Course
Commercial Craft Brewing
Name
BDF-3600B2
Available Classes
Not currently offered.
Description Course Outline Requirements Intended Audience More Details
Intended Audience
Anyone interested in working in the brewing industry or opening their own brewery. Also a great course for home brewers looking to learn more. Anyone eager to peel back the curtain on how beer is made.
Description
Turn your passion for beer into a career! This course is the first step toward obtaining the Wake Tech Certificate in Brewing. It introduces the knowledge and skills required for employment in the enormously popular craft brewing industry. You'll explore the science of fermentation and the commercial aspects of operating in a brewery through lectures and hands-on training. You and your classmates will demonstrate your understanding of the process by producing beer. Whether you're just exploring an interest, want to improve your brewing skills, or think you might want to open your own brewery, this course is a must!
Commercial Craft Brewing is the first course required to complete the Wake Tech Certificate in Beer Brewing. Upon completing BDF-3600B2 students are eligible to participate in a Work-Based Learning Internship course and will receive the certificate after a minimum of 120 hours of on-the-job training.
Course Objectives
  1. Students will be to prepared for entry level work in a brewery through hands-on instruction and lecture. Upon completion, students will have the skills and knowledge to perform basic duties in a commercial brewery such as wort production, cellar management, packaging, cleaning and sanitation.
Outline of Instruction
  1. Introduction and Basics
    • Course introduction, timeline, expectations, questions or concerns
    • Breakdown of the brewing process from grain to glass.
    • Overview of basic raw materials
    Water
    • Influence on Production
    • Characteristics of Brewing Water
    • Contaminants
    • Treatments
    • Cost and Commercial level concerns
    Malt
    • What is malt and why is it important?
    • Malting Processes, analyzing choices
    • Barley: Parts, preferences, quality, choosing
    • Steeping: Process, options and considerations
    Specialty Malts
    • Overview and purpose of specialty malts
    • Importance and Specialty Uses
    • Commercial level uses
    • Composition and Varieties
    • Proper Storage and Detecting and Avoiding Problems
    • Adjuncts and Other Ingredients
    Mashing & Lautering
    • Methods of Mashing
    • Role of temperature and pH
    • Saccharification
    • Enzymes
    • Mashing Out
    • Vorlauf
    • Transfer of wort in the brewhouse
    • Sparging
    • Grain Out
    Boiling & Knocking Out
    • Changes during the boil
    • Why boil?
    • Hop additions
    • Whirlpool
    • Heat Exchanger
    • Role of Oxygen
    • Transfer to Fermenter
    Hops
    • Importance and Various Uses
    • Composition and Varieties
    • Proper Storage and Expiration
    • Pellets and Extracts
    • Growing regions
    Brewery Safety
    • Importance
    • Hazards
    • Communication and Records
    • PPE
    Yeast
    • Use, differences, identification, contamination, by-products
    • Stages of yeast fermentation
    • Assessing yeast for brewing
    • Ales versus Lagers
    Fermentation and Cellaring Operations
    • Differences in fermentation and systems for various types of beers
    • Monitoring fermentation: pH, extract/gravity, off-flavors
    • Overview of propagation and pitching rates
    • Transferring processes and importance of sanitation
    • Traditional and modern methods for aging and lagering
    Conditioning, Clarifying & Carbonating
    • Reducing temperature and stabilization
    • Overview of general procedures and considerations in racking
    • Closed systems transfer
    • Filters, Finings and Separators
    • Methods of carbonating
    Packaging & Distribution
    • Types of packaging, pros & cons
    • Shelf stability
    • Canning & Bottling
    • Kegs & kegging
    • 3-tier system
    • Self-distribution
    Draft Systems
    • Equipment
    • Maintenance & Cleaning
    • Long-draw vs short-draw
    • Cooling
    • Balancing pressure
    Cleaning, Sanitation, Chemicals & CIP
    • Levels of sanitation
    • CIP: how and why?
    • Cleaners
    • Sanitizers
    • Equipment and Cycles
    • Demonstration
    Engineering & Environmental
    • Applications and Impact
    • Common Wastes
    • Resources and Recovery
    • Disposal and Treatment
    • Sustainable practices and options
    Laboratory testing, QA & QC
    • Basic monitoring and testing
    • Contamination, Spoilage, Oxidation and Staling
    • Common infection culprits
    • Pest Control
    • Yeast assessment
    Sensory analysis of contaminated brews
    • Introduction to off flavors and their sources
    • Remedies
    • Panel tasting
    Regulations & Permitting
    • Federal and State Agencies
    • Required licensing and permitting
    Recipe Development
    • Style guidelines & research
    • Calculations
    • Vital Statistics
    Equipment
    • Brewhouse controls & configurations
    • Cellar vessels
    • Pumps
    • Materials
    History
    • Basic brewing origins
    • Major industrial developments
Contact Hours
96
CEU's
9.6
Industry Standard, State, or National Certification
Yes
Certification
Workforce Sector Credential: WTCC Beer Brewing Education Committee. This committee acts as an advisory board to validate the need for the certificate in the local industry as well as direct the focus of the training and education.
Website URL
Certification Learning Outcomes/Requirements
  1. Learning outcomes are unique to each individual student based on their previous experience and status in the beer brewing industry. Students are required to complete 120 hours of training and experience in a professional setting as part of WBL-3100G3. Common learning outcomes include developing skills for entry level and mid level positions in craft breweries. Skills include producing wort on a commercial brewhouse, tracking and maintaining fermentation, cleaning and sanitizing brewing equipment, and packaging beer in various containers. Learning outcomes and training exercises are based on the workforce industry committee's input.
CE to CU Articulation
No
Prerequisites
N/A
Text and Supplies Needed
"The Brewer's Handbook" by Ted Goldammer. IBSN: 979-888757911-5

"Beer Steward Handbook: A Practical Guide to Understanding Beer" by Stephen R. Holle et al. MBAA. IBSN: 978-0-9787726-3-5
Clinical Site/Special Facilities
N/A
Requirements for Successful Completion of this Course
  1. Attendance 90% or above
  2. Participation
Accreditation/Special Approval Requirements
*Must be 21 years of age or older*
Intended Audience
Anyone interested in working in the brewing industry or opening their own brewery. Also a great course for home brewers looking to learn more. Anyone eager to peel back the curtain on how beer is made.
Specific Industry or Business Support Needs
Brewer, Cellar Hand, Assistant Brewer, Production Assistant, Packaging Technician, Sales Representative
Wake County Need for Industry Positions
Expanding beverage industry in need of multiple entry and mid-level applicants. Provides continued education for current brewery employees seeking advancement.
Industry or Job Titles Related to training Outcomes for Employment
  • Cellarperson
  • Production Assistant
  • Packaging Tech
  • Assistant Brewer
  • General Manager
  • Owner/Operator
Related Courses
  • Craft Brewing Internship: Work-Based Learning - WBL-3100G3
  • Craft Brewing Laboratory: Yeast Management & Microbiological Testing - BDF-3600A2
  • Sensory Analysis Training for the Brewing Industry - BDF-3600C2
Course Contact Information
Clay Fussell
csfussell@waketech.edu
919-866-7212