UH Course Teaches Students How to Brew Beer

HOUSTON - Beer and college seem to go hand in hand, but some University of Houston students are taking it to another level.

Tuition-paying parents, listen up! They're actually getting school credit for brewing on campus.

The course is part of the school's Beverage Management Program, which is now offered as a "minor" for students of all majors.

In lab inside the Hilton Hotel, 24 students grouped into teams of four and started the 6-week brewing process.

"Right now we're waiting for water to boil," said Dr. Glenn Cordua, director of the school's Wine and Spirits Management Institute, as the students tried to get their water to 155 degrees.

Next step? Steeping grains, which is how they convert starch into sugar. As Jervonni Henderson, a senior, watched his pot boil, he talked about his "homework."

"Me and my group members, we got together one night," said Henderson. "(We) basically hung out at the bar to make sure this was a common beer we all wanted to experience."

There's a lot more to this class than just taste testing and brewing. Most of the learning takes place in a regular classroom.

"We've done everything from (learning) the history, the chemistry, the mechanics of making beer. And now we're actually in here making beer," said Matthew Wheeler, a senior political science major. "Politics and liquor go hand in hand."

Once the 30 minute steeping process is complete, the teams use a kaleidoscope-type device to measure the sugar content. If all is well, the next step is called "sparging," or washing the wort from the grains.

"The idea being that the more you know about the product, the better the story that you can use to sell to hotels, restaurants and supermarkets," said Cordua, who also co-founded and operates the Churrascos, Americas and Amazon Grill Family of Restaurants in Houston.