WYOMISSING, Pa. — Ten new Penn State Berks craft brewing certificate program students will graduate as the first cohort in December 2023 following completion of their final Brew Practicum course. The students will host a tasting of their new brew from 2 to 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16, at Broken Goblet Brewing in Bensalem. 

The students’ brew is named “Land Grant” beer – a land beer, meaning it’s made with locally grown and harvested ingredients. It was brewed at Broken Goblet Brewing, which is co-owned by Program Coordinator Jeremy Myers, on Nov. 10. Land Grant beer includes barley from Double Eagle Malt and Hops from Fawn Hill Hop Yard.  

“Brewing the ‘Land Grant’ land beer involved a unique approach. The wort (liquid extracted from the mashing process during brewing) was transferred to an open fermenter, allowing the yeast to express its characteristics more fully. After the initial fermentation, the beer was transferred to a conical fermenter for completion. This process allowed the yeast to be more expressive,” said Brian Mills, a student in the brewing certificate program.  

In early Dec. 1, students tested their beers’ alcohol levels and finalized their can labels. Students will package their Land Grant beer and introduce it to the public during a special tasting event on Saturday, Dec. 16 at Broken Goblet Brewing, located at 2500 State Road, Unit D, Bensalem Township. 

The new craft brewing certificate program is designed for students with some brewing experience. It includes eight remote courses where students will meet weekly with their instructor via Zoom to discuss course content, ask questions and engage in discussions.  

Courses include "Beer: Past, Present, and Future; Introduction to Beer Production," a course focused on the four major ingredients of beer — water, yeast, hops, and malt; and two capstone courses on the business of brewing beer. There are also course field trips to breweries, malt house tours and hops farm visits for hands-on learning experiences. 

The program was made possible by the PA Specialty Crop Block Grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, which was awarded in July 2021 to allow the college to develop a craft brewing certificate program utilizing Pennsylvania specialty grains. 

For more information, visit the Penn State Craft Brewing website or contact Erica Kunkel at els5014@psu.edu.