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Brewing Science Diploma (PGDip)
Duration:
2-4 years part-time
Course Content
The modules currently offered on this course are listed below:
- Raw Materials for Brewing
- Brewhouse Processes
- Brewery Yeast Management
- Fermentation and Yeast Handling
- Beer Maturation
- Brewery Waste Management and Environmental Issues
- Brewing Microbiology
- Beer flavour development and sensory analysis
- Beer Analysis and Quality Management
- Packaging of Beer
Please note that all module details are subject to change.
Course Structure
The Postgraduate Diploma Brewing Science is delivered on a part-time basis over two to four years to fit around your work commitments.
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 Diploma over a three-year period. However, the rate at which you progress through the course is flexible, according to preference and circumstances.
The Postgraduate Diploma consists of 10 taught modules (worth 120 Credits in total).
All Brewing Science 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.
We also offer an MSc Brewing Science, which has the same taught modules as the Postgraduate Diploma but also includes a 60-credit Brewing research project.
Modules
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.
This module considers water effluents, waste treatments and disposal and conversion of waste streams into valuable co-products. Students are introduced to scientific principles and relevance to industrial practice of: Sources of water, forms of treatment and the characterization of waste water, Life Cycle Analysis principle and application • Carbon footprint • The disposal of brewery effluents • Disposal and potential uses of spent grains • Disposal and potential uses of spent yeast • Reduction in energy consumption in the brewery and other topics related to maturation of beer as deemed
This module considers the occurrence, frequency and biology of the non-brewing yeast microorganisms that are associated with the spoilage of the process or final product. The impact of occurrence of microorganisms on process and beer will be considered. Students are introduced to scientific principles and relevance to industrial practice of
· Spoilage microorganisms associated with the brewing process and final beer product
· Sampling, detection and identification of brewery microorganisms
· Disinfection of brewery yeast
· Cleaning- in – place (CIP) operations
· The principles and practice of brewery hygiene
· HACCP
and other topics related to brewing microbiology as deemed appropriate
Flavor quality across the brewing process, examining the key materials, processes & quality parameters which influence beer flavor from grain to glass. Develops understanding of multisensory flavor perception & theoretical aspects of the sensory evaluation of beer.
Beer Flavour Development:
Key components of beer flavor (volatile / non-volatile flavor components & balance; sweetness-bitterness balance; chloride-sulfate ratio; trigeminal effects: temperature/ carbonation; mouthfeel (e.g. beer foam, viscosity) influence of pH; multisensory considerations). Interactions between the senses.
Range of beer styles and their flavor characteristics.
Development & control of key beer flavor characters or off-notes throughout the brewing process.
Trouble-shooting flavor defects in beer
Flavor stability / staling of beer during storage: oxidation/ maturation. To include methods for monitoring beer staling; current theories of beer flavor stability; separate contributions of materials & process to flavor stability; potential markers for beer staling
Sensory analysis:
Theory of sensory analysis/ designing & running sensory trials
Facilities & recruitment of assessors
Introduction to main sensory methodologies (e.g. discrimination testing/ quantitative methods/ descriptive/ profiling, threshold determination/ hedonic tests)
Beer flavor wheel/ QDA of beer
Ethical considerations/ consumer testing and behavior.
Experimental design & analysis of sensory data; ANOVA, PCA
Development of the key chemical & physical properties of beer which determine its’ quality & the analytical techniques which are used to measure them. When & where in the process should measurements be taken (Brewery Analysis Plan) & how are these measurements integrated into the necessary Quality Systems?
INSTRUMENTAL ANALYSIS
Basic principles of instrumental analysis
Separation science: chromatography theory & applications (particularly HPLC/GC)
Standard methods of beer analysis (chemical & physical): e.g. Ethanol (ABV, SG, OG, etc.); Beer colour & flavor attributes; Bitterness (IBU); VDK; DMS; acidity; bulk composition (protein/ carbohydrate/ minerals) dissolved gases (CO2/O2); foam stability/ head retention; viscosity measurement; polyphenols;
Experimental design & data analysis
The Normal distribution and associated statistics
Method development, inter-laboratory trials and accreditation
Output specifications, tolerance & monitoring.
QUALITY:
Definitions of beer quality.
Formulation of beer & process specifications & how these may be used to monitor & assess product & process quality.
Brewery Quality Systems; QC versus QA. HACCP. Accreditation of quality systems.
Asset management.
Cross-process themes that impact on beer quality, e.g: Oxygen & product quality. Managing colloidal stability (cross-referenced to D24BS5). The impact of raw materials & the brewing process on beer flavor (cross-referenced to D24BS9)
This module covers the essential elements of packaging beers and other related alcoholic beverages. The module includes theoretical and legal aspects of packaging together with consideration of the design and operation of modern high speed packaging lines. Specific units are:
¢® Design and operation of bright beer tanks; maintain bright beer specifications including carbonation, clarity, flavour and microbiological status.
¢® Assuring the microbiological stability of packaged beer using aseptic filtration, flash pasteurization and tunnel pasteurization.
¢® Achieving specifications of packaged beers including legal aspects of packaging and labeling.
¢® Packaging beers into large-pack containers including cask and keg.
¢® Packaging beers in small-pack containers including glass, PET and can
¢® Secondary and tertiary packaging used for beers and related alcoholic beverages
¢® The design and operation of modern high-speed packaging lines suitable for beers and other related alcoholic beverages. A consideration of the measurement of packaging line efficiency and the impact of production planning will be included.¡á Warehouse design and operation and primary and secondary distribution systems used in brewing
¢® Beer dispense and cellar management
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