The centuries old practice of
brewing beer thrives today across a wide range of society, from industrial
scale macro breweries to local craft breweries, and even home brewing clubs
scattered across the nation.
But proper beer brewing, on any
scale, involves very complex chemical and biological processes, that when mastered
can produce a superb product. Students at South
Dakota School of Mines & Technology are delving into the science and
engineering of beer brewing in a new year-long class. Only students who are 21 and
older are allowed to take the course and accompanying laboratory.
Todd Menkhaus, Ph.D., professor of
chemical and biological engineering at SD Mines, explains that, “the first
semester is spent entirely in the classroom with focus on zymology, or the
science and application of fermentation. The coursework also includes
discussions on agricultural production of raw ingredients such as barley and
hops, engineering analysis, design and operation of brewing equipment, and the marketing,
presentation and business management of breweries. During the second semester,
the students move into the lab to undertake the actual brewing process and to deepen
their understanding of the unique chemistry and biology associated with brewing.”
“The open-ended nature of the lab
forced us to make critical decisions based on our understanding of the
fundamental science and engineering behind the process,” says Justin Hoff, a
senior chemical engineering student.
During this class, students like
Hoff pick up a wide range of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM)
skills that are involved in the brewing industry and beyond. The study of the complex brewing process yields not
only better lagers and ales, it produces better scientists and engineers who
can apply what they have learned across a wide range of fields.
“It gave us confidence to know that we could plan the
process, operate the equipment and evaluate the chemistry needed to make
quality products from the raw materials,” Hoff adds. He will spend next
semester as an intern at Testarossa winery near San Jose California in its
production department.
“Brewing science is a growing
industry, so being able to learn the science and be able to practice it in the
lab was a very valuable and exciting experience for me,” says Victoria Parks, senior
chemical engineering student at SD Mines.
But this class is about more than making
beer. The processes involved in brewing such as fermentation and other associated
metabolic pathways, enzymatic catalysis, chemical reactions, heat and mass
transfer and hops chemistry have exciting applications far beyond the brewing
industry. These same chemical and biological processes are also involved in the
creation of new medicines, the development of biodegradable plastics and biofuels,
greenhouse gas conversion, and more. Students in this course take a deep dive
into the science and they come out with tools that will help them find answers
to the problems of tomorrow.
“This unique lab experience
provides skills and opportunities that employers are looking for such as
teamwork, process design decisions like formulating operating conditions,
calculating process parameters, understanding and sourcing raw materials,
staying on task within time constraints, quality control, safety and working
with customers, all within a discussion of specific science and engineering
fundamentals,” says Guy Clay, a senior chemical engineering student at SD
Mines.
This year, a portion of the lab was
completed at the Hay Camp Brewery, owned and operated by Mines alumni Karl Koth
and Sam Papendick, Ph.D. With legislative approval, labs at SD Mines may be used
to brew beer in the future. These labs have the resources and scientific
equipment needed for students to fully analyze the brewing processes as they develop
a deeper understanding of the science and engineering behind this ancient art.
The 2019 class and laboratory will showcase the Hardrocker
Wheat Ale from 3-10 p.m. Friday, May 3, at the Hay Camp Brewing Company in Rapid City. A portion of the sales will go toward
scholarships at SD Mines.