The 60 credits of this programme follow a logical ‘process order’ through the brewery and cover the five core modules listed below:
- Raw Materials for Brewing
- Brewhouse Processes
- Brewery Yeast Management
- Fermentation and Yeast Handling
- Beer Maturation
Please note that all module details are subject to change.
The Postgraduate Certificate Brewing: Principles and Practice is delivered on a part-time basis over three semesters, taking approximately 16 months to complete.
For Brewers in full-time employment, we recommend that the course is studied at the rate of 40 credits per year, with completion of the Postgraduate Certificate over an 18 month period (September start). However, the rate at which you progress through the course is flexible, according to preference and circumstances.
The Postgraduate Certificate consists of five taught modules worth 60 credits in total.
All Brewing taught modules consist of an e-learning component (studied via distance learning), followed by an intensive residential course held at the University of Nottingham’s Sutton Bonington Campus.
Typically, a formal assessment (usually a written exam) is taken on completion of the residential course. The overall mark awarded for a module is calculated from a weighted average of the examination mark, together with the marks awarded for any coursework assignments that have been undertaken.
75 % of course materials are delivered by distance learning, designed to be studied part-time and to fit around your work. The latest innovations in web-based learning are used to ensure an interactive feel to the course and promote deeper learning of the scientific principles of brewing – these innovations include:
- E-lectures, featuring streamed video presentations by Brewing Science academics on key subjects; the slide presentation and a written transcript of the lecture can also be downloaded.
- Structured learning through a combination of virtual directed reading, self tests of understanding, animations and video footage of processes and a virtual library.
- Group work and directed discussion events via dedicated chat rooms.
One week per semester (based on 20 credits of module study) is spent at an intensive residential course held at The University of Nottingham. This provides the opportunity to develop theories and practice through traditional face-to face teaching techniques such as lectures, seminars, workshops, laboratory practicals, industrial visits and tutorials.
This module covers the following aspects of the raw materials used in brewing:
Barley:
Structure of the barley grain (interactive learning object)
Botany & Agronomy of malting barleys/ varietal evaluation.
Barley genomics & breeding programmes to enhance malting quality.
Malting Science & Practice:
Outline of the malting process: Intake, storage & dressing/ Steeping/ Germination/ Kilning/ de-culming/ blending.
Malting biochemistry (key enzymes & enzymic modification/ biochemical changes occurring during germination; molecular regulation of barley germination.)
Characteristics & production of the main classes of malts used in brewing
Flavour generation via the Maillard Reaction during kilning/ roasting
The 'Virtual Malt Analysis Lab': Video Clips and animations covreing the key malt quality parameters and associated analyses; typical values of key parameters.
Malt specification; Quality Assurance; Maltings HACCP/ safety aspects.
Hops: (cultivation, varieties, processing and forms used in brewing, specifications and analysis, introductory hop chemistry )
Water Quality (sources of water, water treatment, significance of ionic composition)
Adjuncts (purpose and overview, Mash Tun adjuncts, Copper adjuncts)
Introductory enzymology (Kinetics & energies)
and other topics related to raw materials as deemed appropriate.
This module is integral to the ‘brewing process’ course component and covers the scientific principles and technology of processes employed in the Brewhouse:
· Milling of malt
· Wort Production (mashing):Proces control: principal mashing methods and mash schedules; influence & control of mash pH; mashing biochemistry (e.g. starch conversion, proteolsis, glucans/ arabinoxylans & mash viscosity)
· Mash separation; theory, technologies & equipment design
· Wort boiling
Rationale behind process & technologies employed; process control
Formation of colour and flavour (Maillard chemistry & polyphenolics; reductones)
Evaporation/volatile stripping
Protein denaturation & trub formation (protein-polyphenol interactions)
pH drop & mechanisms involved
Wort oxidation & redox state
Hop (product) addition in the boil.
Hot wort clarification; the whirlpool
Wort cooling (cold break) & aeration
Wort quality
Aspects of Brewhouse design, utilisation (capacity planning) & energy conservation
and other topics related to the generation of wort for fermentation as deemed appropriate.
This module considers brewing yeast management and fermentation. Students are introduced to scientific principles and relevance to industrial practice of
· Brewing taxonomy
· Brewing yeast cell biology
· Brewing yeast genetics
· Brewing yeast biochemistry
· Brewing yeast replication and growth
· Yeast culture maintenance and supply
· Methods of analysis (genetic, biochemical and physiological)
· Brewing yeast propagation and pitching
and other topics related to malting as deemed appropriate.
This module considers fermentation and yeast handling. Students are introduced to scientific principles and relevance to industrial practice of
· Brewing yeast biochemistry
· Brewing yeast propagation and pitching
· Fermentation (biochemistry, technologies and process control)
· Brewing yeast flocculation and sedimentation
· Brewing yeast crop recovery, storage, acid washing and recycling
· Recovery and disposal of spent yeast
and other topics related to malting as deemed appropriate.
This module considers biological and chemical processes that contribute to the maturation of beer once fermentation is complete. Students are introduced to scientific principles and relevance to industrial practice of
· Maturation: flavour and aroma changes. Techniques to achieve product specification
· Formation of non-biological hazes and stabilisation against non-biological haze
· Carbonation: carbon dioxide addition, saturation and recovery
· Clarification and filtration. Removal of yeast and beer recovery, beer filtration
· Specialised beer treatments: low-alcohol, alcohol-free, ice beers, diet beers, bottle conditioning
and other topics related to maturation of beer as deemed appropriate.