270037 Thematic Course: Beer Production

Details
Department of Food Science
Earliest Possible YearMSc. 1 year
DurationTwo blocks
 
Credits15 (ECTS)
Course LevelMSc
Theme
 
ExaminationFinal Examination

written examination and oral examination


All aids allowed

Description of Examination: The above mentioned project report should describe a selected part of beer production in depth. The work includes defining and limiting a problem, literature surveys and practical work in the laboratory or pilot plant. The exam is an oral group exam where the students present their work followed by a cross examination based on the written report.

Weight: Project report 80 % Oral examination 20 %



13-point scale, external examiner
 
Requirement For Attending ExamAn integrated part of the theme is the production of a theme course project report, and this must be delivered to the examiners, usually a week before the oral examination
 
Organisation of TeachingLectures, theoretical exercises and excursions.
 
Block PlacementBlock 3
Week Structure: C

Block 4a
Week Structure: Outside schedule
Lectures on mondays.Practical exercises and excursions on wednesdays, practical work can be planned to some degree by the students

 
Teaching LanguageEnglish
 
Areas of Competence the Course Will Address
Competences within basic science
Knowledge of associated biological materials such as barley, hops and yeast
Transfer principles to new situations, as the project report requires the students to describe and delimit a suggested problem, plan the practical work and report the findings.

Competences within applied science
Knowledge of malting processes, brewhouse technologies and fermentation processes
Understand the biological and chemical changes that occurs throughout beer production.
Comprehend how changes in raw materials or processes affects the final product.
Expand the skills obtained in the basic food science courses, e.g. microbiology and chemistry in an interdisciplinary description of a food production, exemplified with beer.
Make judgment of which processes in the production line that are detrimental for the end quality with regards to microbiological, technological and sensoric criteria.
 
Course Objectives
It is the aim of the course to provide the student with a comprehensive and interdisciplinary understanding of the complexities of a selected food production chain. Beer is chosen as a model food product, because of the relative ease to describe the entire food chain "from farm to fork".
 
Course Contents
The contents of the course spans a food production chain "from farm to fork", showing how raw materials are converted into a highly sophisticated food product - beer.
This is accomplished through a combination of lectures, theoretical exercises and practical work related to selected issues of beer production. Within the course, practical applications of biotechnology will be highlighted, to show examples of how biotechnology is utilised in the production of foods.
The students are presented with primary products such as barley and hops, and specific knowledge regarding growth and strain improvement of these commodities. An in-depth knowledge of the technological features of the malting process, the brewhouse, and the beer fermentation is combined with a description of the biological and physico/chemical characteristics that warrants a specific treatment. In relation to biotechnology in the food production, the technological properties and molecular characteristics of brewers yeast are discussed as well as the description and use of enzymes, either intrinsic to the process, such as the enzymes from malt or enzymes added during production of beer. Similarities and differences to other fermented alcoholic beverages such as wine or cider will also be discussed, and the use of rapid methods for on-line measurement of product quality is described. Finally, quality control within a food production chain will be covered with emphasis on microbiological, technological and sensory attributes.
 
Teaching And Learning Methods
In relation to selected lectures, the students have to carry out theoretical exercises linked to biotechnology in general, and beer production specifically. The students must also carry out projects that focus on specific limited issues within the beer production. Projects may deal with barley/malt, brewhouse- and fermentation technology as well as quality control and sensory quality. The students work in groups of 3-5, and the project begins with a hypothesis, followed by literature reviews that should end with a description and delimitation of a problem. This is followed by planning and performing the practical work, and finally the findings are reported and discussed in relation to prior knowledge.
 
Course Coordinator
Henrik Siegumfeldt, hsi@life.ku.dk, Department of Food Science/Food Microbiology, Phone: 35333286
 
Study Board
Study Committee LSN
 
Course Scope
lectures68
Excursions23
theoretical exercises25
preparation74
supervision20
project work200
examination2

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