Explicit Knowledge

Explicit knowledge is the counterpart to tacit knowledge—knowledge describable and sharable through words and numbers. Miso recipes, temperature management manuals, microbiology textbooks: these are accessible, reproducible information. Traditionally, fermentation relied heavily on tacit knowledge, but modern science has formalized much of it. Yet explicit knowledge is only a map, not the territory itself. Following a recipe exactly yet not achieving that flavor reveals the certain existence of tacit knowledge domains beyond explicit capture. Understanding the relationship between both is key to deep comprehension of fermentation. As fermentation's explicit knowledge advances, brewing evolves from person-dependent to reproducible technique. Yet if asked whether explicit knowledge alone can fully reproduce that brewery's flavor, the answer is likely no. The tension between explicit and tacit knowledge is an unavoidable theme in understanding fermentation.