Some students at Lincoln University won't have to leave their lectures next year to get a beer.
The university is buying a nanobrewery for its campus to enable those studying for new qualifications in beer brewing and fermentation to design, craft - and taste - their own tipples as part of their course.
Head of the university's department of Wine, Food and Molecular Biology Associate Professor Stephen On says the nanobrewery - part of a $60,000 investment the university has put into establishing courses for a new degree and graduate diploma - is the same type used by craft breweries to develop and trial new beer styles.
Nanobreweries may have a very small capacity but, as On says, the university's nanobrewery will produce enough beer for "a pint or two at least" and enable graduates to develop new high-quality products.
The university also grows its own hops in a garden developed through an industry-led hop breeding and market development programme, Hapi Research.
He says the university is offering a three-year Bachelor of Science Major and a Graduate Diploma in both brewing and fermentation. The courses have been established to help meet a growing industry demand for people with skills in both areas.
"While it might sound flippant (brewing beer on campus), the qualifications are a first in New Zealand and is not something we've just done on a whim," says On.
"We've been liaising with craft brewers and the brewery guild (Brewers Guild of New Zealand) for some time and they have been telling us there is strong demand for more skilled and motivated staff so the new course is a logical development in our curriculum."
"We believe it is the most detailed and in-depth study offering on brewing and fermentation in New Zealand," he says. "We will cover not just beer brewing but fermentation for a wide range of other products including cheese, kombucha, cider, yogurt, kimchi and kefir."
The university is calling for applications now in preparation for the start of the academic year next February at its Christchurch campus.
On says both qualifications will cover the fundamentals of brewing chemistry, fermentative microbiology and sensory science so students will gain a substantial scientific grounding in the factors that influence the making of beer and other fermented products.
The bachelor's degree is designed for people looking to start their careers while the graduate diploma targets those wanting to expand their skills or move in a different direction.
The courses follow a New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) report which says the Kiwi brewing industry is now worth about $2.3 billion. It employs around 2500 people and there are 218 breweries throughout the country which, the report says, is more per capita than Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
On says craft brewing especially has expanded hugely in the last five to ten years and "is not going away anytime soon". There has also been tremendous growth in other products such as kombucha, cider and probiotics and he believes the return of tourists post the Covid-19 pandemic will help drive further demand along with an expected future rise in exports.
Students will also get practical experience by working alongside industry partners to develop a particular style of beer or fermented product. This will help give them experience of hands-on skills and the chance to learn production principles.
"We're just about to celebrate 25 years of educating winemakers at our centre for viticulture and oenology, so we have a lot of proven experience in fermented products," On says. "There are also elective courses available to help with the business development side of things, so we feel it is a very comprehensive offering.
"The brewers guild has been very encouraging of our efforts, as have a number of successful independent breweries in the (Canterbury) region," he says. "We are looking forward to working with them to ensure our qualifications deliver to their needs and that graduates have a solid network upon which to base their career choices."
The graduate diploma course is fees free (T&Cs apply), an offer available to domestic students only until the end of 2022.
For more information or to apply go to: lincoln.ac.nz