ORLANDO, Fla. – Beer lovers can raise a glass for a cause at Science on Tap, a fundraiser that brings together local craft brewers, food trucks and interactive science activities in Lock Haven Park.
“Science on Tap is a fundraiser for Orlando Science Center,” said Jeff Stanford, the science center’s vice president of marketing. “It’s so much fun because what we’re taking is people love beer, but people don’t realize that beer is like the science that you drink.”
The event will feature about 30 breweries sampling their beers, Stanford said, alongside music, giant lawn games and live demonstrations from the science center’s team — including “giant foam explosions” and other hands-on activities.
“You get unlimited sampling of all these different brewers,” Stanford said. “It’s a fun, fun, family-friendly afternoon at the event. But then, we’re also kind of diving into what is the science behind brewing?”
Local brewers, neighborhood ties
Ten10 Brewing Co., located near the science center, is among the participating breweries. Mike Wallace of Ten10 said the event feels like a natural fit because of the brewery’s proximity and personal connection to the museum.
“It’s a beer and science event,” Wallace said. “And the science center is really close to us. So one of our neighbors… it was fun to be able to go over there and do an event in the neighborhood that we can basically walk our beer over to and pour and support them.”
Wallace described Science on Tap as more than a typical tasting festival.
“It’s like it’s a beer sampling event with science experiments,” he said. “So I think it’s kind of cool to have the interactive part out there as well.”
The science behind the sip
Organizers say Science on Tap is also an opportunity to spotlight the science inside every pint. Brewing starts with malted grains that are milled into a coarse “flour,” which becomes the foundation of the beer.
Those crushed grains are mixed with hot water in a process called mashing. During the mash, enzymes break down starches into fermentable sugars, creating a sweet liquid known as wort.
Next comes the boil, when brewers add hops to build bitterness, flavor and aroma. After boiling, the wort is rapidly cooled, often through a heat exchanger, to reach a yeast-friendly fermentation temperature.
Then, as one brewer in the feature explains, yeast does the real work: It multiplies, consumes sugar and produces alcohol and carbon dioxide. After fermentation, beer is typically clarified and conditioned in a finishing tank, then carbonated before it’s ready to serve.
What to expect at Science on Tap
In addition to beer sampling, Stanford said the Science Center’s programming team will offer special activities that connect brewing to other everyday science — including an exploration of similarities between coffee and beer and how snacks can change flavor perception.
“We’ve got great partners like 1010 Brewing talking about what is really going on to create a glass of beer,” Stanford said. “So it’s a fun time to learn, to enjoy, to get together… and help a good cause at the same time.”
Tickets and details
Science on Tap is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 24, at Lock Haven Park, with general admission running 1 to 4 p.m. Tickets support Orlando Science Center’s mission of making science learning accessible to everyone, Stanford said.
Tickets are available online at oac.org, and may also be purchased at the gate.
Watch the video above to learn more about Science on Tap and the science behind the beer you drink.