FOOD SC 3550WT - Brewing Technology & Beer Production III

Waite Campus - Semester 1 - 2024

Brewing Technology and Beer Production III will offer students a comprehensive introduction to the science and technology underpinning the composition and manufacture of beer. Students will gain a detailed theoretical understanding of the role of the raw ingredients of beer production (water, fermentable materials, flavouring materials, yeasts and bacteria) and the processes by which these are used in beer formulation and creation. Through participation in sensory classes, compulsory visits to industrial sites including maltings and large and small-scale breweries, and practical exercises in brewing at small and intermediate scales, students will become familiar with all aspects of beer production, and be able to design, brew and evaluate beers.

  • General Course Information
    Course Details
    Course Code FOOD SC 3550WT
    Course Brewing Technology & Beer Production III
    Coordinating Unit Food Science
    Term Semester 1
    Level Undergraduate
    Location/s Waite Campus
    Units 3
    Contact Up to 6 hours per week
    Available for Study Abroad and Exchange N
    Prerequisites (CHEM 1100 or CHEM 1101 or CHEM 1611), (CHEM 1200 or CHEM1201 or CHEM 1621), (BIOLOGY 1101 or BIOLOGY 1401 or BIOLOGY 1001), BIOLOGY 1202
    Restrictions Available to Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology and Bachelor of Applied Biology students only
    Course Description Brewing Technology and Beer Production III will offer students a comprehensive introduction to the science and technology underpinning the composition and manufacture of beer. Students will gain a detailed theoretical understanding of the role of the raw ingredients of beer production (water, fermentable materials, flavouring materials, yeasts and bacteria) and the processes by which these are used in beer formulation and creation. Through participation in sensory classes, compulsory visits to industrial sites including maltings and large and small-scale breweries, and practical exercises in brewing at small and intermediate scales, students will become familiar with all aspects of beer production, and be able to design, brew and evaluate beers.
    Course Staff

    Course Coordinator: Dr Richard Muhlack

    Course Timetable

    The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

  • Learning Outcomes
    Course Learning Outcomes

    On successful completion of this course students should be able to:

    1 Discuss the role of the major raw ingredients in beer composition and its sensory properties.
    2 Explain the processes by which the raw ingredients are transformed during the brewing process.
    3 Identify the tastes, flavours and aromas associated with the key international beer styles in modern production.
    4 Identify the major faults in beers, and describe the practices for minimisation of microbial and oxidative spoilage.
    5 Plan and implement the production of beer according to a selected style.
    6 Work in a group to prepare and critique written and oral presentations

    University Graduate Attributes

    This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

    University Graduate Attribute Course Learning Outcome(s)

    Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth

    Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.

    1,2,3,4

    Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving

    Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.

    5

    Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills

    Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.

    3,4,5

    Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness

    Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.

    5,6

    Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency

    Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.

    6

    Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence

    Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.

    3,4,5,6
  • Learning Resources
    Online Learning
    Students will need to regularly access the My Uni course site for:

    1. Course announcements. 
    2. Copies of the lecture PowerPoints. These will be uploaded onto the course My Uni site prior to each lecture. 
    3. Lecture recordings.
    4. Copies of assignments and assessment information

    My Uni can be accessed via http://myuni.adelaide.edu.au/

  • Learning & Teaching Activities
    Learning & Teaching Modes
    Lectures (2 x 1h per week) will be used to introduce key principles while practical classes (up to 4h per week) will illustrate the application of theoretical knowledge introduced in the lectures.
    Workload

    The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

    A student enrolled in a 3 unit course, such as this, should expect to spend, on average 12 hours per week on the studies required. This includes both the formal contact time required to the course (e.g., lectures and practicals), as well as non-contact time (e.g., pre-class preparation, post-class assessments, reading and revision).
    Learning Activities Summary
    Lectures will introduce the key principles of brewing technology and beer production, including detailed introduction to the principle raw ingredients (fermentables, malt, adjuncts, flavourings, hops), brewhouse operations, milling technologies, the processing stages (malting, milling, mashing and wort filtration, clarification, fermentation and conditioning/blending) and the packaging and marketing of the end product.

    Practical classes will introduce students to the major industrial applications of brewing technology and beer production, including barley breeding, malting, and brewing at large and microbrewery scales. Sensory evaluation classes will introduce students to beer tastes, flavours and aromas, and will also provide an in-depth introduction to the styles of beer presently in commercial production. Practical brewing exercises will develop the students’ skills in brewing with small/pilot-scale full-mash brewing exercises. These will illustrate the application of the theoretical knowledge introduced in the lectures.
  • Assessment

    The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

    1. Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
    2. Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
    3. Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
    4. Assessment must maintain academic standards.

    Assessment Summary
    Assessment Task Task Type Due Weighting Hurdle Learning Outcome
    Beer styles report  Formative & Summative Week 9 20% No 1,2,3,5,6
    Beer styles sensory test Formative & Summative Week 11 15% No 3,4
    Beer production written report Formative & Summative Week 12 25% No 1,2,6
    Final examination Summative Exam Period 40% No 1,2
    Assessment Detail
    Beer Styles Report [20%]

    Styles report - The beer styles report will assess students’ knowledge of a range of styles of beer commercially available. A 2000-word report will be presented, in which a self-selected set of four contrasting beers, representing at least three of the major beer styles, are described. Details of ingredients, production and sensory attributes, and a brief history of the style, are to be provided.

    Beer styles sensory test [15%]
    A Sensory Test will be conducted after the beer styles and beer faults practicals in which beers representing the major styles (pilseners, ales, stouts, wheat beers etc) will have been introduced and their particular sensory attributes described using the standard vocabulary adopted by the brewing industry worldwide. Students will be assessed on their ability to identify and apply the common vocabulary to the description of these beer styles and their sensory properties. Students will also be required to identify and describe key sensory attributes in beer (colour, clarity, bubbles, foam etc), tastes, aromas and flavours, plus a range of common faults including spoilage, oxidation and storage outcomes. The assessment will ensure that students have achieved a basic level of understanding of beer sensory parameters, and are able to describe good and bad beer using an appropriate vocabulary.

    Beer production written report [25%]
    Each student is to prepare a detailed written report (including an annotated flow chart) which documents the raw ingredients and production process for the beer style(s) produced by that student’s group during the Semester. The report will be a maximum of 3,000 words in length, and must contain, in addition to full production information, a evaluation of how closely the targeted beer style was matched, giving reasons why.

    Final examination [40%]
    A final examination will be held during the end-of-semester examination period that will assess students’ knowledge of all aspects of brewing technology and beer production covered in the lectures.
    Submission
    Late submission of assessments

    If an extension is not applied for, or not granted then a penalty for late submission will apply. A penalty of 10% of the value of the assignment for each calendar day that is late (i.e. weekends count as 2 days), up to a maximum of 50% of the available marks will be applied. This means that an assignment that is 5 days or more late without an approved extension can only receive a maximum of 50% of the mark.
    Course Grading

    Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

    M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
    Grade Mark Description
    FNS   Fail No Submission
    F 1-49 Fail
    P 50-64 Pass
    C 65-74 Credit
    D 75-84 Distinction
    HD 85-100 High Distinction
    CN   Continuing
    NFE   No Formal Examination
    RP   Result Pending

    Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

    Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

    Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

  • Student Feedback

    The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

    SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.

  • Student Support
  • Policies & Guidelines
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