News about Brewing & Fermentation Science

Assorted explorations in the science of brewing were eagerly appraised by industry experts last week in Pennsylvania College of Technology’s brewing & fermentation lab.

Ten students graduating with certificates in brewing & fermentation science presented their capstone projects in two evening sessions attended by 15 brewing professionals – four of whom are alumni.

Brews presented were: Irish red ale, saison, green tea hazy IPA, sorghum ale, German hefeweizen, Belgian pale ale, fruited sour and gruit.

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Pennsylvania College of Technology’s brewing and fermentation science instructor, Timothy L. Yarrington, will share his expertise in a free Penn State Extension webinar, set for 7 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19.

Coordinated by Penn State Berks, the talk, titled “Managing Bitterness When Pursuing Significant Hop Flavor and Aroma in the Brew House,” has already registered nearly 100 viewers.

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When Jenn Ulmer began her first week of full-time employment as a brewer at Berwick Brewing Co., Brienne Allen, a fellow female brewer of note from Massachusetts, was also at the Columbia County facility conducting research.

Timothy L. Yarrington, brewing instructor at Pennsylvania College of Technology, says Ulmer and Allen are two more examples of women making progress in the male-dominated field.

“Women are entering the field in greater numbers to the benefit of the brewing industry,” Yarrington said. “Increased diversity in the industry strengthens the industry and expands its appeal.”

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George “Herman” Logue Jr. and George Logue III recently donated an entire brewing system and accessories to the brewing and fermentation science program at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

The equipment, which represents the functional design of large industrial brewing systems, will be used by the college for instructional purposes in its brewing & fermentation science certificate major.

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Seven students enrolled in Penn College’s brewing and fermentation science certificate presented their beers to a panel of industry professionals at an evening gathering this week.

Visiting campus to lend their expertise were: John Callahan, brewing manager, D.G. Yuengling & Son Inc.; Tom Clark, owner/brewmaster, Berwick Brewing Co.; Mark Fabrizio, vice president of brewing operations Victory Brewing Co.; Sean Hamilton, brewer at New York Beer Project and a 2019 graduate of Penn College’s brewing and fermentation science program; and Philip Jensen, head distiller, Big Springs Distilling Co. Also serving on the panel was David S. Richards, professor of physics.

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An article in Saturday’s editions of The Philadelphia Inquirer, headlined “Fruit beers tapping into the Philly market in a big way,” includes comments from brewing instructor Timothy L. Yarrington. The Penn College faculty member was among those interviewed about one of the fastest-growing segments of the industry: products infused with all manner of fruit, from such seasonal standbys as pumpkin to pomegranates and bananas. “We’re in a phase now that I call the soft drink-ification of beer and I think it’s generational,” Yarrington told writer Frank Fitzpatrick. “One of the defining characteristics of beer has always been bitterness. But these kids have grown up on soda and sweet cereals. They’re bitter-averse.”

Pennsylvania College of Technology’s brewing and fermentation science certificate has received notice that it has been recognized by the Master Brewers Association of the Americas. The Penn College certificate is one of only 14 brewing education programs to receive this distinction – and the only program in the Northeast U.S.

A global authority on brewing, the MBAA recognized Penn College’s brewing and fermentation science associate degree in 2018. The program has evolved into a one-year certificate, narrowing the time commitment for students but maintaining the quality of the training. The certificate begins in the Fall 2021 semester.

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With the objective of encouraging and supporting women in the brewing industry, the Pink Boots Society and D.G. Yuengling & Son Inc. have partnered to fund a scholarship and included Pennsylvania College of Technology’s brewing and fermentation science program in the initiative.

The Diversity in Brewing Scholarship provides exceptional women of color in the brewing industry up to $10,000 in scholarship funds to further their brewing education. Students can apply for the scholarship through six brewing programs, including Penn College’s one-year certificate program. Two scholarships are available for Fall 2021; award amounts vary per program, with $9,250 designated for a Penn College scholarship applicant.

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In a video posted in conjunction with National American Beer Day, Timothy L. Yarrington – lead instructor in Penn College’s redesigned brewing and fermentation program – answers the questions he’s asked most often. Whether you are curious about a career in brewing or just interested in knowing which shape of beer glass is optimal, give it a look!

Brewers are always tinkering, crafting new and better beers, and the same can be said for the innovative brewing education at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

Starting in Fall 2021, the college’s brewing and fermentation science major is evolving from a two-year associate degree into a one-year certificate, narrowing the time it’ll take for students to move through the program, but maintaining the rigor and quality of the training. The certificate is designed for adults 21 and older who wish to work in the dynamic commercial brewing industry; ideal for either returning-to-education or recently graduated individuals.

Applications are now being accepted.

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Pennsylvania College of Technology’s brewing and fermentation science instructor shared his expertise at Susquehanna University earlier in the Spring 2020 semester as part of its yearlong Honors Sophomore Colloquium.

Timothy L. Yarrington presented “The Piracy of Brewing: How Brewers Exploit Natural Systems for Personal Pleasure and Financial Gain” at the colloquium, which has focused on the topic of alcohol as part of the centenary of Prohibition.

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Pennsylvania College of Technology’s brewing and fermentation science instructor joined three other academic colleagues in delivering a talk at the three-day Master Brewers Conference, held recently in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Timothy L. Yarrington presented “Brewing Education and Industry: Evolving Together” along with Katie Fromuth, fermentation science and technology lab manager, Colorado State University; Kaylyn Kirkpatrick, brewing extension associate, Cornell University; and Peter Johnston-Berresford, brewing instructor, Olds College, Alberta.

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Career Day brought hundreds of ninth-12th graders to campus on Thursday to explore more than 30 activities offered by employees and students to help high-schoolers learn about the wide variety of career options available to them. The event is coordinated by the College Transitions and First Year Initiatives Office.

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Penn College’s 2-year-old brewing and fermentation major is featured in the October issue of Mountain Home, an award-winning monthly publication focused on Pennsylvania and New York’s Finger Lakes. “One thing about Penn College, among others, is that they’re really focused on industry trends,” instructor Timothy L. Yarrington says in the article by Melissa Farenish. “Consumers are starting to expect and demand consistent quality. So, brewers need education and the understanding of the science of brewing to maintain this quality. The curriculum is designed so that students not only get hands-on experience, but also the science education background that goes into understanding how to maintain quality in the brews.”

A bipartisan group of state legislators, all present for President Davie Jane Gilmour’s budget request to the Senate Appropriations Committee in February, got a follow-up look at Penn College during a trip to main campus on Tuesday. Touring a number of instructional labs with Sen. Gene Yaw (chairman of the college’s board of directors), administrators, faculty and staff were Sen. Art Haywood (D-Cheltenham), minority chair of the Health and Human Services Committee; Sen. Thomas H. Killion (R-Middletown), who chairs the Community, Economic and Recreational Development Committee; Sen. Daniel Laughlin (R-Erie), chair of the Game and Fisheries Committee; and Sen. Sharif Street (D-Philadelphia), minority chairman of the Banking and Insurance Committee. Along for the visit were H. Fred Walker, director of Erie County Technical School; Kendall Alexander, Haywood’s communications director; and three members of Street’s staff: policy assistant Micah Mahjoubian, legislative aide Angel Betancourt and special assistant Kenneth Carter. Some members of the Senate contingent, who collectively represent highly populated areas from Erie in the northwest to Philadelphia in the southeast corner of the commonwealth, also enjoyed lunch in Le Jeune Chef Restaurant.

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