CMU Brews up new Fermentation Sciences certificate program
To some, the idea of affiliating college-aged students with alcohol seems to be the beginning of a bad idea, but for Cordell DeMattei, the opportunity is far too good to pass up.
The university recently announced that it would institute a certificate
“The craft brewing industry has grown so much in the last 20 to 25 years and the education isn’t really available,” Demattei, Central Michigan University's new director of fermentation science said. “The ones that are there are really saturated (with enrollment).”
The brewing industry, particularly in Michigan, contributes greatly to the state’s economy through various means, DeMattei said. By enabling students to participate in what he considers the art of “science and technology in a bottle” the thought is potential state concentrated jobs and new revenue through local breweries.
“As of 2013, Michigan ranked fifth in the nation in number of breweries, behind California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington,” said Davison, dean of the College of Science and Technology, in a press release Tuesday. “This growing industry contributes significantly to the state’s economy, supporting jobs in breweries as well as in farms producing barley and hops.”
As a part of the program, students will be able to work in partner with the Mountain Town Station Brewery and Hunter’s Ale House. Through the program, brewers-to-be are offered a unique opportunity to test their skills in the field.
In the same press release, Cheryl Hunter, owner of Hunter's Ale House in Union Township, said that she was pleased with the opportunity to give CMU students a hands-on approach to studying brewing.
“The brewing of a malt beverage is very scientific,” Hunter said. “Hunter’s Ale House brew master and Michigan Malt Co. founder, Wendell Banks, and I appreciate the opportunity to share our knowledge and professional experience of how great craft beer should be made.”
As it is a certificate based course, no prerequisites are required prior to enlisting in the program. Any student, including pre-established brewers simply looking to further their careers, are accepted into the program.
Proficiency in both math and science is highly encouraged, specifically in basic biology and chemistry.
DeMattei said that there have been jokes about the program with people offering to be "taste testers", but urges individuals that this is a serious program underneath it all.
“I’ve had a lot of people refer to it just as a beer program,” he said. “It really is a science based program, and we’re really excited with our industry partners to get them real world experience.”
Currently the program should start to begin fall 2015, but DeMattei said he is trying to get it started as early as summer.
