The science and mystique of what makes truly great beer is explored with logic and order. The long-awaited second edition of the George Fix classic looks at ways in which fundamental science impacts brewing. This comprehensive and highly technical study bridges the gap between professional brewing texts and standard texts on chemistry, biochemistry and thermodynamics. Recent major developments in brewing science have been significant, especially in the most crucial determinants of beer flavour quality -- fermentation and oxidation. Dr Fix pays special attention to basic chemical pathways used by bacteria and wild yeast, chemical changes that occur during malting, and the application of gas laws to carbonation and dispensation. This is a book no brewer should be without.