​P​rogram​​​​​​​​​

This course will combine educational lecture and laboratory work to give attendees the tools to demystify the quality process. The course will take place at The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center. Space is limited due to the special nature of this hands-on course.

Included with tuition:

  • Lectures, group discussions, and hand-on exercises
  • Light breakfast, lunch, snacks, and some dinners
  • Tours and tastings at local breweries
  • Transportation to offsite tours

*Preliminary Program Subject to Change​​

Monday – August 5


8:30 am

Registration, Breakfast
9:00 am Introduction and Welcome
Meet & greet for participants and instructors followed by an introduction & expectation discussion.
  • Speakers:
    • Rob Christiansen, New Belgium Brewing Company
    • Brian Wiersema, Virginia Tech

10:00 am Microbiology Day 1 Yeast and More Yeast!
  • Speakers:
    • ​​Katie Fromuth, Colorado State University​
    • Guy Stewart, New Belgium Brewing Company
  • Topics Included:
    • Physiology and Metabolism of Saccharomyces Cerevisiae
    • Cell Counting Basics
    • ​Yeast Health (viability and vitality)
      • La​b Exercises
12:00 pm Lunch Provided
1:00 pm Microbiology Day 1 Continued
​4:00 pm ​Day 1 Wrap Up
5:00 pm Tour and Tasting at Big Lick Brewing Company plus Dinner

Tuesday – August 6


7:30 am Breakfast
8:00 am Microbiology Day 2 Propagation and Pitching, Contamination
  • Speakers: 
    • Katie Fromuth, Colorado State University​
    • ​Guy Stewart, New Belgium Brewing Company
  • Topics Included:
    • Analysis of Yeast Stats and what it Means in Your Brewery
    • Yeast Pitching Basics
    • Propagation
    • Cone to Cone Pitching
    • How and When to Harvest Yeast
      • Math lessons
    • Contamination in Beer and Yeast
    • Types of Media and Why/How to Use Them
    • Reading and Identifying Contamination on Plates
    • Identification Techniques (PCR, MALDI-TOF, Sequencing)
      • Lab Exercises
    • Where to Start with a Micro Program
    • ​Resources for Micro in our Industry
12:00 pm Lunch Provided
1:00 pm Microbiology Day 2 Propagation and Pitching, Contamination continued
4:00 pm Day 2 Wrap Up
5:00 pm Tour and Tasting at Parkway Brewing Company plus Dinner

Wednesday – August 7

7:30 am Breakfast
​8:00 am ​Sensory Program Development
  • Speaker:
    • Lindsay Barr, DraughtLab, LLC
  • Topics Included:
    • Introduction to Sensory Analysis
      • Overview of Flavor and Sensory Evaluation
      • Overview of Sensory Principles
      • Sensory Program Parameters
    • Building a Sensory Program
      • Panelist Selection
      • Sensory Laboratory Space
    • Panelist Training
      • Introduction to Attribute Training
        • Activity – Flavor Training
    • Sensory Evaluation in Quality Control
      • Maintenance of Product Quality
      • Measuring Quality
    • Sensory Evaluation Throughout the Process
      • Sampling Plans
      • Documentations and Reaction Plans
    • Statistical Quality Control
    • Sensory Methods
      • Discrimination Testing
      • Threshold Testing
      • Shelf Life Analysis
        • Activity – Case Studies and Method Selection
    • Validation
      • Measuring Panelist Acuity
      • Measuring Panel Performance
        • Activity – Validating and Utilizing Panelist Data
    • Sensory Evaluation in New Product Development
      • Descriptive Analysis Principles and Practices
        • Activity – Running a Descriptive Analysis Panel
    • Conclusion
      • Review of Best Practices
12:00 pm Lunch Provided
1:00 pm Sensory Program Development continued
3:30 pm Day 3 Wrap Up
4:00 pm Open night to explore Roanoke​ ​

Thursday – August 8


7:30 am Breakfast

8:00 am Brewing Chemistry Methods
  • Speakers:
    • Jeff Irby, New Belgium Brewing Company
    • Kim Bacigalupa, Sierra Nevada Brewing
  • Topics Included:
    • Safety
    • Good Laboratory Techniques
    • MOA Overview and Standards Calculation
    • Sampling, Degassing, and Sampling Stability
    • Specific Gravity and Calculated Values
      • Exercise: Pipetting and Building a Calibration Curve
    • pH and Titratable Acidity
    • Spectrophotometer – Wort and Beer Methods
    • Tristimulus
      • Exercise: IBUs
    • Alcohol
    • SO2
    • Gluten
      • Exercise: Anton Paar
    • Physical Stability and Turbidity
    • Gas Chromatography
    • Liquid Chromatography
    • VDKs
    • IAAs versus IBUs
    • DMS
    • Fermentation Volatiles
      • Exercise – Chromatography Lab Visit
    • Foam
    • Metals
    • Beer Flavor and Fishbones
    • Flavor Stability
    • Method Validation, Control Samples, and Proficiency Schemes
    • Lab Design, Maintenance, and Outsourcing
12:00 pm Lunch Provided
1:00 pm Brewing Chemistry Methods continued
3:30 pm Day 4 Wrap Up
4:30 pm Bus departs for tour and dinner at Ballast Point Brewing Company​
9:30 pm Bus returns to The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center

Friday – August 9


7:30 am Breakfast
8:00 am Raw Materials
  • Speaker:
    • Patricia Aron, Rahr Malting Co. 
  • Topics Included:
    • Hop Quality – Basics for Craft Brewers
    • Malt COA Interpretation – Breaking down the Numbers
    • Activity – Troubleshooting Potential Contaminants
11:30 am Lunch provided
12:15 pm Packaging Quality: Why Paperboard Matters
  • Speaker:
    • Brooke Gushen, New Belgium Brewing Company
  • Topics Included:
    • Packaging Supplier Quality
      • Setting Expectations with Suppliers
      • Regular Visits
      • Quality Expectations
    • Using Data to Hold Suppliers Accountable
    • Building Partnership to Maximize Supplier Relationships
    • In-process Quality
    • Critical Parameters to Monitor for Package Ops
      • Total Package Oxygen
      • Fill Volume
      • Can Seams
    • Voice of the Customer
      • Using Feedback to Improve Quality of Product
        • Activity – Group problem solving exercises based on customer complaints
      • Review and Discussion of problem solving case studies, “Real” Results
4:30 pm Day 5 Wrap Up
5:30 pm Tasting at Deschutes Brewery Tasting Room (optional)






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