Spring Break
OSU's got a hop on fermentation
University's rare fermentation science program will host
Nick Vardanega
Issue date: 8/8/07 Section: News
They will also tour the fermentation facilities and the hops farm.
Speakers will be from brewing companies and research institutes from both the United States and Europe.
Paul Hughes from Herriot-Watt University in Scotland, Dietmar Kaltmer from Germany and among others will speak tomorrow. Shellhammer said that Kaltmer, "wrote the hops Bible."
"On the beer side this is the first time that OSU has this sort of international focus," said Shellhammer, who has been with the program since 2001 and serves as a liaison between the university and the beer industry. Shellhammer also helped organize the conference.
"It's spectacular, I think it's a real tribute to what Tom [Shellhammer] has done with the program," said Jeff Clawson, the manager of the Pilot Plant who has been there since the program began in 1996.
"We've always served the local brewing industry ... but once Tom got here we really started working with the larger breweries and really bringing more exposure to the program and OSU."
The fermentation science program was started at OSU in 1996 with an endowment from Jim Bernau - president of Willamette Valley Vineyards as well as CEO of the Nor'Wester Brewing Company - to fund OSU's brewhouse and create a professorship dedicated to fermentation science.
"The brewing industry really kicked off in Oregon in the early 80s," Shellhammer said. "Right about the time it was peaking we got approached by Jim Bernau ... he saw a need for an educated workforce for both his winery and his brewery and he approached us and asked what it would take."
The brewhouse is strictly for research purposes, meaning none of the beer brewed there is sold or distributed anywhere else. And the beer is poured down the drain as soon as research on it is finished.
"It doesn't go home with students," Shellhammer said.
Research is done in a variety of ways. Sometimes ordinary consumers are brought in to taste test the beer, but more typically they use people who are highly trained in areas like hops flavor or aroma to sample and describe it.
Speakers will be from brewing companies and research institutes from both the United States and Europe.
Paul Hughes from Herriot-Watt University in Scotland, Dietmar Kaltmer from Germany and among others will speak tomorrow. Shellhammer said that Kaltmer, "wrote the hops Bible."
"On the beer side this is the first time that OSU has this sort of international focus," said Shellhammer, who has been with the program since 2001 and serves as a liaison between the university and the beer industry. Shellhammer also helped organize the conference.
"It's spectacular, I think it's a real tribute to what Tom [Shellhammer] has done with the program," said Jeff Clawson, the manager of the Pilot Plant who has been there since the program began in 1996.
"We've always served the local brewing industry ... but once Tom got here we really started working with the larger breweries and really bringing more exposure to the program and OSU."
The fermentation science program was started at OSU in 1996 with an endowment from Jim Bernau - president of Willamette Valley Vineyards as well as CEO of the Nor'Wester Brewing Company - to fund OSU's brewhouse and create a professorship dedicated to fermentation science.
"The brewing industry really kicked off in Oregon in the early 80s," Shellhammer said. "Right about the time it was peaking we got approached by Jim Bernau ... he saw a need for an educated workforce for both his winery and his brewery and he approached us and asked what it would take."
The brewhouse is strictly for research purposes, meaning none of the beer brewed there is sold or distributed anywhere else. And the beer is poured down the drain as soon as research on it is finished.
"It doesn't go home with students," Shellhammer said.
Research is done in a variety of ways. Sometimes ordinary consumers are brought in to taste test the beer, but more typically they use people who are highly trained in areas like hops flavor or aroma to sample and describe it.
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