Beer Brewer Professional Certificate – Roanoke
Kick start your career in the craft brewing industry.
The University of Richmond School of Professional & Continuing Studies and the Virginia Tech Center for Organizational & Technological Advancement, in collaboration with community partners in Roanoke and Southwest Virginia, offers a beer brewer professional certificate for those interested in entering or advancing in the growing craft beer industry.
The certificate program guides students through the entire craft brewing business, from procuring high quality ingredients and raw materials through the proper handling, processing, packaging and distribution of the final product. The program highlights local, sustainable practices by partnering with Roanoke-area suppliers, breweries and distributors.
Students who complete the certificate program will be well prepared to enter the craft brewing industry in a variety of roles, from procurement and supply chain management to beer server to brewmaster. By collaborating with local partners, earning the certificate positions graduates well to start or advance their career in the beer brewing industry.
The program requires 11 modules, two field trips, and a one-month, 20-hour internship. Earning the Beer Brewer Professional Certificate also earns 10 CEUs than can be applied toward professional development goals or requirements. The program takes one year to complete and requires completing all modules plus the internship to be eligible for the certificate.
Certificate Requirements
11 Modules
All modules must be completed successfully to be eligible for the professional certificate.
Internhip & Field Experience
The 20-hour, month-long internship along with two field experiences will be scheduled depending on host availability.
1 Notebook
You’ll build a professional reference notebook that includes recipes, styles of beer, a glossary of terms, and research and essays.
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Module Details
This module will serve as an introduction to the program in general and lay a foundation for the program. Students will gain an understanding of the history of beer brewing and the relatively recent expansion of craft brewing in the United States. The historical timeline will begin just after prohibition, continue through post-war global consolidation, and continue up through the craft-brewing boom of the late 1990’s through the early 2000’s.
This module will cover the technical terms used in the brewing industry Students will define these terms and identify the equipment and processes they represent. This module is designed to prepare students for the more technical modules in the program. Students will also be introduced to the Richmond brewing culture and learn tips for starting their career in the craft beer industry. Additionally, students will conduct a tasting panel to apply terms learned and also see examples of common industrial brewing equipment.
This module will introduce and examine all of the essential ingredients involved in the brewing process, from sourcing and selection to the effects of specific ingredients on the final product. Students will learn to recognize ingredients and their interactions with one another in the process of brewing.
This module will provide a general understanding of brewery operations, including the steps in the operations, from raw material, to wort, to final product. Students will learn how to make the most popular styles of beer and learn the difference in how they are produced, as well as a variety of techniques to adjust their flavor profiles. Students will understand basic formulas for several popular styles of beer.
This module will cover one of the most important aspects of making great beer — sanitation. Topics will include overall sanitation, grain dust safety, proper chemical storage and procedures, CO2, personal protective equipment, working in confined spaces, lock out tag systems, and more.
This module will introduce the equipment used in a professional brewery as well as its proper calibration and maintenance. Additionally, students will learn different packaging options and methods and how to set up a distribution system. Students will also learn compliance and legal aspects to packaging beer for sale.
This module will cover microbiology for the brewer and introduce beneficial microbial actions as well as how to control the microbiological threats. Students will gain an in-depth understanding of, as well as some methods for, manipulating beer statistics including the Standard Reference Method and how it relates to the color of the brew, the Specific Gravity and its relation to the alcohol content, and the International Bitterness Units.
This module will provide an in-depth understanding of the different yeast strains, the fermentation processes and how to affect beer styles. Students will review various methods of yeast propagation. The importance of yeast selection and fermentation processes on beer styles will be emphasized.
This module will address and review different popular beer styles. Using the knowledge gained throughout the program, students will focus on the processes for creating the differing beer styles using various ingredients, equipment and techniques.
This module will provide insight to developing a sales and marketing plan for the on and off premise channels of business. Students will gain an understanding of how to build, plan, and execute sales strategies. ABC legalities, best practices, wholesaler management, and public relations will also be discussed.
This module covers licensing and regulations governing breweries and selling alcoholic beverages in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Students will have an understanding of which regulatory bodies have jurisdiction under specific circumstances as well as how to operate in compliance with the federal, state and local governments.
In the internship, students will gain a hands-on understanding of working in a brewery, as well as begin to make contacts in the industry. The internship experience requires 20 hours of work in a relevant organization (selected in consultation with a program supervisor) within a 30-day period. The student’s internship supervisor will complete an evaluation on the student’s work experience.
Instructor: Lee Graves, Beer Guy
- Tuesday, November 12, 6-8 p.m.
- Wednesday, November 13, 6-8 p.m.
Instructor: Andy Bishop, Twin Creeks Brewing
- Tuesday, November 19, 6-9 p.m.
- Tuesday, December 3, 6-9 p.m.
Instructors: Vary by class session (listed below)
- Tuesday, December 10, 6-9 p.m. (Jasper Akerboom - Yeast)
- Tuesday, December 17, 6-9 p.m. (John Evens - Water)
- Tuesday, January 7, 2020, 6-9 p.m. (Dr. Laban Rutto - Hops)
- Tuesday, January 14, 6-9 p.m. (Brian Wieserma - Grains [Malted Barley])
Instructor: Mike Pensinger, Parkway Brewing
- Saturday, January 18, 3 p.m.: Parkway Brewing Tour
- Tuesday, January 21, 6-9 p.m.
- Tuesday, January 28, 6-9 p.m.
- Tuesday, February 4, 6-9 p.m.
- Tuesday, February 11, 6-9 p.m.
Instructor: James Frazier, Beale’s Brewery
- Tuesday, February 18, 6-9 p.m.
- Tuesday, February 25, 6-9 p.m.
Instructor: Craig Collins, OSHA
- Tuesday, March 17, 6-9 p.m.
- Wednesday, March 18, 6-9 p.m.
Instructors: Jasper Akerboom, Jasper Yeast & Brian Wiersema, Virginia Tech Food Science & Technology
- Tuesday, March 31, 6-9 p.m.
- Tuesday, April 7, 6-9 p.m.
- Tuesday, April 14, 6-9 p.m.
- Tuesday, April 28, 6-9 p.m.
- Tuesday, May 5, 6-9 p.m.
Instructors: Seth Johnson, Beale’s Brewery & Professor, Virginia Tech Food Science & Technology
- Tuesday, May 12, 6-9 p.m.
- Tuesday, May 19, 6-9 p.m.
- Tuesday, May 26, 6-9 p.m.
- Tuesday, June 2, 6-9 p.m.
Instructor: Bryan Summerson, Big Lick Brewing
- Tuesday, June 9, 6-9 p.m.
- Tuesday, June 16, 6-9 p.m.
- Tuesday, June 23, 6-9 p.m.
- Tuesday, June 30, 6-9 p.m.
Instructor: Sales Representative, Parkway Brewing
- Tuesday, July 7, 6-9 p.m.
- Tuesday, July 14, 6-9 p.m.
Instructor: Brandon Carter, Lewis Brisbois
- Wednesday, July 22, 6-9 p.m.
- Thursday, July 23, 6-9 p.m.
- Saturday, January 18, 2020, 12-3 p.m. — Parkway Brewing Tour
- Tuesday, March 10, 6-8 p.m. — Packaging & Distribution Field Experience Day, Ballast Point Brewing
- TBD, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. — Brew Day at A Few Old Goats Brewing
- TBD, 2020, 12-3 p.m. — Sour Beer with James
- TBD, 2020, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. — Brew Day at Big Lick Brewing
- TBD, 2020, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. — Brew Day at Ballast Point Brewing
- Late September 2020, date & time TBD — Certificate Ceremony
