RCC Receives $50,000 Grant from NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission
Nov 30, 2015Rockingham Community College will use a $50,000 grant from the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission to purchase a three-barrel brewing system for its Center for Brewing Sciences.
The equipment will enhance the college’s Brewing, Distillation, and Fermentation (BDF) Program and better prepare students for work in an industry that is growing.
“This is a growing industry and being able to provide equipment to increase employability fits well with the NCTTFC’s mission,” said William Upchurch, Executive Director of the NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission.
The new system, which will complement the center’s existing one-half barrel (roughly 12-gallon) system, more accurately represents equipment found in industry, said Keith Elliott, the program’s department chair. “We will be able to brew large batches of up to 100 gallons in addition to smaller ones.”
“This equipment gives our program more options in the types and frequency of classes offered,” Elliott explained. “We therefore will be able to increase the number of students served.”
The college also plans to purchase a canning system, which will fill aluminum cans with beer. With that equipment, students will be able to experience the total brewing process, from raw materials to a packaged finished product.
“Coursework in the BDF program is designed to expose students to production, operations, safety and sanitation, as well as associated process technologies,” said RCC President Dr. Mark Kinlaw. “Our students are mastering the skills needed to advance in this growing industry, and brewing beer is just a part of the program.”
Students seeking an Associate in Applied Science degree in BDF select an area of concentration. They choose either Equipment, Packaging, and Maintenance or Specialty Agriculture. The program also has certificate pathways in Craft Brewing and Brewing Specialty Agriculture. Graduates are eligible to sit for Institute of Brewing and Distillation (IBD) certification exams.
Persons interested in learning more about RCC’s BDF program may contact e-mail the college at brewing@rockinghamcc.edu or call 336 342-4271, ext. 2109.
