OnTap Magazine

I n brewing, it is easy to be fooled into believing great beer is a result of passion and inspiration alone. While being dedicated, creative and passionate is vital, without the foundation of a sound understanding of the science and best practice, they are unlikely to provide sustained success. One of the main problems as you develop as a brewer is that you don’t know what you don’t know , often until there’s a problem with a brew. There is no substitute for getting your hands dirty and developing some bitter (and maybe sour) experience, but if you want to be a good brewer you need to develop your knowledge of the principles that underpin the process. Taking the correct path when developing a beer/process or solving a problem requires the ability to reject ideas or causes that have no merit. With an understanding of brewing science and best practice, we are a great deal more equipped to do this. Take for example an intermittent but persistent micro problem exclusively with keg beer. A brewer with a sound knowledge of the mechanics of biofilms, the principles of hygienic design, effective CIP and micro- sampling regimes would probably find and remedy the problem in days (or not have the problem in the first place). A brewer without the required knowledge could take so long that it costs them their business or job. Another problem we face as we seek to develop is where to get our knowledge and information. There is some helpful information on the internet but also a mine of brewing hogwash and advice from experts who are anything but. Books written by unqualified enthusiasts contain some sound information but many mix myths and opinions with facts without discriminating between each. How can you know which is which if you are reading the book to learn about brewing? FROM LOCAL CLUB TO GLOBAL CHARITY Let’s go back in the annals of time to London, England in 1886. A group of brewers, maltsters and scientists met for the first time and formed the Laboratory Club. Their aim was to share knowledge and improve our understanding of the brewing process and hence the quality of beer. What has this got to do with your development as a brewing professional or enthusiast? The Laboratory Club went on to become the Institute of Brewing, that then went on to become the Institute of Brewing and Distilling (IBD). The IBD is a charity based in London, England, with sections across the globe. Its charitable purpose is to provide brewers and distillers with world-class education through its educational products and an excellent network for career development through membership. The IBD currently has over 3000 members worldwide (over 200 in Africa), and last year nearly 5000 brewers and distillers (over 100 in Africa) studied with them. Like the Laboratory Club back in 1886, the knowledge and centuries of experience of IBD members ensures that their learning products and qualifications reflect current science and best practice. The IBD provides a learning pathway of brewing qualifications to take you from complete novice up to the MBA of brewing. All but one of the qualifications are supported by dedicated online learning material and all exams are exclusively online. This means that you can study while you work at a time convenient to you, although exams are scheduled once or twice a year. ON-DEMAND AND SHORT COURSES In addition to the above, on the website you will find a short, on-demand course called the Essentials in Brewing. This is designed for people with no knowledge of beer or brewing and introduces the very basics of beer and the brewing process. There is also a steadily increasing range of continuing professional development courses. These courses are designed for practicing brewers from all sizes of brewery and provide in- depth scientific and technical knowledge on specific elements of the modern brewer’s role. Currently available are Beer Recipe Development, Beer Sensory Analysis and No and Low Alcohol Beer Production. Following in their footsteps next year will be, Dry Hopping and Beer Filtration. The short courses are assessed as you progress so there is no exam at the end and you receive a certificate of completion. These courses cost between R2057 and R2262 per course. COST CONSIDERATION We are aware that the costs for some of the IBD qualifications can seem high, however, the Diploma offered is frequently more advantageous than a university degree when looking to secure a good job in brewing, and so one would need to consider that in terms of cost. Furthermore, in the past one needed to be an IBD member in order to take the exams, and this is no longer the case. Also, each year a number of candidates for IBD qualifications are supported by scholarships. These scholarships cover the fees for the course and on occasion the cost of tutoring. For more details, please go to the Financial Support section on the website, under IBD Qualifications. REGISTRATION TIMELINE Registration for Diploma-level qualifications is open from October to March, with the exams for the three modules to be held in June. Foundation and General Certificate registration runs from October to January and April to July, with exams held twice a year in March and October. At the end of the day, any investment in your brewing education is an investment in your effectiveness as a brewer and your future success. The question you need to ask yourself is: how good do you want to get? For more details on all of the above, go to: https://www.ibd.org.uk Win a self-study online IBD course valued at R2250! For a chance towin, please send via email the following details to stuart.howe@ibd.org.uk Name: Brewery Name: Brewery location: Preferred course: Why you want to complete this course in 250 words or less. Would you be prepared to assist in a course review for a later issue? Please note: your email address will only be used to contact you after the competition closes and will not be used for marketing purposes or shared with other parties. 1 2 3 ontapmag.co.za | Summer 2023 | 25