Beer Brewing / Beer Brewing

Department of Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology and Environmental Technology, Odense
Teaching activity id: XC-BEER-U3.
Teaching language: English.ECTS / weighting: 5 ECTS / 0.083 full-time equivalent.
Period: Autumn 2018.Approved: 13-04-16.
Offered in: Odense.

Subject director:
Programme Coordinator Massimiliano Errico, Department of Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology and Environmental Technology.

Prerequisites:
The student is expected to have followed the mandatory courses at the 2nd, 3rd and 4th semester at the Chemical
Engineeering study at SDU or have gained similar competences by following another course of study.

Content - Key areas:
The course includes the following focus areas:
  • The basic raw material for beer brewing – malt, hops, yeast and adjuncts – the variety of these raw materials and their influence on the finished product.
  • The basic processes of beer brewing, incl. calculations needed for the planning of the process and analysis for control of the brewing process.
  • The theoretical background for mashing, wort boiling and fermentation.
  • Beer Brewing in practice – malt milling, mashing, lautering (wort separation), wort boiling (with hops), cooling, yeast handling, fermentation, lagering, filling (bottles or casks) and carbonization.
  • Industrial beer brewing incl. filtration, pasteurization, and filling.
  • Quality management in beer brewing including the major risks.
  • Basic analyses during the brewing process and on the finished beer.

Learning outcomes:
Learning outcomes:
The aim of the course is to provide students with a basic knowledge and understanding of beer brewing as a biotechnological process, including the industrial aspects of the process and to give the students practical training and experience in beer brewing including the relevant measuring and analysis for the control of the process.

Knowledge and understanding
The students are going to achieve
In general:
  • Knowledge about the theoretical biochemistry and microbiology in relation to beer brewing
  • Knowledge about the unit operations used in beer brewing, including unit operations used in industrial beer brewing
  • Knowledge about the quality management in relation to beer brewing including sources of error in the brewing processes.
In specific:
  • Knowledge about the basic types of malt, the malting process and important parametres for characterization of malt, the influence of malt on the quality and characteristic of the finished beer.  
  • Knowledge about the most important ingredients in hops, the variation of these and the influence on the brewing process and on the quality and characteristic of the finished beer.  
  • Knowledge about the primary types of yeast used for beer brewing, their requirements for growth and their influence on the quality and characteristic of the finished beer.  
  • Knowledge about the process-steps of beer brewing, including the purpose of each step, how they are carried out and which reactions are induced.  
  • Knowledge about various analytical methods to be used for the control of the brewing process.

Skills
The studendents should be able to:
  • Plan, work out and deliver a lecture about a specific subject related to the beer brewing.
  • Work out a recipe for the brewing of a beer with characteristics decided beforehand.
  • Plan and execute a complete brew including program for relevant measurements and analysis.
  • Make calculations of mash efficiency, percentage of alcohol and bitterness
  • Communicate the practical work supported with relevant theory in a “mini-report” in a way that the work could be reconstructed.

Competences
The students should be able to:
  • Demonstrate cooperation and responsibility in group working for the planning, work out and delivering of a lecture about a specific subject related to the beer brewing.
  • Demonstrate cooperation and responsibility in group working for the planning and execution of a complete brew including program for relevant measurements and analysis.
  • Plan and execute a taste and evaluation session for the product produced.



Time of classes:
Autumn

Lessons:
64 lessons in total
- 24 hours class lessons
-  8 hours company visit
- 32 hours laboratory excercicises and group work

Form of instruction:
Brewing theory as lectures, discussions on class and own study
Theoretical group work and practicable group work
Visit to a brewery.

Examination conditions:
Participation in group work and presentation, and in experimental work according to requirement described by the teacher.
The group report must be handed in before dead-line described by the teacher.

Evaluation
Internal examination with co-examiner assessed as passed/failed based on an overall assessment of the group report and an oral examination.

Programmes:
BSc in Engineering (Chemistry and Biotechnology)
5. semester, elective subject. Offered in: Odense
BEng in Chemistry and Biotechnology
5. semester, elective subject. Offered in: Odense
MSc in Engineering (Chemistry)
1. semester, elective subject. Offered in: Odense