Charles Bamforth

Charles William Bamforth
Born	Upholland, Lancashire, England
Other names	Charlie Bamforth
Occupation(s)	Brewing scientist, academic, author
Years active	1977–present
Known for	Brewing science, malting, brewing research, quality assurance in brewing
Notable work	Beer: Exploring the Art and Science of Brewing; Fundamental Scientific Concepts of Malting and Brewing; Practical Guides for Beer Quality series; editor of Brewing Materials and Processes; editor of Brewing: New Technologies

Charles William Bamforth, FRSB, FCIBD (born June 1952), commonly referred to as Charlie Bamforth, is a British expert in the fields of malting and brewing science. He previously held the position of president at the Institute of Brewing and Distilling and was the Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor of Malting and Brewing Sciences at University of California, Davis from 1999 until his retirement in 2018. Following his retirement as Distinguished Professor Emeritus, he took on the role of Senior Quality Adviser for the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.

In addition to his brewing expertise, Bamforth has contributed extensively to English association football literature, providing content for matchday programmes of clubs such as Wolverhampton Wanderers, Birmingham City, Walsall, and Shrewsbury Town. He authored two books on soccer, including the autobiography of Alan Hinton, a distinguished winger and coach within North American soccer circles.

Career

Born in 1952 in Upholland, Lancashire, Bamforth earned his BSc in biochemistry from the University of Hull in 1973, followed by a PhD from the same institution in 1977. After completing a postdoctoral fellowship at Sheffield University, he joined Brewing Research International and subsequently Bass Brewers, where he served as Research Manager and Quality Assurance Manager. In 1991, he advanced to become director of research at Brewing Research International. Hull University awarded him a Doctor of Science degree in 1993.

Bamforth was appointed Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor at UC Davis in 1999 and retired as Distinguished Professor Emeritus in 2018. Since 2019, he has been engaged as Senior Quality Advisor with Sierra Nevada Brewing Company.

Between 2014 and 2016, Bamforth held the presidency of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD). He is recognized as a Fellow by the IBD, the Society of Biology, and the International Academy of Food Science and Technology. For eighteen years, he was Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists. His academic roles have included visiting professorship at Heriot-Watt University and an Honorary Professorship at the University of Nottingham since 2006.

Research

Bamforth's scholarly work covers all aspects of malting and brewing, including raw materials, processing stages, and final product quality. His investigations have addressed beer wholesomeness, sensory perception mechanisms related to beer, brewing enzymology, foam retention, oxidation control in both wort and beer, as well as innovative approaches to beer production.

Honours and awards

In 2018, Bamforth was honored with multiple awards: the Recognition Award from the Brewers Association, the Institute of Brewing and Distilling's Horace Brown Medal, and the Award of Honor from the Master Brewers Association of the Americas. He received an honorary doctorate from Heriot-Watt University in 2015. Other distinctions include the American Society of Brewing Chemists' Award of Distinction (2011) and the Institute of Brewing's Cambridge Prize (1984). In 2022, he was named an Honorary Life Member by the Master Brewers Association of the Americas. To acknowledge his impact on young scientists, the American Society of Brewing Chemists established the Charlie Bamforth Student Travel Award in 2019. The Institute of Brewing and Distilling introduced the Stewart-Bamforth Educators Award in 2021 to recognize educators worldwide who have significantly influenced malting, brewing, distilling, packaging, and cider sectors. In March 2023, Bamforth was designated Craft Beer Pioneer by the Brewers Cup of California for his contributions to craft brewing. That same year, he was also granted Honorary Life Membership by the American Society of Brewing Chemists.

Bibliography

A selection of recent publications includes:

• Bamforth, C.W. Beer: Exploring the Art and Science of Brewing, 4th edition (Oxford University Press, 2023).
• Bamforth, C.W. and Fox, G.P. Fundamental Scientific Concepts of Malting and Brewing, 2nd edition (American Society of Brewing Chemists, 2023).
• Bamforth, C. W., Practical Guides for Beer Quality: Ensuring Beer Safety and Wholesomeness (American Society of Brewing Chemists, 2021).
• Bamforth, C. W., Celebrating Beer (Oxford University Press, 2020).
• Bamforth, C.W., Everyday Beer Guide (Great Courses, 2020).
• Bamforth, C. W., Practical Guides for Beer Quality: Implementing Quality Systems (American Society of Brewing Chemists, 2019).
• Bamforth, C. W., Practical Guides for Beer Quality: Understanding Color and Clarity (American Society of Brewing Chemists, 2018).
• Bokulich, N. A. and C. W. Bamforth (editors), Brewing Microbiology: Advances in Research, Omics, and Microbial Ecology (Caister Academic Press, 2017).
• Bamforth, C. W., Practical Guides for Beer Quality: Maintaining Freshness (American Society of Brewing Chemists, 2017).
• Bamforth, C. W. (editor), Brewing Materials and Processes: A Hands-On Approach to Beer Excellence (Elsevier, 2016).
• Bamforth, C. W. and R. E. Ward (editors), Oxford Handbook of Food Fermentations (Oxford University Press, 2014).
• Bamforth, C. W., Practical Guides for Beer Quality: Enhancing Flavor (American Society of Brewing Chemists, 2013).
• Practical Guides for Beer Quality: Foam, American Society of Brewing Chemists, 2012.
• Beer Is Proof That God Loves Us, FT Press, 2010.
• Editor of Beer: A Quality Perspective, Handbook of Alcoholic Beverages series, Elsevier, 2008.
• Grape versus Grain (Cambridge University Press, 2008).
• Editor of Brewing: New Technologies (Woodhead Publishing, 2006).