Chemical Technology October 2016

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Chemical Technology • October 2016
SAICHE ICHEME NEWS
‘Dunkel Breaking My Heart’ took
top honours of Castle Lager Best
Bru Award at the Intervarsity
Brewing Challenge 2016, for the
second year in a row. The beer‚
a dark lager‚ earned University of
Cape Town (UCT) the overall title
and added to the title it earned
in 2012.
UCT took first place in three
other categories: Carling Black
Label Best Lager‚ Redds Best Cider
and Castle Milk Stout Best Winter
Warmer‚ according to a recent statement.
‘Dunkel Breaking My Heart’ was judged
as having a “simple style with a clean lager
flavour and the correct balance of hops.
They also used good brewing procedures
for a style that requires precision in brew-
ing technique.”
Category winners
Castle Best Bru (overall winner):
University of Cape Town (Dunkel Break-
ing my Heart)
Carling Black Label Lager: 1st: University
of Cape Town (Dunkel Breaking My Heart)
2nd: University of Limpopo (Amber Lady
Lager) 3rd: University of Pretoria (10 Hour
Eisbock)
Redds Best Cider: 1st: University of Cape
Town (Ceres Harvest Cider) 2nd: University
of KZN Pietermaritzburg (Ghenta Belgian
Mango IPA) 3rd: Cape Peninsula University
of Technology (King Regal)
No. 3FransenStreetBest SpecialityBeer:
1st: University of KZN Pietermaritzburg
(Southmalle Trappist Single) 2nd: Universi-
ty of the Free State (Trappist) 3rd: Central
University of Technology Free State
(Tinted Ale)
Hansa Pilsner Best Pilsener Light: 1st:
1000 Hills Chef School 2nd: University
of Witwatersrand (Little Petr Pilsner) 3rd:
Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
(Jester of the Abbey)
Castle Milk Stout Winter Warmer: 1st:
University of Cape Town (Double Agent)
2nd: University of KZNWestville (Westville
Black Beer) 3rd: North West University
Potchefstroom (Dubhghlas)
Best Label Design: 1st: Cape Peninsula
University of Technology 2nd: University
of Witwatersrand 3rd: University of the
Free State
UCT wins Intervarsity Brewing Challenge
models in resource optimisation, with a
particular focus on water and energy. The
last five years, however, have seen our
research group diversifying to processes
that tend to assume a steady-state be-
haviour. Our main research focus in this
area is utilities debottlenecking, and very
recently, simultaneous water and energy
optimisation. Some of our work has also
been applied in industries like Johnson
& Johnson, Eskom, African Explosives
Limited (AEL), Sappi and Amul Dairy, India.
ML: You have industrial and academia
experience. How do you merge the two
in your line of work?
TM: This comes naturally, particularly
in engineering. In essence, I attribute
most of my success in my career to this
attribute. Engineering is an applied sci-
ence. Consequently, we only begin to
appreciate its relevance where scien-
tific fundamentals merge with practice.
Whenever we develop a new method, our
ultimate goal is test it in practice. This also
explains our extensive collaborations with
industry, locally and internationally.
ML: What does this award mean to you?
TM: Overall, an award is mainly an ac-
knowledgement of one’s efforts and im-
pact thereof. However, the added benefit
is always visibility. It is not common for
the general public media, particularly in
South Africa, to publish scientific accom-
plishments, which I consider a critical void
to be filled.
Making our science visible to the general
public would ensure that the younger gen-
eration gets to knowwhat South Africa is up
to in the space of science. This would go a
long way in assisting the youth to choose
their careers wisely. The NSTF-South 32
Awards seem to be closing that gap.
ML: What’s next? Or anything we can
expect from you in the near future?
TM: Yes, there is a third book on the ho-
rizon. It will be published by CRC Press/
Taylor and Francis Group and we aim to
launch it in April 2017. The book is on
state-of-the-art techniques for the opti-
mum design and synthesis of sustainable
batch processes.
Our efforts on the development of nov-
el techniques for simultaneous water and
energy optimisation remain on a steep
upward trajectory. One hopes something
meaningful is going to come out of this.
ML: Any advice for students and
colleagues?
TM: To students – Identify your passion
very early and pursue it with all your capa-
bilities, for as long as you possibly can. To
my colleagues – let us never relent in our
quest to make this world a better place.