The Science of Beer

Wednesday, Sep 06, 2023 • Amber Scott :

When Dylan Parks, assistant professor of instruction in the Department of Biology and head of UTA’s new Brewing and Fermentation Science Certificate program, tells people he used to be a beer scientist, they usually get the wrong idea.

“They’re usually like, ‘Oh, that’s cool. You get to drink beer every day,’” he said. “Well, sure, but you have to drink it throughout the process, even before it’s fermented. Then, it’s just sugar water that doesn’t taste very good.”

That process of turning sugar and water into something you wouldn’t mind kicking back with at the end of a long day is one that still intrigues Parks, he said, noting that it’s a complex science rooted in the fundamentals of microbiology.

“It completely blew me away once I got in the brewing lab and saw how much went into making beer and making it good,” he says. “Not to be too dramatic, but this is something that people have been passionate about for thousands of years. It goes back to the very beginning of civilization.”

Now, it’s a process UTA students can learn hands-on with the new certificate program, which launches this fall. The four courses required for the certificate are:

• “The Science of Brewing”
• “Fermentation Science”
• “Brewing Lab”
• “Sensory Evaluation, QA/QC, and Product Design”

Upon completion of the courses, students will have gained foundational knowledge about the science of fermentation and brewing and accrued practical experience in a brew lab. In addition to course work, the certificate requires a 16-hour internship at a local fermentation or brewing facility.

Parks is excited about the possibilities for UTA students and the University as a whole.

“UTA is a hub for Dallas-Fort Worth, and this whole area is growing with microbreweries and craft breweries. They’re popping up everywhere,” he said. “One of the challenges people in the industry are facing is finding people who are well-qualified for this kind of exacting science. If we can produce students who are very good at it, not only will we be putting our graduates in the workforce, but building up our reputation as well.”

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