Brewery Operations and Beer Design

Code

BIOS4155

School

Biosciences

Level

4

Credits

20

Semesters

Full Year UK

Summary

The first part of this module will cover the topic of brewery operations, providing the student with additional information that will support the learnings in other modules (Raw materials and Wort production; Beer finishing and packaging, Beer analysis and quality management). The module will cover the following topics, delivered by Brewing Science academics and industry representatives:

(1)Historical perspective and the factors which have shaped the modern brewing industry; (2) Beer definitions and styles; (3) Brewery design and layout including a description of tank design, pipe-work layout, types of pumps and valves; (4) Brewery operation and planning; (5) Key Performance Indicators (KPI); (6) Engineering aspects of brewing including choice of materials for construction, heat exchange, fluid flow, refrigeration and gas control; (7) CIP and hygiene; (8) Overview of compliance – H&S, alcohol duty, QA/QC, food safety; (9) Auditing; (10) Brewery of the future; (11) Career options and the future of the industry.

The second part of the module covers the necessary practical skills to enable students to brew and pack beer. It will largely be practically based using the facilities already present in Brewing Science but will also be supplemented with appropriate lectures and tutorials. The module will culminate in an assessed group exercise the object of which will be the production of a batch of packaged beer of style and recipe chosen by each team. By the end of the module the student will have practical knowledge of:

(1) The effect on wort quality of raw materials and process conditions; (2) Practical aspects of Fermentation and yeast handling, Beer finishing and packaging; (3) Influence of raw materials and process conditions on beer analysis and quality; (4) Measurement of in-process analytes; (5) Brewing calculations; (6) Recipe design.

Target Students

Only available to students enrolled in the MSc/PGDip Brewing Science or MRes Brewing Science.

Classes

• One 4-hour workshop
• One 4-hour practicum each week for 3 weeks
• Two 1-hour lectures each week for 20 weeks

E-learning component (20 hours); directed reading, self-study and self-assessment (20 hours); lectures (40 hours); Audit workshop (4 hours) Coursework, including beer design project (74 hours) Practical brewing classes (12 hours) Revision and MCQ exam (30 hours)

Assessment

• 25% Coursework 1: 1500 word written report based on preparing for and conducting an audit of a brewery site
• 50% Coursework 2: Specify, design and brew your own beer (team exercise)
• 25% Exam (1-hour): MCQ based on the topics covered in the module (45 questions)

Assessed by end of spring semester

Educational Aims

Learning Outcomes

1. Acquired a general knowledge of the principles and practices that underpin current understanding of brewery operations at both industrial and craft level [A1]

2. Understand a range of key, specialist information primarily focused on the relationships between finished beer, the nature of the raw materials, the process conditions employed and the nature of the brewery plant [A2,A6]

3. Understand the ways in which industry is utilising fundamental and applied research findings to improve the efficiency and consistency of the brewing process [A3, A7]

4. Understand the technical competencies required at all stages of brewing and packaging [A5]

5. Be able to prepare a report and organise the information accessed into an essay plan [B2, C2, D1, D2]
 

6. Be able to design a beer recipe and process a brew from mashing-in to packaged beer using the University nanobrewery/grain fathers [C4, D4, D5]
 

7. Acquired the ability to use brewing calculations to design a recipe and monitor fermentation progression [A8,C3]

8. Have developed laboratory skills associated with beer quality analysis [A5, C4]

Conveners

• Dr Stephen Lawrence
• Mr Rod White