A. Specific Learning Outcomes. At the end of this course students will be able to:
- list the successive unit stages in malting and brewing
- state what the purpose of each of those unit stages is and briefly describe what occurs in them, how long they take and recall what the temperature ranges are for each of the unit process stages
- list the major ingredients used in the production of beer and identify the key properties demanded of them
- identify the major beer markets in the words
- identify the major brewing companies in the world
- describe the evolution of the brewing industry in America (English and German influence, prohibition, consolidation, microbrewing revolution)
- outline the major styles of beer and state how they differ in their raw materials and production protocols
- describe how the strength of beer is quantified (alcohol and Plato) and to indicate what the approximate strength of different styles of beer is
- summarize what the major substances are that contribute to beer taste and aroma, foam, clarity, gushing and color and identify their origin
- explain where the major contributors to flavor are detected (nose, mouth, trigeminal sense)
- indicate the relationship between beer composition and bodily health, in terms of beer composition (alcohol, calories, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, anti-microbials, pH) and the basic rationale for the U-shaped or J-shaped curve
- describe the concept of a "unit of alcohol"
How this course addresses IFT Core Competencies:
Junior-level course:
Taught in each Quarter, the class fulfils the science General Education requirement. FST 3 is a 3 unit lecture-based course addressing the fundamentals of malting and brewing. At a basic level it addresses Applied Food Science. The class includes several speakers drawn from brewing companies to exemplify the application of fundamental knowledge to commercial practice.
B. Tools used to assess program outcomes.
Bloom’s levels I-VI.
Performance is assessed using two midterms and one final examination comprising multiple-choice questions.
C. Brief summary of assessment results to date.
Introduction to Beer and Brewing (FST3) was established in 2002 by Charles Bamforth (Professor Emeritus) and draws substantially on Dr. Bamforth’s long-standing presence within the brewing industry. Each year students are asked to complete a course evaluation form for the course. The numerical scores using a scale of 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) for specific questions and verbal comments are also compiled. The course and the instructor are evaluated separately. The mean scores for the course and instructor evaluation have continually remained in the high 4’s.