Fermentation is the conversion of sugars into alcohol. In the spirits business, alcohol is synonymous with money, which means the success of your finished product will rely on the efficiency of your fermentation process. This course shows students how to perfect that process, covering a variety of key fermentation considerations and best practices.

Take your product to the next level with this in-depth examination of the fermentation process with one of the country’s leading specialists, Dr. Pat Heist of Wilderness Trail Distillery and Ferm Solutions.

In this course, we’ll explore everything from the microbiology and cultivation of yeast, to the stages of its life cycle, paying special attention to how different variables affect the quality and consistency of fermentation in spirits production. Students will leave this course with an extensive understanding of the fermentation process, including how to obtain the optimal yield from every set and how to appropriately address any fermentation challenges that arise.

For more information, visit the course page.

EARLY BIRD SPECIAL – Register early and your stay at the Brown Hotel is included with tuition. Check the Moonshine University website for details.

Structure

Day 1:

• Fermentation overview
• Feedstock (sources of sugar) and associated factors
• Milling and how it relates to fermentation
• Cooking and conversion
• Sweet mash versus sour mash
• Saccharification
• Microbiology of yeast and methods for propagation
• Fermentation ingredients and limiting factors
• Biochemistry of fermentation (how yeast makes ethanol)
• Monitoring fermentation (testing methods)
• Equipment
• Sanitation

Day 2:

• Cultivation and consistency of yeast
• Outside variables effecting the fermentation
• Bacterial fermentation
• Infections of fermentation
• Troubleshooting the fermentation
• Lab specs and micro of the fermentation

Learning Outcomes

• Observation of the three stages of the yeast cycle (respiration, fermentation, sedimentation)
• Pitch their own fermentation to observe later during the course
• Observing and lab specs on a known fermentation started previous to course
• Yeast counting, viability and budding observations
• Troubleshooting/diagnosing known contaminated fermentations

“If you have too much sugars left over after fermentation, it’s like payin’ too much for breakfast: You got ripped off.” -Dr. Pat Heist, Chief Scientific Officer at Ferm Solutions, Wilderness Trail Distillery, Esteemed Faculty Member at Moonshine University, Bio-Chem Humorist and Speaker of Truths

Tuition: $1,995 USD

Still Have Questions? Ready to Get Started?

Contact: Christin Head | 502-305-8596
Email: Registrar@MoonshineUniversity.com

 View all Moonshine University Courses here.