Schoolcraft College's Brewing Program Produces First Batch of Beer

PLYMOUTH-CANTON, MI — What tastes better than an ice-cold beer? Perhaps one you brewed yourself.

The first beer to come from the Schoolcraft College's Production Brewery Lab was a Galaxy Pale Ale, which students in the brewing program completed on Sept. 20.

According to Schoolcraft, the course is part of the college's world-renowned Culinary Arts Department.

Brewing and Distillation is designed for students who are interested in pursuing a career in brewing, opening a brewpub or microbrewery, or expanding their brewing knowledge and practice in general.

Students work directly with brewing professionals, owners of breweries and brewpubs and distillers to learn about the science, operation, business, finishing, packaging and service of beer and distilled spirits.

Thomas Block, who worked as a master brewer at Block Brewing Co. in Howell, is the director of Brewing and Distillation Technology at the school.

Block told Hometown Life that some of the equipment in the school's brewery, located in the VisTaTech Center, is nicer than the equipment many breweries can afford. The school's brewery has advanced technology, like the reverse osmosis system that helps remove impurities from the water.

"We're able to shoot our water differently than in, say, Howell," Block said to Hometown Life. "We've got a lot of bells and whistles. We've got a lot of things other breweries can't afford."

Before the equipment was set up in the school's brewery, students used to travel to Block Brewing in Howell to learn how to brew there. Now that the equipment is set up, students can brew right on campus.

The first pre-production beer brewed in the college's brewery was a Kolsch. Take a look at the brewery here:

Block told Hometown Life that the beers students make are expected to be on tap at the American Harvest restaurant on the college's campus within the next few weeks. The goal is to have about five beers from the brewing program available at a time on tap in the restaurant inside the VisTaTech Center.

Block wants to begin bottling the beer the students make and sell them at the restaurant for customers to take home, hopefully by the end of the semester.

Schoolcraft College's computer graphics department is also joining the fun. They're working on a contest to design labels to put on the beer bottles.

"We're all super happy with it," Block told Hometown Life.

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