Brewers Association Launches Online Course on Ingredients

Written By Kaylyn Kirkpatrick , Director of Education

Director of Education

Kaylyn Kirkpatrick is the director of education for the Brewers Association where she works diligently to ensure members are equipped with the educational resources they need to thrive and survive. Previously, Kaylyn managed the Cornell University Brewing Extension program where she worked to develop and facilitate resources for the craft beer community in New York state. She got her start in beer working in quality assurance at New Belgium Brewing Company. Kaylyn has an academic background in brewing science, having completed an M.S. at Oregon State University where she led the first investigations into "hop creep" as well as earning the prestigious Diploma in Brewing from the Institute of Brewing & Distilling in London.

Kaylyn is an active competition beer judge, having participated in regional, national, and international beer competitions such as the National Homebrew Competition (NHC), Great American Beer Festival® (GABF®), and World Beer Cup® (WBC). She proudly serves on the Master Brewers Association of the Americas (MBAA) National Technical Committee and the American Society of Brewing Chemists (ASBC) Webinar Subcommittee. She is the author of the eCornell Craft Brewing course, a crash course in beer ingredients and commercial brewing for hobbyists and professional brewers alike.

September 11, 2024

The newly released Brewers Association (BA) online course Intro to Ingredients is a foundational short course introducing the four main brewing ingredients: malt, hops, yeast, and water. Designed to be quick to complete, the training is entirely self-paced and takes only 20-30 minutes of seat time from start to finish.

As the latest addition to the BA’s online training center, Intro to Ingredients is a great example of what modern e-learning can offer small businesses that seek to train employees and provide engaging professional development opportunities. The course costs $15 for Brewers Association members and $20 for nonmembers.

This course will be a particularly valuable training tool for front-of-house staff, non-production brewery staff, and employees new to the brewing industry.

“This training provided great information about the four main ingredients in beer and will be great for new hires in front-of-house who do not have any prior beer knowledge and for those who are interested in continued education. It provides enough information without going too deep into each category.”

Chris Nicholson, Road Map Brewing Company

The BA develops and curates best practice guidance and educational resources for members of the brewing community with a particular focus on topics critical to business performance, such as safety  and quality. Online course offerings through the BA reflect this need, covering topics spanning safe brewhouse and cellar operations, line cleaning best practices, and the foundational techniques for managing beer quality.

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