New brewing course

[Glynn Foster]

From the media release -

Massey University will host New Zealand’s first residential short course in craft brewing at its Palmerston North campus in November. The University of Ballarat’s Dr Peter Aldred and Dr Frank Vriesekoop will run the course.

Announced at the BrewNZ Business Session in Wellington this afternoon, the Head of the Institute of Food, Nutrition and Human Health at Massey University, Professor Richard Archer, says “ever since we opened the microbrewery in April last year, and started using it in our degree courses in engineering and food technology, we have had craft brewers clamouring for a course for them. The Brewers Guild of New Zealand has been particularly keen that we mount a good short course. This is it!”

Anyone know more about it by any chance? The media release is pretty short on details, and didn't find anything on massey's website.

[Chris Banks]

I had heard rumours about it but thats it. Like you say nothing on Masseys website or anywhere else that Ive seen
Needless to say I will be watching this thread like a hawk!!!! (and will update if I see anything)

[Nick T]

I have just called Massey, the course has 16 slots available all up, 2 already taken. Runs 6 -11 November. Now the hard bit: Enrolment is $2250, accomodation is $350. They are emailing me a brochure, I will upload it when it arrives.

Hmm, do you spend $2250 on invaluable brewing knowledge, or do you buy the Beerbelly super-duper MLT and other nice brewing gear, plus a shipload of hops etc etc?.....

[Matthew]

Had a quick chat to a lady at the Massey stand at Beervana. Sounds like a really good intensive course but to be honest $2500 is shedload of equipment and ingredients I'd rather pay for given my aspirations is for homebrewing only. If I wanted to brew commercially or make a career out of brewing then the $$ is a definite investment I would be happy to make.

[Nick T]

Here is the brochure

[James P]

I guess that's not a bad price, however I would prefer to ask a craftbrewer of my choice to spend a day with them in the brew house. I think they can impart a fountain of knowledge to a home brewer (as Wigram has for me many times now!).

[Dale]

Is Coopie still at Wigram James? He was awesome when he was brewing for Harringtons in Nelson great help.

[James P]

I was last there about 6 weeks ago and Coops was still there! He's opening about everything and happy to give pointers, yeast etc as needed, which blew me away!

[Dale]

Yeah great guy and it all started from his home brewing. I did a brew day with him 6 odd years ago at Harringtons and he was open as and same gave me yeast and everything. Great guy!!!!

Only wish now that I didn't have the 6 years break before getting back into brewing now having to go through the learning curve again.

[Glynn Foster]

I agree with James. From the rumours before Beervana I was seriously excited by this - then I looked at the schedule and wondered what I'd actually get out of it, and then I saw it was in Palmy (sorry to the folks in Palmy). While I'm sure it's a good investment for those wanting to do commercial brewing, I think I'd find it hard to justify right now. I'd much rather put some effort into organizing a SOBA homebrew weekend, with club night on Friday, and 2 days of presentations/sessions brewing or something.

[vdog]

I'm with James and SteepingHops on this - that's a whole lotta malty hoppy goodness for that amount of cash, which would pay for an awful lot of experimentation on my own gear. I'm pretty sure by reading more, and spending time experimenting, I'd get just as much value from that money in my own brewery as I would do on a course.

[Mike Neilson]

Heres my thinking, Stuff the course find your local craftbrewer theres allways 1 within and hour. Ask him or Her if you can assit brew with him for 1 week free of charge, you might be scrapping out mash tuns and cleaning kettles but that all experience, and see what he or she says? All you would lose it 1 weeks wages or 1 week of your 4 weeks anual leave to brewery education? and I doubt too many people on here would be earning the price per week that Massey are going to charge. If he says no say you will give him $1000 cash in his pocket I doubt there would be to many brewers out there who would say no. And they probably deserve that cash after all the questions and brain damage you will give them after the week. And your about $1500 heavyer in the pocket, have brewery experience and probaly learnt more than that coarse. Just my 2 cents? I could be wrong. Any brewers out there willing to offer?

[denimglen]

Shit I did a whole year at AUT for a pinch over $4k.

Agree with the comments on doing a few days at your local micro.