Course Outline

Next course: 1 to 12 September 2025

“Beer Brewing in Practice”  is a ten-day full time training course

"Beer Brewing in Practice” is a ten-day full-time course that provides up-to-date knowledge of brewing.It covers the fundamentals of brewing in theory and practice. Lectures by experienced brewing experts cover topics such as raw materials (water, malt, hops and yeast), the brewing process, yeast management, fermentation, hygiene, sensory evaluation, the basics of quality control and the economic and legal aspects of setting up a brewery. The course is rounded off with a visit to a microbrewery in Berlin.

The course is taught in English. You can expect an intensive and individual training with maximum benefit. Starting with a practical brewing session on the first day, participants will follow a brew from start to finish with practical quality control.

Due to the high share of practical training lessons in our brewery and labs, the number of participants is limited.

Target group: 
This basic course is designed for people who want to deepen their knowledge of beer brewing under professional guidance. To get the most out of this course, a basic knowledge of beer production is helpful. For absolute beginners we recommend our course “Brewing in a Nutshell –  Online” as preparation.

The following topics will be covered:

    Basics of brewing Technology (lectures and practical work):

• Practical work in our pilot brewery 
• Brewhouse, wort treatment
• Brew control / hosing / maturation
• Fermentation and maturation 
• Utilities (steam, CO2, equipment)
• Plant equipment
• Special beer, types and production
• Alcohol-free beer
• Beer stability
• Beer filling and dispensing
  
  Basics of quality control (lectures and practical work): 
• Beer quality
• Malt quality
• Beer filtration
• Sensory evaluation, off-flavors
  
  Raw materials (lectures):
• Malt and special malt
• Hops and hop products, introduction
• Hop seminar 
• Yeast management
• Brewing water
  
  Commercial basics for start-ups (lectures):
• Business plan
• Economic aspects
  
  Microbrewery tour

Schedule subject to minor changes.

What can you expect?

• A compact course with a lot of relevant knowledge about beer brewing
• The production and monitoring of a brew throughout the entire brewing process
• A state-of-the-art learning environment
• Knowledge exchange and discussions with our senior brewing experts and with the international participants
• A well-balanced level of work and fun to support your learning success!
   

What does this course not offer?

• A hobby brewing course with unstructured experimentation and learning-by-doing
• Specialized knowledge in individual sub-areas of beer brewing
• A full training to become a brewmaster
• Boredom…

In-person Course in Berlin

The lectures will be held at VLB Berlin. Our institute is located in the heart of Berlin – the German capital. In addition to our training programme, Berlin is also a top-destination for sight-seeing and extra-curricular activities.

Attendance Fee & Accommodation

The fee for this ten-day course is 2,400 Euro plus VAT, including all course materials.
Your accommodation in Berlin has to be booked separately. Depending on your requirements we can send links for accommodation in different categories.
A non-refundable deposit of 500 Euro is due at the time of acceptance to the programme. The total balance is due in 2025 at the latest. The fee may be paid by bank transfer or credit card. The number of participants is limited. Reserve your place by registering in time!

Next course
1 to 12 September 2025

Our Brewing Plant

Microbiological training lab

Foyer / Entry hall