Brewery Technician, CTS

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The Brewery Technician Certificate program is designed for students wishing to enter the brewing industry as a Brewery Operator in packaging, cellaring, and/or wort production. It exposes students to commercial equipment and best practices in safety and hygiene, beer production from grain to glass, mainstream beer styles and sensory evaluation, quality assurance techniques, and biology coursework. Students perform brewing lab work at the campus brewery, featuring a custom 4-barrel brewing system and pilot equipment. All coursework in the Brewery Technician CTS program is pre-requisite coursework for the Brewing Science and Brewery Operations AAS degree program. Upon successful completion of the Brewery Technician CTS, students will be able to

Describe the overall process of beer production;
Perform Clean In Place (CIP) operations on cellar and brewing equipment;
Understand operating principles for basic packaging machinery;
Follow Standard Operating Procedures for wort production and cellar operations;
Describe yeast biology and fermentation; and
Work safely and hygienically in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.

Required Courses

Fall Semester

BIOB 160NL - Principles of Living Systems Credit(s): 4
BREW 101 - Brewing Methods I Credit(s): 5 *
BREW 131 - Beer Styles and Sensory Evaluation I Credit(s): 1 *
BREW 149 - Beer Packaging and Draught Technology Credit(s): 2 *
BREW 151 - Cellar Operations Credit(s): 3 *

First Semester Total: 15

Spring Semester

BIOM 208 - Applied Brewing Microbiology Credit(s): 3 *
BREW 132 - Beer Styles and Sensory Evaluation II Credit(s): 1 *
BREW 150 - Brewhouse Processes Credit(s): 4 *
BREW 199 - Capstone I: Brewing Operations Credit(s): 5 *
BREW 222 - Safety and Sustainability in Brewing Credit(s): 1 *

Second Semester Total: 14

Total Credits: 29

Program Information

A grade of “C” or better in all courses is required for graduation eligibility.

Admission Guidelines and Application Deadline

Due to limited classroom and lab availability, this degree requires an admissions process. Application deadline is August 1.
Students must be 21 years of age to start the program.

Additional Costs

Program costs in addition to tuition, books and lab fees, are estimated at $1,000. Scholarships are available.

Opportunities after graduation

This degree prepares students for entry-level brewing industry positions.
This degree serves as a pre-requisite for the AAS Brewing Science and Brewery Operations program at FVCC.

Advising Information:

For more information about this program, contact the FVCC Student Support Center or the Program Advisor.

Student Support Center Advisor	Program Advisor
Russ Lamson	Joe Byers
LRC 129	RH 118
(406) 756-3885	(406) 756-4359
rlamson@fvcc.edu	jbyers@fvcc.edu