Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) brewing students are busy stirring up never before tried recipes for the public to enjoy.
It’s part of the Signature Beer Series where second-year brewing students take the culmination of calculations, skills and brewing experience they’ve learned and put it together into one recipe.
There are six beers in the series. Students Brennan Mojica and Jacob Black are the first team releasing their signature beer “Knotty Bee.”
“Knotty Bee is a nitro Milk Stout with a lower ABV and some roasted malts in there that gives a nice milk chocolate flavor and a little bit of sweetness at the end,” says Mojica.
Mojica and Black started their brew day with the mashing process where they mix the malt with warm water to make a sweet wort which is the liquid extracted from the mashing process during the brewing of beer.
“We’re using the nitro process, which adds a nice, thick, creamy mouthfeel to the beer,” says Mojica.
During this stage they are boiling the hops and rapidly cooling the mixture. It then transfers to the fermentation vessel where it sits for two weeks before they move to canning the beer.
This is a typical day for KPU brewing students. They start their morning with instructors at 9 a.m., then move into hands-on work in the brew lab, learning the proper techniques and formulas they need to create their own recipes.
KPU’s Diploma in Brewing and Brewery Operations is a two-year program in which students learn the science, production and business of brewing craft beer. KPU also offers a one-year certificate option for those looking to complete a shorter term of study.
The student Signature Series beers will be available for purchase starting on Feb. 6 to Mar. 20, from 1-6 pm on Fridays at the KPU Brew Lab. The first beer will be the Knotty Bee on Feb. 6 with other beers to follow.
The beers will also be for sale at Everything Wine in Langley on Apr. 9 from 1:00 to 3:30 pm. As well as two tap takeover events at The Barley Merchant Langley on Mar. 12 and Apr. 9.