Brewing School has officially begun!
I applied and was
accepted into UCSD Extension’s Professional Certificate in Brewing Program. I
will still be working full time at my job and taking classes at night. I aspire
to be a part time assistant brewer at a small local craft brewery so that I can
continue my full time job and brew on the nights/weekends.
I decided to pursue this program because it is taught by a
variety of successful brewers based in the southern California region. I have a
desire to learn everything I can to make amazing beer and this program was the
best way to get started. I also picked this program because there is a 120 hour
internship requirement, and I find hands on learning to be the most effective
method of improving. Book smarts will only get you so far in brewing; you have
to create your success with trial and error in the brewery.
Class One
The first class is an Overview of Brewing Science and
Technology. It is three consecutive Mondays for three hours and is taught by
the co-founder of Ballast Point Brewing- Yusseff Cherney. I have never been so
attentive and engaged in a three hour class. From my experience home brewing
and reading books about brewing, I knew the basics of what was being taught. I
definitely learned a substantial amount though, because Yusseff delved into
detail about the four basic ingredients of beer (water, yeast, hops, and
barley). Next week we will have a quiz and learn about brewing equipment. The
final class is a brewery tour at Ballast Point followed by a final exam.
I think it’s important to note that these are academic
classes, not just a class to drink beer in. Yusseff made note of this,
reminding us that the upcoming courses would be rigorous and that we need to
put in effort in our studies to be successful. I don’t think this will be a
problem because I love studying beer!
In telling us his (Yusseff’s) history he told us about his
interactions with Chris White of White Labs which is located in San Diego. He
emphasized the importance of visiting White Labs in order to understand the
importance of yeast in the brewing process. I took his advice and had a flight of the Pasteur Porter at White Labs.
My mind was blown away at the distinct taste differences in each of the four
beers. Keep in mind that all ingredients and the brewing process are identical
so that the only variable is yeast used. The porters all tasted like completely
different beers some exhibiting nutty characteristics, some toasty, some with
fruit esters. I highly recommend this place for any craft beer lover or science
nerd, you will not be disappointed!
Class Two
In the second class we learned about the entire brewing
process from freshly harvested barley to bottling. I found learning about the
many different options of brewing equipment to be very interesting. There are
pros and cons of different variations and different metals. For example some
believe that copper “adds something” to the beer while others believe it just
causes a hassle with cleaning and maintaining. We also learned about the
importance of emptying your silos completely and ensuring you do not keep your
grains too long.
I also found the hassle of cleaning some of the equipment to
be of interest because, as an engineer by schooling, I want to design solutions
to solve these type of problems. Equipment can always be improved in its design
and material selection to alleviate some of the pains of operation and
maintenance.
The end of class finished with a quiz based on both the
reading assignment and the lecture. It was not TOO difficult, but I read the book,
took notes, and paid attention well in
class. This is definitely a program where if you decide not to put in any
effort… you probably will not succeed.
Next week is our last class which will be a brewery tour of
Ballast Point focusing on the equipment used, followed by a final exam.
Class Number 3 (Final)
Our last class was a final exam which was preceded by a tour
of the Ballast Point Brewery. When I first visited the Ballast Point brewery at
Carrol Way I was not only blown away by the sheer size of the space, but also
by the intricate interior finishes. The brewery was built to be a space enjoyed
while you revel in some delicious beer. This is a stark contrast to some of the
smaller breweries which occupy a smaller space with less expensive finishes and
the beer is truly the star. It definitely depends on your style and mood, each
has their time and place.
The tour was informative and Yuseff provided more detail
than is traditionally shared on a brewery tour when you attend as a guest. I
found it amazing that they are able to store all of their fermentation tanks outside.
In San Diego this is reasonable, in other incredibly hot states the cost of
cooling may make this more difficult. They do have jackets with coolant to keep
the beer at the correct temperature, but San Diego’s consistent weather makes
this a possibility. I also found it of interest that the entire brewery was initially
used to brew Sculpin, while their other more experimental beers were brewed at
other locations. At this point they brew about four different beers (including
Sclulpin and Grapefruit Sculpin) at the Carrol Way facility.
The final exam was 30 questions and I was glad that I
prepared for it. I put in about two hours of focused studying and 4 hours to
finish reading the book assigned to us. I found the class lectures to be infinitely
more valuable than the reading assignment; the main reason being that the
reading assignment focused more on the history of brewing than the actual
brewing process. I am interested in the old styles of brewing but am able to
relate more to the future of brewing and the imminent obstacles I will face.
In summary I definitely enjoyed this intro class and can’t
wait to get to the higher level classes which will contain more in depth detail
of certain aspects of brewing. The biggest negative right now is that all of the
classes are full until June so I have a bit of a break until I get to learn
more!
