FOOD SC 3550WT - Brewing Technology & Beer Production III

Waite Campus - Semester 1 - 2020

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 School of Agriculture, Food and Wine
    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 1101, CHEM 1200 or 1201, BIOLOGY 1101 or 1401 or 1001, BIOLOGY 1202 or equivalent
    Restrictions Available to Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology and Bachelor of Applied Biology students only
    Assessment Reports, Proposals, Sensory Tests, Presentation and Final Examination
    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)
    Deep discipline knowledge
    • informed and infused by cutting edge research, scaffolded throughout their program of studies
    • acquired from personal interaction with research active educators, from year 1
    • accredited or validated against national or international standards (for relevant programs)
    1,2,3,4
    Critical thinking and problem solving
    • steeped in research methods and rigor
    • based on empirical evidence and the scientific approach to knowledge development
    • demonstrated through appropriate and relevant assessment
    5
    Teamwork and communication skills
    • developed from, with, and via the SGDE
    • honed through assessment and practice throughout the program of studies
    • encouraged and valued in all aspects of learning
    3,4,5
    Career and leadership readiness
    • technology savvy
    • professional and, where relevant, fully accredited
    • forward thinking and well informed
    • tested and validated by work based experiences
    5,6
    Intercultural and ethical competency
    • adept at operating in other cultures
    • comfortable with different nationalities and social contexts
    • able to determine and contribute to desirable social outcomes
    • demonstrated by study abroad or with an understanding of indigenous knowledges
    6
    Self-awareness and emotional intelligence
    • a capacity for self-reflection and a willingness to engage in self-appraisal
    • open to objective and constructive feedback from supervisors and peers
    • able to negotiate difficult social situations, defuse conflict and engage positively in purposeful debate
    3,4,5,6
  • 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. Three practical brewing exercises will develop the students’ skills in brewing, from a simple malt-extract based example, through a small-scale full-mash brew, to participation in a commercial-scale microbrewery exercise. These practical exercises 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 and production proposal Formative & Summative Week 9 15% No 1,2,3,5,6
    Beer flavours and faults sensory test Formative & Summative Week 12 5% No 3,4
    Beer styles sensory test Formative & Summative Week 12 5% No 3,4
    Beer production and oral presentation (Group assessment) Formative & Summative Week 12 15% No 1,2,6
    Beer production written report Formative & Summative Week 12 20% No 1,2,6
    Final examination Summative Exam Period 40% No 1,2
    Assessment Detail
    Beer Styles Report and Production Proposal[15%]

    Styles report - The beer styles report will assess students’ knowledge of a range of styles of beer commercially available. A 1,200-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.
    Production proposal - Students will work in groups of two or three to design, plan and produce a beer that will be presented to the class in week 12. A written proposal including a detailed list of ingredients and a flow chart showing the production steps proposed for the beer, is to be submitted by each student. The proposal will have a maximum word limit of 500, and will include details of the intended style and the approach proposed to achieve its production. 

    Beer Flavours and Faults Sensory Test [5%]
    An in-class sensory test will be conducted at the end of the second beer sensory evaluation class (around week 4), in which basic beer flavours and faults will have been introduced using the standard vocabulary adopted by the brewing industry worldwide. Students will 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 styles sensory test [5%]
    An in-class sensory test will be conducted at the end of the third beer sensory evaluation class (around week 8), 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 beers and their sensory properties.

    Beer production oral presentation [15%]
    In addition to participating fully in all aspects of the brewing operations, students will prepare and deliver a 15-minute presentation to the class in week 12. Each group member must participate in all activities, and will be assessed by all other group members for their contribution to the brewing and presentation activities. This will be worth up to 5% of the 15% total for this assessment. In addition, up to 5% will be awarded following class-wide peer assessment of each oral presentation and up to 5% by the academic staff in attendance for the presentations.

    Beer production written report [20%]
    A detailed written report, including an annotated flow chart describing the required production process for the chosen beer style is to be presented by each student. The report will be a maximum of 2,000 words in length, and must contain, in addition to full production information, a detailed evaluation of how closely the targeted beer style was matched, giving reasons why
    Feedback will be provided for Assessment items 1 to 6.

    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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