The second sold out Alltech Academy course held on January 20th was a huge success.
Watch this space for the announcement of the upcoming course in Dublin, Ireland this summer and for the next course to be held in Lexington!
Today and tomorrow’s marketplace presents a matrix of challenges that requires an expansion of knowledge, skills and practical experiences. Even for experienced professionals, there is still much to be learned and applied in order to add value to a business and stay competitive.
The Alltech Academy has been established with you in mind. Our team of distinguished faculty and experts understand the relevance of continuing education at the advanced stages of your career. We have a designed a curriculum that encompasses diverse topics, project management, field exposure and international networking, all tailored to your area of expertise and industry focus.
I look forward to welcoming you to a program of experiential education that delivers long term benefits and an unparalleled experience.
Best Regards,

Dr. Pearse Lyons
President
Alltech
Brewing and Distilling
There's more to a career in brewing and distilling than enjoying a good beer or whiskey. It is critical to have a healthy interest in science to understand the process involved in creating the perfect pint.
The Alltech Academy is an initiative dedicated to the education and training needs of brewers & distillers and those in related industries. We offer a program that provides tailored content addressing all technical aspects of brewing and distilling including business, management and communication fields, all core skills in building and differentiating your position in the market.
Our multi-week program is designed to give professionals an overall view of brewing and distilling and a hands on experience unlike any other in the industry. Courses are conducted by our team of experienced and knowledgeable instructors, who understand the industry and the importance of differentiated skill sets. The program will expose the science of alcohol through lectures, seminars, discussion groups on beverages and related topics together with brewery and laboratory on-site visits.
Candidates
The following are ideal candidates for the Alltech Academy:
- Brewmasters
- Plant operators
- Professionals in brewing and distilling
- Engineers
- Quality control professionals
- Researchers
- Packaging specialists
- Process / Project Engineers
- Yeast fermentation specialist
- Distributors
Register early for a discounted rate
Register online by December 20 to be eligible for a discounted rate of $950 USD. After December 20 the rate will be $1,200 USD.
Plan to arrive in Lexington, KY Sunday January 27 and the program ends at 5 PM on February 2nd.
Alltech will assist with hotel reservations at the Hilton Downtown Lexington at a discounted rate for attendees. You will be contacted upon your registration for accommodation arrangements.
Week of January 20
Location: Webinars with advisors
Introduction to the Alltech Academy - Brewing and Distilling Program - Assignment 1
Wednesday - Jan 20 - Assignment 2
Friday - Jan 25 - Review of Assignments 1 and 2
Week of January 27 - February 2
Location: Alltech’s International Training Center
List of Lectures
Brewing Raw Materials
- Understanding malting and hands on malting laboratory sessions
- Adjuncts
- Mashing technologies
- Water – treatment, characteristics and blending
- Wort boiling and hops; quality and fermentation basics
- Yeast – physiology, propagation, and nutrition
Stabilization ( Enzymes and stabilizers - their applicability)
- Spoilage
- How to make sure your filtration and stabilization processes are ideal for your product
- Bottling and packaging beer (how to circumvent the most common problems)
- Oxygen control in processing
Distilling
- Understanding malting for distilled products
- Other substrates
- Mashing technologies
- Mash quality and fermentation basics
- Yeast for distilling – physiology, propagation, and nutrition
- Enzymes and their use in distilled spirits production
- Distillation – batch and continuous - theory and practice
- Aging distilled beverages - how long is enough
- Chill filtration and stabilization for your product
- Proofing
- Water treatment, characteristics and blending
- Testing and Tasting whisky
Beer
- How to handle and maintain quality in draught beer systems
- Carbonation of beer and mixed gas technology
Whiskey
- Aging ( wood, peat )
- Blending
Cleaning
- Hygiene in the plant - avoidance of microbiological problems
- Cleaning and fouling of pipes and how to address
- Equipment and engineering – how to design for trouble free operation
- Engineering your liquid flow through pipes and pumps
- Heating and cooling of product
- Environmental issues, co products and waste treatment
Packaging
- Packaging – how to circumvent the most common problems
- Bottling
- Canning
- Kegging
- Barrels
How to troubleshoot problems in production
Quality systems
- Setting up a quality and recall system
- What laboratory tests are needed on malt, hops, yeast, wort, beer and distilled products - how best to accomplish these
- Crisis management
- Management information systems
- Legal and regulatory
All about product
- The beer and whiskey wheel – how to identify desirable notes
- How to serve product
- How to describe product
- How to use product ( drink preparation)
Project Management
- Preparation for highest impact
- Organizational (setting protocols, deadlines, clear objectives, targets, metrics)
- Presentation skills
How to market product
- Finance
- Sales Process
- Media 101
- Communication and customers (what, who, how)
- Customer relationship management
- Intergenerational engagement
- Public relations
- Social media
Self-analysis and strength assessment
Entrepreneurship (building a business plan and strategic planning )
Non-lecture learning
- Case studies, working in small groups, and focusing on practical technical brewing/distilling problems, business and marketing problems and recall/legal issues will be interspersed throughout the weeks as a learning tool.
- Students will spend time in the brewery, distillery and laboratory to master ‘hands on’ brewing and distilling basics.
- Tours will be organized to distilleries and other sites of interest throughout the course
- Sensory training on beer, whiskey and bourbon
Ken Lee, Kentucky Ale Brewmaster
Faculty for the technical component of the course consists of a number of university professors drawn from international brewing/distilling schools as well as experienced brewers and distillers to assist with the hands on training. Faculty for the business/marketing/entrepreneurship component of the course are drawn from business school professors, lawyers, marketing specialists and media experts.
Registration is Now Full for the Second Session.
Thank you for your interest in the Alltech Academy – Brewing and Distilling program.
Please check back soon for your opportunity to register for the next session.