Wort Boiling and Fermentation

This course aims to:

Production Process

• Demonstrate a detailed understanding of the selection, breeding and development of hop varieties, their biological and chemical structure and their harvesting and storage
• Develop a detailed understanding of the science and technology of the brewing processes and operations, from wort boiling through to the end of primary fermentation
• Gain an in-depth understanding of yeast (Saccharomyces sp), the science of fermentation and how yeast is managed in the brewery
• Gain an in-depth understanding of the microorganisms which may be considered to be contaminants in the brewing and distilling processes, and introduce those that may be utilised in a growing number of beer styles

Product Quality

• Introduce the concept of beer properties: flavour and physical stability, analytical methodology, and flavour assessment.
• Understand the overall processes involved in the production of alcoholic drinks and be able to critically assess how their processing influences the organoleptic and analytical properties of the final products.

Health and Wellbeing

• Understand the legal definitions of alcoholic drinks and the legislation governing their production and sale.
• Explore the medical evidence for and against alcohol in the human diet and the concepts of safe, moderate and excessive drinking.

Practical Experience

• Carrying out a project related to the pilot plant
• Designing and specifying product recipes for the production of a particular beer type
• Provide experience of the critical evaluation of the organoleptic properties of products.
• Development of microbiological skills and methods of detection for microbial contaminants
• Enable students to work as a team and to develop team-working skills
• Provide students with expertise in project report writing
• Important - for IDL students these learning outcomes will be met during their summer school experience (compulsory attendance during the course of their studies prior to graduation).