![\"A](\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/53362179197_6846783d40_k-300x300.jpg\")
Jordan Aeschlimann \u201824, of Simsbury, dreams of owning her own brewery. She is studying fermentation science, an individualized major. The Introduction to Brewery Engineering course offered her the chance to expand her perspective.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy Dad has homebrewed for years and I helped him when I was growing up,\u2019\u2019 says Aeschlimann, who has also interned at a brewery on Cape Cod. \u201cI really enjoyed the opportunity\u00a0to ask so many\u00a0questions to experts to help further my knowledge and understanding of brewing and the industry.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
After trying the new beer on Tuesday night, Aeschlimann was pleased.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really good! There\u2019s a good amount of hops, but it isn\u2019t too bitter,\u2019\u2019 she says. \u201cI was nervous to try it, but I\u2019m happy with the way it came out. We nailed it, definitely!\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
UConn Brewing Innovation Initiative Begins<\/strong><\/p>\n While celebrating the success of the students, the event also kicked off a new initiative called UConn Brewing Innovation. The initiative unites the College of Engineering, The College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources, and the School of Business in a shared educational and service mission.<\/p>\n The organizers plan to expand academic courses in the brewing process, provide scholarships and mentorship to cultivate talent in the industry, conduct research that will serve local breweries and farms, and provide collaboration and outreach for the 130-member strong Connecticut craft-brewing industry.<\/p>\n \u201cUConn is perfectly positioned to launch an initiative to support the brewing industry with our expertise in agriculture, engineering and business,\u2019\u2019 says Jennifer Mathieu, executive director of the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at the School of Business. \u201cThis multidisciplinary hub can provide transformative experiences from \u2018farm to pint\u2019 serving both students and the community. It is an exciting opportunity.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018They\u2019ve All Learned a New Skill\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n For the past three years, engineering professor Jennifer Pascal, the associate department head in chemical and biomolecular engineering, has been offering a brewing course to allow senior chemical engineering students to apply their knowledge. They gained hands-on experience in brewing beer using homebrew scale equipment and kits.<\/p>\n This year, the capstone course expanded, by offering trips to Smokedown Hops Farm in Sharon, Thrall Family Malt in Windsor, and two visits at the Kinsmen Brewing to learn about processing and canning. Pascal says this has been a great experience both for those planning careers in craft brewing, and for those seeking other endeavors, because of the real-world skills they\u2019ve learned.<\/p>\n \u201cMany chemical engineers work in the food and beverage industry,\u2019\u2019 Pascal says. \u201cChemical engineers are \u2018process\u2019 engineers and brewing beer involves optimizing processes and ways to improve them, all relevant skills in an assortment of industries.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n In 2022, Pascal and Peter Menard, an avid homebrewer and director of technical services at the College of Engineering, submitted a proposal for an expanded program to Greenhouse Studios, a UConn educational think-tank. That\u2019s how they joined forces with Mathieu, who brings expertise in entrepreneurship. Together they began strategizing UConn Brewing Innovation.<\/p>\n College of Engineering Dean Kazem Kazerounian attended Tuesday\u2019s event and says he is delighted for the students.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat a senior design project; what a way to end your studies,\u2019\u2019 he said, joking that he feels his own capstone project, which involved smashing cans for recycling, didn\u2019t have the same appeal.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re committed to shaping new methodologies for chemical and biomolecular engineering research and curricula,\u2019\u2019 he says. \u201cUnder professor Pascal\u2019s leadership, faculty are developing next-generation technologies for a product people have enjoyed for centuries. This engineering discipline proves that innovation is always possible, even for something as tried-and-true as brewing.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018We Rely on and Help Each Other All the Time\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n Although Connecticut didn\u2019t invent craft brewing, most of the 130 breweries in the state are Connecticut originals, and the establishments support and encourage each other, says Bob Bartholomew, operations manager at Kinsmen.<\/p>\n \u201cWe rely on and help each other all the time,\u2019\u2019 he says. \u201cI\u2019m glad we have a relationship with UConn and can be part of its brewing program and share our knowledge about how to brew great beer.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n He says he appreciated the students, who asked probing questions about operational efficiency and why ingredients are added at certain stages. \u201cThey helped make the process better,\u2019\u2019 he says.<\/p>\n Mathieu says the UConn students and their supporters are deeply appreciative of the team at Kinsmen and hope to partner with them, and other breweries, in the future.<\/p>\n BrewConn is a limited-release beer. Any leftover supply will be canned or available in the Kinsmen tap room. Although UConn has offered signature beer at athletic events, this was the first student-created product to be sold publicly.<\/p>\n BrewConn Well Received by Patrons<\/strong><\/p>\n Tuesday night\u2019s event, hosted as part of the UConn Foundation\u2019s 1881 Series, was designed to engage alumni, and others in the industry, to generate partnerships and consider next-steps in developing UConn Brewing Innovation.<\/p>\n Alum William Kelsey \u201916, \u201919 (CANHR) says the beer tasted great, but he was equally impressed by the venture.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it is a cool idea and I like that UConn is innovating and allowing students to brew beer,\u2019\u2019 he says. \u201cI think it is fascinating.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n He was joined at the event by a table filled with friends and says the UConn Foundation\u2019s 1881 Series changed his tastes. \u201cWe weren\u2019t beer snobs until we came to these events!,\u2019\u2019 he says. \u201cI think the beer community will be very welcoming toward these students. UConn is such a strong name. If you say it is UConn-brewed beer, people will be interested in it.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n Andy Iverson \u201806, an assistant manager in UConn Dining Services, is a member of the UConn Brewing Innovation Advisory Board.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew BrewConn was going to be good, but I didn\u2019t expect it to be that<\/em> good!,\u2019\u2019 he said after sampling it. \u201cI\u2019ve traveled to many breweries, and I always felt that UConn was the Napa Valley of beer. These students nailed it! I think there\u2019s a huge interest in craft beer in New England and it hasn\u2019t slowed down. Wouldn\u2019t it be great if UConn was known for basketball, ice cream\u2014and beer?\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n CAHNR Dean Indrajeet Chaubey wouldn\u2019t object at all. Merging UConn\u2019s world-class education with agricultural research and innovation is the ultimate accomplishment.<\/p>\n \u201cInitiatives like UConn Brewing Innovation are at the heart of CAHNR\u2019s mission,\u2019\u2019 he says. \u201cAs the foundation of UConn\u2019s land grant and thanks to our expertise in plant science, agriculture, food science and health, we are committed to helping students and business grow together in this exciting industry.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n The initiative also appeals to UConn School of Business Dean John A. Elliott because it touches on entrepreneurship, innovation, and talent development, all touchstones of the business program.<\/p>\n \u201cConnecticut has a proud history of innovation, and this initiative is an opportunity for students to test their \u2018real world\u2019 knowledge and participate in the economic growth of our state,\u2019\u2019 he says. \u201cI predict a continuing success that will engage students from across the campus.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018It\u2019s Interesting How Beer\u2026 Brings People Together\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n Kanisha Desai \u201824 (ENG), of Rocky Hill, took the brewing engineering course because she wanted to learn more about brewing non-alcoholic beer. She wants to be able to help small breweries create non-alcoholic beer, whose popularity is expected to double by 2030.<\/p>\n Desai is applying to master\u2019s degree programs in pharmacy and biotech. She plans to pursue an MBA and eventually work as a process consultant.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like beer brewing is a great chance to see chemical engineering in a real-life, tangible industry and discover how ideas and production work on a big scale,\u2019\u2019 she says. \u201cHow many people can say they worked on a beer-brewing process in college?\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n She particularly enjoyed visiting the hops farm, run by the head of immunology at Yale.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s interesting how beer, of all things, brings people together\u2014doctors, engineers, brew masters,\u2019\u2019 she says. \u201cI think this collaboration is a great way to bring students into chemical engineering and offer them the experience to work in an industry they could pursue.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n For Aeschlimann the experience has been impactful.<\/p>\n \u201cI was able to learn more about Kinsmen\u2019s brewing process in detail and taste certain unique beers. Having interned at another brewery, it was interesting to see how different breweries run their operation,\u2019\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the appeal for me is the atmosphere at a craft brewery,\u2019\u2019 Aeschlimann \u00a0says. \u201cEach one has a unique vibe and atmosphere that makes them, well, them. Trying new brews appeals to many people. There is so much you can create now, using different flavor compounds. It\u2019s a science, but also an art.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cI definitely think this program was worthwhile. When I tell people about it, many have said if they\u2019d known about it, they would have joined,\u2019\u2019 she says. \u201cI think the program will draw people to UConn. I think having a UConn beer, particularly a student-brewed beer, will make people say, \u2018Wait! This is really cool.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWith the UConn name, it\u2019s a great way to get students more interested in the beer scene,\u2019\u2019 she says. \u201cI have friends who said, \u2018There\u2019s more beer than just Bud Light?\u2019\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/busn2023_11_03_BeerDay2-168-300x200.jpg\")
![\"Faculty](\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/busn2023_11_03_BeerDay2-272-300x200.jpg\")
![\"A](\"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/busn2023_11_03_BeerDay2-120-200x300.jpg\")