By Holly Desrosier
Raise a glass to another learning opportunity at Craven Community College (Craven CC) with the Introduction to Homebrewing class! This 12-week course will be offered on the college’s Volt Center campus beginning Feb. 18.
Introduction to Homebrewing is designed to familiarize entry-level homebrewers with beer styles and brewing technologies through hands-on experience with brewing and tasting beer in a safe environment. It is a great choice for beer enthusiasts looking to pick up a new hobby or for those just starting who eventually want to go into the brewery business. No brewing experience is necessary—only a passion for all things beer, according to instructor Rob Jones.
Jones, who works full time as the network & exhibits system administrator at Tryon Palace, has been brewing for more than 25 years and considers it a passion. Even after all his years of dabbling, he continues to learn different methods and recipes and enjoys sharing them with his classes.
The weekly course outline includes the following topics: Introductions and Expectations; Grains, Hops and Extracts; Adjuncts and Yeast; Chemicals, Sanitation and Equipment; Fermentation; Planning a Brew Day; Brewing a Batch of Beer; Recipe Formulation; Bottling a Batch of Beer; All Grain Preparation Brewing; Mashing; and Sampling Beer and Graduation.
“In the fewest words, we go from ‘grain to glass,’” explained Jones. “Not only do we talk about how to do it, but we also brew at least two different styles of beer and get to taste the finished product. We also talk about ‘what is beer,’ meaning we break down what constitutes an Irish Red or American cream ale.”
For safety purposes, all classes at the college are following COVID-19 guidelines on social distancing and sanitation practices. Students must wear a mask when indoors or when maintaining a six-foot distance from others isn’t possible.
“On brewing days and packaging days, we require the students to wear long pants and no open-toe shoes,” added Jones. “We also break up the class into small groups or cells of two to three students so we can still be hands-on while maintaining proper social distance.”
By the end of the course, Jones said students can expect to have knowledge of the various styles of beer, how to identify the ingredients in a particular style of beer and, most importantly, how to safely brew and package beer. He plans to have a tasting at the end of the class, noting that a successfully brewed beer will indicate that his students understand the process. He hopes participants will walk away with sufficient knowledge to experiment and brew their own beer at home.
The class will meet every Thursday from Feb. 18 to April 29 from 6 to 8 p.m. Classes on March 4 and 25 will run an hour longer. The only requirements are that participants must be 21 at the time of registration, sign liability waiver release forms and be ready to have fun. For students looking to take their brewing to the next level, an Advanced Homebrewing course will be offered in July and October.
The class has a 15-student limit and the cost is $125, which includes the cost of the textbook. For more information or to register, contact Jeff Schulze at 252-638-5467 or schulzej@cravencc.edu.
This article was originally published in the New Bern Sun Journal on February 10, 2021.