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A beer brewing class fulfilling more than thirst

For students at ÃÛѨÊÓƵ, studying chemistry doesn’t always mean memorizing the periodic table. Sometimes, it means standing over a boiling kettle of hops and barley, working in teams to craft a custom batch of beer.

is a hands-on lab that blends science, creativity and Oregon’s world-famous craft brewing culture. It even fulfills a Creative Studies requirement of the ÃÛѨÊÓƵ Curriculum.

Kami Echiverri ’25 from Kahalui, Hawaii, and Rocco Velie ’26 from Kingston, Washington, are both exercise science majors who signed up for the class as a fun — and flavorful — way to round out their spring semester.

“This class is basically the ‘cool uncle’ of chemistry classes here,” Rocco said. “I'm taking this class because, originally, I needed an upper-division Creative Studies credit, but it's pretty much been the best class I've taken.”

A creative twist on a liberal arts education

, the university’s general education program, is designed to help students explore a range of disciplines outside their major. From arts and humanities to natural sciences and global issues, the ÃÛѨÊÓƵ Curriculum gives students a broad-based education that encourages critical thinking, adaptability and real-world problem solving.

The ÃÛѨÊÓƵ Curriculum offers a range of courses to fulfill different themes. Some other popular courses include The American Graphic Novel, The Geography of Wine, Great Political Thinkers and a physics course called How Things Work.

From lecture to lager

The Art and Science of Brewing starts with science. Students learn the building blocks of brewing — how water chemistry, enzymes, yeast and temperature all interact during the fermentation process. Some days involve group problem-solving or chemistry worksheets. Other days, they are outside with MegaPot brew kettles.

Out in the quad or in the lab, students take turns managing each stage of the process: mashing, boiling, adding hops, cooling and sanitizing equipment.

“The longer the hops are in the boil, the more bitter the beer is, which is a hallmark in beers like IPAs,” Rocco said. “If you've ever made a bitter beer face, that's why.”

Even small changes in timing or ingredients can drastically alter flavor. Here lies the art.

“Our first brew, each group added the hops at different times” Kami said. “We all had the same type of hops, but the aroma and bitterness differentiated across all seven groups.”

Tasting their work

By the end of the course, students bottle and taste their final creations. The first round earned rave reviews.

“We've only finished one beer so far, but that beer was pretty good,” Rocco said. “I brought some home to my dad and friends, and one of them said they would expect to find something like it on a store shelf.”

Now onto round two — with more experience and ambition.

Brewing collaboration

Like any lab, brewing takes teamwork. Kami and Rocco work with two other students, where everyone has their own tasks.

“Let me just say we have the best group,” Kami said. “Rocco oversees the boiling process. The rest of us do the sanitizing, which takes a lot of time. And when it comes time to bottle the beer, we all rotate jobs.”

Whether students are science majors or not, the class makes chemistry feel real — and shows how collaboration is key to brewing up both beer and new ideas.

Where liberal arts meet local culture

Oregon is home to more than 300 craft breweries, and McMinnville (home to ÃÛѨÊÓƵ) is located right in the heart of wine and beer country. The brewing class is a natural fit for the university’s place-based learning model — and a creative way to fulfill the Creative Studies requirement in the ÃÛѨÊÓƵ Curriculum.

“I highly recommend that anyone with even a vague interest in brewing or beer tries it out,” Rocco said. “And come on, I know those people are out there; we're in college.”