Course Offerings

Workforce Education

Sensory Analysis Training for the Brewing Industry

Calibrate your palate with Wake Tech and become an expert at tasting craft beer! Sensory analysis is an essential skill for working in the craft beverage industry. In this course you will learn how to keep, serve, evaluate, and pair assorted styles of beer in discussions and taste tests. Upon completing the class, you will demonstrate your competence in distinguishing common beer styles and identifying major off flavors.

This course also prepares students for Level 2 Certified Cicerone® exams. Students will study the Cicerone® syllabus, perform practice tasting exams, and given access to study materials such as flashcards and videos. More about the Cicerone® Program: "The Cicerone® Certification Program has become the industry standard for identifying those with significant knowledge and professional skills in beer sales and service. Set yourself apart when you earn the title of Certified Cicerone®, a certification for skilled beer professionals. Workers in every role in the industry, from bartenders to brewery executives, have earned this credential." It is strongly recommended that students planning to sit for the Level 2 Certified Cicerone® exam complete the Level 1 Beer Server Certificate prior to registering for this course.

Wake Tech Craft Brewing is now proudly partnered with the Brewers Association! This course includes additional online draught safety education brought to you by the BA. After completing the learning module, students will receive the BA Draught Line Safety certificate for their training.

Whether you are a current or aspiring professional brewer, homebrewer, sales representative, bartender, or craft beer aficionado, Sensory Analysis Training will strengthen your skill set.

Course Objectives

Demonstrate the importance and differences in keeping and serving beer styles and identify and analyze the different ingredients, problematic off-flavors and pairing abilities of beer


Outline of Instruction

Keeping and Serving Beer : Purchasing and accepting, storage, serving, glassware, and draft system and maintenance

Palate Calibration: Flavors and sources, ingredients and processes, and evaluation techniques

Off Flavors: Common off flavors, identifying and sources, and practice Cicerone Off-Flavor Exam

Common Beer Styles: Belgian and French, British Isles, German, American and specialty beers

Food & Beer: Successfully pairing food and beer, terminology and concepts, common beer and food combinations, and classic pairings

BJCP & Cicerone Preparation: Exam format, contents and resources; style guidelines and scoresheets; and practice exams


Contact Hours

36

CEUs

1

Industry Standard, State or National Certification

Certification

These class hours will feed into the NCDOC & USDOL Apprenticeship standards for training. It will also prepare students for the second level of the national Cicerone Certification Program.

Website

https://www.cicerone.org/us-en/certifications/certified-cicerone
http://www.nccommerce.com/workforce/job-seekers/apprenticeships/pre-app…
https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/training/apprenticeship

Certification Learning Outcomes/Requirements

Test Prep for Level 2: Certified Cicerone exams


CE or CU Articulation

No

Prerequisites

*Must be 21 years of age to enroll*

Recommended: Passed Cicerone Level I: Certified Beer Server Exam, completed Commercial Craft Brewing ISC-3600C2 or currently employed in the brewing/beverage industry

Learning Supplies Needed

Recommended reading: "Tasting Beer" by Randy Mosher (ISBN: 978-1612127774) and "Brewers Association: Draft Beer Quality Manual" (ISBN-13: 978-1938469602).
The manual can be downloaded for free at https://www.brewersassociation.org/educational-publications/draught-bee…

Clinical Site/Special Facilities

Needs to be in location with a draft system (generally a brewery) or culinary lab.

Requirements for Successful Completion

90% attendance

Accreditation/Special Approval Requirements

N/A

Intended Audience

Students who have completed Commercial Craft Brewing and employees of the craft brewing industry seeking to expand their skillset.

Specific Industry or Business Support Needs

Several brewery employees and owners in Wake County want to become certified as well as have their employees certified through this training. The 2023 NC Brewers Conference in Winston-Salem also had information sessions on the importance in starting this training for their employees and brewers.

Wake County Need for Industry Positions

This would help to amplify any application in the brewing industry. Cicerone level two is very hard to achieve and there are only a few in our whole region who hold this national, and well respected, credential.

Industry or Job Titles Related to Training Outcomes for Employment

Cellar Hand

Cicerone

Head Brewer

Assistant Brewer

Draft Line Technician

Sales Representative

Related Courses

WBL-3100G3

BDF-3600A2

BDF-3600B2

CUL-4020A3

SEF-3001PI2

SEF-3001PH2


Course Contact Information

Clay Fussell
919-866-7212
[email protected]

Current Opportunities
Details Section Date(s) Location Price Seats  
329358 07/06/26 - 08/05/26 Southern Wake Campus 300.00 15 Register

If you would like to be notified when additional sections become available, please use Wake Tech’s Notify Me service for BDF-3600C2 Sensory Analysis Training for the Brewing Industry .


Requisites: None

To view information on this course and additional non-degree course offerings, visit the Workforce Continuing Education Catalog