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Brewing classes offered for 2012-13

April 2, 2012

New classes are brewing at MSU for students interested in the fermentation and chemistry behind alcoholic beverages.

Three courses, including a new fermented beverages class, will be offered during the 2012-13 academic year, taught by chemical engineering and food science professor Kris Berglund, that investigate the production of alcoholic beverages from the field into the bottle. The classes will coordinate with local breweries and wineries so that students will gain hands-on experience, Berglund said.

Berglund said it is important to teach students about brewing and distilling because it’s an integral part of Michigan’s economy.

“We have a growing industry (in Michigan) with 90 breweries, 90 wineries and 25 to 30 distilleries,” Berglund said. “The main idea behind the courses is to create more of a respect for the process of creating these beverages. There’s a lot of work that goes into making them.”

Although all three courses are considered special topic classes by the university, next year they will receive permanent course numbers, Berglund said. He and members of the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition have proposed a specialization in beverage science and technology that could be earned after taking all three classes, he said.

Students have to be 21 or older to register for the classes, and the courses will meet off campus, because of a university ordinance that bans students from consuming alcohol during classes on campus, Berglund said.

In the science and technology of wine production class — which will meet at Burgdorf’s Winery in Haslett — and brewing and distilled beverage technology class, students will learn to brew their own beer and wine and sample the different spirits, he said.

Chemical engineering senior Joel Janik said he has brewed around 12 to 15 batches of his own beer during the past year. As president and founder of the MSU Brewing Club, Janik said taking a class on the different techniques of brewing would be helpful.

“It would be great to have someone with industry experience who could help explain how (brewing is) done,” Janik said. “It would definitely be interesting to learn some of the chemistry behind it.”

As the general manager of Crunchy’s, 254 W. Grand River Ave., Mike Krueger said he has watched Michigan’s beer industry grow year by year since his restaurant started serving Michigan-brewed beer 15 years ago, and he thinks it is important for students to understand where beer comes from.

“I think (a class) would give students a better appreciation for what (brewers) do to make the beers taste as good as they do,” Krueger said.

Berglund said he hopes the classes help students understand production techniques of breweries and wineries so they can be highly informed about what they’re drinking. He said he also wants to offer the classes for students who are interested in brewing or distilling as a career.

“We’ll have a number of people in the industry who will help teach the course,” he said. “I think students will really enjoy it.”

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