive pattern exists in the process oI sanitation. The
process always Iollows a pattern: 1.wash, 2.rinse, 3.sanitize, 4.rinse, 5.use. This pattern is
repeated several times throughout the beer brewing process. It must occur beIore beginning the
'Mash-In, or the Iirst step in an all grain beer. It must also occur beIore the Iermentation stage,
which can last Ior several weeks. It must occur again beIore the bottling stage. Looking at this
pattern independent Irom the overall 'Big Picture allows an observer to Iocus on the details oI
the pattern and the reasons Ior which they exist. This Iocus can lead to an understanding that can
be applied each time the pattern occurs throughout the process. This type oI understanding can
also lead to innovation.
When looking at the smaller pieces oI the 'Big Picture and building up to the whole, an
observer is Iollowing a path that can be described as Irom the 'bottom, up. This may be
helpIul, but may also hinder progress in understanding Ior several reasons. When attempting to
understand the meaning oI a sentence, each word must not be taken out oI context, but instead
gains meaning and connotation Irom the words around it. In the same way, the traditional
method oI separating and Iocusing on the diIIerent parts oI the brewing process can remove the
overall meaning and purpose Irom each part. Instead, a new way to observe these patterns is not
Irom the 'bottom, up but Irom the 'top, down. When looking at the patterns Irom the 'top,
down, an observer will start with the 'Big Picture. In the case oI brewing beer, there are two
ways to present the 'top, down perspective on the patterns involved. The Iirst way is the way in
which most people are introduced to beer: by drinking a well-craIted brew, purchased
commercially which has been tested and proven to be a product capable oI success in the market
place. The other method would be to introduce the observer to a poorly made, contaminated beer
that would illustrate the consequences oI a Iailure to Iollow the pattern oI sanitation properly.
In this video presentation, the patterns involved in the beer brewing process are
represented graphically by diIIerent colors Iilling diIIerent parts oI a Iull glass oI beer. The new
'Big Picture presented is the deliberate corruption oI the normal repetition oI these patterns,
producing a Iinal product that is much diIIerent Irom that normally experienced by the observer.
This presentation oI a new pattern is very useIul as a cognitive tool to give a student an
experience that he or she might otherwise be Iorced to have by accident. To accidentally ruin a
beer is a catastrophe that costs money and much more time than it would take to Iollow the
pattern oI sanitation correctly.
The video presentation can be Iound at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?vX6QUcP2gRww