Beer Quality and Analysis Series

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With one of the top fermentation science research programs in the world, Oregon State University is proud to offer a comprehensive series of world-class beer brewing science courses for professional and advanced hobbyist brewers: Microbiology and Beer Analysis for the Brewer and Quality Assurance and OSU/Willamette Valley Hop Farm Tour.

Our Beer Quality and Analysis Series of online and onsite courses teaches you the fundamentals of basic microbiology and its role in the brewing process, and gives you the tools to analyze and evaluate beer to influence quality control in a production brewing setting.

This science of brewing beer series includes:

Designed for professional and advanced hobbyist brewers, Microbiology and Beer Analysis for the Brewer is an intensive, hands-on experience, covering the fundamental techniques & microbiology essential to making the perfect brew.

Dive into six weeks of online course material and then join OSU's fermentation science experts for four days onsite in Corvallis, Ore. Comprehensive course material emphasizes yeast, yeast handling, identification of wort/beer spoilage organisms using microscopy, staining and differential media.

Once you have a handle on the science of beer, you'll craft your capability to analyze beer quality by evaluating the aspects of quality control in packaged beer. Additionally, data analysis and interpretation will be addressed where it pertains to a production brewery setting.

Below is the expected learning topics for the on-site portion of the course: 

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

This Friday session that concludes our Beer Quality and Analysis Series will focus on quality assurance and brewing ingredients.

Understanding the differences between quality control and quality assurance will be the theme of the morning session. Both lecture and reading material will be used to develop skills around basic statistical analyses that can be used in a quality lab setting. With the help of statistics, a quality technician can assess the control of a brewery. This information is vital in process control with regards to maximizing product quality and output as well as minimizing waste and downtime.

The afternoon session focuses on hops and barley breeding and production. We will begin with a tour of the Oregon State facilities featuring guided tours from both barley and hop breeders. This will be followed up with a scenic drive north into the hop growing region of the Willamette Valley with a stop at a commercial hop farm. Participants will be able to see hop growing on a commercial scale and will tour the picking, drying and baling equipment and operations. We will have the opportunity to taste beers made with hops from the farm before returning to OSU.

While advancing your skills, you’ll explore the craft brewing culture of Oregon. We’ll show you how local breweries incorporate innovative practices, and how Oregon State’s long-running research in beer’s raw ingredients continues to influence the brewing industry today—including the Cascade hop, a type developed by the university’s researchers that’s become the most often-used hop variety by craft brewers.

Part of the course fees will cover a brewers dinner that features beer from a number of local breweries where you’ll learn why Oregon is home to so many beer enthusiasts.

Upon completion of the Beer Quality and Analysis Series, you will receive a digital badge. Share your digital badge on Facebook, LinkedIn and other social media platforms to show friends, colleagues and potential employers what you’ve learned!