The new Art, Science and History of Beer class at the
University
of Georgia is becoming more and more popular among students,
especially
those majoring in food science.

The one-hour course was created to entice undergraduate
students
into food science. And that’s exactly what it’s doing.

Introducing Food Science Through Beer

Offered by the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences, the class introduces students to food science by taking
a close look at the beer-making process.

“Students are not only introduced to food science in my
class. They are also introduced to other aspects of agriculture,
including agronomy,” said Brian Nummer, the course
instructor.
“We look at all of the crops grown to make beer and the
diseases
farmers fight when growing these crops.”

Nummer said agriculture is a major part of the class, but it
introduces students to much more.

“This class gives the students the whole picture,”
he said. “We cover biochemistry, microbiology, agronomy,
product packaging, marketing and advertising.”

Teaching from Experience

Nummer runs the Athens Brew Pub in downtown Athens, Ga. He
first became interested in becoming a brewer when he was a
college
student taking food science courses.

“Fermentations really interested me from day one,”
he said. “Now I’m an expert in beer, for lack of a better
word. But I’m also an expert in other fermented
products.”

The Class Covers History Too

The beer class includes a little history, too.

“When you start talking about fermented products, you’re
talking about world history,” Nummer said. “Most of
these products have been around more than 20,000 years.”

It all started, he said, “when an ancestor of ours left
a few grains of barley to soften in the rain. The grains were
perhaps left out a little too long. Not wanting to waste
anything,
they ate and drank the mixture.”

Popular Among Students

The class was first introduced in the fall of 1998 with an
enrollment of 35 students. The Fall ’99 enrollment was 150 and
was limited only by the number of seats in the room.

“Obviously, the students are curious about the class
because
of the name and the fact that we discuss beer,” Nummer said.
“My goals for the class are to change students’ and their
parents’ perceptions of food science and to educate students on
beer so they can make their own choices.”

Nummer says the class does not include consuming beer or
advocating
drinking any alcoholic beverages.

“We don’t do any tasting,” he said. “In fact,
some of the students are below the legal drinking age. I never
advocate drinking. I assume most of the students like beer, but
I don’t encourage them to try it.”

Ethics and Responsibility

Along these lines, the class includes a section on ethics.

“I believe an informed consumer should weigh the facts
before making their own choices,” said Nummer. “MADD
(Mothers Against Drunk Drivers) sometimes implies that all
drinking
is destructive. But some studies show that moderate alcohol
consumption
can have health benefits.”

He feels the students should be educated first and then be
allowed to choose the route they will take. “In fact,
quality
over quantity is the basis of brew pubs,” he said.

Nummer said he has heard no negative comments about the class
and knows it has sparked several students’ interest in food
science.
“No one has told me that it’s an improper course,” he
said.

Creating More Food Science
Majors

And the Art, Science and History of Beer class is serving its
purpose of attracting students to food science.

“I know that a handful of students last semester were
very interested in changing their majors to food science,”
he said. “I tell my students that food is the biggest
business
in the world, and it’s recession-proof. After all, everybody’s
got to eat.”