Mar 28, 2024  
OHIO University Undergraduate Catalog 2021-22 
    
OHIO University Undergraduate Catalog 2021-22 [Archived Catalog]

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CHEM 4501 - The Principles of Brewing Science


Aims to demonstrate fundamental principles and concepts of biochemistry, physiology, microbiology, and plant biology through beer brewing. The practice and study of fermentation first defined the field of biochemistry and combines skills/concepts taken from microbiology (yeast cultivation; inhibition of bacterial growth by hops and ethanol; assay of bacterial contamination), biochemistry (an understanding of aerobic vs non-aerobic respiration and glucose metabolism, lipid oxidation, enzyme kinetics and assay as in starch degradation by amylases and protein degradation by proteases), physiology (the effects of alcohol on the body), and plant biology (barley and hops cultivation, harvesting and malt production; the contribution of plant tannins to beer flavor). This course combines a series of lectures, labs and field trips to the Plant Biology Gardens to demonstrate the concepts invoked in lecture. This course exploits a general public interest in alcohol and its production to demonstrate fundamental scientific concepts using a hands on approach. As many students seem unaware of how alcohol interacts with the body in the long term, this course also informs students about the devastating effects of alcohol abuse on the body and society. As such this course outfits students with a wide range of key scientific concepts coupled with practical skills.

Requisites: (CHEM 3060 or PBIO 3240) and Sr only and WARNING: No credit for both this course and the following (always deduct credit for first course taken): PBIO 4501
Credit Hours: 3
OHIO BRICKS Capstone: Capstone or Culminating Experience
General Education Code (students who entered prior to Fall 2021-22): 3
Repeat/Retake Information: May be retaken two times excluding withdrawals, but only last course taken counts.
Lecture/Lab Hours: 2.0 lecture, 4.0 laboratory
Grades: Eligible Grades: A-F,WP,WF,WN,FN,AU,I
Learning Outcomes:
  • Students will be able to identify and consider issues/problems using the process of brewing as a model.
  • Students will be able to adapt fundamentals and methodologies used in brewing to other situations.
  • Students will be able to isolate variables and systematically troubleshoot process errors in the context of beer brewing.
  • Students will be able to use the fundamentals and methodologies used in beer brewing to form hypotheses more broadly about fermentation.
  • Students will be able to use the scientific background associated with beer brewing to reach conclusions about recipe design and technical execution.
  • Students will be able to connect their academic knowledge with the process of beer brewing.
  • Students will be able to connect multiple disciplines through the brewing process, including but not limited to biochemistry, biology, engineering, business, and health and physiology.
  • Students will be able to transfer and apply knowledge from this course more broadly to other areas in food science and fermentation technology.
  • Students will be able to communicate about issues associated with beer brewing and fermentation.
  • Students will be able to self-assess their brewing knowledge through execution and evaluation of self-designed recipes.



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