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Course Description

Ever wanted to develop your own wine, beer, or even kombucha? Or be able to describe specific tastes and profiles in a variety of drinks?

In recent years, craft beverages have become a multibillion-dollar industry, yet there’s both an art and a science to the fermentation process that produces these beverages. Fermentation is about more than ingredients. The processes that the brewer, vintner, cider maker, and mead maker follow have an equally large impact on the final product — and small variations can make a big difference in the flavor profile. Using a scientific approach, you will design a craft beverage of your choosing. As you create a plan to produce the beverage, you will gain an understanding of the interactions between raw ingredients and processing steps which together influence the taste. You will then apply a systematic approach to tasting, using your senses to allow you to better articulate what you enjoy in a particular beverage as well as make specific recommendations to others.

When you complete this program, you will have designed your own craft beverage and gained the building blocks needed to develop it.

This program is intended for use by persons of legal drinking age under the relevant applicable laws where they reside. Purchase of supplies is required to enjoy the highly experiential nature of this course.

Faculty Author

Dr. Anna K. Mansfield and Chris Gerling

Benefits to the Learner

  • Examine the fermentation process through hands-on experimentation
  • Predict how yeast will behave based on available food and environmental conditions
  • Design a craft beverage
  • Taste and evaluate fermented beverages such as wine, beer, and cider using sight, smell, and taste in order to make informed recommendations

Target Audience

  • Craft brewers
  • Winemakers
  • Craft beverage enthusiasts and hobbyists
  • Entrepreneurs
  • Specialty grocers and wine/beer retailers
  • Foodservice professionals and bartenders
  • Growers, farmers, and supply chain professionals
  • Food and beverage writers
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Enroll Now - Select a section to enroll in
Type
2 week
Dates
Sep 04, 2024 to Sep 17, 2024
Total Number of Hours
10.0
Course Fee(s)
Standard Price $599.00
Section Notes

IMPORTANT COURSE INFORMATION 

  • Due to the experiential nature of this program, you will need to find and/or purchase a small number of materials before the start of your course. Below please find the list of items. We encourage you to collect or order supplies now. 
    • Measuring cup (2 cup capacity)
    • Measuring spoons or kitchen scale (teaspoon and tablespoon capacity)
    • 5 clear glass or plastic jars or cups that will hold 1.5 cups liquid; preferably matching
    • Distilled or spring water (15 cups)
    • 1 package of dried yeast
    • White sugar (5 tablespoons)
    • Honey, corn syrup, or molasses (3 tablespoons)
    • Cornstarch (3 tablespoons)
    • Preservative-free frozen apple or grape juice concentrate (½ cup) 
    • Kitchen thermometer (optional)
    • Vinegar (white or apple cider) - 1 teaspoon
    • Table salt - 1 teaspoon
    • Sparkling water - 2 oz
    • Plain vodka or another neutral high-alcohol spirit - 2 oz
    • Two black tea bags (plain)
    • Skim or low-fat milk - 2 oz
    • Heavy or whipping cream - 2 oz
  • At the end of the course, you will be conducting a senses-guided experiment using a grouping of beverages below. Pick one group of beverages from options 1- 4 below. If you are having difficulty locating a particular beverage, talk with your course facilitator to identify an appropriate substitution.
    1. Light-bodied:

      • Kolsch beer
      • Dry cider
      • Cava or Prosecco sparkling wine
      • Vodka (unflavored)
    2. Midrange:

      • Red ale
      • Hopped mead
      • Gamay or shiraz wine
      • Rum
    3. Big and bold:

      • Stout beer
      • Cabernet Sauvignon wine
      • Pommeau
      • Bourbon or another whiskey
    4. Wild card aromatics:

      • Kombucha
      • IPA beer
      • Vermouth wine
      • Sake
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