In their element: The Zythologist is mixing beer with science for the perfect brew

From PhD to entrepreneurs, Monash start-up The Zythologist is using nano-brewing and chemical engineering to craft creative new brews.

And it’s not just brewing beer on campus. It’s educating the next generation of engineers and consulting with industry partners.

How? With space for ideas to ferment, world-class mentoring and financial backing.

Monash has ignited passionate students to become a booming start-up – with their sights set on reshaping Australian brewing.

Industry potential

Perfecting the brewing process

Perfecting beer isn’t an art. It’s a science.

In fact, over 300 chemical compounds shape a beer’s flavour and quality.

Like any other drink, beer can be broken down, put under the microscope and examined. Routine tests monitor bitterness, alcohol and oxygen levels. And advanced analysis reveals key factors like hop compounds, off-flavours and microbiological management.

Chemical analysis equips breweries with the insights they need to refine and optimise their brewing process.

And that’s just the beginning. Brewers can experiment with ingredients, try new processes and create wildly new flavours never thought possible.

Notes of passionfruit. Low bitterness levels. Or a smooth sweet vanilla aftertaste.

With nano-brewing, the commercial opportunities – and flavours – are endless.

The idea

Out of the lab and into industry

The story of The Zythologist begins with the Engineering student team, Monash BrewLab.

Founded by Monash Engineering PhD students Daniel Rojas Sanchez and Gina Pacheco Arredondo in 2018, the lab is Australia’s first student-led nano-brewery.

“We created BrewLab to learn more about beer – the processes, the compounds and to develop all these crazy flavouring ideas we had. In fact, one of our first creations was a Michelada inspired tomato beer,” recalls Gina.

In the lab, students apply their learnings in brewing science and process engineering to craft a range of beer and kombucha products.

Daniel and Gina led a multidisciplinary team of 50 Monash students who shared a passion for quality brewing. And soon forged industry partnerships with Keg King and Grain & Grape.

After completing their doctorate program, they didn’t want to simply move on. They wanted to build something bigger.

“We wanted to pursue our dream. To take all we had learned and created in the lab, and bring it to industry,” says Daniel.

In 2021, together with Shivam Tandon, they created The Zythologist – a science-based brewery and an analytical testing consultancy for craft breweries.

New business and entrepreneurs

From student team to sold-out products

From their beginnings at BrewLab, the team received ongoing support from the Faculty of Engineering.

Establishing grants supplied early funding to get started while dedicated mentoring provided the guidance and support to grow. And with labs, equipment and office space taken care of by Monash, the team was able to focus on building their business.

They received marketing assistance, promotion at faculty events and were strongly championed by the faculty executive team.

Yes, even deans appreciate a good brew.

“The dean, Elizabeth Croft, has endorsed us since we created BrewLab. She's backed us on everything we do. To have such strong support at that level has boosted our self-belief,” says Daniel.

Transforming from student team to commercial operation, the trio were confident in the science and engineering aspects. But they were novices when it came to establishing a business.

In 2020 the team enrolled in The Generator, Monash’s dedicated entrepreneurship program. The five-week Startup Sprint program provides early-stage start-ups with the skills, connections and commercial nous to rapidly scale their ventures.

The team received weekly masterclasses, one-on-one mentoring, pitch support and access to Monash’s world-class network of alumni. The coaching and lessons learnt allowed the team to focus on their start-up, stress-free.

Through The Generator, the team won $5,000 in services from freelance marketplace fiverr.com. New brand identity. New e-commerce website. And a bright new future ahead.

And the most memorable moment of their venture so far?

“When we launched our first beer, we almost sold out within two months,” recalls Shivam. “Seeing that market demand for our product – for something we were devoted to – was incredibly rewarding.”

The vision

The hub of beer innovation and research

The Zythologist aims to be the centre of beer production, research, innovation and education in Australia.

And by aligning with the Monash Smart Manufacturing Hub, the team has the resources to make that dream a reality.

Embedded on campus, the team retains easy access to Monash’s world-class facilities, including the new Chem-Bio Makerspace. And through their proximity to Australia’s top-ranked chemical engineering department, the team can call upon the insights of leading researchers.

“The Monash community is so diverse and rich in expertise. And from a business perspective, you have such a large home crowd to support you and connect you with key industry contacts,” says Shivam.

In addition to brewing beer, The Zythologist will offer testing and analytical services to industry partners across quality control, quality assurance and product development.

“We’re consulting with established breweries. We’re helping them to optimise their processes and create bold new flavours that they haven’t been able to make before,” said Gina.

“We want to be in a position that when people need a beer expert, they contact The Zythologist,” adds Daniel.

In the rapidly growing craft beer industry, there’s a shortage of skilled brewers. The Zythologist wants to meet this education opportunity and run industry courses to upskill the workforce.

“While craft brewing is more popular than ever, it’s mostly people stepping up from experience, not education. It’s our vision to deliver a steady pipeline of graduate chemical engineers with brewing expertise into industry,” says Shivam.

A continued collaboration

From PhD and student team to start-up to national innovation hub, The Zythologist’s partnership with Monash has and will continue to be fundamental to its success.

Through the Smart Manufacturing Hub, The Zythologist offers a pathway for industry partners to access the research expertise, education and infrastructure that Monash provides.

The Zythologist will support undergraduate and postgraduate education through its continued involvement with Monash BrewLab.

“We started from an idea that originated at Monash. As we go forward, we only see that relationship becoming more fruitful for both sides.

“We’re eager to foster the talent pipeline even further, helping students forge their own commercial paths. Providing opportunities for students to learn while creating something tangible they can be proud of,” says Daniel.

Visit the Graduate Research website to find out how a PhD can expand your career options.

Follow the links to explore the latest brews and learn more about The Zythologists and Monash BrewLab.

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