Craft Brewing

The Craft Brewing Certificate program at Madison College consists of three core classes that can be taken as part of the Craft Brewing certificate or as stand-alone classes that each earn a digital badge credential.

It covers the basics of brewing, teaches key scientific information and provides hands-on brewing experience and beer flavor evaluation under the supervision of an experienced brewer. It can also help you prepare for Cicerone and Beer Judge Certification.

You do not need to pursue a certificate to take any of these courses and you do not need to formally enter any program to earn this certificate. You will automatically earn the certificate if you complete these required courses with satisfactory grades within three years. Students must be over 21.

Required Courses

Required Courses

This course covers beer and brewing history, ingredients, styles and flavor evaluation with an emphasis placed on the comprehensive knowledge of classic beer styles and flavor attributes. It also teaches serving practices, touches on beer and food pairings and prepares students for the first level of Cicerone Certification.

This course covers the process of fermentation and biology of yeast and other organisms useful in the craft brewing industry. Students will study beer ingredients, adjuncts and malting processes, mashing and worts, hops flavoring and bittering, beer flavor compounds and beer maturation. Coursework also includes key industry sanitation procedures including COP (Clean Out of Place) and CIP (Clean In Place) and how to develop and maintain a sanitation plan.

Brewing Practicum Hands-on Brewing Production and Evaluation

This course covers the process of brewing, racking, kegging, bottling, tasting and evaluating beer. After receiving detailed instruction and demonstrations, students will work in groups to brew beer using home brewing equipment under the supervision of an experienced brewer. The class will then taste and evaluate their efforts. Students must have received a grade of Satisfactory in Brewing Science prior to taking this class and must have successfully completed or be concurrently enrolled in Beer and Serving Essentials.

Additional Training

Additional Training

The following courses are not part of the certificate but provide optional additional training.

Do you have a passion for beverages and want to start your own business? Whether it’s beer, wine, cider or another craft beverage, learn the ins and outs of starting and growing your business from successful local entrepreneur and president of Octopi Brewing, Isaac Showaki. This course will teach you what questions and answers you need to know before starting a beverage brewing business. You will learn how to write a quality beverage business plan, how to legally set up your company, what and where to apply for federal permits, how to approach investors or banks, financials projections, and other critical topics.

Registration

Use the course links above to locate an upcoming section and enroll online, or phone (608) 258-2301 menu option 2 for registration assistance.