Online Certificate in Science and Technology of Alcoholic Beverages

FST 479 Fermentation Microbiology

Introduction to fermentation microbiology that emphasizes the evolution of key physiological traits and biochemical pathways within key microbial genera. Explores the microbial ecology of processes used to make alcoholic beverages, food ingredients, and fermented foods.
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Describe how microbes contribute to qualities of various fermented beverages, fermented foods, and microbially-derived food ingredients.
• Predict the outcomes of variations applied to fermentation systems based upon knowledge of key microbes involved.
• Classify different fermented beverages, foods and food ingredients according to similarities and differences in their raw materials and microbial ecologies.

About the instructor:

Dr. Chris Curtin’s focus is on the role of microbes in alcoholic beverage fermentation, with emphasis on brewing microbiology. He is interested in how the species that we use today to make beer, wine, cider and ethanol have evolved, and to what extent the same evolutionary forces have shaped the microbial ecology and genomes of other microbes found in these production environments. This knowledge can then be used to develop novel brewing starter cultures and management practices that improve microbial stability.

The certificate requires 3 credits of elective coursework. For a list of acceptable electives, please visit OSU catalog.

Choices for electives include:

• Food safety and quality assurance
• Wine in the Western world
• Sustainable food processing
• Dairy processing

FST 460 Chemistry and Biochemistry of Beer

Explores the chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology and engineering of malting and brewing operations for the production of beer, including the compositional analysis of barley, malt, hops, water, and beer and their effects on beer quality.
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Articulate the technological processes and sequences required to malt grain, produce wort and ferment & finish beer
• Identify raw material composition and processing regimes required to produce a desired product
• Design a beer that meets generally acceptable standards
• Troubleshoot production practices when defects appear

About the instructor:

Dr. Tom Shellhammer is the Nor’Wester Professor of Fermentation Science and is an internationally recognized expert in hops chemistry. His lab studies the contribution of hops to beer flavor, foam and physical & flavor stability. Current projects include investigating specific hop oil component contributions to hoppy aroma and flavor in beer. During the 2008-2009 academic year he conducted research and taught brewing science at the Technical University of Berlin as a Fulbright Scholar and Alexander von Humboldt Fellow. Since 2007 he has served on the Board of Examiners for the Institute of Brewing and Distilling in London, England. He a Fellow of Institute of Food Technologists and the Institute of Brewing and Distilling.

FST 466 Chemistry and Biochemistry of Wine

Explores principles of wine production technology from grape berry development through bottling, covering the microbiology and chemistry and biochemistry of fermentation, aging and production practices of red and white table wines as well as sparkling and dessert wines.

About the instructor:

Dr. Elizabeth Tomasino's research focuses on flavor chemistry, sensory perception, flavor and aroma chemistry of Pinot noir and other winegrapes, and investigating structural chirality of aroma compounds in wine.
Dr. Tomasino's research interests lie in wine sensory analysis and flavor chemistry. A main research includes determining relationships between sensory and chemical data, particularly those aroma compounds important for wine quality and regional differentiation. Current research investigates the presence and concentration of chiral aroma compounds in wine using MDGC. Other interests include the determination of global, regional, sub-regional wine styles, use of sensory analysis for wine education and understanding of consumer preferences, and the influence of non volatile components to wine aroma.

FST 437 Chemistry and Biochemistry of Distilled Spirits

The underlying science of the production of the distilled spirits will be discussed systematically. The course will cover the requirements for water, the major raw materials (eg. cereals, fruits, agave, syrups, and woods for maturation) and the conversion of these into fermentable extract. The scientific principles of fermentation will be explored, in the context of both ethanol and secondary metabolite production. Distillation will be considered, in terms of the physics and chemistry of liquid-liquid separations, before discussing post-fermentation options such as blending, maturation and product finishing.

About the instructor:

Dr. Paul Hughes is a chemist by training and has a broad range of international research and education experiences, in government, private, corporate and university settings, particularly in distilled spirits and brewing science and technology. His research interests include the flavor and non-biological stability of beers and spirits and, more recently the shelf-life stability of hybrid products. His program aims to apply high-quality research, and methodologies developed in other industries, to improve the quality, consistency and production of alcoholic beverages. Never boring and always insightful!

FST 463 Production and Analysis of Beer

Examines the chemical, microbiological, physical, and sensory analysis for assessing beer quality.
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Explain analytical measurements using industry-recognized standard methods and instrumentation on raw materials, wort and finished products for the purpose of assessing their quality
• Evaluate analytical data from these measurements for the purpose of assessing beer or raw material quality
• Compare and contrast the merits and demerits of different testing methods for beer analysis

About the instructor:

Dr. Tom Shellhammer is the Nor’Wester Professor of Fermentation Science and is an internationally recognized expert in hops chemistry. His lab studies the contribution of hops to beer flavor, foam and physical & flavor stability. Current projects include investigating specific hop oil component contributions to hoppy aroma and flavor in beer. During the 2008-2009 academic year he conducted research and taught brewing science at the Technical University of Berlin as a Fulbright Scholar and Alexander von Humboldt Fellow. Since 2007 he has served on the Board of Examiners for the Institute of Brewing and Distilling in London, England. He a Fellow of Institute of Food Technologists and the Institute of Brewing and Distilling.

FST 469 Production and Analysis of Wine

Examines the fundamentals of red and white wine production including procedures and equipment used and application of key chemical, microbial, and sensory analysis techniques to assess wine.

About the instructor:

Dr. James Osborne's research focuses on microbial spoilage bacteria in wines, impacts of yeast strain on flavor and aroma production from saccharomyces, natural ferment yeasts, acetaldehyde metabolism by malolactic bacteria and its enological consequences, malolactic fermentation, and wine yeast bacteria interactions. Dr. Osborne's extension activities include developing statewide continuing education in enology for the wine industry in Oregon.

FST 439 Production and Analysis of Distilled Spirits

Compares and contrasts different approaches to the manufacture of distilled spirits by using some of the major spirit categories as examples. Discusses the management of a distilled spirits production plant in terms of legislative, safety and process-product quality before explicit consideration of the requirements for establishing a distilled spirits production plant. Provides students with a broad understanding of the distilled spirits sector.

About the instructor:

Dr. Paul Hughes is a chemist by training and has a broad range of international research and education experiences, in government, private, corporate and university settings, particularly in distilled spirits and brewing science and technology. His research interests include the flavor and non-biological stability of beers and spirits and, more recently the shelf-life stability of hybrid products. His program aims to apply high-quality research, and methodologies developed in other industries, to improve the quality, consistency and production of alcoholic beverages. Never boring and always insightful!