Brewing Science was first founded at the University of Nottingham in 2005.  Over the last 14 years we have trained many brewers from all over the world ranging from the largest multinationals to leading craft brewers.

Since then the centre has gone from strength to strength with the help of purpose built, state of the art facilities which were commissioned in 2011, putting the University at the forefront of brewing research.

As well as extensive laboratory space, the International Centre for Brewing Science (ICBS) building includes a host of pilot brewing facilities, micro-maltings, a 35L Briggs-built brewline and the 10HL AB Inbev research brewery making it a unique teaching and brewing research facility.

Master’s Program (Full Time or Part Time the choice is yours)

Two Masters courses are provided by the brewing department; the MSc in Brewing Science and Practice is a one-year full time course with a strong focus on teaching practical brewing skills with the objective of developing technically competent and creative brewers who are able to innovate, problem solve and conduct scientifically robust trials. Students undertake extensive practical sessions combined with numerous industry visits and tours.

The MSc in Brewing Science is a 3-year part-time course which offers professional development for brewers already employed in the industry.  The course has been developed around training brewers from across the globe in busy roles.

The course is based around innovative distance e-learning which comprise if e-lectures, video clips, rich learning objects and virtual laboratories.  This is reinforced with a number of residential courses on site (normally 2 x per year).  This blended approach of in-house lectures and practical brewery elements alongside distance learning enables students to study flexibly around work commitments.

International Focus (Students and Research)

Our Master’s students are drawn from all over the world making for a vibrant academic and social scene.  Over the years we have had a good number of students from India, America, Asia and Europe.

We have a very active PhD research community who have published extensively in the leading International journals.  In fact we believe we have published more high quality brewing papers over the last 10 years than any other research group.

The post International Centre for Brewing Science – University of Nottingham first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

The post International Centre for Brewing Science – University of Nottingham appeared first on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

Chair, KPU Brewing and Brewery Operations

Established by the government of British Columbia in 1981, Kwantlen, now Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) offers bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, diplomas, certificates and citations in more than 120 programs, one of them being KPU’s Diploma course – Brewing and Brewery Operations program. The program combines building a solid foundation in brewing science with hands-on practical learning in their state-of-the-art, two-hectoliter pilot brewery located on campus. KPU’s Brewing and Brewery Operations program is the only brewing diploma of its kind in BC and the first brewing program in Canada to be recognized by the Master Brewers Association.

Sneha Nair, BW Correspondent in conversation with Alek Egi, chair, KPU Brewing and Brewery Operations

How old is KPU’s Brewing and Brewery Operations Diploma?

Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s (KPU) Brewing and Brewery Operations Diploma program started in September 2014 and will celebrate its fifth anniversary in 2019.

Based in beautiful British Columbia (BC), Canada, our 4,500 square foot teaching brewery is based on KPU’s Langley campus — near some of the top craft beer markets in North America, including Vancouver, BC; Seattle, Washington; and Portland, Oregon.

What sets KPU’s Brewing Diploma apart from the rest?

The KPU Brewing Diploma program is the only one of its kind in British Columbia and the first and only institution in Canada recognized by the Master Brewers Association of the Americas (MBAA) for a standard of excellence in brewing education.

What sets KPU’s Brewing Diploma apart is the hands-on experience our students receive in our state-of-the-art teaching brewery and science labs, as well as the quality of our instructors.

Brewing chemistry and microbiology are a strong focus of the KPU program, along with recipe development, sensory analysis, quality control, packaging, safety, and sales and marketing.

Our Brewing instructors have over 100 years of combined experience and expertise in all aspects of the industry and include the first female brewmaster in North America and the Executive Director of the BC Craft Brewers Guild.

Graduates receive university credit for their Brewing Diploma, which means they can apply those credits to other programs at KPU or another university, if they wanted to pursue a degree in another discipline, such as Business or Marketing, for example.

Talk to us about the curriculum in depth? How regularly is it modified to keep up with changing trends in craft beer?

The three major areas in KPU’s Brewing Diploma program are science, production and business.

The curriculum involves all aspects of brewing science, including Brewing Chemistry, Microbiology, Sensory Evaluation, Equipment and Technology, and Brewing Calculation. Practical brewing courses have a strong emphasis on hands-on experience and include an in-depth laboratory component. Students learn all aspects of brewing production, as well as Introduction and Advanced Beer Finishing and Packaging.

Business courses are designed to give our students a strong foundation in the areas of professional communication, problem solving, business ethics, sales and marketing, and brewery management so they can run their own breweries or step into senior roles.

All of the Brewing faculty and staff regularly meet to discuss curriculum changes and updates. The faculty also holds regular Advisory Committee meetings to consult with local brewers and members of the BC Craft Brewers Guild for updates on any changes and specific needs in the industry that we can incorporate into our program.

KPU’s MBAA recognition required an in-depth review of our Brewing curriculum, teaching facilities, brewing equipment, library resources, individual instructor Curriculum Vitaes, and much more. The goal of the MBAA was to distinguish which schools are offering the highest standard of education in brewing.

As well, every five years all of Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s programs go through regular program reviews to ensure the content is current and relevant.

How do you predict the growth of craft beer industry in the years to come? Do you believe the industry has reached its peak?

The KPU Brewing and Brewery Operations Diploma program was created in consultation with local breweries and the BC Craft Brewers Guild in response to the need for educated brewers with an overall understanding of the brewing process and industry.

With the explosive growth of the craft beer industry around the world continuing to expand, the demand for brewers with an education not only in brewing but also in brewing sciences, quality control, beer sensory analysis, recipe development, safety, business, and marketing continues to rise.

Talk to us about KPU’s scholarship facilities for this particular diploma?

Currently, there are nine scholarships available specifically for Brewing students. As well, students can apply for numerous other scholarships and bursaries offered through the university.
KPU Brewing has accepted international applications from the start of the program and we’ve welcomed students from around the world, including the US, Brazil, Korea, Switzerland, Italy and India.

KPU has a designated International office with advisors from across the globe to help guide international students with application requirements, housing options, financing and more.

Could you briefly give us some input into the success of the Brewing and Brewery Operations Diploma program?

The success of the KPU Brewing and Brewery Operations Diploma is due to the quality of our curriculum combined with the hands-on training our students receive. We regularly consult with industry and our Brewing Advisory Committee, which is made up of local brewers and brewery owners, to stay on top of brewing trends and ensure our students are up-to-date on all facets of beer production.

Our grads have an employment rate of over 90% and have gone on to win numerous esteemed awards, including multiple BC Beer Awards and Canadian Brewing Awards, as well as gold at the 2018 World Beer Cup (alum Dan Marriette, Ravens Brewing). Current students have also won two BC Beer Awards (2018 and 2017) and gold, silver and bronze medals in the 2017 and 2018 (respectively) US Open College Beer Championship awards.

KPU’s Brewing Operation program teaches students critical skills and provides training with brewing equipment and technologies, recipe formulation, sensory evaluation, brewing chemistry and microbiology, production and packaging, sales and promotion, and management and supervisory skills. Upon graduating, students will earn their university diploma and credits.

The post Brewing & Brewery Operations at KPU first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

The post Brewing & Brewery Operations at KPU appeared first on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

Brewing Science was first founded at the University of Nottingham in 2005. Over the last 14 years we have trained many brewers from all over the world ranging from the largest multinationals to leading craft brewers.

Since then the centre has gone from strength to strength with the help of purpose built, state of the art facilities which were commissioned in 2011, putting the University at the forefront of brewing research..

As well as extensive laboratory space, the International Centre for Brewing Science (ICBS) building includes a host of pilot brewing facilities, micro-maltings, a 35L Briggs-built brewline and the 10HL AB Inbev research brewery making it a unique teaching and brewing research facility.

Master’s Program (Full Time or Part Time the choice is yours)

Two Masters courses are provided by the brewing department; the MSc in Brewing Science and Practice is a one-year full time course with a strong focus on teaching practical brewing skills with the objective of developing technically competent and creative brewers who are able to innovate, problem solve and conduct scientifically robust trials. Students undertake extensive practical sessions combined with numerous industry visits and tours.

The MSc in Brewing Science is a 3-year part-time course which offers professional development for brewers already employed in the industry. The course has been developed around training brewers from across the globe in busy roles.

The course is based around innovative distance e-learning which comprises e-lectures, video clips, rich learning objects and virtual laboratories. This is reinforced with a number of residential courses on site (normally 2 x per year). This blended approach of in-house lectures and practical brewery elements alongside distance learning enables students to study flexibly around work commitments.

International Focus (Students and Research)

Our Master’s students are drawn from all over the world making for a vibrant academic and social scene. Over the years we have had a good number of students from India, America, Asia and Europe.

We have a very active PhD research community who have published extensively in the leading International journals. In fact we believe we have published more high quality brewing papers over the last 10 years than any other research group.

The post International Centre for Brewing Science: University of Nottingham first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

The post International Centre for Brewing Science: University of Nottingham appeared first on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

Dr. Christina Schönberger

Barth Innovations Technical Manager,
Joh. Barth & Sohn GmbH & Co. KG

When we raise our glass and cheer before the first sip of beer, do we stop to think, how this beverage has been delighting generations of drinkers. Are we also aware that there are academies, that churn out professionals who make beer more interesting, tasty and enjoyable. The industry has realised that education on brewing in schools or universities was not dedicating enough time to comprehensively teach all that a brewer should know about hops. Established in 2011, the BARTH-HAAS Hops Academy’s Technical Service Department is one such department that decided to train individuals on the intricacies of making hops tastier.

The BARTH-HAAS Hops Academy goes everywhere in the world where hops wisdom is needed. The curriculum of the The BARTH-HAAS Hops Academy is structured in modules dealing with all aspects of hops and hop usage at various levels, providing a comprehensive education on the topics presented.

The modules are further segmented into chapters which delve into the important details required for a thorough understanding. Over time and with continuous brewer feedback, the topics provided in the BARTH-HAAS Hops Academy are being expanded and modules supplemented as needed.

In addition, custom-tailored seminars can be developed based on brewer’s specific needs. The different modules are:

MODULE 1, HOPS

Hops are an essential raw material in beer production as these provide bitterness and aroma to the beer and, simultaneously contribute to foam and microbiological stability. They are an agronomical niche product grown only in few areas around the world.

This module gives you an insight into the agriculture of hops and tells you about the importance of this raw material for brewing. You will learn about different hop varieties, growing regions and the various hop products that are nowadays used in the brewing industry.

MODULE 2, HOPS IN BREWING

Brewers have access to a large variety of traditional and advanced hop products.

• What possibilities do these products offer and what should the brewer observe?
• Which product is most suitable for a specific application and why? How much should be added, where and how?
• Which are the most important chemical reactions of hops in brewing and how can you take advantage of these or should they be avoided?

This module gives a lot of practical information on the use of hop products. Learn to take advantage of the many fold opportunities that hops offer!

MODULE 3, QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND FOOD SAFETY

As a brewer you must rely on the consistent quality and safety of the raw materials that you use. Compliance with legal standards is paramount.

This module describes the legal framework for hop growing and hop processing. It shows in which way a responsible hop supplier can make sure that his raw material is proper for use in a food industry such as brewing.

Specific laws and regulations on hopping of beer as well as legal requirements with regard to labelling are also covered.

MODULE 4, HOPS ANALYTICS

What kind of analyses are available for hops and hop products? Which are the most important analysis methods? Should the brewer always use a specific method or can an unspecific one offer any advantage?

• How can the hop constituents in the beer be analyzed? Which analyses make sense and which methods should be used? What can and what cannot be analyzed?
  In this section you will learn all relevant information that is to know about hop analyses.

MODULE 5, SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising ability of future generations to meet their own needs (UN, Brundtland Commission, 1987)

As we grow, process and trade with a raw material we have a special responsibility to our environment.

• What can a responsible supplier of hops do in order to provide his customers with the most economical, environmentally sound and socially accepted products?
• How can we build a sustainable and fair relationship for the mutual benefit of brewer and supplier?
• This is a topic that is getting more and more attention!

MODULE 6, HOPS SENSORY

In this this module you will learn how you can influence the quality of the bitterness and you will get an insight into the complex world of aroma compounds. Which hop oil compounds are flavour active? How do different oil compounds interact? Are hop oils prone to harm flavour stability of beer?

Which off flavours can be caused by your hopping regime and are there any possibilities to mask unpleasant flavours with hop products?

How should professional taste panels that concentrate on sensorial properties influenced by hops work?

Hops can be the decisive flavour component in beer! This module will provide a lot of practical advice!

Within our work on sensory training to evaluate hops and hoppy beers we have established the BARTH-HAAS Tasting Scheme. To work with this tasting scheme we train assessors on increasing levels to identify the different aroma descriptions and categories.

MODULE 7, COMMERCIAL ASPECTS OF HOPS

The last years have proven that the hop market is volatile and often unpredictable. What are the factors that drive the market?

In this module you will get detailed information about world hop supply (main growing areas, structure of hop industry) and hop demand. You will learn about hop production costs and other factors that influence prices.

You will receive advice on strategies in hop purchasing: should you rely on the spot market or make forward contracts? What can you do in the case of a crop failure?

With a well laid out purchasing strategy you will be able to overcome adverse market conditions.

Up to know we have run about 90 hops academy programs with more than 2500 participants. We are proud to be in the position to offer our seminars in different languages, be it English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese or Russian.

The presenters of the hops academy are all employees of the BARTH-HAAS Group with years of expertise in their field, be it brewing, sensory, hop cultivation, hop market or something else. Visit us at www.hopsacademy.com

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