Science of brewing being taught, researched by School of Food and Agriculture professors
Something’s brewing at the University of Maine.
Two professors in the School of Food and Agriculture at the University of Maine have been teaching about the science of brewing, and have been conducting research related to brewing.
For the past three years, Jason Bolton and Brian Perkins have taught a course they developed — FSN 121 Brewing with Food Science. This is such a popular course, enrollment has had to be capped at 80 students per semester. Several students who have taken the class are now working in the Maine brewing industry.
Bolton and Perkins also have a research brewery, complete with a pilot brewing system and a temperature-controlled fermentation system.
Currently, the researchers are completing a project in collaboration with Nexcelom Bioscience, using one of its high-tech instruments to follow Brettanomyces yeast cell growth and viability. Their findings will help inform the new Belgian-style “sour beer” frontier.
Perkins’ laboratory has an array of analytical instruments, most of which have been purchased through competitive grants from USDA and industry partnerships, to help grow the Maine food economy. This instrumentation has been used for numerous research projects, ranging from work with lobsters, sea urchins, apple cider, tomatoes, blueberries, potatoes, etc. And, for the past few years, beer and unique/novel mineral spirits.
UMaine has several research collaborations with Maine breweries, including Allagash, Orono and Black Bear Brewing.
UMaine graduate students involved in the research include Brian Martyniak, who is working in collaboration with Allagash on Brettanomyces yeast strains for fermenting sour beer. Graduate student Matt Hodgkin is beginning research on mycotoxin prevention in hard cider, which is becoming another important Maine product.
UMaine’s Highmoor Farm in Monmouth is conducting research to assess the viability of various hop varieties grown in Maine climate conditions. Perkins will help identify and quantify the individual alpha and beta acids produced by the hops.
The goals of all this research are to work with Maine food businesses, including breweries and other fermentation facilities, to help answer questions regarding the quality and safety of processes and products. In addition, incorporating coursework and research into UMaine graduate and undergraduate programs will help provide a highly educated workforce for Maine’s burgeoning brewing, fermentation and distilling industries.