Craven CC to host ‘Introduction to Home Brewing’ class

Craven Community CollegeCraven Community College’s (Craven CC) New Bern Campus will host a new class, Introduction to Home Brewing, every Tuesday from 6-9 p.m., Jan. 15 through April 2. The course is designed for entry-level home brewers with little or no experience and will familiarize students with beer styles, expose them to various brewing technologies and provide hands-on experience with beer brewing and tasting in a safe environment.

The class is a collaboration between Craven CC’s Workforce Development department and Brütopia Brewing Company, a craft brew house and homebrew supply store in James City. Tim Dryden, a co-owner of Brütopia, will be co-instructing with Rob Jones. Jones, who has been brewing for 25 years, said this class is for anyone who has the desire to learn about beer and how it’s made.

“Ideally, those that complete the class will be able to get their first brew kit and know exactly what to do with it and make great tasting beer,” said Jones. “The students will get in 12 weeks what took me 25 years to gain.”

A new aspect of home brewing will be explored during each of the 12-week sessions. Classes will cover topics such as chemicals, sanitation and equipment; fermentation; recipe formulation; brewing and bottling; grain preparation; mashing; and sampling.

“We want to provide a well-structured curriculum for those interested in exploring home brewing,” said Jeff Schulze, Craven CC workforce development coordinator. “And who knows—a student in this class could be the next one to open up a microbrew business in Craven County.”

The class has a 15-student limit and the cost is $180, which includes the supply fee. For more information or to register, contact Jeff Schulze at 252-638-5467.

Submitted by: Craig Ramey, Director of Communications, Craven Community College